Wheels mfg Blog
popular categories
latest articles
Litespeed x Wheels Mfg: A Titanium Gravel Machine Built for Unbound
Some bikes are built to check boxes.
This one was built to turn heads in Emporia.
For Unbound Gravel 2026, Wheels Manufacturing teamed up with Litespeed Bicycles to create a titanium gravel bike that blends modern gravel performance with a clean, stripped-down aesthetic built around speed, simplicity, and premium craftsmanship.
At the center of the project is the new Litespeed Toscano, a handcrafted titanium gravel platform designed for riders who want the responsiveness of a race bike with the capability to disappear down endless dirt roads. Lightweight titanium tubing, aggressive gravel geometry, and massive tire clearance make it the perfect foundation for a modern gravel build.
But this one goes deeper than frame material.
The build showcases Litespeed's new Cerakote finish options, bringing an entirely different visual language to titanium. Instead of covering the frame with thick paint, Cerakote adds an ultra-thin ceramic coating that delivers durability, corrosion resistance, and a distinctive finish that feels more industrial and performance-driven than traditional paint.
For this collaboration, raw titanium surfaces meet custom Cerakote detailing and a full collection of anodized blue Wheels Manufacturing components. The contrast between the brushed titanium, muted coated surfaces, and bright anodized parts creates a bike that feels equal parts race machine and showpiece.
Built With Purpose
This build features our soon-to-be-released gravel chainring, designed specifically for the demands of modern gravel riding. Strong, lightweight, and engineered for rough terrain, the chainring pairs with our SOLO-XD single speed conversion system to create a drivetrain setup that is quiet, dependable, and refreshingly simple.
Additional Wheels Manufacturing components featured on the build include:
SOLO-XD Single Speed Conversion Kit
New Gravel Chainring
DROPOUT-666 Single Speed UDH
Outboard T47 Bottom Bracket
Seatpost Collar
Headset Spacers and Top Cap
Water Bottle Cage Bolts
All finished in anodized blue.
The final result is a gravel bike that feels intentional from every angle. No unnecessary clutter. No wasted details. Just titanium, precision components, and a build designed to stand out in a sea of carbon bikes and sponsor logos.
This project is also a celebration of American manufacturing and rider-driven product design. Litespeed has spent decades building titanium bikes in the USA, while Wheels Manufacturing continues to develop precision components and tools in Colorado for riders who care about how their bikes ride, look, and hold up over time.
If you're heading to Unbound Gravel, stop by the Wheels Manufacturing booth at the All Things Gravel Expo and check this one out in person.
Trust us. Photos won't fully prepare you for this bike.
Raw Titanium. Single Speed. Unbound Ready.
There’s something special about a raw titanium gravel bike done right.
For this year’s Unbound Gravel Expo, Wheels Manufacturing teamed up with BlackHeart Bike Co. on a custom Gravel Ti build designed around long miles, rough roads, and clean details. The result is a modern titanium gravel bike finished with a full collection of Wheels Manufacturing components in our custom Raw Aluminum colorway.
This build also marks the soft launch of our new SRAM 8-bolt direct mount gravel chainrings, officially available July 2026.
Built for Big Gravel Miles
Machined in Colorado from premium 7075 aluminum and available in 40T, 42T, 44T, and 46T sizes, the new Wheels Manufacturing gravel chainrings were designed for riders who want a drivetrain that feels fast, efficient, quiet, and dependable over massive gravel miles.
The new chainrings feature:
SRAM 8-bolt direct mount interface
Optimized tooth profiles for modern SRAM drivetrains
Lightweight yet incredibly strong 7075 aluminum construction
Available in seven anodized colors
Designed and machined in Colorado, USA
For this BlackHeart build, we paired the chainring with our SOLO-XD Single Speed Conversion Kit and 21T cog for a clean “magic gearing” setup built specifically for the rolling terrain and relentless conditions that make Unbound Gravel legendary.
Wheels Manufacturing Components Featured on the Build
To complete the build, we added a full collection of Wheels Manufacturing components in black and our custom Raw Aluminum colorway:
New SRAM 8-bolt direct mount gravel chainring
SOLO-XD Single Speed Conversion Kit with 21T cog
T47 Inboard Bottom Bracket
DROPOUT-666 Single Speed UDH
Seatpost Collar
Bottle Cage Bolts
The Raw Aluminum finish pairs perfectly with the natural titanium frame, creating a clean, understated look built around performance and durability.
About the BlackHeart Gravel Ti
The BlackHeart Gravel Ti is a modern, aero, fully integrated gravel bike designed for covering long distances quickly.
Its long and slack geometry keeps the bike stable and planted on rough terrain while still feeling nimble and intuitive when the road gets loose and fast. With clearance for up to 50mm tires, a threaded T47 bottom bracket, SRAM UDH compatibility, and support for electronic 2x or mechanical 1x drivetrains, it’s designed to be ridden hard and maintained easily for years to come.
Build Highlights
BlackHeart 3Al-2.5V double-butted titanium frame
ENVE Gravel In-Route carbon fork
BlackHeart one-piece carbon bar/stem
SRAM Force 1x XO cranks
Zipp 303 XPLR SW wheelset
Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H tires
Why Titanium?
Titanium has always held a special place in gravel riding.
It’s durable, corrosion-resistant, recyclable, and delivers a ride quality that feels smooth and composed over long days in the saddle. Combined with modern geometry and fully integrated design, the Gravel Ti is a bike built for adventure without compromise.
