Trigger’s Broom – Gravel Bike Update

The latest iteration of my Seven Evergreen. Started out life as a disc early adopter with a 135mm QR rear end and mechanical post mount brakes with Campagnolo. Had it rebuilt by Seven with a flat mount 142 thru axle rear to keep it current and installed 1st generation ETap.

After months of collecting and planning, I have now taken the plunge with 1x ETap AXS. This bike is the gift that keeps on giving. Actually these days this is my only road bike. The high volume, low pressure tyres work beautifully on the rough Surrey Hills roads. I no longer race so the 1 x jumps are proving perfect.

I have had everything except the chainring for months and Wolftooth finally came up trumps this week when the first Flat Top rings rolled off their production line.

Other than allowing me to run 1 x because of the ratios and clutch rear mech, the new ETap AXS is not massively different in performance to the previous. The brakes are identical. There are some small but significant differences though. The texture on the shift paddles is nice. The rounded edges on the rotors is a marked safety improvement. XDr means no more notched freehub bodies.

All up weight is 7.9kgs which for a large metal gravel bike is pretty good, and somehow it feels lighter than the weight and rolls better than the tyres might suggest. Seven really know their stuff.

Frame – Seven Evergreen SL
Fork – ENVE G Series
Headset – Chris King Inset 7 (black)
Chainset – Cane Creek EE Wings (175mm, Cane Creek 110BCD spider, 40T Wolftooth Chainring)
Bottom Bracket – Chris King Threadfit 30
Pedals – Look Keo Carbon Titanium
Rear Derailleur – SRAM Red AXS
Shifters – SRAM Red AXS HRD
Brakes – SRAM Red AXS HRD
Chain – SRAM Red AXS
Cassette – SRAM Red AXS (10 / 33)
Hubs – Chris King R45 Disc (32 hole)
Rims – ENVE XC clincher (32 hole)
Spokes – Sapim CX Ray
Tyres – Panaracer Gravel King (38mm)
Stem – ENVE (110mm)
Bars – Fizik Cyrano 00 Bull (420mm)
Seatpost – ENVE
Saddle – Fizik Arione 00
Bottle Cages – King Titanium
Grip – Fizik Supertacky 2mm

There is finally sight of Eagle AXS being available as components soon, so I can also finish its sister.

Is that 2 pairs of EE wings?!

Yikes.

Oh and very nice bikes.

You’re only here once. Who needs a wife anyway?! She is about to buy herself a new bike, so what’s a man to do?!

Just back from the first ride in anger. Not a murmur or a grumble. Very happy with it. Maybe AXS is a bit faster and quieter than 1st generation on reflection. Can’t wait to try the Eagle version but have to say there’s been nowt wrong with the GX as a stop gap measure.

Holy guacamole – so clean, the lines, not the bike. Wow.

How long till we hear of derailleurs being robbed off bikes? 2 Allen bolts and away…?

Interesting point. Particularly with quicklink chains. Mind you they’ll have to get past the razor wire, guard towers and killer cat first! But yes, Etap is definitely not a pub bike option!

It is nice looking down on a clean handlebar area, but I am old enough to have raced down tube shifters so it brings back happy memories of just seeing brake cables. It also makes me old enough to remember the ‘who needs 7 cogs’ debate!

This bike is the gift that keeps on giving

That implies there is no cost to you 😂

I wish! But there aren’t too many 7 year old bikes that still look current, and it will see me through many more to come. Maybe it’s more like one of those 70’s bands that are still touring but have none of the original members…..

Nice bell. Mine is about the same cost as the RD. But still titanium and 1×10. But I have carbon sram red cranks. About the same weight too with mini Vs.

Etap is lovely. I have it on the TT bike. It’s almost easy enough to swap between bikes too with the blip box.

You should scrape off the daft seven and evergreen decals..

Nah, I like ’em! I did ponder the brushed decals but quite like the old school look.