Renishaw
As part of a partnership with the Great Britain Cycling Team, which was extended in February 2023, Renishaw has collaborated with British Cycling and other partners to develop the new Hope-Lotus track bike using 3D printing technologies. The new bike will be ridden by Britain’s track cyclists at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, before competing at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
The cycling squad set to compete on the new bike at the World Championships includes five track medallists from the Tokyo Games.
To build the track bike and improve on the model that won gold in various events at the 2020 Tokyo games, British Cycling and partner engineering firms created bespoke components using Renishaw 3D printing technology, including forks and handlebars from Lotus Engineering that allow for increased aerodynamic porosity and the HBT Paris frame from Hope Technology that has helped refine headstock and seatstays.
To further develop the enhanced bike, Renishaw used its in house 3D printing knowledge to rapidly produce plastic and metal prototype parts to undertake aerodynamic testing of the new design and ensure that parts were light, geometrically correct and strong enough to endure the strain from riders.
Once Renishaw confirmed the parts were viable, it then used its RenAM 500Q 3D printers to manufacture aluminium and titanium parts, including handlebars, for the competition bikes, with parts customised for individual athletes.
Renishaw
“We have been busy designing, testing and building components for the new bike and we are really excited to see it in competitive action for the first time at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships,” said Louise Callanan, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Renishaw. “Working with British Cycling is a fantastic opportunity to showcase how our additive manufacturing technologies can help improve the performance of the bike and ensure that it is optimised for individual riders.”
Stephen Park CBE, Great Britain Cycling Team Performance Director said: “Our relationship with Lotus Engineering, Hope Technology and Renishaw is going from strength to strength. Their combined high quality manufacturing standards, renowned lightweight design, aerodynamic efficiency and their keen eye for finer details help us to unlock valuable marginal gains, which make all the difference come race day. This is the most advanced bike that has ever been ridden by British athletes.”
