I own this bike, but with Campagnolo ekar. The bike is amazing and the cable routing is a non-issue. Can't really understand how everyone here is making it such a big deal lol. IMO one of the best looking bikes out there.
I think the cable routing is great. Sure, it could look cleaner, but in the end it is what allows us to use stems that aren't proprietary. The new Racemax Italia has the cables fully internally integrated, which looks amazing, but if you want to sport a suspension stem like Redshift's, you're better off with this setup. For the Ultra, particularly, this is definitely the right setup. If you want internal cables, you probably should get the new RaceMax Italia. It's a racier setup anyways.
I love having a dropper on my gravel bike. I do like riding my bike in the woods, and it's nice to have there, but even on races/group rides it is so nice to use it on descents and you can easily get a nice aero tuck and have additional stability. I have the PNW Coast dropper, which also has suspension in it for a little comfort as well. It's nice to have options!
Had a 3T Exploro , while pretty and got lots of compliments, was sketchy on downhills, paint was easily chipped, seat post was constantly slipping to the extent I had to carry a small torque wrench on the bike , and the seat tube cracked with normal gravel riding and 3T wouldn’t warranty the frame despite being less than a year old. Just can’t recommend the brand, switched to the Supersix EVO SE with 46c tires and it’s much more sorted out for less $.
@@kevin7jazz I don't think it matters what version. Two customers with simple warranty issues are enough. Cervelo also has a history of not standing by its products.
Also what makes that design terrible is it shifts a bento box so far back, it's in the riders crotch when coming to Stop. Deal breaker. And@that price.... Presfit.???
about cable routing, 2 points: 1. Whoever routed the cables in David's bike did a poor job. I have the same bike and the cables don't stick out that much; 2. I have seen people who managed to route the front brake cable internally by using an integrated cockpit. That would partially solve the issue if it really bothers someone. To me it's not really an issue, I find external cables more acceptable on a gravel bike compared to a road bike.
Gravel bikes are turning into retro-style mountain bikes! This looks great, but I can't help wondering why not go for a hard tail mountain bike to do the job even better?
For me it's the feeling. I life in the forest and I love the hunt down fast forest roads. I'm not interested in trails but fast downhills and steady climbs. So a stiff bike with big tires and a dropbar is the best for me. I love it (even if I didn't have a 3t).i also have a Hardtail but since I have a gravel bike I didn't use it any more. I like the challenge on the roads with the gravel bike.
Great review. Balanced and insightful. I have to agree that the cable routing is awful and I’m not sure I could get past it if I were in the market for this kind of bike.
@@seanrequiredfieldcannotbel1362 I admit it’s an anesthetics thing for me but I also run a top tube bag which I don’t think you can do with this setup.
I think they're rather brilliant, if not yet quite realised. I had the 1st Gen and it was very fast - aero does make a difference on fast open GRAVEL! But while it was stiff and responsive, the geometry was too road focussed and even in XL, veered to sketchy at high speed. This isn't just 3Ts problem - most gravel bikes were (some still are) too short, high and steep. Giant Revolt much better. I regularly go faster on a gravel bike than I've ever gone on a DH bike..! I hate the tt cable routing, but do get it - it just looks hideous! Personally, I'd see the final sweet spot for all-round gravel tyres as the 45mm Schwalbes (40mm for smoother racing), which are very big in both profile and width, but super fast. Frames should fit these, but even on this Exploro it looks like they'd be tight due to their RAM. But overall, is the aero advantage worth the compromise to comfort, weight, clearance and complexity on 15mph singletrack with 2" knobblies... hmmm! Err, no. But at 20-50mph on open, rough gravel/racing: ideal!
I own the RaceMax and on one hand the cable wiring looks bad. On the other hand, you don't have the added complexity of internal cables in the stem. I use 650B wheels with 584 x 47 with a relatively fast surface (maxis receptor) and 584 x 54 with the Vittoria Barso. For me it works good, a lot of comfort on the forrest path and on all kinds of gravel.
Internal cable routing is nice until your steerer snaps right off at full speed and kills you. Those fully internal things have certainly caused an increase in snapped steerers.
