Is this the world’s best gravel bike brand
Ride into adventure
Over recent years, the gravel biking scene has exploded all over Europe and North America… and beyond! Some of the most popular races are now gravel bike events, with former pro peloton riders such as Nico Roche participating and winning UCI World titles in the Masters racing. There’s even been pro peloton UCI gravel bike world championships, with Kasia Niewiadoma becoming the first ever women’s UCI World Gravel Bike Champion. This year, Mathieu van der Poel took the men’s title, whilst all over the world, the number of mass participation gravel bike races has literally exploded: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, South Africa.
Cyclists no longer want to simply explore off-road tracks and trails and fascinating places; no, there’s a thirst for going fast too, with a professional gravel biking scene in its infancy and growing yearly. Here in the U.K., former British Cycling Education Lead, Neil Atkinson and team at Focal Events are creating epic weekend gravel bike festivals such as Dirty Reiver in Northumberland, that are already becoming legendary ‘must ride’ gravel races for all-comers.
Gravel biking is changing, innovating and evolving, in the same manner that mountian biking did some 30+ years ago, when the separation between XC and downhill became so pronounced, and more recently when Enduro entered the scene. Yes, there are already defined sub-cultures evolving within gravel biking, with trail riding, bike packing, technical gravel bikes and fast or aero gravel bikes. The gravel bike space is ripe for development for those brands that identify the direction that they want to head in, and brands such as 3T in Italy, and TIME Bikes based in Slovakia are both leading the way in frame technologies and designs – in different areas of this developing tapestry of cycle sport.
What is the best gravel bike in the world
All of this then brings us to the question: ‘what is the best gravel bike brand in the world?’ Yes, we know about Kasia and Matthieu and Nico and all those top riders. However, in terms of the mass participation gravel bike races, and the already iconic gravel bike races such as Unbound Gravel XL in America, the Grinduro Race Series for gravel bikes in Europe and North America, Dirty Reiver and of course, Badlands unsupported gravel bike race, taking in 800km of European desert in the Sierra Nevada of Spain, there’s one particular bike that frequently finds itself on the podium – and it isn’t one of the larger brand names. It’s a brand that has a deep understanding and focus on the hardcore gravel scene of adventure seekers, and which has innovation and excellence built into its fabric and dna.
£T have set out their stall as the go to brand in this adventure sector, whilst the gravel race and ‘road to gravel’ sub-culture is still developing, with brands such as Orbea and iconic TIME Bikes making waves and catching the eyes of the speed orientated gravel grinding adventure seekers. This new sub-culture within cycling is seemingly looking for something different, and these iconic brands have found the recipe for success – alongside their renowned engineering excellence.
Ultimately though, as the varying subcultures develop further, it’s interesting to see who will come out top. For now though, the geography is owned by 3T – but the likes of TIME are closing in with their innovative designs and technology, alongside a heritage that brings them worthy recognition.
These images by Ben Thorpe, EuroBike 2024
Yes, 3T Bikes from the north of Italy in particular – that artisan led, specialist bike brand since 1962 – are the most prominent brand that keeps producing some of the very best gravel bikes in the world, as riders excel in these events when riding a 3T Gravel bike. Interestingly too, this small but high-quality, highly engineered and beautifully designed bike brand from Italy, were also the first gravel bike brand in the world to look at how a specialist gravel bike could be made more aero for racing. The 3t Exploro was the original fast and furious gravel bike and is still one of the very best choices in the world for off-road racing snakes. The Exploro model pioneered aerodynamics for gravel bikes, including even mud-covered knobby tire wind tunnel testing (much to the chagrin of the wind tunnel staff). The race-proven 3T Exploro range gives you the speed you’re used to on asphalt and an additional advantage on wind-swept gravel tracks.
Others are of course beginning to catch them up, with innovative ways of weaving carbon themselves, and mixing their frames with the best components available. The gravel biking scene is developing fast, at some point, yes, 3T will be caught. For now though, their products are continuing to catch the eye of the growing community of gravel bike riders. Will this still be the same in 2 years time – who knows.
