Canyon's Sustainable 3D Printed Prototype Mountain Bike

Apr 28, 2022
by Ed Spratt  
Photo: bike-magazine.de

First shown off in public at last weekend's Cycle Show in London is a 3D printed sustainable concept mountain bike from Canyon.

The wild-looking frame and fork were built as part of a project initiated by BIKE Magazine Germany for its 'Ride Green' story with Canyon being asked to build the Cradle 2 Cradle frame. The rest of the build was supplied by brands that partnered in the project with an aim to try and design a bike that could be as sustainable as possible with all components being fully recyclable and materials reusable without risking quality.

Photo: bike-magazine.de
Photo: bike-magazine.de

While investigating how you could produce a more sustainable bicycle, the project went beyond just looking at materials and ensured that reducing waste was included as part of the lofty goal. In the pursuit of reducing waste, 3D printing and aluminum were chosen to create the frame and German 3D printing company Materialise used selective laser melting in the production process. This method of manufacturing involves lasers to melt aluminum powder and allows the creation of unique shapes that can be seen on the concept bike.

To ensure the frame meets the needs of the project, only recyclable materials were used with 3D printing being the ideal manufacturing technique as it allows regional production, short lead times and potential for lower pricing. To create the incredible looking frame the design uses a skeleton to form a load-bearing structure with a shell providing more protection and better surface properties.

Photo: bike-magazine.de
Photo: bike-magazine.de

Photo: bike-magazine.de
Photo: bike-magazine.de

Each of the three frame pieces of the design takes around six hours to make and the claimed weight for the frame and fork at 2kg. There are no current plans for this to become a production bike for Canyon but it will be interesting to see how the project potentially influences future Canyon bikes and designs.

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech First Looks Canyon


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154 Comments

  • 404 36
 Jesus....all you whiney twats in the comments just suck. This is cool! Its awesome to see the industry experimenting, bring in new tech and do cool shit regardless of if it becomes mainstream. Bet you would have made the same comments when carbon was first getting used in frames.
  • 12 0
 @wilsonians the peanut gallery makes those comments about carbon now.
  • 169 8
 Hi, whiny twat here! My problem isn't with the technology, which is extremely cool and presents a novel solution to complex part shaping.

My problem is that this is being framed as a sustainability effort with zero facts presented as to what that entails. If you're going to greenwash something, at least throw in some nonsense like "20% more sustainable than conventional methods." Telling us to simply believe that a 6+ hour laser sintering process is somehow more efficient than maybe 4 total hours of hydroforming, mitering and TIG welding is lazy, even by the very lax standards of cycling marketing.

Until there is any evidence to support these claims, this is just a cool design exercise couched in environmentalist language.
  • 62 33
 Here's how it works around here if you don't know:

(Scenario 1) New product comes out that is innovative: Everybody calls said product environmental terrorism because it didn't exist before and we are now adding to landfills. People are not allowed to make new things. You disgust Pinkbike.

(Scenario 2) Product release that is an update of a current product: Everybody loses their shit about the cost, if you support this update you are a marketing whore and everybody will tell you this. Shame on you for liking things, you are likely still contributing to environmental terrorism as this point too.

Now...

Lets say a new iPhone comes out. Well. All these whiney little twats collectively jizz their pants over the extra 0.001" of screen size to watch the latest Tic Tok video of some moron setting a pile of tires on fire with gas. They drop $1,000 without thinking twice and throw their last iPhone from 6 months ago strait in the trash, fire up that new bad boy and log into PB to see this article and promptly make a comment about how there was no explanation about the sustainability.

