More than sixty years of Italian craftsmanship
The 3T story begins in Turin in 1961. Under the name Tecnologia del Tubo Torinese, the young company made handlebars and stems for Italian professional riders. The name was soon shortened to 3ttt. Its products were known for being light, strong and beautifully finished. In the mid-1970s, 3ttt experimented with high-grade aerospace aluminium alloys. The result was the lightest road handlebar in the world.
In 1983 came the breakthrough that still defines the brand today: the first aerodynamic road handlebar. A year later, it was used to set a world hour record. From then on, everything at 3T revolved around the wind. The brand adopted its current name in 2000. From 2007, 3T was back in the pro peloton, with overall victories in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia as highlights.
In 2016, 3T made the step from component brand to bike brand. Its very first bike was a game changer: the Exploro. A frame with aerodynamic tube shapes, sporty geometry and clearance for wide tyres. Gravel was still a niche back then. The Exploro showed that a gravel bike can feel just as fast as a road bike. A year later, the Dirty Kanza, one of the best-known gravel races in the world, was won on an Exploro. That same year saw the arrival of the Strada, an aero road bike deliberately designed around wider tyres at a time when narrow tyres were still the norm.
Aero, wide tyres and in-house production in Italy
3T's design philosophy is clear: aerodynamics only really count when they work in the real world. That is why 3T doesn't just test a bare frame, but also includes bottles and other parts that are actually on your bike. Tyres play a leading role too. Every 3T model is aerodynamically optimised for a specific range of tyre widths. 3T works with the real width of a tyre once it is mounted on the rim, rather than the size printed on the sidewall. So you know exactly which tyre suits your bike best.
Production is another big differentiator. Most carbon frames are made in Asia. In 2018, 3T opened its own factory in Presezzo, near Bergamo. Since 2019, the bikes have also been assembled in-house there. Frames in the ITALIA line are made entirely in this factory. Instead of laying carbon sheets into a mould by hand, 3T winds continuous carbon fibres into the shape of the frame. The resin is then injected into the mould. This technique gives 3T a high level of control over the construction of every frame and results in less material waste.
The range is divided into three levels. ITALIA X is the top tier. The frames come from the Italian factory and the carbon structure is left visible, so no two frames are alike. These bikes are built with top-tier components and 3T's integrated UNO Ghiaia cockpit. ITALIA uses the same in-house frames, painted and assembled in Italy. WPNT is the most accessible way into the world of 3T. These frames are also painted in Italy, where the bikes are then assembled.
The 3T range: gravel bikes and road bikes
The first Exploro still aimed to do everything in a single bike. Today, 3T has a dedicated platform for every type of gravel riding. Even so, every model is more versatile than its main purpose suggests.
The 3T Racemax² Italia is 3T's fastest gravel bike. It is the second generation of the model that redefined aero gravel in 2020. The frame has been redeveloped from the ground up, with more tyre clearance and an even sleeker aerodynamic shape. A storage compartment in the frame keeps your tools out of the wind. This is the bike for gravel races, fast group rides and routes that mix tarmac and gravel.
The 3T Extrema Italia takes things a step further into rough terrain. It is built for the toughest races and fast adventures, with clearance for extra-wide tyres. The front end sits slightly higher for more control when the going gets technical. A wireless dropper post or suspension seatpost fits without any issues. With mounting points on the fork, the Extrema is ready for bikepacking too.
The 3T Ultra² Italia is built for long distances, bikepacking, technical trails and tough mountain races. It offers the most relaxed riding position in the 3T range. On the Ultra², suspension is part of the design rather than an afterthought. So you can keep rolling where you would normally have to ease off.
The 3T Racemax WPNT brings the fast Racemax character to the WPNT level. The cables are fully integrated into the frame. The design is tuned for slightly narrower, fast-rolling gravel tyres. The 3T Primo² WPNT is the direct successor to the original Exploro. It is the most versatile 3T, just as at home on tarmac as on gravel and dirt. You can ride it with either 700c or 650b wheels. That makes the Primo² a logical way into the world of 3T.
For the road, there is the Strada. The 3T Strada Italia is an aero road bike designed around wider road tyres. That brings more comfort and grip, while the frame is aerodynamically developed around those very tyres. The frame comes from the Italian factory and can be built with one or two chainrings. The 3T Strada WPNT brings the same concept to a more accessible level.
Prefer to put your bike together yourself? The 3T framesets make a great starting point. You will also find 3T wheelsets and 3T components, such as handlebars and cockpits, at BikeSuperior.
Buy 3T at BikeSuperior
As an official 3T Experience Center, we know the range inside out. We know how the models differ and which type of cyclist