I kind of wonder why 3T provides the review bikes with just one wheelset. My original 2017 Exploro would feel very limited with just a 650b set, or just a 700c set, I swap between mine all the time. Regarding bottom brackets I mostly wonder why the bike industry can't just do something about its shoddy manufacturing practices and start producing frames with acceptable tolerances so pressfit could work properly. The threaded bottom brackets are just pressfit cups that you thread in anyway, all it does is add unnecessary material.
Because quality engineering doesn’t sell to people in the same way that marketing fluff does. This unfortunately applies to many industries beyond cycling. Goddamn business majors out here ruining the world.
A great review, thanks ! And an impressive bike… With those fat tyre, how is the comfort in rough gravel, compare to a good steel frame (or a titanium one) with 650x47 ?
Honestly, I don't like to be one of those "its just a mtb" people. I think gravel has an important place. But, these are 2.4" tires. At this point, its getting the float of mtb without the rollover benefits of 700c/29" or the leverage of a flat bar. If you're breaching say, 2.2", I really think a XC bike is just the better choice. I can't see the dropbar actually making any realistic difference on flat surface and wind given the drag those tires are going to have. Races like Unbound benefit aero because its on open expanse in the US plains with potentially super high wind speeds. But these tires aren't really for that environment. And the terrain you'd take this on won't allow a rigid bike to hit speeds its going to matter. Also, toe strikes? Edit: cable routing means my toptube bag is unusable. A bike that won't let me use my gear is a no-go. I guess if you have the money for this bike, you also have the money for a bearing press/extractor. The thing about BSA for a lot of us is that the tools we already own for other things still work on our bike. Just need an inexpensive BB cup adaptor.
@@seanrequiredfieldcannotbel1362 Kinda hard to strap it around the steerer with a big fucking cable in the way genius. You have to put a standard top tube bag exactly where that cable runs. FFS
Having just returned from Steamboat CO., and the SBT GRV race I watched your review of the 3T. I could not tell if it was a “monster” gravel bike because I didn’t really see you on an authentic “gravel” course. The last two years I have raced Steamboat, Unbound, Wildhorse and Tusher. Oh how I wish they could have been so mild a course. However, I’ll give you this; the 3T, looks like a beauty!! Respectfully, L Houle
If you went 700 x 40 on the bike with a wheelset that has a 25mm internal width would you have more clearance or less clearance between the rear tire and the back of the seat tube? Asking for a friend....
Wider internal rim width tends to plump up tires, so if you have a rim that is narrower than 25mm and you are already at the limit of clearance, most likely you'll go past it if you get the 25mm rims.
that giant defy/propel style cable routing is horrible. with that much real estate on the head tube area it's hard to believe the top tube was the best spot to route cables.
Forgive me Dave but I can't see why you need huge tyres on a "gravel bike" I get the sense you will end up with a crap mtb rather than a really fast gravel bike.
Its look nice (except for cable routing), but it is pointless. It's absolutely unbalancing, with these aggressive tires. And no difference - 2", 3", 4" - it just can't work well as a simple front fork. I have 4" fat on "gravel" tires (Arisun Big Smoothy) - with fat pressure it rolls over all. Maybe it's stuck in deep mud, but - you know, faster shortcut near. It's fast enough on the road, but on bumpy tracks, on roots, etc it's not fast as my skinny "gravel" old-fashion MTB. In my opinion, all-road bikes are more coming hard-tail with 45-47-50 non-aggressive tires.
@@davidarthur you just tricked me into rewatching it :) at 6:35 ... maybe you meant it just for the tarmac section? but sounded to me like all round ("for the riding that i do..."), inclusive of the trails
Definitely faster on the road and smooth tracks but a good mountain bike is definitely faster on the technical fun trails, but I only ride full suspension mountain bikes these days 😀
I think 3T paint schemes are the nicest out there. And I love the cranks. But…. That headtube, down tube and BB area make it look like an e-bike. That cable routing is just odd - and presumably not very aero! Even in that high end build it’s heavier than my hardtail, so I’m not sure it adds up. Looks like toe overlap could be a problem too?
