3T Exploro Race Ekar - Aero gravel with Italian elegance
Italian racing flair through and through for asphalt, gravel and everything in between: The 3T Exploro Race with the Campagnolo Ekar not only looks insanely chic, but can back up all it's aero claims. With it your'e fast both on gravel and on the road - and still fast when the terrain gets even rougher. The 3T Exploro was the first aero-optimised gravel bike in the world. The Racemax frame on which this model is based evolves the original concept in several ways, making it even faster and more comfortable. Not only does this give you the potential to be at the front of the pack in gravel races, but it can also replace all your drop bar bikes.
Road bike or gravel bike? Both!
With almost all gravel bikes, you're faced with the difficult decision of trading the speed of a road bike for comfort and off-road capability. The Exploro makes no compromises, which you already notice in the aggressive seating position. The first time you start, you'll really know: The stiff frame surges forward, and once you get up to speed, the numerous aero features pay off, such as the massive downtube that takes the airflow from wide tires and directs it around the water bottles, or the cutout in the seat tube.
650b or 700c
What wheels can I use? Depending on your preferred terrain, you'll need different amounts of rubber, and the Exploro has room for (almost) all of them. If you want to go really fast on moderate gravel, then 46 millimeter wide tires fit on 700c wheels. This means you'll be at the front of every group. If you want to take it easy or if more demanding terrain awaits you, then you can run 650b wheels with tyres up to 61 millimeters wide. 3T has taken the guesswork out of tyre sizing. With the Racemax, 3T has introduced the WAM (Width As Measured) concept and bases it's tyre clearances on this system. So forget about the sometimes inaccurate printed tire width, and just measure how wide your tyre really is on the wheels you're using.
Not just fast in the wind tunnel
The Exploro is fast in real life and not just in a theoretical test setup in the wind tunnel. This starts with the fact that the aerodynamic performance of the frame was tested with the "Sqaero" profiles at a more realistic speed of 20 miles per hour. The usual speed of these tests is 30 miles per hour, which emphasises aerodynamic advantages but at the same time raises exaggerated expectations. In addition, all tests were carried out with bottles on the bike, because long tours aren't possible without water. So a dirt Exploro with wide tires and bottles is faster than a non-aero road bike, with 28 millimeter wide tires and no bottles. It is aerodynamically optimised for tyre widths between 35 and 46 millimeters and keeps up with fast road bikes in this regard.
Campagnolo Ekar
There is probably no better groupset for a 3T Exploro than a Campagnolo Ekar. Both the frame and the group embody a willingness to innovate, push boundaries, and a fair amount of style. The currently only gravel-specific 13-speed shifting fits perfectly, suiting this revolutionary aero gravel bike. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the 13 gears with the small 9t cog provide a huge range of gears to get you up any climb. On the way down, you can rely on what are considered the best hydraulic brakes for road bikes on the market.
Baggage Carrier Mounting : No
Bottle Cage / Bag Mouting : Seat tube, Downtube (above), Toptube
Braking : Disc
Cassette Teeth : 9/42
Chainring Teeth : 38
Colour : White, Red
Electronic compatibility : Shimano Di2, SRAM ETap
Frame Size : 48, 51, 54, 56, 58
Frame Warranty : 3 years
Groupset : Campagnolo Ekar
Material : Carbon
Max Width (Tyre) : 650Bx61 mm, 700Cx42 mm
Model Year : 2022
MudGuard Mounting : Yes
Number Of Chainrings : Mono
Part Warranty : 2 years
Pedals Included : Yes
Seat Clamp Diameter : Specific
Seatpost Diameter : Specific
Speed : 13
Weight (manufacturer) : NC
Main Information | 13 Not an e-bike |
Frame | Gravel High modulus carbon |
Shifting Components | Derailleur Campagnolo EKAR |
Fork | Carbon |
Front Brakes | Campagnolo EKAR Hydraulic disc brake 160 mm |
Rear Brakes | Campagnolo Ekar 160 mm |
Handlebars | drop bars Aluminium |
Stem | A-Head |
Seatpost | integrated seatpost |
Front Tyre | 27.5 |
Rear Tyre | 27.5 |