3T Exploro Team Ekar gravel bike on test: "Gravel race" with aero features

Test: The 3T Exploro is a treat for cyclists who want to progress quickly on both dirt and asphalt. The attractively priced Italian is also very progressively equipped.

Once known only for handlebars and stems, the Italian supplier has changed under new management to a supplier of innovative racing machines and especially gravel bikes. The Exploro was developed by Gerard Vroomen, the former co-founder of Cervélo, and you can see that in the Exploro Race in particular - a gravel bike with an aerodynamically optimized frame, just as Cervélo once transferred elements from triathlon bikes to conventional racing bikes and thus the "aero road." bike” invented. A typical Cervélo detail also adorns the petrol blue test bike: the lines leading vertically into the top tube, with which Vroomen wanted to improve the flow around the head tube on its aero bikes.

Clear aero elements

The aero elements are also clearly recognizable on the Exploro Team: the seat tube is minimally grooved and the down tube has the aerodynamic "Sqaero" design. The segment clamp integrated into the frame for attaching the aero seat post is nice. The geometry is atypical for a gravel bike: the steering angle of the size L test bike is steep, the wheelbase and head tube are short, the top tube is long, as is the stem. All of this leads to a seating position that is more road bike-oriented than gravel-typical, and the rest of the 3T's appearance fits in with that. The Exploro's seatpost doesn't offer any backward offset, but a 72,5° seat tube angle ensures you're not positioned too far forward. Interestingly, the geometry of the “normal” Exploro is more sporty than the Exploro RaceMax, which comes in six instead of four sizes and has a much more uncompromising look. In any case, you sit more upright and shorter on the RaceMax.

What is particularly striking is the complete lack of any mounting points apart from threads for two bottle cages and a small top tube pocket; However, the 3T is not simply a "racing bike plus". The 40 mm tire has enough space all around, and a 650B wheel set with 2,1 inch wide MTB tires can also be installed. With these properties, the Exploro confidently positions itself between racing bikes, cyclocross and gravel, and the equipment also matches this. 3T mounts the fast Continental Terra Speed ​​on the fairly light Fulcrum wheel set, which runs extremely easily on asphalt and allows safe leaning thanks to its round contour without pronounced shoulder lugs. It snaps enough on loose ground, especially since it came tubeless on the test bike.

Innovative components

A highlight is the Campagnolo Ekar with 1×13 gears. The first gravel group of the traditional Italian manufacturer is extremely broad at 9-42 and offers a narrow gradation with single jumps from 9 to 14 sprockets. Combined with a 38 chainring, there is a gear reduction for steep climbs as well as a sufficiently long gear ratio. Operation via shift paddles and the newly formed thumb button is precise and safe, and Campagnolo also offers a disc brake that can be controlled in the best possible way. A look at the rear derailleur reveals another special feature of the frame: the dropout – i.e. the threaded insert for the thru axle plus derailleur hanger – is not firmly connected to the frame; if the axle is pulled out, the rear derailleur with the dropout falls down and dangles from the chain. The idea behind this is that removing and installing the rear wheel is easier if you don't have to thread the cassette past the rear derailleur, which doesn't quite work with the Campagnolo changer. Its blocking function cannot be used on the dropout that is separated from the frame, so that you work against the spring tension of the rear derailleur when you put the dropout on. On the other hand, the Sram rear derailleur with a blockage at the pivot point of the swing arm works great. The 3T dropout has another advantage: since it rests completely on the thru-axle, damage to the frame is not to be expected if you hit the rear derailleur hard.

Inspiring driving behavior

Beyond such details, however, the Exploro impresses above all with its handling. The high expectations in terms of geometry and equipment will definitely not be disappointed, especially since the bike is comparatively light at nine kilos including pedals: The Exploro is extremely powerful and light-footed, at the same time pleasantly smooth-running without appearing sluggish. Off-road, it looks more like a cyclocrosser, albeit mitigated by the option to mount large-volume tires; with the slightly profiled Conti Terra Speed, it rolls so easily on slippery ground that you can also imagine it as a racing bike. No wonder, because the conventionally shaped handlebar encourages a compact racing posture, and so a tour on the 3T inevitably becomes a sporty, fast affair. The price is also sporty in a positive sense: almost 4.500 euros for an extremely well-equipped bike from an innovative brand is really not much.

More gravel bikes in the test