I have spent far less, and rode 4100 miles in less than a year at 58 years of age on a rail trail… At this point I am smoking people half my age on bikes that cost 2-3 times as much…….don’t understand all the focus on bike tech, when it comes down to pain and suffering
Wow, 46mm... Super impressed. And wth is up with that cs length. Gravel wheelies a thing now? Either way, you're gonna need it, or need something, with that 72 or whatever head angle when it starts to toss you over the bars on the slightest of dh.... Like a god damn track bike on a fox hunt.
I really don't see enough material on the joint of the rear triangle to the down tube. I think the down tube is way too thin when it reaches the bottom bracket AND it has holes for the bottle cages and what seems to be derailleur mount. Considering this is meant for gravel, I think the rear section of this frame to be way too flimsy. Of course the engineers would go and say they did all the simulations and whatnot, but that rear part of the frame is an accident waiting to happen.
Only 700x 46 mm ? most "modern" gravel bikes are 700 x 50 ! and 3 k for a frame and 8 k as shown - wow... Even my 2018 "all road" bike can do better than 700 x 46 ! O_O
Man bikes seem to be getting uglier and uglier. Looks kinda cool but too clunky and unsymmetrical for me. Also that cabling is shocking for the price (I guess it’s really expensive). So all you need is a nice frame set and some fat tyres and some decent aero gravel wheels. I have some dt swiss GRC 1400 wheels on my bike and they’ve made the best difference and I feel like the aero really is noticeable.
8 grand is an absolute joke, I’d never spend that much. I just bought a Trek FX6 Sport flat bar gravel bike with Carbon frame & wheels, SLX drivetrain for $2,500 & it’s an awesome bike, very comfortable, light & fast
I own this bike, but with Campagnolo ekar. The bike is amazing and the cable routing is a non-issue. Can't really understand how everyone here is making it such a big deal lol. IMO one of the best looking bikes out there.
I think the cable routing is great. Sure, it could look cleaner, but in the end it is what allows us to use stems that aren't proprietary. The new Racemax Italia has the cables fully internally integrated, which looks amazing, but if you want to sport a suspension stem like Redshift's, you're better off with this setup.
For the Ultra, particularly, this is definitely the right setup. If you want internal cables, you probably should get the new RaceMax Italia. It's a racier setup anyways.
You also can make thus fully integrated as seen on weight weenies with FSA stem and other FSA stuff
I love having a dropper on my gravel bike. I do like riding my bike in the woods, and it's nice to have there, but even on races/group rides it is so nice to use it on descents and you can easily get a nice aero tuck and have additional stability. I have the PNW Coast dropper, which also has suspension in it for a little comfort as well. It's nice to have options!
Had a 3T Exploro , while pretty and got lots of compliments, was sketchy on downhills, paint was easily chipped, seat post was constantly slipping to the extent I had to carry a small torque wrench on the bike , and the seat tube cracked with normal gravel riding and 3T wouldn’t warranty the frame despite being less than a year old.
Just can’t recommend the brand, switched to the Supersix EVO SE with 46c tires and it’s much more sorted out for less $.
When I was looking at gravel bikes a year or so ago, I was warned about the 3T seatpost and customer service. Sorry to hear about your experience.
A close friend had almost this exact same experience. Chipped paint, slipping seatpost, cracked seat tube, CS didn't cover the warranty.
Which version? How old was it?
@@kevin7jazz I don't think it matters what version. Two customers with simple warranty issues are enough. Cervelo also has a history of not standing by its products.
@@finder2267 it’s reports like these that have shifted me towards the Orbeas
You took the words right out of my mouth, that cable routing is terrible!
Dealbreaker
Also what makes that design terrible is it shifts a bento box so far back, it's in the riders crotch when coming to Stop. Deal breaker. And@that price.... Presfit.???
Completely revolting cable routing. Deal broken.
