Updated October 21, 2025 02:54PM
Pros
50mm tire clearance
Gorgeous optional crank
SRAM UDH
Incredibly comfortable handlebar
Surprisingly comfortable geometry
Mounting points that make sense for this bike
Cons
Cable routing is the worst of both worlds
Difficult to access stem bolts
Terrible in-frame storage design
Integrated rear light makes no sense on this bike
Specs
Size tested: Medium
Price: $6499 frameset with an as tested price of $11,699
Brand: 3T
Verdict
The 3T Racemax² Italia makes a statement as something different when it’s the bike you choose. That’s worth something on its own and it’s also surprisingly comfortable with a short reach. Conceptually I love the aero benefits. The bar and stem system should be a one-piece unit, but the only real drawback to the bike is that the in-frame storage is so badly designed.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
There are only a few bikes in history as influential as the original 3T Exploro. Today we consider aero gravel and the general concept of a gravel race bike as pretty standard offerings. Back in 2016 that was a radical concept and the 3T Exploro was the first ever aero gravel bike.
In the nine years since that introduction, 3T has fallen behind a bit. Or perhaps more accurately other brands have caught up. Now 3T is back with a gorgeous made-in-Italy bike that embraces all the weird solutions in the name of going as fast as possible on unpaved roads. I got a chance to ride this thing and here’s what I found.
Quick hits: standout details of the 3T Racemax² Italia
The tire clearance is listed as 51mm width as measured but that likely means a 700×50 max tire with standard ISO 4mm clearance on each side.
The narrow seatpost includes an integrated light that you can swap for a block off plate.
The 3T Aeroghiaia Integrale handle bar is a high point that keeps your controls close to vertical but offers plenty of flare for control
There’s provisions for running 2x if that’s your preference but it does drop max clearance to 700x48mm
This latest version is a claimed 1.5% faster aerodynamically than the previous generation bike
The frameset uses resin transfer molding with filament wound carbon and it’s all built, plus painted, in Italy
Ready to ride (minus pedals) weight is 8.25kg
There’s mounting spots for two bottles inside the frame, a bottle on the downtube, and a bento box up top.
Visit the 3T website for more information
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
3T Racemax² Italia frame details
When we discussed this frame on the Velo podcast, host Mike Levy said the name sounded like some kind of special edition. In a way, he was right. Not every 3T frame is built in Italy but the Racemax Italia, and now the second generation, do have that distinction. This bike is a regular production product in the lineup but it’s also a special edition.
Part of that difference isn’t just the nationality of the hands creating the bike. All carbon fiber is essentially handmade so location alone isn’t all that special. 3T is upping the ante by using a different production.
Asian made frames use the typical prepreg carbon sheets of most manufacturers. In that process a third party company, like Toray, manufactures huge rolls of carbon with the resin already a part of it. The process is similar to working with cloth and it results in an efficient, repeatable, system that creates a high quality final product.
For the Racemax² Italia, 3T instead uses filament wound carbon fiber with a resin transfer molding process. The filament wound process is something originally designed for kayak paddles, as explained by Festka who also uses the process, and has since moved to bikes. When creating carbon in this way, each individual filament is a continuous strand that remains unbroken as it’s wound into a tube. The specific pattern and types of carbon used in different parts of the frame will affect the feel of the final product.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
Once that weave is complete, the dry carbon is put into a mold. Only then is the resin injected under high pressure into the carbon. This process, according to Time Bicycles who also uses RTM, “results in extremely uniform fiber wetting, with no voids between layers (and) quality is uniform with much smaller variance between frames.”
The other advantage to these two processes is what I’d describe as the best of the promise of carbon fiber. Because there’s more ways to manipulate the properties of the material, you get a frame that’s more precise. It’s stiff exactly where you want it to be but soft where it makes sense. Filament wound carbon is also stronger and Festka founder Michael Moureček loves to put tubes in a vice in his shop to show off how resilient it is. Note that I did not try that with the 3T Racemax² Italia.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
In terms of this specific bike, the big news here for the second generation is more aero and more tire clearance. You’d expect these two things to be in opposition to each other but 3T was the one who invented the idea of big tire aero and they’ve only refined the concept. The new bike is a claimed 1.5% aerodynamically faster and getting there is where the bike really gets weird.
