A visit to CMT: titanium in all its welded forms

Titanium is a material that has never disappeared despite carbon's dominance at (almost) every price point. Praised for its durability, repairability, elasticity, and comfort, its manufacture nevertheless demands a skilled workforce combining experience and precision. While production is primarily based in Asia, other manufacturers, particularly French ones, are rare, even though the gravel bike scene is bringing them back into the spotlight. Examples include Levacon, Caminade, Avalanche, Bordure Cycles, Grade9, and Atelier des Vélos, not forgetting CMT, which is our focus here and is based in a small village in Haute-Savoie. November gave us the opportunity to visit their facilities.

Text: Olivier Dulaurent – ​​Photos: 3bikes.fr, CMT

Craftsmanship and passion go hand in hand

CMT's already rich 20-year history has undergone some transformations – and a health crisis – which have led to its current operations, still with a reduced team and inevitably limited production due to the omnipresence of carbon fiber. Thus, while Jean-Pierre Ramoul acquired the brand in 2022, it is now Carole who handles order taking, sales relations, postural analyses, and the...tagAs for the bikes, Bastien does the welding (he's been doing it for about ten years now), and currently Robinson works as a welder.taginformation on the development of a mountain bike frame planned for later in 2026.
As soon as you step through the workshop door, the visit exudes craftsmanship, meticulous attention to detail, and a passion for a job well done. To explain the manufacturing process, Robinson and Bastien work together to explain the main characteristics of CMT (for Custom Made Titanium).

But before even thinking about the manufacturing itself, the first step, of course, is making contact with the future user. Carole therefore discusses this with him on... his project, his needs, his practice and how he envisions his framework. From this exchange arise aspects as varied as the desired angle for the slopingThe number of holes for bottle cages, the drilling required for potential racks, the bottom bracket size, and of course everything related to posture and geometry. This allows you to choose a bike that is either more stable or more maneuverable, depending on your preference.

First, the cyclist

Regarding cyclist positioning, CMT works with Retül, and Carole is therefore in charge of that. Retül is now a leading name in this field, as the overall system includes how the cyclist actually pedals with a 3D visualization of their pedal stroke. Disturbances in the pedaling cycle can thus be detected and then corrected by adjusting the lengths and angles of the different tubes. Once the cyclist's position is determined, it is transferred to the Bike Cad interface, a very powerful software that allows you to see the cyclist positioned on the screen, then to "play" with all angles and check certain aspects, for example, to ensure that the foot does not touch for a given geometry and cyclist size.

While remaining within certain limits and upon request, It is possible to choose a geometry geared towards stability or maneuverability, or of course to be perfectly neutral in this respect.Furthermore, the latest frames coming off the production line most often adopt the T47 standard rather than BSA or BB30, while the derailleur hangers are now predominantly made of "UDH" (for Universal Derailleur Hanger). This standard, initially developed by SRAM, allows for the standardization of derailleur hangers instead of resulting in thousands of different part numbers.

CMT's specific features

While overall, new developments are rare in the field of titanium, CMT is currently working on a steering head designed to be lightened in its middle through machining, in order to save weight without losing rigidity. According to its designers, this will save approximately 150g (depending on the frame size), which is always welcome given that the material leads to frames that are heavier than those made of carbon: expect at least 1300g for the frame alone, not counting the upcoming savings on the head tube.

Regarding the titanium used, CMT relies on Grade 9 quality (or Ti 3Al-2.5V for those in the know), in other words, a material containing 3% aluminum and 3,5% vanadium, which are the most common proportions used in the cycling industry. A frame fresh from the workshop reveals that the tubes – sourced from industry and with a consistent 0,89 mm wall thickness – come in five different diameters, ranging from 17 mm for the seat stays to 42 mm for the down tube and even 50 mm for the head tube. According to CMT, this way of working guarantees on the one hand a homogeneous mechanical resistance regardless of the production and on the other hand obtaining ISO certification on all tubes. Conversely, the other French manufacturer Le Vacon sources its titanium specifically for cycling from Dedaccia or Reynolds, obtaining different thicknesses on the tubes, which leads to a slight weight reduction.

A diversified range

CMT notes that the clientele has changed in 10 years with a significant rejuvenation coinciding with the emergence of Gravel and the enthusiasm for Bike Packing as well as Ultra Distance. For these disciplines, titanium offers many advantages.tagAdvantages: strength, longer-lasting new appearance (no paint), comfort, custom-made and high repairability (because it is always possible to unsolder and then reweld a tube that has undergone significant stress such as in a fall). Surprisingly, and while the frames with skates retain their AficionadosThe brand has no demand for this format.

Another advantagetagIt has been observed that while the price of high-end carbon frames has exploded, the price of titanium has remained roughly constant over the last 20 years, which means that they are cheaper due to inflation over this period.
So, today you should expect to pay €3290 for the frame kitThis includes, in addition to the frame itself: bottle cage bolts, rack bolts (if one is included), headset, seat clamp, fork, both wheel axles, and the UDH dropout. This price applies to all framesets except the MX model, which has a different fork (a telescopic fork in this case). This price translates to a complete bike with a Shimano 105 electronic disc groupset and mid-range wheels costing around €6000. In any case, the configurator on the website allows you to get an exact idea of ​​the price of your own custom configuration.
The waiting period once the order form is signed is only around three months.with, of course, slight variability depending on the season. But for custom-made frames, this "detail" will certainly be welcomed by enthusiasts, of whom around a hundred come forward each year.

A complete bike with a Shimano Ultegra disc groupset, 35mm deep carbon wheels (1350g per pair), and a Deda Alanera combo costs €7740, a lower price than most equivalent mass-produced carbon bikes which therefore lack a "history". unlike a CMT framework which places people and exchanges at the heart of the projectFurthermore, many settings can be customized at the time of the month.tagThe complete bike includes handlebar width, stem length, seatpost setback, saddle width, crank length, disc brake size, gearing combinations, tire width, and more.tagtubeless or inner tube, the montagThe cockpit is fully integrated or semi-integrated, etc.

Contact : CMT frames

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