Doesn't bug me
about cable routing, 2 points:
1. Whoever routed the cables in David's bike did a poor job. I have the same bike and the cables don't stick out that much;
2. I have seen people who managed to route the front brake cable internally by using an integrated cockpit. That would partially solve the issue if it really bothers someone. To me it's not really an issue, I find external cables more acceptable on a gravel bike compared to a road bike.
Gravel bikes are turning into retro-style mountain bikes! This looks great, but I can't help wondering why not go for a hard tail mountain bike to do the job even better?
For me it's the feeling. I life in the forest and I love the hunt down fast forest roads. I'm not interested in trails but fast downhills and steady climbs. So a stiff bike with big tires and a dropbar is the best for me. I love it (even if I didn't have a 3t).i also have a Hardtail but since I have a gravel bike I didn't use it any more. I like the challenge on the roads with the gravel bike.
Great review. Balanced and insightful. I have to agree that the cable routing is awful and I’m not sure I could get past it if I were in the market for this kind of bike.
100% agree. Great review but the cable routing is atrocious.
Thanks chaps 😎
I mean...I ride the Exploro RaceMax and the cable routing was only obnoxious to set up. Otherwise it hasn't been a thing I notice.
@@seanrequiredfieldcannotbel1362 I admit it’s an anesthetics thing for me but I also run a top tube bag which I don’t think you can do with this setup.
@@LifeCycle1978 But you can... because I do.
I think they're rather brilliant, if not yet quite realised. I had the 1st Gen and it was very fast - aero does make a difference on fast open GRAVEL! But while it was stiff and responsive, the geometry was too road focussed and even in XL, veered to sketchy at high speed. This isn't just 3Ts problem - most gravel bikes were (some still are) too short, high and steep. Giant Revolt much better. I regularly go faster on a gravel bike than I've ever gone on a DH bike..! I hate the tt cable routing, but do get it - it just looks hideous!
Personally, I'd see the final sweet spot for all-round gravel tyres as the 45mm Schwalbes (40mm for smoother racing), which are very big in both profile and width, but super fast. Frames should fit these, but even on this Exploro it looks like they'd be tight due to their RAM. But overall, is the aero advantage worth the compromise to comfort, weight, clearance and complexity on 15mph singletrack with 2" knobblies... hmmm! Err, no. But at 20-50mph on open, rough gravel/racing: ideal!
absolut favorite object
Stupenda la verniciatura della versione con carbonio a vista e trasparente semi opaco
Great review, iv got a 3t strada also dislike the cable routing
In your previous video of the Racemax, you were in the “race” version. I wonder how the “max” version with 650bs would compare to the ultra here
Agree that would be an interesting comparison if I had the opportunity
Is there really much benefit of an aero gravel bike under 25km / h?
What’s a better aero gravel bike?
Yeah that cable routing would turn me off. I do think the dropper post is a good option for this specific configuration
I own the RaceMax and on one hand the cable wiring looks bad. On the other hand, you don't have the added complexity of internal cables in the stem. I use 650B wheels with 584 x 47 with a relatively fast surface (maxis receptor) and 584 x 54 with the Vittoria Barso. For me it works good, a lot of comfort on the forrest path and on all kinds of gravel.
Internal cable routing is nice until your steerer snaps right off at full speed and kills you. Those fully internal things have certainly caused an increase in snapped steerers.
I kind of wonder why 3T provides the review bikes with just one wheelset. My original 2017 Exploro would feel very limited with just a 650b set, or just a 700c set, I swap between mine all the time.
Regarding bottom brackets I mostly wonder why the bike industry can't just do something about its shoddy manufacturing practices and start producing frames with acceptable tolerances so pressfit could work properly. The threaded bottom brackets are just pressfit cups that you thread in anyway, all it does is add unnecessary material.
Because quality engineering doesn’t sell to people in the same way that marketing fluff does.
This unfortunately applies to many industries beyond cycling. Goddamn business majors out here ruining the world.
A great review, thanks ! And an impressive bike… With those fat tyre, how is the comfort in rough gravel, compare to a good steel frame (or a titanium one) with 650x47 ?
Looks stealthy and capable!!