Woke.
  • 5 1
 people still turn their noses up at carbon Lol
  • 11 5
 @warmerdamj: There are some serious logical fallacies here. I'm not sure if it's even worth it to address them.
  • 15 11
 @warmerdamj: The manbuns are going to down vote you - and now me, but dammit that is some true, funny and sad shit right there.
  • 5 0
 They could easily produce full custom frames at a reasonable price. They could be produced closer with way less shipping. There's a lot of good advantages if this technology can work.
  • 13 3
 @warmerdamj: And this, folks, is what we call a very large red herring fallacy. Throw in a bit of evocative language to really add the icing on the cake.
  • 4 2
 @DBone95: I'm glad you liked it.
  • 7 0
 @monkeynaut: I totally agree. When I saw the word "sustainable" I thought WTF would that mean?!? And sure enough it seems to be thinly veiled promotional BS.
  • 1 0
 @voodoo666: the problem is that they use the word "sustainability" referring to a "positive feedback" process
  • 1 0
 I don't even care how sustainable it actually is all I know is that it just confirms my theory that mountain bikes are reverting back to the 80s.
  • 2 0
 @Spencermon
@nickfranko
You talk like you just came from a r/atheism seminar, guess you are both really fun at parties.
The bit about parties, that was sarcasm, I didn't mean it.
  • 2 0
 @Losvar: Nah, I just hate when people come into some argument and start talking like they know everything, but don't know shit.

edit: I am the most boring person at parties (mostly because I don't go)
  • 1 0
 @warmerdamj: the iPhone part is so true
  • 137 9
 Excellent job at not even attempting to explain how any part of this bike is sustainable. These are the heavy-hitting articles I like.
  • 20 1
 Fair, but it’s pretty obvious on the frame-front: it’s aluminum. You could recycle the thing like a large can. Just like any other aluminum frame.

There’s more info on the process here: www.materialise.com/en/manufacturing/3d-printing-technology/metal-3d-printing

The tech is really cool though. I wonder with some more R&D if they could get the weight down? 4.4lbs is “steel is real” territory. But I imagine you could do some really interesting things if you could 3D print a lattice of aluminum, or even titanium, inside the frame.
  • 18 1
 The most sustainable part of this frame is the possibility of not having to ship them, the way Pole once promised to do.
  • 5 0
 @atourgates: 2kgs for frame AND fork. Using a steel is real fork and frame you're looking at 4kgs at least, 4.5 in my case.
  • 50 1
 The most sustainable technique for bike manufacturing is to make sure your frames don't crack after 300 miles of moderate riding, and not arbitrarily updating standards every 3 years.
  • 4 0
 @atourgates: Right, I think it could really only be called sustainable if all the materials used are recycled, not recyclable. Plastic in theory is recyclable but only a very small percentage actually gets recycled.
  • 4 1
 The details will be behind the outdoors pay wall written by Beta...
  • 2 0
 It's also additive manufacturing which saves materials when compared to some methods (like CNC). Not a huge deal with bike frames, but would help with forks.
  • 13 0
 @alexsin: I think Pole has been pretty successful not shipping bikes.
  • 2 0
 sustainability story behind paywall
  • 1 0
 Hold on... can you imagine if this article (and all of the details provided) were paywalled?
  • 1 0
 @atourgates: this looks like a bike, but 3D printed metals are not as durable and very prone to stress cracks because of the scintering process and no where near the strength of extruded or forged aluminum.

Yes, aluminum frames are more "sustainable " but mountain biking is marketing, and they need a way to justify high prices for an aluminum frame.

