3T Exploro Full-Aero Gravel Bike – Should You Get It?

The gravel bike has gone full aero with the 3T Exploro. Combining both road speed and mountain toughness. So you can explore of the beaten track and still have the speed.

This bike really captured my attention with its design and innovation. When looking for a adventure bike, one of the first things I consider is tire clearance. And this bike really got me intrigued. You can convert the bike to 650b and run a max of 61mm RAM tires. (If you want to understand what RAM means, the guys at 3T do a wonderful job explaining this and how this measurement for tire width is much more accurate. See the video below at timestamp 5:39)

This bike has been designed around the tires. Starting with the tire and knowing what tire will be used for the bike, this determines how you can shape the frame to redirect the airflow. It is not often the case to go by what the tire label size states as this is not always accurate. The tire dimension depends on the rim you use, the pressure and of course how accurate the manufacturer’s claimed size is. So they took hundreds of measurements to know the real tire widths (which we call WAM – Width As Measured) and tire radii (RAM – Radius As Measured) and use that to engineer the frame around.

They do sell the 2020 3T Exploro MAX option which comes with 650b x 57c wheelset. You get the best of both worlds. Want to use this bike as a roadie? You can make it a super-fast on/off-road racer with 700c.

In a nutshell this bike is ideal for someone who is looking to ride road but explore some mountain tracks and gravel trails. While not being slowed down by a heavy bike and a lack of aerodynamics.

The cool thing about the 3T Exploro is that they are targeting to 3 different kinds of riders. It is explained in the video below in more detail. But essentially they have options for all-roaders, which is a roadie moving to gravel and dirt but wants to keep the road speed.

Gravel racer, who is someone looking to the fastest setup possible for only gravel riding and racing.

Then the final category they call maximizer, who has the goal just to keep moving despite the type of terrain they are riding. I like to think of this category as the bases behind this blog. “Cycle Travel” or those who wish to explore tougher terrain and ride less travelled locations.

For all-roader and gravel racer you are looking at a wheel setup like 700c x 35 to 40 mm tires, with either 1x or 2x drivetrain. If you are more towards that adventure side of thins you want something like 650b x 47 – 54 mm tires and a 1x drivetrain. Which the 3T Exploro can accomodate for.

The 3T Exploro Frame

The main selling point for this bike is that it is the worlds first full aero gravel bike. And the frame plays an important role to make this bike cut through the air with as minimal resistance as possible. So how did they do it?

Just quick the thing I love about 3T is that when testing this bike in the wind tunnel they did it to realistic standards. Meaning they used tires that riders are most likely going to use, tested with actual speeds like around 30km/h and testing with mud on the frame and water bottles. So it is safe to say that this bike was designed around realistic gravel conditions.

The neck of the downtube is 46 mm then goes out wider at the base to 75mm. This wide base is designed to fully shield the water bottle. Then the 46mm downtube neck picks up the airflow coming off the front tire. Directing it further down to the base of the frame. With the consideration of different frame sizes in mind, the frame is also built with size-specific downtubes. Which means reduced depth on smaller sizes to keep frame compliant and keep space for bottles.

The chainstay has been dropped which offers more stiffness, and more tire clearance.

The headtube has road bike dimensions meaning a 1 1/4″ narrow head tube. This narrow headtube is used for optimal aerodynamics. Inside that narrow headtube is a big 1 1/2” steerer for best strength and stiffness.

You might be asking. Will aerodynamics be affect by wider tires? According to 3T, you can still gain up to 90% of the aerodynamic advantage of the RaceMax frameset with tires up to 61mm WAM. So yes you will see a slight decrease in efficiency. But in my opinion if you are wanting to add the widest tire possible (which is what I would do), a slight decrease in aerodynamics is not a loss at all.

3T Exploro Geometry

I was surprised to see that the majority of frame sizes have a comfortable and ‘fairly’ upright riding position. At Cycle Travel Overload we love bikes that are built with a stack/reach ratio of 1.5 or higher. Often riding bikes all day everyday for weeks or months on end. Having a more comfortable riding position is always welcomed. The Exploro has a 1.5 for size 54cm, 1.52 for 56cm, 1.54 for 58 cm frames. For smaller frames like 51cm you are looking at a stack/reach of 1.48 and xxs is 1.46. Overall the stack/reach ratio is perfect for adventures and long days in the saddle.

Taking a quick look at the chainstay and trail measurements we can make a quick assessment hope this bike might feel while riding in the front and rear. The chainstay length is 415 mm on the Exploro. This is right on the short end for most gravel bikes, resulting in a jumpy and quick rear end. While the trail is different for frame sizes. For your average medium sized bike it ranges around 50 to 59mm. This puts it in a mid-range for most gravel bikes. Making it feel responsive and predictable.

Exploro Max Eagle AXS 1x

The Exploro Max Eagle AXS 1x is the ultimate go-anywhere machine with massive 57mm tires and an 11-50T gear range. A carbon frame gravel bike with ultra high-end components and hydraulic disc brakes. It does come with a 42T chainring which I would ideally like to be smaller for better overall gear range. The bike rolls on Schwalbe G-One Allround TLE, 650b, 57mm labeled width tires (WAM23: 58.3mm, RAM23: 354mm). It works out to be a 23″ climbing gear and 104.67″ largest gear. Giving an overall 0.84 to 3.82 gear ratio. But this is the most capable adventure bike out of their lineup, ready to go exploring.

Taking a look at this bike and knowing that you can get a bike with such a wide tire clearance but also still be super aero and fast. It is a no brainer to really give this bike some consideration. If you want a fast bike for bikepacking that can take you on some adventure riding terrains I would really consider it.

About The Author

codey

Codey Orgill, a seasoned bicycle adventurer, has been exploring the world on two wheels for over 10 years. Since embarking on his initial cycling journey, Codey Orgill has traversed numerous countries, experiencing a series of epic adventures.

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