‘World’s first’ 3D printed titanium aero bike reaches prototype stage

If 3D printing hasn’t yet revolutionised cycling manufacturing it’s certainly allowing designers to get creative. A case in point is the headliner here, a titanium aero road bike that uses the advantages 3D printing provides to allow a small bike brand from the Adirondack mountains in New York state to create something unique.

And after that? An aluminium stunner and some foldable footwear for the path less travelled…

No. 22 Prototype Reactor

‘Firsts’ in cycling are becoming harder to come by. Decades of technical progression often means the industry today is left to recycle ideas like a filmmaker putting a new twist on an old script. But the No. 22 Bicycle Company from Johnstown, NY appears to be breaking ground with its latest prototype.

The Reactor Aero claims to be the first ever 3D printed aero titanium bike. It blends a 3D printed frame, which uses Grade 5 titanium powder and is printed in sections, with in-house fabrication, which the brand says allows it to put its frame building expertise to best use, resulting in tighter tolerances, quality and finishes.

“The ability to print internal support structures anywhere in the frame gives us a level of control over the ride quality that has not been possible before,” says Bryce Gracey, Co-Founder of No. 22. “We are able to add stiffness in high load areas like the bottom bracket, dropouts, and head tube for very little weight, while playing with structure in fine detail throughout the frame to ensure it delivers the ride quality we need”.