German bicycle manufacturer Urwahn Bikes has released a limited edition version of its SOFTRIDE bicycle platform featuring a 3D printed titanium alloy frame.
Rather than developing a new frame design, the manufacturer has applied the new process to the existing SOFTRIDE, keeping its geometry and structural concept unchanged and altering only the material system. This method is similar to approaches used in aerospace and medical applications, where freezing the design and changing a single variable allows the effects of a new material or process to be evaluated more directly.
Previously produced using 3D printed steel, the SOFTRIDE now in titanium Ti64 achieves a frame weight under 1.45 kg. In doing so, the manufacturer is positioning the bicycle in a segment typically dominated by carbon.
Sebastian Meinecke, Managing Director at Urwahn, says the project is focused on structural development rather than prestige. By prioritizing material behavior over visual change, the SOFTRIDE Ti64 shows how advanced manufacturing and high performance materials can be applied to future mobility concepts.
Reengineering the SOFTRIDE in titanium
The project also represents a case of AM being applied to a primary structure rather than to secondary components. Even though fully metal 3D printed bicycle frames have been on the market for more than a decade, most metal AM use in the sector still concentrates on smaller, highly stressed components such as joints or mounting features.
In this case, the load paths and overall characteristics of the frame depend on the 3D printed titanium components themselves, placing greater emphasis on long term fatigue behavior and structural stability.
Having chosen titanium Ti64, a material valued for its strength to weight ratio, fatigue resistance, and stable mechanical properties over time, the frame affects both force transmission and vibration management. The SOFTRIDE’s suspended rear section remains part of the design, so these effects complement the platform’s existing suspension concept rather than replacing it.
Alongside the change in material and production method, the project also shows how the SOFTRIDE platform is being used across different configurations. The frame is intended to support multiple drivetrain options, including belt drives, gearbox systems such as Pinion Smart.Shift, and electric assistance.
The same frame concept is being used for both conventional and electric versions, with the electric configuration integrating the MAHLE X20 system. This lightweight system allows the SOFTRIDE Ti64 to retain its handling while delivering responsive and efficient electric assistance, according to Mahle SmartBike Systems.
3D printing titanium bicycle frames
From a durability and lifecycle perspective, titanium’s resistance to corrosion and its response to repeated load cycles are relevant for long term use in both urban and performance oriented riding. This makes it a desirable manufacturing material for bicycles, and is being increasingly employed hand in hand with 3D printing within the cycle sector.
For instance, bicycle manufacturer Titan Super Bond developed a fully 3D printed titanium alloy bicycle frame using the BLT-A320 system from Bright Laser Technologies (BLT). In doing so, the manufacturer produced structural components such as head tubes and handlebars, addressing deformation control and weight reduction in parts with wall thicknesses as low as 0.9 mm.
The process reduced production cycles by about 30% and material use by more than 20% while meeting dimensional accuracy requirements of 0.03 mm. This signals that high-end bicycle manufacturing has begun treating metal AM as a realistic production route for complete, load-bearing frame structures.
Elsewhere, metal 3D printer manufacturer Eplus3D partnered with Möve to develop the Avian e-bike with a titanium frame based on 3D printed lugs produced on the large-format EP-M650 metal PBF system. The approach replaced hydroforming and tooling with printed Ti6Al4V lugs and connectors, enabling full battery integration and tighter tolerances.
Support structures were minimized through parameter optimization, reducing post-processing and material waste. The lugs were bonded rather than welded, and surface finishing was done by abrasive blasting. As a result, the project shortened development time by about six months.
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Featured image shows a technician assembling a bicycle frame component in a workshop. Photo via Mahle SmartBike Systems.
