For those who love diving into aero test results, nothing gets the heart fluttering like a new set of Tour Magazine wind tunnel results. Tour’s independent wind tunnel results have become famous for their standardized protocol, which is highly accurate (+/—0,25W tolerance), and equally replicable between models (+/-1W between different campaigns). Moreover, it is tailored to typical environmental conditions, so what test could be more fitting for a brand like ours—one that has spent years chasing real-world speed?
Mit den 45 Millimeter hohen Carbonfelgen aus eigenem Haus kommt das 3T auf 208 Watt und stößt in die Phalanx der Schnellsten im TOURTest vor, umringt von illustrer Konkurrenz. Der produktionstechnische Unterschied zu einem Pinarello Dogma F (208 Watt), Specialized Tarmac oder Giant Propel (beide 209 Watt) verbirgt sich unter dem giftgrünen Kleid.
Tour Magazin (TOUR-Magazin 01/25, website here) is published only in German, so the quote above sounds challenging (if you don’t speak German). Here is a translation:
“With a result of 208 watts, the Strada Italia from 3T enters the echelon of the fastest bikes in TOUR’s testing. It sits between well-known world tour performers like the Pinarello Dogma F (208 Watts) and the Specialized Tarmac and Giant Propel (both at 209 Watts). This becomes an even more interesting proposition considering the 3 T’s in-house production story.”
While internally, our results and rider test feedback told us the bike was super-fast, it’s always nice to see these efforts replicated independently.
This is especially true when the confirmation comes from an authoritative voice like that of Tour, with whom we have always felt aligned in the shared belief that aerodynamic efficiency is one of the most important aspects to evaluate in a bike.
The importance of aerodynamics
It is well known that aerodynamics is the most significant resistance to forward motion in most conditions a cyclist might encounter. Less widely understood is that this doesn’t only occur at high speeds.
Once again, Tour:
“Slow riders experience more diagonal flow than fast riders in the same wind. This leads to the paradoxical situation that slow time trialists can gain the most from aerodynamic material, as the advantage of aerodynamic material increases significantly with diagonal flow. <…] For orientation: the aerodynamic optimization of the bike can compensate for up to almost four kilograms of weight on such a route>.”
This is why we take aerodynamics seriously on all our bikes!
Once the rider’s position is optimized (which undoubtedly plays a significant role in aerodynamic performance), the frame becomes the next critical factor in reducing aerodynamic resistance. We designed the Strada Italia and its geometry around real-world-ready 30-35mm WAM wide tires. Plus, with the guidance of the new UCI rules on tube shapes, we could max out aerodynamic gains in areas where we were previously limited. All together, this makes a package that’s supremely fast on the road, but let’s go a bit more in detail.
Tube by tube: how we made the Strada Italia faster
Using the same Squareo shape philosophy we’re known for across our range we had an excellent platform that we could use to push the boundaries of aerodynamic shaping. We could now extend the forms thanks to the relaxed UCI regulations and keep the squared off tail that’s so effective.
At the headtube, the goal was to keep everything as narrow as possible as this is key to aerodynamic performance in this area. But we believed it was essential to keep a large steerer for stiffness and safety and to do this we needed a custom ultra sleek (IS42/34 | IS47/38-36deg) headset bearing to make it all fit. Pulling from the Strada Integrale we have the pronounced nose but elongated the area in behind even more and added an aggressive truncation to provide fantastic aero gains over the competition. And of course we’ve tucked the cables inside using our 3T Integrale technology.
Our Fundi Integrale II Fork stays narrow because we saw that keeping the wheels tucked as closely as possible to the frame was beneficial aerodynamically. The crowns take a minimalist approach, which allows the front wheel to be tucked as closely to that downtube as possible.
The downtube is possibly the most iconic part of 3T frame design but it’s also where we spent the most R&D time on this project. We designed it so it would help clean up mess airflow coming the front wheel and for this reason, we sized it so that it aligns perfectly with tires that have a 30-35mm WAM measurement. And since we don’t have team cars following us on all our rides, the downtube also is designed to shield the water bottles from the air. The best possible aerodynamic combination is a single 500ML bottle in the lowest bottle cage position. But even if you ride with two bottles as most of us do, you’ll only see a 3% reduction in efficiency when riding at 45km/h.