How would it do as a commuter bike in the vinter with snow , and in the summer
Yikes, so that super expensive crankset is a wear item (no separate chainrings?)?
Honestly, I don't like to be one of those "its just a mtb" people. I think gravel has an important place. But, these are 2.4" tires. At this point, its getting the float of mtb without the rollover benefits of 700c/29" or the leverage of a flat bar. If you're breaching say, 2.2", I really think a XC bike is just the better choice. I can't see the dropbar actually making any realistic difference on flat surface and wind given the drag those tires are going to have. Races like Unbound benefit aero because its on open expanse in the US plains with potentially super high wind speeds. But these tires aren't really for that environment. And the terrain you'd take this on won't allow a rigid bike to hit speeds its going to matter. Also, toe strikes?
Edit: cable routing means my toptube bag is unusable. A bike that won't let me use my gear is a no-go. I guess if you have the money for this bike, you also have the money for a bearing press/extractor. The thing about BSA for a lot of us is that the tools we already own for other things still work on our bike. Just need an inexpensive BB cup adaptor.
Absolutely agree, I didn't want to say it either but yeah, I'll stand in your camp saying just buy an XC MTB.
I have the Exploro RaceMax with the same cable routing and a AndrewTheMaker bolt on toptube bag. You can use your gear.
@@seanrequiredfieldcannotbel1362 Because all top tube bags are bolt on? Why the fuck would I buy a bag that can't be used on any bike?
@@cjohnson3836 well, if you could use a bolt on bag, why couldn't you use a strap-on bag? The bolts just mean there is room intended for a bag.
@@seanrequiredfieldcannotbel1362 Kinda hard to strap it around the steerer with a big fucking cable in the way genius. You have to put a standard top tube bag exactly where that cable runs. FFS
Having just returned from Steamboat CO., and the SBT GRV race I watched your review of the 3T. I could not tell if it was a “monster” gravel bike because I didn’t really see you on an authentic “gravel” course. The last two years I have raced Steamboat, Unbound, Wildhorse and Tusher. Oh how I wish they could have been so mild a course. However, I’ll give you this; the 3T, looks like a beauty!! Respectfully, L Houle
Looks like a competitor for the Lauf Seigla?
If you went 700 x 40 on the bike with a wheelset that has a 25mm internal width would you have more clearance or less clearance between the rear tire and the back of the seat tube? Asking for a friend....
Wider internal rim width tends to plump up tires, so if you have a rim that is narrower than 25mm and you are already at the limit of clearance, most likely you'll go past it if you get the 25mm rims.
I have 700X43 with 25mm internal, it's actually 45mm wam, there is less clearance
What shorts are you wearing? The brand name please!
Sportful 👍
Does this bike have shoe to front tyre clearance ?
that giant defy/propel style cable routing is horrible. with that much real estate on the head tube area it's hard to believe the top tube was the best spot to route cables.
Attention to detail except cable routing :)
Built a few of these and you can get the cables to sit much lower if you do it right. These things are butter 🧈 (for where I ride)
The Exploro Race Max has the same 61mm max tyre clearance already. So what's new?
T'as pas le lien 🤔..?
Why 3T always doing that the cables on top of toptube.. ugly down side of hiS type
thats good, the old tire clearances were a joke, imo if your gravel bike cant fit at least a 50mm tire then its doing it wrong.
If the side of the tires is displaying the width in inches, you should be on an XC bike.
@loccojoe666 yea but 650b is fine
@@cjohnson3836 or a real gravel bike :)
@@knife1406 Why? Those are XC trails.
Forgive me Dave but I can't see why you need huge tyres on a "gravel bike" I get the sense you will end up with a crap mtb rather than a really fast gravel bike.
20 psi crazy
What is up with those cable routings?
Cable routing would stop me from buying it! Reminds me of the old giant propel routing with rim brakes.
