3T - From Components to Boutique Bikes

Long before they rolled out the Strada and Exploro bikes to the delight of demanding cycling fans around the globe, 3T was already a household name in those circles. 3T’s logo was seen all over the place. On stems, on handlebars, on seat posts and more. Sure enough, 3T has been kind of a big deal in cycling for several decades.

Originally building bike tubes out of steel in Italy - 3T stands for Tecnologia del Tubo Torino - the company has always been on the cutting edge of bike tech advancements. As that technology developed and steel gave way to new aluminum alloys that provided strength and weight savings, 3T adapted.

As carbon fiber technology emerged and provided significant weight reduction while retaining performance and durability, 3T again adapted and became an industry leader in creating lightweight, high-performance components in both alloy and carbon options.

Through it all, 3T stayed focused on doing what it does at the highest possible level. Custom bike builds frequently featured 3T bits and pieces as bicycle aficionados created their dream rides. But as frame makers and bike brands grew, they diversified into creating their own component lines.

3T, with a focus on creating truly exquisite road bike parts, flipped the script many other brands were writing and got into the complete bike business with the 3T Strada in 2018. The trademark aerodynamic touches that made the components so popular were applied to the frame and with Cervelo and Open Cycle founder Gerrard Vroomen heavily involved in the design and engineering, the 3T Strada was a smash hit from the moment it rolled off the bike stand.

With unmistakable aesthetics and a proven pedigree, the Strada turned 3T from a niche component brand to a boutique bike lover’s dream.

Soon, the 3T Exploro - a similarly designed frame but with unique gravel and all-road touches - followed in the tire tracks on the Strada. The Exploro, with Race, Max and Pro/Team models, pushes all-road cycling to an entirely new level. Strong, lightweight and aerodynamic, the Enduro is made to ride fast and win gravel races. Ready to paint frames and special editions issued in collaboration with renowned car maker BMW have kept 3T at the top of the line when it comes to refined bikes for refined bike owners.

While 3T the bike company may have just two models for now, and being in no rush to expand, the Strada and Exploro are elegantly modern bikes with a classically Italian flare.

Making some of the best components in the professional peloton earned the company devoted fans and customers. It also created competitors. As bike makers sought to maximize revenue and market share they created their own component lines.

For 50 years, 3T Cycling has been producing high quality, high-performance components for the elite riders of the peloton. Starting with steel during the golden age of bike racing, 3T later pioneered aluminum handlebars, to meet the growing demand for lighter-weight road bikes. Based in Italy, 3T has maintained incredible access to professional teams and some of the world’s fastest riders, including Moser and Merckx. Today, 3T Cycling produces a full-range of high-end carbon fiber components including bars, stems, seatposts and wheelsets along side their proven alloy versions.

Their newest additions to their production 3T Bikes, both of which seek to reinvent what a road bike is thought to be capable of. When outfitted with road tires, a 3T Exploro delivers the comfort and performance one would expect from a high-end carbon road bike. Dramatic tube shapes allow for road bike geometry, an aero advantage, and the ability to swap between 27.5 x 2.1" tires and 700 x 40c tires with little fuss. The 3T Strada has all of the benefits of an aero road bike with promises of not only redefining what an aero road bike is capable of, but what the future of road bike technology can do for everyone. Both framesets are uniquely 3T, and push the envelope on what a bicycle can do.