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Flying Machine 3D Prints Their Way Onto Mountain Bike Trails

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Flying Machine 3d printed M29 bomber (2)

The use of 3D printing to produce a bike frame yields some interesting advantages. The ability to print out custom lugs which are joined with custom cut tubesets allows for bike that are made to measure with a quick turn around. It also seems to allow for a company like Flying Machine to easily explore new bike designs and even create a new model based off of customer wants.

Their latest creation, the M29 Bomber is a perfect example of what’s possible when all of those factors come together. Slated to be a new model for 2015, the M29 came about when a customer approached Flying Machine to create an urban bike that was capable of running mammoth 29″ tires. From there, the design morphed into something that could handle 29″ knobby tires as well as being suspension corrected for 100mm travel suspension fork. Taking it a step further still, Flying Machine is working on a second version of the M29 Bomber will even be capable of running 3″ 29+ tires…

 

Flying Machine 3d printed M29 bomber (1)

Flying Machine 3d printed M29 bomber (5) unnamed

Joining a number of completely new models and product changes for Flying Machine in 2015, the M29 is first being produced in steel with stock sizing. But considering they have already received requests for a titanium version, a full custom ti option will happen at some point according to Mat Andrew of Flying Machine.

Built with an external lower bearing head tube, the frame will be capable of running tapered suspension forks.

Flying Machine 3d printed M29 bomber (3) Flying Machine 3d printed M29 bomber (4)

Using an eccentric bottom bracket with split vertical dropouts, the frame is capable of running belt or chain drive and single speed or internal gear hubs. Soon to follow will be the M29 Plus which will offer the needed clearance for 29×3″ tires.

Pricing for the standard M29 will start at $2,595 with configurable drivetrain and build options.

flyingmachine.com

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Gunnstein
Gunnstein
9 years ago

Nice! Now make it in aluminium please, and add rack/fender mounts.

sf
sf
9 years ago

Aluminium !? For what !?
It’s better like this !

whilgenb
whilgenb
9 years ago

Since when are 29X2.35 tires “mammoth”? More to the point this is an awesome idea for building frames.

mudrock
mudrock
9 years ago

So what’s 3D printed: just the lugs or the tubes also? How does the strength compare of a steel tube that is not drawn over a mandrel in the traditional method?

Zach i dig your articles but sometimes you leave out some crucial details.

Carl
Carl
9 years ago

Nice bike but I don’t see any lugs. 3D or otherwise. Is it me?

ascar larkinyar
ascar larkinyar
9 years ago

that was my question.

does 3D just build a plastic frame for modeling and use as master for the jig?

what material is that frame?

fap master flex
fap master flex
9 years ago

Gosh what a beaut!

Belt drive
Top Tube
Seat Tube

All just perfect. Sign me up!

WHBradford
WHBradford
9 years ago

The title leads you to believe this bike was 3D printed , I see nothing but a TIG welded steel frame build from parts many other frame builders are already using like 44mm head tubes and Paragon rocker drops.
Can someone help me out here and point out what part of this bike was in fact 3D printed?

jose
jose
9 years ago

If only they had provided a link to the website… I am sure Flying machine would talk extensively about their process and marketing words… oh wait.

Drew Diller
9 years ago

From what I remember from previous Flying Machine things, it is 3D printed (laser-sintered or stereolithography type) titanium. One heck of an expensive machine does the work, but you can make economical per-part Ti frames with it.

Paolo
9 years ago

so this frame is full 3d printed or just some parts? 3d print can create structures impossible to built using any other technology, a 3d frame maybe has to be more similar to a carbon fiber frame, there is no point to print tubes, unless the traditional tube shape hide some particular inner structure.
anyway the bike is nice.

eadm
9 years ago

@Gunnstein with carbon you can just sand a tiny spot and epoxy on your rack/fender mounts (3d print carbon ones of course)

derek
derek
9 years ago

“3D printed invisible lugs” – From the Flying Machine website.

Drew Diller
9 years ago

@Paolo, looks like majority printed. Sort of the way carbon frames are made, where the lugs are molded and then later on bonded together.

Carbon isn’t exclusive to complex forming, just – relatively speaking – easier to do than with aluminum (hydroforming), as well as easier than Ti (this very topic).

It’ll be interesting to see where metals go with this, because frames built this way can, like carbon frames, be very structurally efficient just based on shape.

Peter R
9 years ago

Reminds me of the Niner ROS.

WHBradford
WHBradford
9 years ago

Guys I’m pretty sure this is a welded / painted frame , it even has brazed on reinforcements at the bottle bosses . The rear dropouts show cap detail and I’m still not sure what was 3D printed on this bicycle .

yoyo
yoyo
9 years ago

The lugs are 3D printed. Just go to their website and you can see how they do it, I’m not sure why they didn’t have any pictures of the lugs here.

breader
breader
9 years ago

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