We were approached by a customer from Lisbon with a clear vision: to create a unique, clean-lined titanium road bike that would embrace the cutting edge of metal 3D printing. A one-of-a-kind frame that not only looks futuristic but is built using some of the most advanced methods available today.
At Tritão, we’ve been working with SLM (Selective Laser Melting) 3D printing since 2023. Typically, we reserve printed parts for where they truly outperform CNC machining—dropouts and chainstay yokes, for example. While printing tends to be more expensive overall, it offers real advantages: reduced weight, smoother integration during the build process, and an almost unlimited design freedom. The aesthetics are beautiful, too.
That said, not every part of a frame benefits equally from printing. Take the bottom bracket shell and head tube: we machine those in-house with speed and precision, and they’re cost-effective. Printing these components would require additional post-processing to dial in the tolerances, which adds time and complexity. Fortunately, we’re equipped to handle that in-house too. And when you do choose to print, the results can be spectacular—organic forms, tuned wall thicknesses, and features that echo the freedom of carbon design, now in titanium. Exciting stuff.
For this project, we went all in. We designed every lug and cluster from scratch. The customer requested 3D-printed chainstays as well—a bold choice. It wasn’t easy, but the results speak for themselves: boxy, muscular stays around the BB area that taper off elegantly toward the rear dropouts. Speaking of dropouts, they’re UDH—because future compatibility matters. The rear brake mount is a clean 160 mm flat mount, no adapter needed. The rider’s weight was also factored into the design from the start.
The tubing comes from Columbus—specifically their new Hyperion series, all oversized for added stiffness and efficiency. 3D printing allowed us to subtly “inflate” the BB area for improved rear brake cable clearance, a detail that would’ve been tricky with traditional manufacturing.
If you’re going minimal with a metal road bike, one thing you can’t overlook is the seatpost clamp. A standard external clamp is light and effective, but not exactly elegant. So we pushed further and created a fully integrated seatpost clamp, custom-designed and 3D printed in-house. The mechanism is all titanium—yes, even the piston. We’re keeping the internal details under wraps, but trust us, it works beautifully. 5–6 Nm is all it takes to secure a carbon post.
Speaking of which—the seatpost itself is a prototype of our new Tritão model. It uses a European-made 30.9 mm carbon tube with a custom 3D-printed head we developed. We’ll be releasing it soon, so stay tuned.
For the headtube, we went with a proven standard: 52 mm ID / 56 mm OD, compatible with all modern integrated headset systems. In this case, it’s fitted with a Chris King headset tailored for FSA’s routing standard.
The lugs were printed in Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy. Thanks to the nature of the printing process and the follow-up heat treatment, they came out incredibly strong and stiff—ideal for a high-performance road frame.
The finished frame came in at just over 1500 grams. While we are able to build lighter frames in the 1250–1400 gram range, this one was tailored for a rider on the heavier side. You want a responsive frame—not a noodle.
Component-wise, it’s a dream build: Mavic Cosmic Ultimate wheels, SRAM RED 2x12 drivetrain, 5DEV titanium cranks, ENVE Road In-Route fork, and a selection of other premium parts. Final weight: 7.6 kg.
And the logos? There’s only one: a subtle Tritão mark printed directly on the headtube. The customer wanted a clean, understated aesthetic, and we respected that.
This project marks a new chapter for us. We’ve pushed deeper into the potential of tube and lug shapes—and we’re just getting started. Several wild builds are already underway.
Stay tuned.
