When it launched two years ago the 3T Exploro sent ripples of shock through the internet with its title of the world’s first aerodynamic gravel bike. Two years is an eternity in the bike world and the Italian company has just issued an updated version to ensure it makes use of the latest standards.
There are no fundamental changes to the Exploro frame, but there is a switch from post mount to flat mount disc brakes, and there’s also a new seatpost clamp. It uses a wedge collar design like that found on the newer Strada road bike.
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On the subject of the disc brake mount change, 3T’s head designer Gerard Vroomen is clearly not impressed by what he sees as another new standard.
“Postmount brakes work perfectly well, so there was no reason for the industry to invent a second standard (the whole idea of a standard is that there’s only one). But it’s hard to avoid when Shimano decides to push this,” he explains.
The biggest change is not in the frame but actually up front, with an all-new fork. The previous Luteus II fork has been replaced by the Fango fork (Italian for mud) which has a slimmer crown, more aerodynamic fork blades and fully internal hose routing. The dropouts have dedicated 12mm thru-axle threads and the company specs the Syntace X-12 axle, which 3T reckons is the stiffest axle available.
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The updated Exploro frameset is available in Team version weighing 1,090g (size medium) in a red paint finish, while the LTD uses a lighter paint finish to bring the frame weight down to 990g. The new fork weighs 400g with an uncut steerer tube.
The original Exploro with post mount remains available and is a good option if you want to use mountain bike brake calipers, which are still all post mount. Only the road industry has gone to flat mount.
We’ll confirm the price as soon as we get it.
7 thoughts on “3T updates Exploro aero gravel frame with new aero fork and flat mount brakes”
aero gravel??
Aero gravel? what for? what is the purpose? flat mount? could it be something else?
tsarouxaz wrote:
Why not ? More here https://www.3t.bike/en/3t-bikes/exploro-2.html
That’s the way things are going. It’s also discussed in the article
tsarouxaz wrote:
I know it sounds odd, particularly given the size fo the tyres, but owning a set of said tyres, and really rather enjoying blatting along fire roads and rougher paved roads, I get this.
Get past the whole aero thing about the bike and instead view it as a really fast bike for rough surfaces and it makes a lot of sense.
Perhaps you should head up here to the Borders where there are miles of forest roads linking lots of excellent (often dead end) back roads and you too would begin to understand.
Still, the price of the 3T puts it way off my list of potential purchases.
As for flat mount not being needed and post mount working perfectly well – agree on latter, but not on former.
Post mount does work perfectly well, but it doesn’t look right on a lot of road bikes.
Flat mount was needed if only for aethetic purposes. Post mount works on MTBs because the large fork legs mean the calipers either don’t stick back that far from the back of the forks or it looks OK anyway because of everything else that’s going on with the bike. On a road bike the fork legs are much skinnier and I’ve seen plenty of road bikes with post mount calipers sticking way back out from the fork – it just looks untidy and flat mount sorts this out.
@Joules.. sounds great.. any
@Joules.. sounds great.. any chance you’ve any routes you could link to?
Thinking of where to go later in the year for a weekend away riding..
peted76 wrote:
I’m gradually building up a range routes, but no links I can send you yet. Maybe I should sort a blog or something …….
For starters though, look for Craik, Eskdalemuir, Moffet and Ettrick in the Borders.
Craik and Ettrick are on dead end roads, but both have forest roads and tracks that link each other and also to both Eskdalemuir and Moffet.
Same goes for whole of Kielder region, and there are quite a few blocks of forest between the two areas as well which offer linking opportunities.
@Joules – https://gravelmap
@Joules – https://gravelmap.com/
I’m just waiting for it to become more populated..
peted76 wrote:
Awesome. Will add some routes later this week.