Founded in 2018, BlackHeart Bike Company creates titanium and aluminum bikes that balance performance, versatility, and beautiful design for everyday riders and racers alike.
Learn more about the BlackHeart Gravel Ti
See It at Unbound Gravel
If you’re attending Unbound Gravel, stop by the Wheels Manufacturing Outdoor Expo Booth May 28–29 to see the build in person and get a first look at our new gravel chainrings before their official July 2026 launch.
See you in Emporia.
Revel x Wheels Manufacturing: A Teal Titanium Tirade Bound for Cyclingworld Europe
Revel x Wheels Manufacturing: A Teal Titanium Tirade Bound for Cyclingworld Europe
There are bike builds, and then there are bikes that stop people in their tracks.
Our latest collaboration with Revel Bikes lands firmly in that second category. We teamed up to put together a titanium Revel Tirade dressed head to toe in teal Wheels Manufacturing components, creating a build that feels equal parts trail machine, showpiece, and love letter to modern mountain bike design. And now, we’re bringing it to Cyclingworld Europe in Düsseldorf, Germany, March 20–22, 2026 to help show off a little of what Colorado does best. (CYCLINGWORLD EUROPE)
If you know Revel, you know they don’t do boring. The Tirade is their titanium 29er hardtail, built around modern trail capability with the clean feel and ride quality only titanium can deliver. Revel describes it as a bike inspired by their Rascal, made for riders who want the capability of a longer-travel bike with the simple beauty of a titanium hardtail. It is also single-speed compatible thanks to Revel’s sliding dropout design, which made it a perfect canvas for this project. (Revel Bikes)
That single-speed compatibility was our cue to have a little fun.
For this build, we decked the Tirade out with a full spread of teal Wheels Manufacturing parts to create something that feels cohesive, custom, and unapologetically eye-catching. The build features our SRAM 3-bolt chainring, Stack Right headset spacers and top cap, water bottle cage bolts, BSA 29mm bottom bracket, SOLO-XD single-speed conversion kit, thru axles, and seatpost clamp. The result is a titanium hardtail with a clean, purposeful look that still hits hard from ten feet away. This one is all about the details. From the cockpit to the rear hub, every accent works together to bring the bike to life.
What makes this project especially fun is how naturally the Tirade lines up with what we love to build at Wheels. Revel’s titanium platform is packed with modern touches, including an integrated headset, thru-axles, internal cable routing, threaded bottom bracket, and UDH-compatible sliding dropouts. On the Tirade specifically, Revel calls out its “rowdy titanium hardtail” personality, 29-inch wheels, and sliding dropouts that make a single-speed setup completely at home here. In other words, this is not some forced show build. This bike makes sense, and that is what makes it so good. (Revel Bikes)
And then there is the setting.
Cyclingworld Europe has grown into one of Europe’s major bicycle shows, held at Areal Böhler in Düsseldorf, with more than 400 exhibitor stands and 500 brands expected for 2026. It is exactly the kind of place where a build like this belongs. Not tucked away in a corner. Out in the open, where people can walk up, lean in, and start picking apart every teal detail on a titanium frame that already has plenty to say on its own. (CYCLINGWORLD EUROPE)
For us, this project is bigger than a display bike. It is a chance to team up with another Colorado brand, build something special, and bring that energy overseas. Colorado has always had its own way of doing things when it comes to bikes. A little dirt under the fingernails. A little style. A lot of function. This Revel Tirade captures all of that in one build.
If you’re heading to Cyclingworld Europe, come find us and check it out in person. Photos are one thing. Standing next to a tealed-out titanium Tirade is another.
Colorado to Düsseldorf. Let’s go.
The Bike That Almost Wasn’t! Our Colorado Copper Sanitas Finally Made It Home
The Bike That Almost Wasn’t! Our Colorado Copper Sanitas Finally Made It Home
We had big plans for the Philly Bike Expo this year. Front and center in our booth was supposed to be a one-of-a-kind Sanitas Cycles titanium Pistil Soft-Tail fully decked out in our Colorado Copper anodized components. A clean, bold build that showed off the best of what we make, all in our signature colorway.
Then… it disappeared.
Somewhere between Colorado and Pennsylvania, it vanished. Lost in transit. Despite days of searching, tracking updates, and a few panicked phone calls, the bike didn’t make it to Philly. We were bummed. So was the Sanitas crew. This build deserved a spotlight.
But here’s the happy ending: the bike finally made its way back to Sanitas HQ, safe and sound.
And now, we finally get to show it off.
This is the Colorado Copper Sanitas build that almost wasn’t. A clean titanium frame brought to life with our anodized components:
SOLO-XD Single Speed Kit – simple, fast, and coppered out
T47 Bottom Bracket – built for longevity and smooth power transfer
Headset Spacers + Top Cap – the little details that tie the whole build together
Wheels MFG Thru Axles – because solid connection matters
Seatpost Clamp – clean, secure, and color-matched
A huge thanks to Sanitas Cycles for the build and for rolling with the punches when the bike went MIA. It didn’t hit the Philly show floor, but it’s too good not to share.
sign up for exclusive emails, discounts, promotions and a few surprises.
popular articles
Categories
Find your Derailleur hanger
hanger finder
Which bottom brackets fit your bike
bottom bracket finder