Next: forged lugs and glued tubing, similar to Alan frames 40 years ago.
  • 34 1
 When looking at sustainability you have to take into account minimizing the material and energy inputs to make the same product in different ways. If that product reliability doesn’t meet the same reliability as a product made in a different way with higher material and energy inputs, I would judge it unsustainable because replacing it repeatedly is worse than the original case. Just being recyclable is not sufficient, it needs to be reliable.
  • 17 0
 To me, it seems that finding sustainable means of production isn't the problem- rather we have a market expecting new bikes and new tech to come out every season. That driving concept is not sustainable, it doesn't matter how it comes about.
  • 5 0
 @ianblenden: Exactly. Sustainability is primarily making current bikes to stay in service for as much as possible. Then at the same time you are welcome to experiment with new tech, but first, don't´drive the market to consume new every season.
  • 2 0
 Yeah, 1x12 solves a lot of problems (especially for full suspension designs) but longevity isn't one of them. Frame looks dope tho!
  • 1 0
 @not-really: well that’s no way to make huge profits now is it!
  • 3 0
 Additionnally you need to consider your energy consumption and I doubt that laser 3d printing is using less energy that producing tubes, cut to size or pre made to size (so no waste material) and welded together. You can also cast or forge small bits like drop outs and stuff and be done. I'd be curious to see the CO2 emissions of this project vs something like I described.
  • 2 0
 Aye! See the King Of The Hill episode re: low-flow toilets.
  • 1 0
 @mikedk: there is always a catch. How about 3D printing some moneys to make up for the losses?
  • 1 0
 @ianblenden: I get where you are coming from and very nearly agree, but we know that outdated bikes aren't just winding up in the land-fill. I've had no problems selling 10+ year old bikes when upgrading. The usable lifetime of a bike eztends beyond its original owner.
  • 1 0
 @st-lupo: Certainly! This is definitely true- I have an 8 year old Transition Scout that I still love, and I think would sell easily. I suppose I would like to see a few bike companies try and innovate regarding longevity and fun rather than weight/speed/etc.,
  • 2 0
 @Balgaroth: I'd be shocked if making aluminium powder them melting it with a laser (and presumably hear treating after) is more efficient than a continuous process making tubes, them just welding a small area. And producing "locally" won't really make much difference - sea transport is incredibly efficient per tonne-km. Though it would help with supply chain... It's certainly no more recyclable than a traditional metal frame, though much better than composite
  • 1 0
 @Balgaroth: 3D printing is wasteful. The process of making the metal powder, the laser scintering, the powder cannot be reused.

People are enamored with new technology, and this justifies higher prices. In the time it takes to print and glue one frame a hundred classic alloy frames can be produced.
  • 41 6
 3-D printed and sustainable… when does the NFT drop?
  • 18 0
 The most sustainable thing you can do as a cyclist looking to buy a bike is to buy a used bike. All other methods to placate and push environmental consciousness are ridiculous.
  • 4 1
 Agree on the first part, disagree on the second part. Used bikes were once bought new. Someone WILL buy a new bike. It would be great if every new bike was just a little more environmentally sustainable, (green, friendly, conscious, Etc.) I don't think anyone should go sell a perfectly good bike just to buy a new "Environmentally Friendly" bike. but if all the new bikes were environmentally friendly, that would help. People are gonna crash and bikes are gonna break. I think that we churn through bikes too quickly, but there is a need for bikes to be made. We can't just stop making all new bikes. It's ok to try to find more environmentally friendly ways to make new bikes better.
  • 19 1
 Oooh, they had the opportunity to mount at least 7 bottle cages and yet not 1.
  • 8 0
 water bottles are plastic, not sustainable
  • 2 0
 @DanielP07 there are water bottle cages and water bottles made of recycled plastic...
  • 1 0
 @DanielP07: Give me a lazer-melted bottle then
  • 1 0
 Mounts would just be needed for pack accessories as bottle cages wouldn't be needed. The frame doubles as a plastic container that can be filled with liquid and it comes with a hose attachment like a hydration pack.
  • 3 0
 @DanielP07: Water is made of water, not sustainable.
  • 19 1
 Good thing Schwalbes are recyclable, are they able to glue the torn knobs back on after the first ride?
  • 2 0
 Hence the name FIRST RIDE!
  • 14 0
 Laser SLA, is not a process that I would consider to be environmentally friendly when energy input is taken into account.
  • 7 0
 SLA is a vat polymerization process. SLM, or more specifically DMLM in this case, is a powder bed fusion process. The energy input is incredibly high especially compared to something like SLS/DMLS, but the benefits of recyclability and little/no waste material is what they were going for I guess.
Would be interested to know the post-processing steps as well. "Green" PBF parts are rarely ready to go straight off the build plate.
Really interesting project, but definitely need more information before they make those environmentally friendly claims.
  • 7 0
 @lu-ma: yep sorry, a typo after a long day. We use it a fair bit at work (we have both powder bed and powder nozzle machines). Massive energy inputs. We have to include energy in our sustainability calculations at work, and traditional manufacturing usually ends up the winner. Additive has obvious advantages for complex and non traditional geometries, most of the internal parts of a prototype micro turbo shaft we have designed are out of the bed.

