Silicon Valley-based bicycle brand Superstrata starts taking preorders Monday for what it calls the world’s “first made-to-measure 3D-printed e-bicycle with an impact-resistant unibody carbon-fiber frame.” Each bike will be customized for a specific rider’s height, weight, arm length and seat position. The frame is constructed to suit its rider’s style and preferred terrain (racing, street, gravel or touring), weighing just three pounds.
The bicycle is 3D-printed as a single piece of continuous carbon-fiber thermoplastic composite, which Sonny Vu, CEO of Superstrata, assures me is much stronger than any traditional carbon fiber frame on the market. This is due to the fact it’s a single piece without glue or anything else holding it together. He’d love to build one for Shaquille O’Neal, Vu told me.
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There will be two versions available at launch this December. The Terra is a traditional bicycle with some cool upgradable features, and the Ion is the e-bike version with an electric motor. Both will have rechargeable batteries that can be fully charged in a couple of hours. The purpose of the battery on the Terra is for optional integrated data collection, GPS and anti-theft, or riders can opt out of all the above. The wiring is run completely through the tubing and there are lights integrated into the frame, giving the bike a clean, futuristic look. As for the Ion, it doesn’t even look like an e-bike. Credit goes to designer Bill Stephens for coming up with these beautiful concepts.
The Terra will start at $2,799 and the Ion will start at $3,999. We can’t wait to check them out. Be sure to check back here at CNET for our upcoming hands-on nearer the launch.
Read more: The best e-bikes to ride in 2020