Metron supplies four national teams with additively manufacture bicycle parts for Paris Olympics
July 25, 2024
Metron Advanced Equipment, based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, UK, has delivered bicycle parts to its ninth consecutive Olympic games. Hoping to add to its achievement of over 100 gold World and Olympic cycling medals so far, the company has used its in-house metal Additive Manufacturing to produce components being raced in track and road cycling events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Metron, through its founder Dimitris Katsanis, has designed and manufactured parts that have raced at every Olympic games since Barcelona in 1992. The company originally specialised in carbon fibre, being one of the first to use the material in bicycle frames, before adopting metal Additive Manufacturing.
Having developed its reputation for design and production of high performance metal AM parts, Metron has now completed projects for four national teams, commissioned to specifically target the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. These components are designed to deliver a combination of optimised aerodynamics, strength, and stiffness-to-weight ratio, as well as custom fit to meet the top-level rider’s needs.
“The team [at Metron] have been able to turn my direct feedback from a great product, into a perfect product, for what I was looking for from a handlebar and stem combo for the Paris Olympic Games. The quality and attention to detail of their products cannot be faulted, and inspires a huge amount of confidence for me to be racing on at the pinnacle sporting event,” stated Aaron Gate, reigning Track Cycling World Champion.
Dimitris Katsanis began producing carbon fibre bicycle frames in his garage in Greece in the early 1990s when steel was still the material typically used. Through the use of carbon fibre, he was able to achieve great improvements in aerodynamics and significant reductions in weight. After years of producing bicycle frames with carbon fibre, Katsanis switched his focus to harnessing the capabilities of metal Additive Manufacturing technology.
By producing components from additively manufactured titanium and scalmalloy, Metron has amassed many recent World, Olympic and Tour de France victories, as well as World Record performances. Using this same technology, Metron has also manufactured parts for the medical, aerospace and motorsport sectors.
Metal Additive Manufacturing has been making inroads into the top level of cycling since 2015 when it was first used on the handlebar that Bradley Wiggins used to break the Hour Record in cycling. Since then, Metron spearheaded the application of this technology in the highest level of the sport, by manufacturing and/or designing handlebars, frames, forks, and other parts, for the Rio, Tokyo and now Paris Olympics.
Two years ago, Metron launched its brand of additively manufactured cycling components under the brand name Mythos. The TX-1 family of additively manufactured endurance track cycling drop handlebars have already been ridden to four victories and ten podium positions at the Glasgow 2023 World Championships. For the Paris 2024 Olympics, Mythos components are expected to be raced by up to thirteen national teams in the track cycling events.
“When I made the bike frames in my parents’ garage for the Greek National team in 1992 – for the Barcelona Olympics – I was doing this more as a hobby rather than a profession,” stated Katsanis. “Fast forward to 2002 and with three Olympics under my belt, British Cycling enquired about designing a bike for the 2004 Athens Olympics. This bike became the now famous UKSI bike which went on to enjoy great success. Again, I thought that I would not go too far past the Olympics, but the relationship with British Cycling still continues today, 22 years and counting. So, nine Olympics later, I wonder how far my hobby will take me?”
Looking towards the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, Metron has collaborated with UK Sport on an additively manufactured bicycle frame project. This frame has already been piloted to success under Will Tidball, who won the Scratch Race World Championships at Glasgow in 2023. Metron intends to build upon this success, further refining the design and manufacturing more complete additively manufactured bicycle frames and components.
