A 3D printed composite CBF downhill bike?! The Rodeo is just a concept for now and it’s not for sale. But we wanted to show off what our team has been working on because this stuff is fun! Still, it serves as an example of conviction, innovation, and what is possible with current technology and what could be a reality in the future. It’s hard not to get excited about the prospect of a 3D-printed carbon bike made here in the United States, and the ramifications could mean incredibly improved prototyping and development processes for bike brands, safer conditions in production facilities, significant environmental benefits, and greater customization for the rider at better costs. Revel believes that this method of frame production could be the future for carbon bicycle manufacturing, and the Rodeo is proof that this is a real possibility that could become more of a reality for practical, reasonable-cost full suspension mountain bikes with continued technological advancements. A 3D-printed carbon mountain bike is doable, and with further innovation, there is even the potential for this thermoplastic composite material to be fully recyclable.

For now, this technology is too new to bring this bike to the masses. The entire process is incredibly time and energy-consuming, not to mention prohibitively expensive, and it is not realistic to bring the Rodeo to production at this time. But as innovations in additive manufacturing and thermoplastic technology continue, the possibilities of mountain bikes like this coming to market become very real.

*Rodeo is a registered trademark of Rodeo Adventure Labs LLC