CeramicSpeed debuts £660 derailleur pulleys at NAHBS

3D-printed titanium with novel hollow cross-section

Published: March 9, 2015 at 10:00 am

Just when you thought boutique bicycle components couldn’t get any pricier, Danish company CeramicSpeed has gone and utterly shattered the glass ceiling with a pair of outrageously expensive titanium derailleur pulleys developed in collaboration with the Danish Technological Institute. The price tag is a whopping US$1,000 (£660) – but hey, at least you get two.

CeramicSpeed builds the pulleys using a 3D printer, which allows for a hollow structure that otherwise wouldn’t be possible with conventional manufacturing techniques. In addition to supposedly being lighter than CeramicSpeed’s standard aluminium or titanium pulleys – saving a whopping 2g or so – the company also claimed a three-fold increase in durability. Naturally, the wheels spin on CeramicSpeed coated ceramic bearings.

CeramicSpeed used 3d printing techniques since the hollow structure wouldnõt have otherwise been possible through any conventional manufacturing techniques: ceramicspeed used 3d printing techniques since the hollow structure wouldnõt have otherwise been possible through any conventional manufacturing techniques

The novel hollow structure is produced via 3D printing

That said, CeramicSpeed fully acknowledges that its new 3D-printed hollow titanium pulleys aren’t exactly going to be a high volume item. In fact, the company is only making ten pairs for now, with each pulley having an individual serial number and the set presented in a needlessly fancy case.

CeramicSpeed says that it has learned quite a bit from the exercise, however, and the company plans to apply those lessons to future projects. In the meantime, 10 well-heeled customers are going to end up with some very, very exclusive (and shiny) derailleur pulleys. Don’t expect a review of them here any time soon.