I would be interested to know what the internal geometry of the structure is like. That’s where this method really has a lot of possibilities for the sport. Designing compliance in far more precise locations/fashions than traditionally manufactured frames should lead to really enjoyable bikes.
  • 13 0
 @lu-ma: As somebody who actually seems to know what the hell they are talking about, I nominate you to write the next article on this project. I learned more from your comment than the entire article.
  • 3 0
 @lu-ma: I can't help but think there are secondary operations on the BB, headset, axles, etc.
  • 4 0
 @lu-ma: How would the energy input for DMLM be compared to a traditional aluminum manufacturing processes?

As a high schooler, I once toured an aluminum plant that was built right next to a dam across the Columbia river, that used a not-insignificant portion of that damn's output for its work.
  • 2 0
 @atourgates: I've wondered how much energy aluminum production takes. There are a number of non TVA dams in eastern TN/western NC built and owned by Alcoa? exclusively for their aluminum plants
  • 1 0
 @Afterschoolsports: One of the big criticism I've seen of Atherton Bikes is that their sintered titanium is weaker than a comparably cast or machined part, and has to be overbuilt. Thoughts?

Their engineer (whos been there since the Robot days) says additive aluminum takes way to much energy to be environmentally or cost-justifiable, because aluminum's high reflectivity (at least for bikes). Is this inline with your experience?
  • 1 1
 @lu-ma: SLM/DMLM/SLS/SMLS/ are all L-PBF these days. Nobody is doing laser metal processing for additive manufacturing without melting the material.
  • 1 0
 @Robotra: Can't say that's true.
DMLM is just a subset of SLM, in the same way that DMLS is SLS. However, SLM is not the same as SLS, as the name implies. They are however all under the umbrella of PBF, but face different challenges.

As for metal processing, I believe Atherton is sintering and not melting. Less residual stress, less energy use.
  • 1 0
 @hamncheez: The sintering process doesn't get great density out of the green part, so there has to be post-processing that can negatively affect the dimensions/tolerances. That porosity plays a big part in mechanical behavior.
Using a process like DMLM that fully melts the metal powder makes it much closer to a wrought part (and more expensive).
What do you mean by reflectivity?
  • 1 0
 @lu-ma: This comment www.pinkbike.com/news/ask-us-anything-atherton-bikes-on-launching-direct-to-consumer-sales.html#cm3185172
  • 1 0
 @lu-ma: that's incorrect. You are referring to plastic resin 3D printing, not metal scintering stereo lithography. Also, parts are not ready to go off the plate, they all need post print processing before the are glued together (see joints in pics).
  • 1 0
 @Raytruant: No, we're talking about laser-based processes, not stereolithography. The article specifically mentions selective laser melting (not sintering), which is powder-bed fusion.

Also, parts produced through DMLM that are such high density are able to be used almost immediately in some special cases, especially when surface finish (a large AM weakness) is not a concern, as pictured. And metal parts, especially in load-bearing applications, are rarely "glued". You'll need much stronger joints than most adhesives can offer.
  • 14 1
 I guess suspension forks and dropper posts are unsustainable?
  • 13 3
 Brake lines routed through the handlebars is peak-sustainability.
  • 5 0
 @bishopsmike: Sustaining bike-shop jobs!
  • 11 0
 Amazing technology but your head could get stuck in the frame.
  • 8 0
 The clip I never knew I wanted to see in a Friday Fails
  • 3 0
 With all the engineering knowledge on the forums we could design a Mars mission in a week... Canyon should be credited for taking the topic of the environmental impact of bikes seriously. We need more projects like this which can help inform manufacturers,
  • 2 0
 lol
  • 3 0
 This is just a marketing fluff piece. I bet you can’t even ride it. It’s has nothing to do with sustainability of being eco friendly
  • 4 1
 If you care about Sustainability: you’ll stop riding bikes and start farming kale in a bio diverse shitpile. If you’re not familiar poop-kale, than you are consuming bikes, phones, brake pads, creating cloud stored (energy inteinice) images of your dog on her birthday (candles create greenhouse gas) and generally being a normal capitalism playing human (humans make excrement for farming kale in) pawn. Greenwashing is simply a new flavor of consumption (humans and consumption and mfg and transport are the main problems here) and I for one prefer my 3d printed bikes to be pure downhill race machines or made interlocking with my existing Lego collection. Legos. Racing. Death. That is all we are promised.
  • 1 0
 A person who cares about sustainability won't have kids.
  • 8 2
 This is really cool, way to go Canyon.
  • 2 0
 The design is a little gimmicky, but it’s good to see companies exploring new manufacturing techniques.

