Mechanical Engineer Scout Ferguson (front) and Director of Sales James Ayres (behind) discuss the new 5DEV titanium stem.
5DEV is the brainchild of 5th Axis Inc.’s Chris Taylor. He rode in the ‘70s and ‘80s along with 5th Axis’s co-owner Steve Grangetto. “Chris and Steve are longtime mountain bikers, and our website says it best,” tells 5DEV’s Director of Sales James Ayres. “The founders of 5th Axis/5DEV have been riding bikes since head angles were 71 degrees and bar ends were all the rage. They just love bikes of all kinds, and in 2022 decided they had all the tools, people, and manufacturing experience needed to build a better mousetrap. That mousetrap, of course, is premium bike components. We’ve quickly carved out our space in the high-end bicycle landscape. I came on board about a year ago as Director of Sales without really knowing a lot about the brand. I have decades of experience in the bike industry, but I got here not fully realizing how complex the product line truly was. I got up to speed very quickly and learned what an insanely high-end brand 5DEV is.”
5DEV is a derivative of “5th” (Axis) and “Development.” At 5th Axis, as new projects are created, the ideas and supporting materials usually find their way into a “5th Axis Development” folder on their network — it’s essentially a holding place for things that aren’t “real” yet. As their cycling division took shape, Chris and the engineering team were brainstorming names and knew that calling it “5th Axis Development” was a bit of a mouthful. They spitballed a variety of different names, but most of them were already in use in some form or fashion. Long story short, they started designing different logos using “5” and “Development” and realized the 5DEV logo actually looked pretty solid. With almost five full years under their belt, the name seems more fitting now than ever. “Most everything we make is designed, engineered, and manufactured right here in San Diego,” continues James. “I knew there was a target consumer for the brand, but the traction we’ve gotten in such a short time is mind-blowing.” 5DEV’s fans are rabid for more, and fortunately for them, 5DEV is very adaptable when it comes to current industry trends.
The Brother Speedio U500 is part of the 5DEV cell. It utilizes 5th Axis automation and a pallet pool. Each of the pallets has the 5th Axis RockLock system and is utilizing the A96-V75100X self-centering vise with Automation-Ready Base. The X-Series vise offers a 30% increase in clamping force, 4-bolt jaw mounting to reduce jaw lift, and sharper teeth for a better bite.
5DEV is in a position that many custom component makers dream of, having the backing of one of the most trusted names in manufacturing. Founded in 2005 by mechanical engineers Steve Grangetto and Chris Taylor, 5th Axis was built on the belief that 5-axis machining is the key to producing precision parts more efficiently. At 5th Axis, innovation is at the core of everything they do. They design and manufacture precision workholding solutions and automation systems — including tombstones, RockLock bases, and dovetail fixtures. Their products help job shops and manufacturers maximize efficiency, reduce setups, and improve accuracy. 5th Axis products are engineered to meet the real-world demands of modern manufacturing, and their 5DEV products are engineered to meet the real-world demands of modern cycling. “If we were going to try to do all this just as a startup company off the street, it wouldn’t be possible,” explains James. “We have engineering teams, manufacturing, distribution — we have all the pieces that go along with selling bike parts. We can create top-of-the-line products without questioning ourselves, because we already have 5-axis machines running aerospace and manufacturing parts for the titans of industry. With multiple campuses, 100+ machining centers, and over 200 employees under the 5th Axis umbrella, no startup can compete on this level.” It’s hard to argue with that logic, and even harder when you see their manufacturing setup. 5DEV is only a small portion of the machining that goes on in San Diego’s Building 3, but they have their own dedicated cell of 5-axis machining centers. This area has a pair of Hermle C30 5-axis machines and a Brother Speedio U500 with 5th Axis automation robotics and a pallet system. “I don’t know a lot about each machine we use,” chuckles James. “But I hear Hermle is a nice one. We then share spindle time on any other available machines. I know many of our parts also go on the Robodrills and Doosans.”
5DEV can move quickly with prevailing market trends primarily because of their in-house engineering team and adaptable workholding solutions. “James can come to me and say, ‘I need a crank arm for a gravel bike, and I want it to be 20% stiffer than carbon, lightweight, and look cool,’ and I get right to work,” explains mechanical engineer Scout Ferguson. “I run point on most of the 5DEV designs, but I’m just one of a half dozen people in the engineering department. I know my way around the shop and work closely with our Director of Engineering, Kyle Laudner, who streamlines our manufacturing processes based on available machines and desired output. We are very fluid with our designs and can quickly generate prototypes and get to manufacturing in no time. Large component companies like Shimano don’t have that luxury, and small mom-and-pop shops don’t have our resources. It gives us a huge advantage when a new part goes to market.” “We work directly with professional race teams like Frameworks Racing 5DEV and riders like Cam Zink,” continues James. “Our close partnership with teams and riders means that if Cam wants a 160mm crank arm for the next Red Bull Rampage event, we can be cutting metal in no time.”