Outback, the rear cutout is maximized to shield as much of the wheel and tire as possible. The seat stay and seat tube junction were designed to work in partnership to guide the airflow.
The Backstage: how prepared to the test by Tour
However, all of this engineering work is wasted if you don’t pair the frame with the right components. Being faster in the real world is about the rider, frame and components package. So, if compromises are made, then the efforts will go to waste.
Before sending the bike to Tour for their test, we conducted one of our own to evaluate different setups, tire/wheel combinations, groupsets, and accessories. To do this, we partnered with LeXXi Sports, a company with extensive and deep expertise in aerodynamics development and optimization. Their technicians recommended conducting the test at the Sportforum Kaarst-Büttg.
This velodrome is known for its very smooth surface, which is crucial for minimizing rolling resistance and ensuring an aerodynamic evaluation that is as uninfluenced by other factors as possible.
Moreover, a velodrome, unlike a wind tunnel, is an excellent setting for conducting tests in realistic aerodynamic conditions (with an actual rider on the bike). Instead of sticking to a single speed like the 45 km/h standard used by Tour, we tested within a range of speeds from 32 to 48 km/h. We mounted and removed bottles and other ‘problematic’ accessories. We even rode with a dirty bike to assess whether aerodynamics would be compromised.
In the end, what we discovered surprised us: we could hardly believe our eyes when we found out that the aerodynamic resistance of the Strada Italia was remarkably close to that of some TT bikes under the same conditions!
The Build: how we preserved the frame’s properties with perfect matches
The groupset
We matched a 1x Torno crank with a 46T chainring with the SRAM Red XPLR AXS (1×13; 10-46).
You’ll hear it from us often, but 1x is still faster (most of the time). It removes the front derailleur and small chainring, which are very messy aerodynamically. With the front mech, there’s little room for air to pass, and the frontal area increases. The work of the tubes, designed to shield the wheels and allow clean airflow from the front to the rear, is made easier by removing the front derailleur as well. Further optimizing the bike for free speed. The aero crank arms and the 142 mm narrow Q factor of the Torno improve this optimization even further thanks to a more aero foot position, which reduces the rider’s frontal surface.
The wheels and tires
We matched the Discus 45|32 LTD carbon wheels with Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR 30 mm (32 mm WAM) tires.
When it comes to the wheels, what we really need to talk about is the wheel/tire package. Tires are the leading edge of the wheel and therefore an important part of the whole package. The WAM and the tire’s shape are not to be overlooked as they are the first contact points for the air. In our testing of the Strada Italia we found that there was virtually no aerodynamic penalty (less than 1% when riding at 45km/h) for 32-34mm WAM road tire. Key to this is the shape of the tire and in those same tests, the Discus 45|32 wheels and Zipp 353 NSW stood at as the best performers with tires at that WAM. Our 45|32 wheels were the fastest aerodynamically ( 5% over the Zipp) but you can shave around 200g off the bike’s weight by going to the 353 NSW. In this case, rider preference can come into play about which wheelset you prefer.
There are lots of nice wide road tires on the market these days. The ones that stood out for us were the Vittoria Corsa Pro and Continental GP 5000 S TR. Both have great rolling resistance and perform well in the wind tunnel. Each tire has its own fans, and you really can’t lose with either one. So that’s why you’ll see these two on the official Strada Italia spec sheets.
How to buy it?
Our in-house carbon production facility is building Strada Italia frames as we speak. Take a look at the models below and call your local dealer so you can get yours in time for the spring riding season.
- With 3T 45|32 wheels: priced at EUR 9.836 / GBP 8.852 / USD 11.311 ex. VAT
- With Zipp 353 NSW wheels: priced at 11.065 / GBP 9.959 / USD 12.725 ex. VAT