It’ll be interesting to see if 3d printing reaches a point where bicycle frames can be made that way cost competitively.
  • 2 0
 in the custom boutique market, there are several people doing just that. Prova Cycles, Sturdy Cycles, Huhn, Bastion, even the new Reeb steel bike. All use 3D printing to create several parts of their frames.
  • 3 0
 @Spencermon: dont forget atherton bikes.
  • 1 0
 @whitebullit: there are probably more, just the first ones that came to mind.
  • 2 0
 All this weird rigid vibe and no sliding dropouts for SS? Come on mang, put down the bong and step away from the PTC Inspire!
  • 2 0
 I'd like to believe that a regular aluminum bike is more sustainable if you ride it for a long time, rather than a cheap, disposable bike every year!
  • 4 0
 "You wouldn't download a bike!"
  • 1 0
 Wonderful!
  • 4 0
 The child in me says EWWW. The adult in me says EWWW
  • 1 1
 Sad how few of those poo-poo this technology didn't ask one question...merely slammed it from their existing internal "database" while someone out there tried to expand on theirs....seems so common in human endeavors. Folks claiming to enhanced intelligence by virtue of slamming that of others. We are not long for this world and it is a justice many don't deserve.
  • 1 0
 Talking frame only, they could send the file to be printed anywhere in the world rather than shipping frames. Can’t believe they didn’t touch on this from a sustainability perspective.
  • 1 1
 The sustainability part of the whole thing is basically that additive manufacturing creates less waste. To be fair, this article didn’t mention that and even in the BIKE magazine article linked at the top it was pretty vague. They also aren’t wrong about this being the future. Once additive manufacturing becomes a viable process at scale it will replace the way we currently make frames, especially on mid-range bikes. Less waste, lighter frames, if they can make more frames with less material in the same amount of time, they will.
  • 2 0
 What is happening with that little slot on the stem (next to the handlebar)? Looks like some kind of function or switch?
  • 5 0
 It is a lock, the stem can be rotated for spacesaving storage of the bike.
www.syntace.com/de_DE/produkte/vorbauten/mtb/6166/spaceforce-50-oe-31.8mm-inkl.-twinfix
  • 1 1
 @Helmchentuned: anyone know if a serious alternative exists for 35mm ? This looks like serious enough stuff to consider on an enduro bike, but website says 31.8 mm
  • 5 0
 @juliopedro: then get a 31.8 bar. You won’t notice a difference… if you do you’ll notice your hands are more comfy.
  • 1 0
 @Helmchentuned:
Cheers man!
  • 3 0
 Very sweet. I’d ride that.
  • 2 0
 If 3D printing aluminum can be made economical, the design possibilities are endless!
  • 1 0
 Funny new and improved by a fraction sells next year's slightly altered model that is some how much better. This is actually innovation for research. Luv it .
  • 3 0
 made in a plant heated by natural gas from Russia.
  • 1 0
 The Canyon Bamboo

Make it happen!


