The Italian manufacturer 3T is known for its innovative products, with the Exploro frame set they launched an unconventional mix of gravel and endurance bikes. With the new 3T Strada, they now want to take a similar step and make an aero racer more comfortable.
The frame was designed in such a way that no front derailleur can be mounted, so you only have one blade available, but the aerodynamics in the bottom bracket area could be perfected. In addition, the frame is only designed for discs, since the shape could also be designed for the best aerodynamics in the area of the brakes and there was no need to find a compromise between rim and disc brake versions. Another special feature is that the frame is specially designed for wide tires up to a maximum of 28 mm. This is intended to follow the trend towards wider tires and provide more comfort.
Our test bike came with its own 3T Aeronova LTD handlebars and 3T stem, the wheels were also made in-house with the ORBIS II C35 LTD, the equipment was rounded off with a crisp SRAM Force 1×11 gear system and decent Conti GrandPrix 4000s II tires in the 28mm version.
On the first few meters you could tell that the 3T Strade is pretty direct and goes straight to the front. The brakes and gears worked well and the wheels with the 28 tires also made a noticeable contribution to comfort. The shape of the handlebars, on the other hand, took some getting used to and we didn't really know what to do with the gear ratio either. The aerodynamics concept is definitely advantageous in fast passages and can save a second or two, especially since you can do a lot well with the discs in technical sections. Nevertheless, in our opinion, the whole aerodynamics are useless if you are clearly limited in the translation with only one chain ring and cannot really use these aero advantages at high speeds because you simply run out of gears. Basically, the idea and the unconventional way of the manufacturer is very welcome, but in this case the concept doesn't really work and is not yet mature.
