T°RED bikes debuts manaia aluminum alloy road cycle on kickstarter

T°RED bikes debuts manaia aluminum alloy road cycle on kickstarter
all images © lorenzo demaria, courtesy of T°RED bikes

bike design. T°RED bikes, led by italian architect and designer romolo stanco, presents ‘manaia’, a light, fast, and high performing road bike. distinct in its construction, the cycle uses aerospace aluminum alloy (alu. and magnesium enriched with scandium and zirconium) rather than the current industry standard carbon fiber. the composition is 20% lighter and 30% stiffer than ergal, a common alloy that uses zinc as its secondary element.

rear view

stanco and a dedicated R&D team left nothing to chance, from the bike’s taper head-tube to its dropouts. a name was needed for the totally unified design, which was found in the māori culture — the indigenous polynesian population of new zealand. ‘manaia’ is a mythical creature with the head of a bird, body of a dragon, and tail of a fish; symbolic of the union between earth, sea, and sky. a stamp akin to traditional māori tattoos is present in multiple areas of the frame, as well as the bike’s accompanying riding suit, both of which are used to solidify the relationship between the conceptual and physical.

front view

T°RED partnered with several companies to complete the ‘manaia’ frame-set. dedacciai, FSA, and vision were called upon for components, the crankset is custom machined by OMC italia, and wheels produced by TOOT complete the cycle’s aerodynamic build. to support the project, or for more information on the extensive development process, check out T°RED’s ‘manaia’ on kickstarter here. 

side view 

clamp and seat stay design 

3D printed prototypes of the seat clamp 

rendering of the ‘manaia’ flat mount thru axle dropouts

T°RED test team leader giairo ermeti takes a spin at the track 

I love light metal logo and kickstarter limited edition sticker on the seat post

the ‘manaia’ skin suit uses the same graphics designed for the bike

romolo stanco, designer of ‘manaia’ and head of design at T°RED bikes

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edited by: nick brink | designboom