3T had a simple goal with their new Exploro RaceMax: optimize the aerodynamics of a gravel bike to the same level as a road bike. Although they've been hesitant to claim "world's fastest", they're confident the new design just might be the fastest gravel bike available. To accomplish this, 3T honed in on eliminating drag, which meant effectively shielding the tires. This required figuring out exactly how big the tires were - which as you may know, usually isn't what it says on the sidewall - and resulted in 3T's new tire measurement concepts: WAM (Width As Measured) and RAM (Radius As Measured). Using more accurate measurements, the engineers prioritized a tight-fitting rear wheel cutout, a downtube optimized to re-direct the airflow coming off the front wheel and onto the water bottle, a narrow headtube with a big steerer inside, and dozens of other small details to eke out every last Watt.
3T also recognized the need for larger tire clearance, and made room for 61mm clearance or 27.5 x 2.4" tires on the Exploro MAX series, while the Exploro RACE series is specced with 700c x 35-42mm tires for those looking for the best in speed. It's nice to see a threaded bottom bracket, integrated fender mounts, as well as top tube and under the downtube mounts - not to mention the standard frame tech that 3T is known for.
Specs
Frame: Unidirectional pre-preg carbon
Fork: Fango RaceMax with compact crown
Headset: 3T MinMax custom by Cane Creek IS42/28.6 + IS 47/38
Thru-axle: 100x12mm front / 142x12mm rear
Seatpost: 3T 3T Charlie Sqaero Team
NTD 93,000
