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3D Printed Record Breaker
Pinarello Bolide F HR 3D

Using 3D printing in the manufacture of vehicles is nothing new, but Italian bicycle manufacturer Pinarello has taken things to the next level with the Bolide F HR 3D, which Filippo Ganna has used to secure himself a new world record. Earlier this month at the Tissot Velodrome in Grenchen, Switzerland, the 26-year-old Italian cyclist covered a distance of 56.792 km within an hour on the bespoke 3D-printed bike, breaking the previous record of 55.548 km by over a kilometre.

Ganna’s bike has been tailor-made to suit his exact body type and enhance overall aero performance — 3D printing allowed the Pinarello team to create new shapes and features for the frame that were impossible with existing carbon fibre techniques. The frame and fork are made of a new alloy called Scalmalloy, an aerospace-grade, high-strength Scandium-Aluminium-Magnesium alloy specifically designed for 3D printing. Blending strength and stiffness with aero gains proved to be much easier with 3D printing too, thanks to the production method’s precision for millimetre-perfect sizing. The bike is also equipped with “airstream” technology around the seatpost that reduces drag, a new airfoil section with narrower wheel hubs, and beautiful Princeton CarbonWorks aerodiscs.

While the Bolide F HR 3D is not available for sale, the innovation and technology used on the bike will no doubt eventually trickle down into the consumer range of Pinarello products.