One of the early advocates of 3D-printed parts, No.22 bicycles used additive-manufactured dropouts in summer 2022. The following year they partnered with Silca to 3D print a complete stem to give them a unique stealth cockpit.
Naturally, they needed a top-shelf bike to showcase such things, and that’s where the Great Divide comes in. It’s a boutique titanium road bike with their signature polished-and-brushed finish, with your choice of anodized finishes. I stuck with the natural titanium finish with a dark gray belly for my test bike, and the geometry was their stock size 58, but you can go full custom if you want.
Regardless of what geo you want, each one is built to order, so that’s where we’ll start…
Every No.22 bike that rolls out of their New York HQ is handmade, one at a time, based on your specs and requested add-ons. They offer seven stock sizes, or you can send your bike fit data for a custom build.
Every person who touches the frame signs off on their work, a process that not only maintains accountability but illustrates the number of craftspersons involved (it’s not just craftsmen, their best anodizer and others on the team are women, too).
The most striking element of the bike is the stem, but not just on its own…it’s the how it hides all of the wires and hoses and creates a perfectly seamless cockpit. That it’s smooth but so obviously metal (and especially when it’s anodized in colors to match the frame) makes it even more of a conversation starter.
Shape-matched interlocking spacers make bike fit easy and don’t require any brake hose disconnects. The stem has two bolts on back to secure it to the fork, pressing a rounded plate against the steerer tube. The top bolt snugs it down to compress the headset bearings.
The face plate nests into the top of the stem and bolts down on the top…
…with two traditionally placed bolts clamping the bar into place.
Silca prints the stem for them, so naturally a Silca 3D-printed titanium computer mount is the right option. This one’s custom made to fit their stem faceplates.
For a headtube that hides everything inside, it’s not oversized. If I’m being honest, I wouldn’t want to have to build this bike from scratch (and I didn’t), but damn if it doesn’t look amazing. I expect stealth routing to look good on carbon bikes, but there is something about this bike that just makes it seem more special.
Small touches abound that show No.22’s attention to detail. The polished inset head badge is one.
And the polished logo; Despite being shiny, it’s somehow also subtle.
The fork inset is another, which gives them a spot to put their logo…but also a spot where other brands can put their own mark. No.22 offers this fork to others, too.
All main tubes are custom butted to tune ride quality and make it lighter. The downtube is bi-ovalized, sitting a little taller where it meets the head tube…
…and wider at the downtube to improve torsional stiffness at the pedals. A fat T47 BB shell gives it plenty of space to land. A round seat tube makes front derailleur mounting and seat post selection easy.
The T47 BB also makes room for massive bearings, particularly when running a Shimano crankset with 24mm spindle.
Note the welds… perfect.
Tire clearance is rated at 35mm. I rode it with 28mm tires and there’s plenty of room to go bigger.
The 3D-printed dropouts are left “rough” but smoothed gradually to blend into the tubes. Note the stealth fender mounts with small bolts to keep them plugged.
My test bike was built before the introduction of T-Type/Direct Mount rear derailleurs for road and gravel, but No.22 offers that as an option on this bike now, too. But check out the stout hanger and sleek nesting into the dropout! I never heard any creaking, and shifts were sharp and fast. Also note the minimal Di2 wire protrusion, keeping the aesthetics super clean.
No.22 makes their own seatposts but uses ENVE’s multi-piece saddle rail clamps. You can opt to use your own post if you prefer.
More details: Check the small flat shape at the front of the seatpost collar, which matches their headbadge shape and…
…the top of the seatstay bridge. Nice continuity, and this bit can be had with a hidden fender mount, too.
Here’s another photo to drive home just how clean the front of this bike looks.
Actual weight for the complete bike with ENVE wheels and handlebar, two Silca ti bottle cages, no pedals, was 18lb 4oz (8.2kg). It’s roughly a size 58-59 equivalent.
No.22 Great Divide ride review
When people say there’s something magical about a titanium bike’s ride quality, they’re not lying. So it’s something for a builder to be able to elevate that, and I think No.22 does.
To be fair, I initially had some…uh…feelings about the 3D-printed stem. Not skeptical, and not scared. But maybe…cautiously optimistic. There’s something about the notion of a bunch of metal powder being magically turned into a part that directly connects the two things (fork and handlebar) that take the brunt of the forces at the front end of the bike.
So, I started slow and worked up to more stresses and rougher surfaces. In the end, it was perfect, and clearly contributed to the front end’s excellent lateral stiffness. Standing and cranking on the bars yielded nothing but dramatically firm swaying of the bike beneath me.
That lateral and torsional stiffness also helped the bike carve corners and stick to its lines.
And it sends power backward rather efficiently. Compared to the stiffest carbon bikes there’s maybe a slight drop in “snap” off the line, but I’d trade that any day for the smoothness this bike delivered.
I like that they’re using a T47 BB. It’s big, robust, and easy to service. I never heard any complaints from it, either.
At $5,999 for just the frameset (frame, fork, and titanium headset, spacers & seat collar, all with raw finish), the Great Divide needs to be special, and it is.
Most of my riding is just Zone 2 cruising, with long rolling hills and 50-70 mile stretches from meetup to brewery. For that, it is sublime…easy to pedal and comfortable, knowing that it’ll handle the occasional strong pull or county line sprint with ease.
But it’s also a bike that likes to chill. If I’d kept it longer, I’d put 30-32mm tires on it and it would likely disappear under me.
It also handles the occasional gravel road quite well. If I were doing this a lot I might swap in a carbon seatpost, but I honestly don’t have any complaints.
No.22 Bicycles clearly fall into the boutique category of bikes you want because you want them and can afford them. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s nice to see that they’re more than just art, they’re helping create the state of the art with clever touches and beautiful finishing work. And they ride pretty damn nice, too.