Left – 5th Axis operates a fleet of Fanuc Robodrills with the added benefits of a 4th Axis, holding a 5th Axis Pneumatic Chuck , 4-sided Automation-Ready Tombstone, and 4x V75100X self-centering vises. This allows the operator to pre-load 2 pedal sets at a time quickly and accurately, then a robot will load the entire Tombstone.
Middle – James looks at a pedal blank as the machine is being set for first article inspection. Pedals are one of the larger run quantities, and a pallet of blanks awaits their turn.
Right – A finished Jump Line pedal ready for shipping. It is one of the many new products debuted at the Sea Otter Classic this past spring.
5th Axis’s RockLock bases play a major part in the manufacturing process and the flexibility of the machine shop in general. “Our own products, the ones we sell to top-tier manufacturers around the world, are key to our workflow,” details Kyle Laudner. “Our RockLock bases are especially useful because of our high part-number count and low run quantities. We’re not just selling a repeatable zero-point system — we’re living it. The bike component division’s primary machining cell is treated like a job shop all to itself. We have insanely good 5-axis machines running the aluminum and titanium parts, and the bottleneck isn’t in spindle time — it’s in the changeover. That’s where our RockLock system earns its keep. By giving every fixture plate, a repeatable, self-seating zero-point reference that locks rotationally as well as axially, operators can pull a part, drop in the next pallet, and trust that true position holds within microns — no re-indicating, no wasted cycles proving out. When you’re juggling dozens of part numbers in low quantities, that kind of drop-and-go repeatability is the difference between chasing setups all shift and actually running lights-out with the Speedio’s pallet pool. We’re running the new JumpLine series pedals on one of our Robodrills right now. It has a 4th-Axis Rotary Table, and we’ve got it set up with a Pneumatic RockLock system, loading Tombstones with our self-centering vises and dovetail jaws.” Their go-to vise for 5DEV parts is the V75100X — specifically the X-Series mounted on the new A96-V75100X Automation Base. It’s the second smallest self-centering vise in the 5th Axis product line, offering maximum rigidity and clamping force in a compact package. The X-Series hardware offers a 30% increase in clamping force and better rigidity over the standard line, now with 4-bolt jaw mounting to reduce jaw lift, more robust clamping, and sharper teeth for a better bite. The A96 line of Automation Bases allows for easy switchover between different top tooling, single or dual vises, dovetail fixtures, etc.
Left – A pair of Herme C30 5 axis machining centers are dedicated to the 5DEV product lines.
Right – A production run of the 5DEV titanium stems are in full swing on Hermle 1. Hermle 2 just finished a run of 5DEV titanium mountain bike crank arms.
Cycling isn’t just about riding a bike. There’s an identity to it. The BMX enthusiast is a different breed of animal than the person who rides a handmade titanium gravel bike. For many enthusiasts, riding a bike that anyone can buy isn’t even an option. Customization and performance go hand in hand. It’s an industry filled with low-end, ill-fitting do-dads from overseas, but it is not a cheap sport, and a top-of-the-line ride will cost more than a used Honda Civic — yet from stem to sprocket, those committed to the lifestyle value quality. At 5DEV it’s all about solid connections: the connection to the brand for the consumer, and the connection of raw material to the machining centers that delivers them unparalleled quality. “At the end of the day, if you’re passionate about any kind of riding, you want to support a brand that feels like it has your same ethos,” concludes James. “I think for a lot of cyclists out there, we’re as a pedigree brand; they’re not going to find in their local mom-and-pop bike shop. We have a growing network of elite dealers and have new products coming online all the time, but we still feel boutique. We were just at Sea Otter, one of the key industry events that kicks off the season, and debuted multiple new pedal systems, a titanium bottom bracket, and a variety of chainring options, including a prototype thread-on, powermeter-compatible version that drew a lot of attention. Most riders aren’t interested in our advanced automation, workholding, and 5-axis machining centers, however they’re very interested in high-end, unique, Made-in-America parts that help them get the results they’ve been training for. Our elite riders want lighter, stiffer, faster parts that won’t let them down when they go full send. At 5DEV we deliver on all that.”
5DEV’s titanium mountain bike crank arm is often referred to as “bicycle jewelry.” Not hard to understand why with this level of craftsmanship.”