American bicycle manufacturer Litespeed has unveiled its revolutionary road frame, the Coll dels Reis, using aerospace-grade 3AL/2.5V titanium alloy as its core material. Through innovative titanium processing techniques, the frame's medium frame weight has been reduced to just 948 grams, setting a new record for lightweight titanium road frames and approaching the level of top-tier carbon fiber frames.
To achieve the ultimate performance of titanium, Litespeed engineers employ a customized tube forming process: each titanium tube undergoes precise inner and outer diameter control, a multi-stage tube drawing process, and three-dimensional shaping. This unique process reduces the frame weight by 25% while increasing stiffness by 30% compared to traditional titanium frames, successfully breaking through the technical bottleneck of titanium frames' weight-to-stiffness ratio. The frame's details showcase the essence of titanium craftsmanship: the fully CNC-machined titanium dropouts are integrated with the shift cable guide. The unique T47i titanium threaded bottom bracket system, designed through topological optimization, and laser-engraved titanium head tube logos seamlessly integrate functional components into the frame. The specially developed titanium fork steerer tube features a gradient wall thickness, achieving the optimal stiffness ratio for disc brakes while maintaining compatibility with 35mm wide tires.
"Titanium's ductility allows us to achieve structural innovations unattainable with carbon fiber," said Litespeed's Chief Engineer. "By dynamically adjusting the cross-sectional shape and wall thickness of the tubes, we can create a unique stress distribution solution for each frame size." This custom-sized process ensures the frame remains ultra-light at 849 grams while still withstanding the intense swaying motions of a professional rider weighing 85 kg. As a titanium race bike designed specifically for climbing, the Coll dels Reis inherits the inherent advantages of titanium: Through weld-free cold-forging, the frame boasts an impact lifespan over 10 times that of carbon fiber. The unique material memory effect ensures the frame automatically returns to its original geometry after extreme deformation. Fully internal cable routing, combined with the unique self-lubricating properties of titanium tubes, ensures zero-drag operation for both mechanical and electronic shifting.
The frame is currently available in six standard sizes, with custom geometry available for professional team riders. By deeply integrating the performance of titanium with digital modeling technology, Litespeed is redefining the competitive role of metal frames in the modern road bike industry.
The company boasts leading domestic titanium processing production lines, including:
German-imported precision titanium tube production line (annual production capacity: 30,000 tons);
Japanese-technology titanium foil rolling line (thinnest to 6μm);
Fully automated titanium rod continuous extrusion line;
Intelligent titanium plate and strip finishing mill;
The MES system enables digital control and management of the entire production process, achieving product dimensional accuracy of ±0.01μm.