Freedom for all – fast freedom
The 3T philosophy is built on innovation and excellence, and the spirit of adventure for all cyclists who seek freedom in the great outdoors. It’s in the Italian blood; remember the white roads of Strade Bianche – modern day cycling classic. Long before gravel riding became popular, 3T decided that they wanted to ride faster and farther on any terrain than anyone else. The resulting 3T Exploro was the first gravel bike in the cycling world to combine road speed and mountain toughness, so that you, the ordinary adventure loving gravel bike rider, can race through the smooth sections and crush the rough and technical stuff. Total freedom had arrived at last, and some of the very best gravel bikes in the world had arrived on the trails, wrapped in the Italian flag!
The latest 3T PRIMO gravel bikes maintains their badge of exquisitely engineered excellence, and rightly continues the growing status of 3t gravel bikes. The current 3T PRIMO gravel bikes all use the latest generation of the original Exploro gravel bike frame. It’s a great choice for a high-end, highly-versatile gravel bike at an affordable price, and it’s a gravel bike that is suitable for riders at all levels, and for all adventures – weekend trips or epic multi-day gravel bike adventures.
3T Race Max and Race Max Italia
The 3T RACEMAX and RACEMAX ITALIA are renowned across the cycling world as being some of the fastest gravel bikes possible, with an aero optimized frame for 35-42mm WAM (Width as Measured) tires, ready to take on the most technical and toughest of rides, or long trips, as the frame even fits up to 61mm tires. The 3T ULTRA and the EXTREMA ITALIA are designed to go fast on the worst possible terrain, aero optimized for 55-61mm tires (but of course you can spec a narrower tire too). These technical tubes of Italian engineering excellence also combine an aero seat-tube with a round seat-post, so you can use any 27.2 round, dropper or suspension post and add to rider comfort.
Engineering excellence and innovation
Ultimately then and considering the support that 3T put into gravel biking, with their already renowned, annual Jeroboam gravel bike event, 3T are towards the top in the gravel bike league table. The Jeroboam Gravel Series is a gravel cycling event series organized by 3T, and includes a variety of routes and locations, with the original edition taking place in Franciacorta, Italy. Gravel bike riders attend from all over the world, and 3T are always showing the strength of their own bikes as riders cross the line, as they continue to engage with the grassroots cycling community at numerous locations across the globe.
Above images from TIME Bicycles, Europe
TIME for change
However – and it is a very big ‘however’ – as we mentioned earlier in this piece, the landscape of gravel is changing rapidly. Clear sub-cultures are evolving and they’ll be difficult for the smaller brands to keep pace with, unless they define which route they want to take: adventure or high-performance. For me there are 3 clear areas for the future:
- Gravel adventure
- Gravel leisure
- Gravel race
The road to gravel is key for every brand aiming to capture something from the growing community – especially as that growth is beginning to slow with cyclists pausing to reflect and think about their own direction. Brands such as TIME have some success with their TIME ADHZ 45 ‘full on’ gravel bike, which kind of slotted between the gravel adventure and gravel leisure categories, whilst wanting to reach out to the grabel race category too. TIME are a brand that has never stood still – pardon the pun – and they’ll no doubt be looking to develop further in one of these categories, making it their own and giving 3T some interesting competion in the gravel race arena as the colors evolve on the gravel biking tapestry.
What does this mean for you as a gravel biker; well, you now need to take that pause and ask youself ‘which of the new gravel sub-cultures do I wnat to fit into?’ N+1 has a whole new meaning these dyas, and consumers want more from each bike. The Road to Gravel is an interesting concept, and this small phrase may well fit most people’s ideal ride. Who takes it on will be interesting.
And, as the global cycling community heads back onto the rocky and dust-strewn and technical trails, seeking their own new challenges on gravel bikes, 3T will likely still be leading the global off-road, gravel adventure peloton by continuing to design and to create some of the best technical gravel bikes in the world – at the home of gravel biking, along the dusty white roads of Tuscany and Italy… whilst others maybe aim their sights on capturing the remaining evolving areas – where speed is your friend.
Ultimately, TIME will tell – so, let’s wait and see 😉