Side note: How are the multi parts of the frame joined, bonded or welded? How long was the print/sintering time?
  • 1 0
 Typical epoxy glues and no way this print was done in less than 24 hrs for a single frame. Then the post printing cleanup. The Atherton designs with 3D printed lugs and glued carbon tubes is much more practical.
  • 1 1
 Would it be possible to use a different adjective than "wild". "Wild" tells me absolutely nothing. Segmented, Angular. I mean for f*ck sake you get paid to talk about bicycles.
  • 3 0
 Nobody talking about the fabulous tan crank? I want it!
  • 1 0
 was wondering when someone would print a bike.

great idea and looks awesome! would be interesting to see what the shock absorption is like compared to alloy/carbon
  • 1 0
 I’m not usually into the weird parts and frames that are made out of stuff that was grown or looks obviously like AI design, but I think they are on to something here.
  • 3 0
 Price: 10 k USD.
  • 2 0
 It will be labeled as the budget version Wink
  • 4 1
 Nice gravel bike
  • 12 13
 If you want a really sustainable bike, use a well-made steel one. Steel can be fully resistant to fatigue breaks, while aluminium will always crack after enough cycles of a certain force
  • 7 2
 While that may be true for normal aluminum tubing, I'm not sure that applies to 3d printed aluminum. Fatigue cracking in aluminum is initialized and propagated along the crystal interfaces, which would be completely different in a 3D printed structure.
I don't know enough about fatigue cracking in 3D printed structures to say whether this would definitely change, but I wouldn't assume that the old paradigm of fatigue cracking in aluminum is the same in 3D printed structures as in traditional cast/formed structures, it could be worse or it could be better.

That being said, I still have my 1994 GT Backwoods made from 6061 aluminum that has been beat up pretty good over the years and it is still going strong with no signs of any stress fractures. In general, I think this concern has always been overblown in the cycling community for most aluminum components, especially frames.
  • 4 0
 @mjcutri: I have had 3 aluminum bike frames crack and 3 aluminum kick scooters crack so the concern is real.
  • 1 0
 Only the low-strength (resulting in a heavy part) steels show this behavior.
  • 3 0
 @kingbike2: oh you must be a metallurgist, can you examine my crack?
  • 1 0
 In contrast, I have cracked 2 steel frames and no aluminum ones...
  • 4 0
 @SickEdit: not necessarily true. All steel alloys have an endurance limit where if you stay below you will not experience fatigue cracking. Endurance limit of most steels is around 35 to 60% of ultimate tensile strength. For instance 4130 UTS is ~800 mPa and endurance limit is ~340 mPa depending on exact temper. Normally the higher end steel frames strive to be lighter and more compliant (springy). This requires less material (weight) and higher stresses (force per area). The elasticity (stress to displacement ratio) is roughly the same for all steels. So to have a frame that is twice as compliant (deflects 2x more), you would have to have twice the stress (all other things the same). Obviously that is overly simplified. But I think highlights why higher end frames aren't designed to infinite life/stresses under endurance limit.
  • 2 0
 @mjcutri: DMLM crystals are elongated in the z-direction of the build. Depending on the way they orient the frame on the build-plate (heat treat), they could dial in the crystal orientations according to frame loading. That's a neat design dial to be able to turn. Hope they give more info on this project.
  • 4 0
 @mjcutri: Laser sintered parts like this are more similar to a casting. One thing about designing like this is that it's easy to put material where the stress is so there is a lot of potential. It opens up a lot of possibilities when tooling consideration is no longer a part of the design process.
What Canyon missed communicating clearly is that the most potentially sustainable part of this is
in reducing the shipping. At some point, its reasonable to assume that putting the 3d printers closer to the final destination is going to happen, so this is a cool experiment.
Everything that is shipped from Asia to Europe or North America is inherently wasteful, especially when often the raw materials are shipped there first.
  • 2 0
 Not wrong, but irrelevant in practical terms. Let me explain. A friend of mine works for a certain bike brand. That brand does their fatigue testing by having the frame subjected to a predetermined maximum load of several thousand newton in key areas like the head tube, bottom bracket and rear axle. That force is applied to each of the tested areas between 10.000 and 15.000 times. In practical terms that means a rider weighing the maximum permissible weight could huck his aluminium enduro bike to flat from above head height, 10 times a day for 4 years straight, before reaching the fatigue the frame held up to in testing. Most modern frames from major brands are this rigorously tested.
  • 1 0
 @nonk: 100%
  • 1 0
 @mjcutri: just like your 6061 Al frame . Printed metal parts must be melt fused to eliminate any voids . As is in heat treated in an oven. 6061 frames are also heat treated after welding .
Still no mention of what alloy of aluminum is used for metal printing for this example.
  • 1 0
 @mjcutri: aluminum has a finite fatigue life ie - it will crack eventually event if stressed well under its ultimate yield strength.

