This article was produced in association with Ribble
The clue with titanium, named after the Titans, the pre-Olympic Greek Gods, is most definitely in the name. As a material to make bike frames, it is both divine and mighty. Half the weight of steel and twice as strong as aluminium, it has a high resistance to corrosion, is incredibly durable and has a famously smooth ride thanks to its ability to damp vibration. And, thanks to that resistance to corrosion, it can be left unpainted and looks simply gorgeous in its raw finish.
Like steel and aluminium, titanium has to be combined with other metals into an alloy that gives it the right balance of characteristics for a bicycle frame. Early titanium frames of the 1960s and 1970s, chiefly by Speedwell, Flema and Teledyne, were too soft and flexible. But once the ideal alloys were discovered, almost every high-end bike brand offered a titanium frame and the 1990s became a golden era for the ‘wonder metal’. The Gewiss team – titans of their era, in a way – dominated the Classics and won three of the five Monuments with the iconic De Rosa Titanio.
However, carbon has ruled the professional peloton for the last 25 years, mostly thanks to the aerodynamic shapes that can be created with its moulds. But with recent technological advancements in titanium construction, frames no longer need to be built by welding round tubes together. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has allowed Ribble to create a titanium version of its ground-breaking new aero-endurance bike, the Allroad, which itself inherited its aerodynamics from Ribble’s Ultra race bike.
The Allroad Ti features a 3D-printed head tube and seat tube cluster joined seamlessly to 3AL-2.5V tubing to create a clean, aerodynamic structure with full internal cable routing. It’s a bike that offers titanium’s legendary durability and ride quality, but with the latest aero profiles and integration.
Thanks to the 3D-printing process, the Allroad Ti includes many of the features and dimensions of the carbon All- road SL R and SL R e bikes, including the D-shaped seatpost with integrated seat clamp. It is compatible with Ribble’s UB-2 handlebar, with its direct lever mounts and wake generators. It also uses the same wider–profile carbon fork, has clearance for 35-millimetre tyres and has concealed mudguard mounts for year-round use. There’s also an oversized threaded T47 bottom bracket.
The Allroad Ti looks like the answer to the prayers of the seasoned rider who appreciates the ride quality and durability of titanium yet wants a modern performance bike. Titanium has been a key part of Ribble’s business since the brand relaunched in 2018. Jamie Burrow, Ribble’s head of product, says: “Riders love what we do with titanium. It’s nearly always someone who knows what they want, who has Ti in their sights and they choose it over carbon.”
As Burrow explains, giving the Allroad Ti features from the carbon Allroad SL R has huge advantages for the titanium aficionado: “There are considerable pressing and forming difficulties with titanium because it’s such a hard material and that’s why in the past titanium frames have had that angular look. The main difference is the 3D-printed head tube. 3D-printing has many different benefits – you can make any shape, aero shapes, but you also have the ability to tune wall thickness. With tra- ditional extrusion there’s only so much you can do with the internal dimensions, whereas when you’re 3D printing you can fine-tune the structure so that it performs in the way you want it to and you can also take the weight down.”
The Allroad Ti is the first time Ribble has made a titanium frame with full internal cable routing, and Burrow explains that this was straightforward to do with the 3D-printed head tube piece since it’s hollow, unlike a traditional head tube that’s welded to both the top tube and down tube. “When we’ve worked with alloy, steel and titanium in the past, we’ve effectively had to drill holes in the back of the head tube that line up with the down tube, big enough for the cables to pass through, but not so big that you’re creating a weakness. Whereas this 3D-printed piece is hollow all the way through and has so much room for cables.” The innovation has enabled Ribble to use its revolutionary UB-2 bar with titanium for the first time.
There are practical as well as aerodynamic advantages thanks to the Allroad Ti sharing features with its carbon counterparts. Burrow points out that using the same D-shaped seatpost and seat clamp as the SL R and SL R e is good news for both the customer and the brand. “When you get to the point further down the line when you need spares, having more parts that are usable across models and easily available is a big help,” he says. The 3D-printing of the seat tube/top tube cluster has allowed Ribble to create a seat tube that’s D-shaped internally, transitioning into a round tube as it approaches the bottom bracket shell.
And then there are the aesthetics. Not only does the Allroad Ti have a unique look, but each individual frame is different from the next. “Straight off the print bed, the 3D parts have a very rough finish, so there’s a lot of polishing needed – but it adds character to each bike that you can still see subtle imperfections on the surface, or the maker’s mark, giving it a handmade look,” says Burrow. And as a final 3D-printed flourish, the engraved look of the head badge is actually 3D printed. It has a beautifully classy look.
The Allroad Ti has the same geometry and sizes as its carbon cousins and is available in the same specifications. The top ‘hero’ Dura-Ace stock build with Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels is priced at £7,999 and at the entry-level end, the 105 build with Mavic Aksium wheels is £3,499 – though all Ribble’s bikes are made to order and configurable. “We’re not the first to offer additive manufacturing elements,” says Burrow. “But the few that are out there are more niche hand-builders who are charging what they need to charge. Because of the 3D-printing and the labour involved in the finishing, it’s got a significant cost over a traditional tube construction, but the price is not far above the carbon bikes.”
