Liz's 3T Exploro Team Speed Force1
It’s been a little over a year since I got my 3T, and I finally decided it was time to tell the world how much I love it.
I long mocked gravel bikes as a gimmick to get people to buy more bikes (I will not be taking comments or questions at this point). I was perfectly happy to ride gravel roads on my cx bike, which I already owned for the purposes of racing cx! But, after realizing I didn’t actually care about racing cx anymore and wanted to spend my falls and winters riding bumpy roads rather than shouldering my bike and hopping over barriers, I finally decided to sell my cx bike and get a more appropriate machine.
I wasn’t sure what to get, but I knew that since my person got a Specialized Diverge, that I had to get something completely different. I remembered my pals over at enduranceWERX talking a big game about 3Ts, so I went down a rabbit hole of reading reviews. I could not find one negative review, and since so much of my life is already in the hands of enduranceWERX, I decided - why not trust them with one more thing?
Readers, I instantly loved it. 3Ts are considered the first aero all-road bikes, and I know the “aero” thing might seem silly (and honestly I never go fast enough to need aero anything). But, I do love that the bike feels snappy and closer road bike but with the stability of a lower bottom bracket and all the other advantages that a gravel, do-everything bike offers.
Is it that different from a cx bike? Yes and no. Of course I can run the same tires (although the 3T has a much huger tire clearance than my cx bike ever did). And, of course a cx bike can ride gravel. But the 3T just feels like it was meant for longer rides. I feel like I’m one with the bike, more than I ever felt on the cx bike. It handles descents, washboardy roads, and even rocky paths with grace.
My 3T has taken me on some pretty great adventures, including Iron Cross in PA, but has also proven to be just as comfortable and fun for taking me on simpler rides like up the OCA to Peekskill.
If you’re considering a gravel bike, definitely think about a 3T! They are Oh So Fun!
Liz’s 3T Exploro Team Speed Force 1 Specs:
Frameset: 3T Exploro TEAM, size M
Seatpost: 3T Carbon
Fork: 3T Fango TEAM
Groupset: SRAM Force Mechanical
Shifters: SRAM Force1 Hydraulic DoubleTap
Gearing: SRAM Force 1, 40T
Cassette: SRAM 11-speed PowerGlide™ 11-42T
Cranks: SRAM Quarq Prime Carbon Power Ready
Stem: Apto PRO
Bars: 3T Superergo PRO
Bar Tape: Fizik Red
Wheels: Fulcrum Racing 7 DB with DRP double-seal hubs, 700c
Tires: Schwalbe G-One, tubeless
Rotors: SRAM 160mm rotor
Brakes: SRAM Force1 HRD Hydraulic Disc
Bell: Spurcycle Original, raw
Build and fit: enduranceWERX
