Why This Italian Road Bike Stands Out from the Crowd

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My review of the 2025 3T Strada Italia. It’s fast, made in Italy but is it worth buying?

Riding the Strade Bianche gran fondo https://youtu.be/SvRNMGSgOFE

More info at https://3t.bike

Content
00:00 Intro
1:00 The doomed original Strada
1:47 Aero frame design
2:29 Real world usability?
4:23 Ride impressions
5:07 How fast is it?
6:26 Comfort
7:09 Fit issues
8:19 Geometry and handling
9:11 Price
10:08 Likes and dislikes
11:43 Verdict

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hey guys welcome back to the channel Today I’m reviewing this the 3T Strider Italia A very radical extreme looking aero carbon race bike vying for your attention and trying to tempt you away from the more obvious choices like a tarmac a mone or an airro But does it have the performance and speed to rematch those rivals i’ve been riding it here in the Cotswwells on my local roads and also in Italy taking part in a strata Biana Grand Fondo which I highly highly recommend My video experience on that is linked down below in case you missed it So the bike does deliver on many fronts Speed handling comfort tire clearance now 34 mil but there are a few quirks and a price that may put you off So we’ll go through all those the pros and cons the likes and dislikes in today’s video So load to talk about Probably should start at the beginning because you might remember the original Strider launched back in 2016 2017 That was a very radical ahead of its time ago carbon race bike desiring around a one by drivetrain and 28 mil wide tires which back then less we forget were wide for the time but now 28 is probably narrow were all running 30 and 32 and wider and beyond But back then the bike was ahead of its time and the backlash to it was pretty brutal I rode a bike and reviewed it at ROC and it did ride extremely well It was fast and comfy but the gearing was a limitation and eventually company relented and launched a two by version but by then the damage along with the pro team saga was probably done Just like the original Strata the bike is all about arrow max arrow We have some very slender fork blades a very narrow head tube but deep here which is a trend on modern aero race bikes and a very distinctive flared coke bottle down tube the shielded water bottles from the airflow along there and a Tomesque seat tube hugging the rear wheel and very compact rear triangle And of course an arrow seat post So it looks arrow and according to the bible of arrow testing Germany’s tour magazine it tests as well as a specialized tarmac and a pinella dogma So it is as arrow as it looks and this new bike while radical looking isn’t quite as compromised As I mentioned you run one by or two by But then the geometry and tie clearance is definitely a step in the right direction for us regular cyclists who want a race bike but more comfort Firstly tie clearance is very generous indeed at 34 millimeters And then the geometry is more laidback than a race bike Not endurance laidback but a bit more layback than a race bike So a higher stack to put the handlebars a bit higher and the longer wheelbase for more stability when doing a Crown Fondo like a Strata Bianca And then the other big story and the real USP of the Strata Italia is the fact the frame is handmade in Italy Most carbon frames are made in Asia and that’s cool But 3T a handful of years ago invested in bringing manufacturing back to the HQ in Italy with a very unique and very clever filament wound process with a mold that the carbon filament is wound around to create the main tubes and then put in a mold then cured overnight to create the amazing frame And all that workmanship is on display with a clear coat over the top So you can see the weave of carbon fiber and I think it looks amazing Really cool to see the carbon weave on show and not hidden away underneath a heavy layer of paint And the frame is light a claimed 950 g which is very good and similar to a Canyon Aero So no weight penalty for that manufacturing process And this entire bike as you see it right now with no pedals is 7.5 kilos So yeah pretty lightweight for a bike like this It’s not the lightest The tarmac is way lighter of course but similar to a canyon air road and lighter than a few other bikes which are meing towards 8 kilos and beyond Let’s start this ride impressions with the original Stradda which I was one of the few people to probably like I remember it being fast and smooth And yeah the gearing was a bit limited back then but the bike reminds me of that original in how fast it is and how smooth it is And now the gears work 1×13 Explore on a bike today or 2×2 as I’ve also had on the bike thanks to that very clever UDH dropout that Tram have really pushed and now give you the benefit the freedom to go one by or two by But how fast is it really well let me do a lap of the just right by test track to find out Riding around my test track at an average speed of 20 miles per hour the 3T recorded an average power of 189 watts placing it behind both the BMC Team Machine R and Canyon Aero TFR but ahead of a Specialized Tarmac which does reflect my impressions of the speed this bike offers So that is how fast this bike is And what’s really impressed me most about riding a bike for the last few months is how rapid it feels Some bikes feel fast they feel quick but the bike feels on another level And when riding between 35 and 40 km