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. There’s even been 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.
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 the smaller brands such as 3T, Orbea and iconic TIME Bicycles that are making waves, and which are catching the eyes of the 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 – and engineering excellence.
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.
Italian 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.
And, as the global cycling community heads onto the rocky and dust-strewn trails, seeking their own new challenges on gravel bikes, brands like 3T will be leading the global off-road adventure peloton, by continuing to design and to create some of the best gravel bikes in the world – at the home of gravel biking, along the dusty white roads of Tuscany and Italy… or, will they lose the title another innovative and iconic brand? Let’s wait and see 😉