Steel on the other hand has an infinite fatigues life it the force applied is under the ultimate yield strength.
  • 1 0
 @CheddarJack46: sure, bend over!
  • 2 0
 @nonk: economies of scale apply as much to environmental cost of production as to financial cost. I highly doubt there would be much of a net reduction in energy cost of shipping as a result of smaller scale manufacture closer to the end-use point. Think about all the thousands of extra fedex van trips to deliver fox, shimano, SRAM etc parts to every small manufacturer vs one shipping container of each being delivered to a big assembly line.

The other massive problem with this approach is that maintaining appropriate QC is really hard. It's an issue with additive manufacturing in general, and exacerbated by spreading that manufacture across multiple centres. Are you going to have full test rigs at each production centre?
  • 2 0
 This means they can make a budget Atherton frame now
  • 1 0
 I can use the beers cans I emptied, melt them down, and print a frame, and ride? Brilliant!!
  • 2 0
 3 chain stays! I wonder how many the Grim Donut V3 will have to have.
  • 2 0
 What would you have to do to paint your rear deralliur like that?
  • 1 0
 Maybe it's cerakote
  • 1 0
 This year's SRAM derailleur comes in "sustainable brown" and is otherwise the same.
  • 1 0
 Anyone else reminded of Kirk magnesium frames? Or does no-one want to reveal that are middle-aged (at least)?
  • 1 0
 I want this for bike packing. 2 separate frame bags may be more solid with that center tube keeping things more stable.
  • 2 0
 That’s dam cool
  • 1 0
 If the cables don't route through the stem, I'm not interested.
  • 1 0
 That fork looks amazing. Canyon, please sell these.
  • 1 0
 Cayon's 3-D Printed Prototype Mountain Bike. There I fixed the title.
  • 1 0
 Anyone recognize the pedals?
  • 1 0
 Ah yes, those 3D Printed Titanium joints.
  • 1 0
 There is room for 5 water bottles
  • 2 0
 Just ride YOUR bike.
  • 1 0
 No reason whatsoever to make that toptube curved. Straighten it, now.
  • 1 0
 PB comment section is almost as bad as fox news
  • 1 0
 my 26inch steel hardtail is more sustainable than this thing
  • 2 3
 how is this any better than CNC? 3d printing everything fad gotta do. nothing sexy about particle board
  • 1 0
 CNC uses forged aluminum, which is inherently stronger. 3D printed metals are a billion stress cracks seeded into the metal. While 3D printed metal parts are used in aviation, the typically replaced with greater frequency.
  • 1 0
 Make it a singlespeed!
  • 9 12
 So its an aluminum bike that was 3d printed?…. Wow mind blown lol not sure how this is any better than 99% of the welded aluminum bikes.
  • 5 2
 Think of it as the all weird and wonderfully shaped joints, optimised for maximum efficiency, light weight an stiffness. But the economic and recycling benefits Alu.
  • 2 0
 It's that it can be regionally produced rather than welded in one place then shipped around the world
  • 2 1
 Think of how many inputs go into making a hydro formed aluminum frame: forming the tubing, shipping tubing (air) from the tube manufacture to the frame manufacture, making molds,, hydraulic machine, etc. plus the scrap from tube cutes.

All of that is eliminated with this system.
  • 2 0
 @meathooker: and it can be structurally reinforced from within at certain places where required
  • 1 1
 @shredderthedog: typical alloy frames are robot welded and could be produced locally as well.
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 @naptime: this design and process is as much hands on labor as a carbon frame, and printing times are slow. No way will this frame cost anywhere near a current alloy frame.
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 @Raytruant: I never EVER seen a 3D printing done by hand.... er not heard of 3D PRINTERS? And the base component of alu is way cheaper than carbon and the moulds and the process
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