per hour it just flies along It just sails along the road with so little effort It’s a sensation that few air bikes really exhibit more so than a tarmac and even the Canyon Airroad and probably the BMC T- Machine R comes the closest to just how quick this bike feels between my legs All very subjective I know but based on my experience of testing bikes for the last 20 years and riding them on the same roads and the same routes at the same speeds and powers So the feeling of speeding a bike is just fantastic It feels so quick and a lot of fun to ride as a result It’s also very smooth as well which I think a race bike a fast bike needs to be these days especially for riding dealing with my local roads If you ever been to Cotswwells you’ll know what I mean So having a comfort as well as speed just makes for a bike that’s fun to ride and enjoyable to ride And I’ve had different tires on the bike 30s and 32s and regardless of the tire size they’re smooth no matter how wide you go And it’s space for up to 34 which I’ve not tried yet But I guess I could put the PL 35s in there But like I say even with 30 the bike is smooth enough for me Definitely Now where the bike becomes a little unstuck and a bit of a challenge to recommend is the geometry and the fit There are only a few sizes but luckily I fit this 56 very well I do like the fact the stack is higher The head tube is taller than a race bike Not quite as extreme as an endurance road bike like an MU3 So the fit and precision somewhere between a race bike and an endurance road bike I think is a fit I found to work uh really well I got really used to it and it does feel similar to other bikes Doesn’t feel too alien but the first ride definitely felt a bit quirky but now I got all set up it it’s good but I don’t really feel any benefit of that slack seat tube angle And given the way race bikes are going with short cranks and extreme aerial positions and steeper seat tube angles seemly the next trend I think 3T might have uh gone the wrong direction here And then the geometry itself yeah it’s pretty good At times it’s quite dosile and definitely got that endurance bike vibe It’s very easy to ride a long distance at high speed is great when riding gravel roads dirt roads like those in a stride of Bianca Gives you that confidence to really smash down fast gravel sectors and know the bike will be doing what you expect it to do But on the flip side it doesn’t display that explosiveness that rapid sudden change of direction that a race bike does offer and why race bikes are so much fun to ride But that said I quite like this all road space category This bike is being positioned in a nice middle ground between a race bike and an endurance road bike Now for a frame made in Italy you are expecting the price be fairly high And you’re not wrong But a frame set price of £5,000 is about the same as a Specialized Swork Tarmac made in Taiwan So on its own frame to frame it’s not too bad but the company offers quite a small range of complete bikes starting from £9,400 which is very expensive indeed up to near 13,000 And the bike here is near 12,000 with a Stram red access group set that 3T torno carbon crank set and Zip 353 NFW wheels But you are paying for a frame made in Italy and that may be a factor and you choosing this over something else that isn’t made in Italy Let me know your thoughts on how much you care about where a frame is made by dropping a comment down below Now let me share some likes and dislikes on the 3T Strata Italian We start with the stuff I do like I love the fact it’s made in Italy which is really cool and more of that will be good to see I do like the distinctive looks It definitely a bike that grows in you the more you spend time with it and it does look better in the flesh I like the speed of course who doesn’t the comfort as well and space with wide tires wider than most race bikes as fast as this one here And the fact we have a UDH dropout you can fit a Stram Explore one by group set or a more conventional two by if you want So future proof if you want to go down that route I see more bike brands going this way in the future Trek do it with their mun I’m sure Special Eyes and Canyon will follow suit as well But there are a few downsides as well The biggest one for me and one I can’t get my head around is why the seat tube angle is so slack about one degree slacker than most other race bikes and doesn’t mean you have to use a inline seat post which gives me the fit I need but I can’t see any reason or benefit by having a slacker seat tube angle that is conventional So that’s a bit odd The internal routine works well but you have to use their own stem You can’t use an FSA or a DA or Envy You have to use a stem here At least it does come in a range of options I do like the fact we have a two-piece setup so you’re free to change the handlebar to suit your preference and requirements So to sum up there is a lot to like about the new 3T Strata Italia but there are a few drawbacks With its price and distinctive looks it probably a hard sale for many cyclists You really have to love the design and be okay with some of its quirks But if you are looking for something different from the mainstream then the bike is definitely worth considering And if you want to see a video of me suffering through Italy in the amazing Strrada Biano Grand Fondo which I highly highly recommend and I rode it on this very bike with a two by setup then watch the video on screen right now