Much has been written and commented on regarding the ascent of 3T Bike. Conceived and guided from a design and engineering perspective by Gerald Vroomen, it is not as if 3T Bike had no foundation. Building a new bike company is a challenge, but as Vroomen has informed the bike and design world, if you can create a "remarkable" product, it will garner it's own attention. Numerous bike and design awards have been the platform for taking 3T to prominence in the cycling media. With the 3T Strada Pro Force Bicycle the goal is to convert consumer interest in the key, unique facets of the Strada Team frameset, and bring the overall price point down with a complete bike. It is still a road Strada, with it's Arcfoil informed Sqaero tubeset, ground breaking frame optimized for wider, higher volume road tires, disc braking, and 1x SRAM drivetrain. Yes, the frame is heavier than the Team version due to different carbon and subsequent lay-up, but functionally the same. The Force 1 mechanical shifting / hydraulic brake system is nothing to sneeze at, and you get a more attainable price point for this innovative and impressive road bike.

To understand the appeal and signature characteristics of the Strada frameset design, refer to Vroomen's background with Cervelo and his success with Open Cycles. Pro road race, dominant aero performance and tube innovation crossed with incredible versatility of the Open UP designs, combined with pure engineering and a desire to stay innovative. The results? The striking move to a 1x drivetrain aero race capable bike built for larger volume tires- the Strada. This the first such design conceived and engineered from the ground up to be a full capable road race bike with frame and fork tube shapes that blend informed and capable aerodynamics at bike speed. The frameset can be made stiffer, with it's disc brake only design, knowing the large volume tires are the most important source of rider comfort. As knowledge and testing has evolved, we know wider tires actually have lower rolling resistance and the lower pressures these tires require more effectively maintain contact to the road, again reducing resistance but also improving grip, handling and stability.

The Strada frame and fork were both engineered to optimize airflow with larger volume tires and wider rims. Capable of clearance for 28mm tires (in actual measurement on the rim you use), even tested with 30mm, the Strada is most aerodynamic with minimal space between tire and frame/fork, like a true TT bike, but with all the advantages of the higher volume tire. The review criticism is that this very small gap will result in scratching under the fork crown and frame, but this is easily countered by using slightly smaller tire, gaining clearance, but losing premium efficiency. The trade-off is easily acceptable. On this Strada Pro, 3T spec'ed 700x25 Continental Grand Prix 4000s II tires on the 3T Discus C35 Pro Wheelset (32mm depth, 25.6mm max external width, 21.3mm under the clincher hook). When we inflated the tires to 90psi on this rim, the tires measured 27.1mm wide. The point is you can run tires that give you even a full 28mm and still have enough clearance to reduce risk of scratching. Bikes get ridden. Scratches happen; especially where tires and frames are close companions. You won't be creating structural issues, and the scratches are not all that visible.

The principle of the Sqaero tubeset is built on airflow around the bike a bike racing speeds. That air travels in an arc, so the leading edges of the tubes are shaped in an arc and squared at the rear. The different path and shape of airflow in various sections, such as the fork legs, downtube and seattube mean those arcs are specific to the flow and wider tires. Specific need, such as the issue of the water bottle cage mounts are taken into account. The down tube widens to greater hide the lowest downtube bottle position for race days. Crucial to the airflow from that zone back over the rear wheel is the elimination of the front derailleur in favor to the single ring Force 1 drivetrain. The end result is much cleaner air and force on the frame and past the rear tire, all proven in the wind tunnel.

The 3T Fundi Flat Mount Disc Brake Fork has more fresh design and technology than many frames offer. The left leg is offset for the disc mount, and the flat mount itself is built for both 140 or 160mm rotor/caliper set-ups. The Syntace thru-axle system for a 12/100mm hub is aero and results in great hub/fork stiffness. The carbon lay-up of the entire design is built to manage and counter the force of hub-based disc braking. The rear dropout of the frame is proprietary for 3T, but also uses a bolt-in style Syntace 12/142mm thru-axle. While overall the frame is stiff, even vertically, the rear stays are extremely thin and shaped to offer some give, which adds a minor complement to the larger volume tires for rider comfort.

The complete bike kit is 3T spec along with the the SRAM Force 1 1x11 full set-up. It delivers a 50T chainring matched to an 11-36 cassette, for a drivetrain that rivals the range of most road 2x systems without any duplicate gearing. The right shift lever is the normal 11s Force mechanical, with a hydraulic disc brake lever and master cylinder internals. The left lever carries just the brake set-up. The crankset is a SRAM Quarq Prime Power Ready model. The chainring is the Force 1 X-SYNC, with it's wide-tooth, narrow-tooth chainring technology that provides maximum chain control at any chainline or effort level. One of the goals of the Strada is to prove single ring drivetrains are not only feasible for serious road enthusiasts, but also at the pro level, where Team Aqua Blue is riding the Strada quite competitively.

Are you a forward thinking, serious cyclist who is looking for speed, efficiency, comfort, and high performance? Do you want to embrace the future? For 3T Bike, the future is now, and the Strada Pro Force Bicycle will allow you to not only experience it, but thrive while knowing that your bike has been built as a fully integrated platform for you to maximize your cycling potential and excitement on the road.