3T STRADA 2018 Review

With a number of radical and innovative features, the 3T STRADA is one of the most debated bikes of the season. Team Aqua Blue has already managed to clinch a number of victories in the pro peloton with this exact bike. But how does the Italian 1×11 aero disc racer fare against the international competition?

For an overview of the test fleet head to the main article: What’s the best road bike of 2018? – 12 race bikes put to the test

The frame and fork of the 3T STRADA reveal a strong aero DNA. 3T calls the shape of the frame “Realfast Arcfoil” – a geometry that shifts the seatpost far back over the rear wheel. This design strongly reminds us of some time trial bikes. Both the frame and the fork wrap tightly around the 28 mm-wide Continental 4-Season tires. The 3T Fundi Aero fork was designed exclusively for disc brakes, which makes the fork crown look flat and slim and moves the front wheel closer towards the frame; according to 3T this design is meant to optimize the aerodynamics of the bike. The same goes for the almost-vertical seatpost and the Hide-Ration concept where even the bottle cage is positioned in true aero fashion. With the increasingly-wider downtube and the low mounting points, the bottle effectively “hides” in a slipstream – let’s call it “bottle drafting.” The same applies to the internal cable routing: the gear- and brake-lines disappear into the top tube almost vertically, which might well be aerodynamically efficient, but also looks a little odd.

At € 6,950, our 3T STRADA test bike features a SRAM Force 1×11 Disc group, a 58 mm-deep 3T Discus C60 Team Aero wheelset, and 28 mm Continental Grand Prix 4000S II tires. The engineers at 3T picked the components from their own portfolio: the 3T ARX II Team Stealth stem, 3T Aerotundo handlebars, a 3T Charlie Sqaero STRADA seatpost, and a WTB Koda saddle. With a weight of 7.71 kg in size L, the STRADA is the heaviest carbon racer in our test and stands in the middle of the test field if we were to include the steel bikes.

With its 1×11 setup, the 3T STRADA is a true road pioneer. But does the concept work? Yes and no. With the right chainring you’ll be well served for both climbs and flats. The SRAM 10–36 cassette with a 44t chainring (climbing setup) gives you almost the identical range of a semi-compact crank with a 52–36 chainset and 11–28 cassette (360% vs. 368%). 3T’s new 1×11-specific Overdrive and Bailout cassette – which have been awarded with a Design & Innovation Award 2018 – offer the same range. Especially on medium gradients such as the Els Angels or Girona’s local mountain (2% to 6% gradient), the gear jumps feel quite large and cause one’s cadence to quickly become either too high or too low. In this type of scenarios, the 2×11 setups from the competition are a much better option and offer smaller and more suitable gear jumps. However, the 3T STRADA climbs surprisingly well, even if it lacks a little agility – but this also depends on its weight.
The STRADA has proven its strengths on the flats; the aero concept works extremely well on straight, flat roads and the 3T literally begs you to go faster. Only when sprinting do we notice a significant lack of lateral stiffness. The frame and the 3T Aerotundo handlebars flex too much to make a good impression on sprints. It’s worth mentioning that the shape of the handlebars, with their long reach and flattened tops, left a mark: bruises on our forearms.

The 3T rides extremely fast on straight downhills and proved the fastest bike of the high speed class in the GRAN FONDO Race Session. However, in corners it feels a little spongy and imprecise – again the lack of lateral stiffness. The SRAM Force brakes offer good modulation, but can‘t match the excellent performance of the competition, lacking both power and bite.
The 28 mm-wide (effective width 30.5 mm) Continental GP 4000S II tires offer good grip and add some welcome comfort to the otherwise very uncomfortable frameset. In a direct tire comparison, the Specialized 26 mm Turbo Cotton and the 25 mm Vittoria Corsa come out on top with better grip, more traction, and superior comfort. The only drawback of the wide tires is the gravel rubbing off frame’s paint with the tight clearance.

  The STRADA has proven its strengths on the flats; the aero concept works extremely well on straight, flat roads and the 3T literally begs you to go faster.

The 3T Strada in detail

Drivetrain SRAM Force 1
Wheelset 3T Discus Team
Brakes SRAM Force
Tires Continental GP 4000 SII
Weight 7.71 kg
Price € 6,950

The geometry of the 3T Strada

Conclusion

The 3T STRADA explores new territories and surprises with an array of innovative features. It’s the top on straights, but a flop in corners – due to its lack of lateral stiffness, the bike doesn’t feel defined and fails to inspire the right amount of confidence with its sloppy handling. The lack of comfort is one more problem which even the 28 mm-wide tires and the very soft saddle can only marginally contain. In theory the STRADA offers a very exciting concept, but in practice it has far too many compromises. The 100% aero DNA of the STRADA make it a great option for flat stages, time trials, and triathlons.

Uphill
Downhill
Sprint

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For more info head to: 3t.bike

For an overview of the test fleet head to the main article: What’s the best road bike of 2018? – 12 race bikes put to the test

All bikes in the test: BMC Teammachine SLR 01 Disc Team | Canyon Aeroad CF SLX Disc 9.0 Di2 | Corratec EVO eTap Konfi | Fuji SL 1.1 | Rose X-Lite 6 eTap | Scott Addict RC Ultimate Disc | Specialized S-Works Tarmac 2018 | Speedvagen Road | Standert Triebwerk Mach 3 | Trek Emonda SLR 8 Disc | Wilier Superleggera SL

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Words: Manuel Buck, Robin Schmitt, Benjamin Topf Photos: Noah Haxel