Cable routing looks terrible to me...I would never get that frame on that alone
Its look nice (except for cable routing), but it is pointless. It's absolutely unbalancing, with these aggressive tires. And no difference - 2", 3", 4" - it just can't work well as a simple front fork. I have 4" fat on "gravel" tires (Arisun Big Smoothy) - with fat pressure it rolls over all. Maybe it's stuck in deep mud, but - you know, faster shortcut near. It's fast enough on the road, but on bumpy tracks, on roots, etc it's not fast as my skinny "gravel" old-fashion MTB. In my opinion, all-road bikes are more coming hard-tail with 45-47-50 non-aggressive tires.
Of course aero is important and anybody who has ever gone into a tuck knows this.
Mate, I have a hard time believing that bike is actually faster than a XC MTB on those trails. Ok the tarmac to the trails, sure.
Not sure I said it was actually faster than a XC MTB did I???
@@davidarthur you just tricked me into rewatching it :) at 6:35 ... maybe you meant it just for the tarmac section? but sounded to me like all round ("for the riding that i do..."), inclusive of the trails
Definitely faster on the road and smooth tracks but a good mountain bike is definitely faster on the technical fun trails, but I only ride full suspension mountain bikes these days 😀
@@davidarthur would be great to redo that comparison with a Scott Spark …
I think 3T paint schemes are the nicest out there. And I love the cranks. But….
That headtube, down tube and BB area make it look like an e-bike.
That cable routing is just odd - and presumably not very aero!
Even in that high end build it’s heavier than my hardtail, so I’m not sure it adds up.
Looks like toe overlap could be a problem too?
The bike looks nice, but the cable routing and press fit BB puts me off buying it
I have spent far less, and rode 4100 miles in less than a year at 58 years of age on a rail trail… At this point I am smoking people half my age on bikes that cost 2-3 times as much…….don’t understand all the focus on bike tech, when it comes down to pain and suffering
The cable routing looks like an afterthought. Terrible design
Wow, 46mm... Super impressed. And wth is up with that cs length. Gravel wheelies a thing now? Either way, you're gonna need it, or need something, with that 72 or whatever head angle when it starts to toss you over the bars on the slightest of dh.... Like a god damn track bike on a fox hunt.
I really don't see enough material on the joint of the rear triangle to the down tube. I think the down tube is way too thin when it reaches the bottom bracket AND it has holes for the bottle cages and what seems to be derailleur mount. Considering this is meant for gravel, I think the rear section of this frame to be way too flimsy. Of course the engineers would go and say they did all the simulations and whatnot, but that rear part of the frame is an accident waiting to happen.
If I was paying 8grand for a bike, I would expect better.
I paid 2020€ for this with Apex AXS
The cable routing is a complete bodge / afterthought.
Cool Idea, but that cable routing is so unbelievably hideous, even if it would tick all my boxes and cost 12$ I would not touch that monstrosity
I've ridden much worse on 700x40c with ease.
3T following 🍎 naming convention? After Max comes Ultra. Wait, they skipped the Pro?
No, they have a Pro/Team.
@@DanaBlack haha good one 👍
Only 700x 46 mm ? most "modern" gravel bikes are 700 x 50 !
and 3 k for a frame and 8 k as shown - wow...
Even my 2018 "all road" bike can do better than 700 x 46 ! O_O
the crossover suv of bikes, just buy the minivan already.
Man bikes seem to be getting uglier and uglier. Looks kinda cool but too clunky and unsymmetrical for me. Also that cabling is shocking for the price (I guess it’s really expensive). So all you need is a nice frame set and some fat tyres and some decent aero gravel wheels. I have some dt swiss GRC 1400 wheels on my bike and they’ve made the best difference and I feel like the aero really is noticeable.
8 grand for a gravel bike 😂😂😂😂😂
8 grand is an absolute joke, I’d never spend that much. I just bought a Trek FX6 Sport flat bar gravel bike with Carbon frame & wheels, SLX drivetrain for $2,500 & it’s an awesome bike, very comfortable, light & fast
Looks like a fat bike cheated on an endurance partner with their MTB cousin…
Horrible Geometry Frame.
The best Gravel bike Diverge S-Works 2021-22
+another 1 who thinks the cable routing would be a deal breaker. A truly awful visual