Loughborough Research Helps Launch Fully 3D Printed Titanium Bike

A new chapter in performance cycling has opened with the debut of Speedform, a fully 3D printed titanium road bike developed by British manufacturer J.Laverack and supported by aerodynamic expertise from Loughborough University. Unveiled at the Rouleur Live show in London, the bike represents one of the most ambitious uses of metal additive manufacturing in the cycling world.

Speedform is produced entirely through 3D printing, with the frame split into three titanium sections that are printed, joined, and finished into a seamless aerodynamic structure. Freed from the constraints of traditional tube-and-lug construction, the design team was able to sculpt the bike around airflow needs rather than fabrication limits. The result is a frame built to fit each rider with millimetre-level precision, paired with aerodynamic shaping that would be impossible using conventional methods.

Loughborough CFD tests show Speedform slashes drag by up to 26%, saving as much as 17 watts.

To validate these design decisions, J.Laverack partnered with Loughborough University for advanced computational fluid dynamics testing. Professor A. Duncan Walker led the analysis, comparing the new bike to the company’s existing road model. The testing showed a drag reduction of 20 to 26 percent between 30 and 48 kilometres per hour, which translates to energy savings of up to 17 watts. According to Professor Walker, the gains were the product of intelligent form-finding made possible through additive manufacturing.