In November I was working on a special project and got to talking with Juan Antonio Flecha, long-time professional cyclist and classics specialist. He ended up visiting the 3T office and we went for a ride on the Strada together. The project stalled, but Juan Antonio remembered the Strada so when he needed a new bike, he gave me a call again.
I really enjoyed spending time with him on our ride, he’s a great and warm person and obviously a strong rider. I can’t imagine a better ambassador for our brand. So now that he has picked up his bike, I asked him to write a little piece about it:
“After being in touch with 3T in November, Rene invited me to spend a day with them at their headquarters in Italy, “Why don´t we meet in Bergamo, you see The Strada, and go for a ride?” he suggested.
A week later I jetted off to Italy on an early flight, Rene picked me up at the airport and drove to 3T Brembate.”
“Walking into the building was already an experience in and of itself with lots pictures of legendary champions hanging on the walls. After a quick introduction to the office we went downstairs where a few of their bikes waited to be ridden. My eyes immediately turned to the Strada and I quickly realized how good it looks in reality.
We got ready and rode towards the Roncola climb. Straight away I could feel I was pedalling on a fast machine.”
“The Strada is definitely the most advanced aero bike in the marketplace. The one-by set up allows it to have a unique geometry that demands it to be ridden and experienced to its full potential. In addition it is perfectly balanced and I found my position on the bike pretty fast without messing around with seat and stem height and length. On another note, the Strada steering is so precise that excels on every corner and, when it´s about riding straight, it draws perfect lines too. Certainly it is highly efficient as it transfers every pedal stroke straight onto the tarmac. One last thing to mention about the Strada is that it rides surprisingly smoothly even on cobbles (of course, those tires!)
We ended the ride with pizza at the café and I flew back home dreaming about riding the Strada for 2018.”
If you see Juan Antonio out there on his Strada, make sure to say hi. Or you can catch him from time to time on Eurosport, riding the recon of the routes for some of the big races this year.