There’s no stone left unturned in the hunt for aero gains. As with older generations there’s still a massive downtube that helps smooth the flow of air off the big tires. Also as before it starts big then flares even larger to 75mm as a shield for the water bottles.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
One detail that’s new is that there’s now a cutout for the front tire up top. As with the Colnago Y1RS, keeping the downtube and the tire a bit closer enhances the aerodynamics of both. In this case though, it’s extra weird as this is a gravel bike that’s had the head tube angle increased, up from 70.7 to 71.5, to further tuck the tire into that downtube.
More obvious tricks are also easy to spot. As with older models, there’s a rear wheel cutout, fully aero seatstays and seattube junction, and an aero seatpost with a Ritchey clamp. You’ll also find an absolutely massive headtube and the cables at the front of the bike run through the CeramicSpeed IS44/52 headset bearings. Down on the fork there’s a caliper bolt cover on the bottom of the fork to shield the brake caliper mounts and the opposite fork leg is completely smooth with no bolt peaking through.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
There are also a couple of nods to usability. Bottle mounts include two in the main triangle with two options for the downtube mount placement. A third bottle mount can be found way down low on the outside of the downtube and there’s a bento box mount on the top tube. In the downtube itself is an integrated downtube storage system that uses a Fidlock branded “mini-hook closure” with a Missgrape bag inside. On the back of the aero seatpost is a rechargeable light that pushes out 25-lumens or can be replaced with a cover if not needed. You’ll find a UDH mount at the rear of the bike.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
Build details
Most of the time this section is more about researching future purchases. This time though there’s some really amazing, and weird, details that are worth mentioning here.
3T sells the Racemax² Italia as a frameset in four sizes and four colors plus naked carbon. That purchase also includes the seatpost and the bar and stem but that bar and stem design deserve some air time.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
In theory you could swap in a different bar and stem although, as usual, it’s murky about what would actually fit and look like it belonged there. The steerer tube is round but the 3T more stem is… weird.
If you look at the stem from the top it’s smooth with no top cap or compression bolts visible. To get to those pieces you loosen a pair of hex bolts in the back that are pushing against a metal plate that’s locking against the steerer tube. The cable routing in the stem is through the center but if you flip the bike the lower section of the stem is open with the intended purpose of adding a bit of flexibility for packing. Sticking to aero gains though means that the front of the More stem is smooth with the faceplate bolts facing backwards towards the headtube.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
Slotted into that stem is the 3T Aeroghiaia Integrale handlebar which I’m not sure I can praise quite enough. I love this bar. The tops are a massive blade design with controls sitting mostly vertical. The drops flare dramatically but also have quite a backsweep and a flat section in the curve. This all means you can choose plenty of control at the back of the drops, an aero position deep in the curve, or grab the hoods. K-Edge handles the outfront mount and it’s solid.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
Then it’s even more weird if you choose one of the builds. Personally I’d call the bar and stem system a bad weird but I’ll talk a bit more about that below. For now though, there are two SRAM builds, either Force or RED, that come with the 3T Torno Wide crank.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
Simply said, this crank is a work of art. It’s manufactured in-house with a carbon axle, carbon arms, and an integrated carbon aero spider. Weight for those pieces is 350 grams and chainrings are from Wolftooth.
Looks aside, this is an actual aero piece. This is different from typical aero chainrings which have a solid chainring design but don’t actually offer an aero advantage. This is freely admitted by the manufacturers, such as SRAM, but it’s not because chainrings can’t offer aero gains. The issue is that for it to work you need that smooth, integrated, shaping in the transition from the arms to the spider and you need aero shaping on the arms. 3T isn’t saying the specific numbers but both of those details are here and aero experts I’ve talked to have said 2-3 watts is reasonable.
Besides, did I mention the looks?
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
Also on the table for most builds are a new set of wheels. These got announced with the bike however they are not yet ready and my bike doesn’t include them. If you purchase in the future though, you’ll be getting a new Discuss 45|40 wheelset. As before this is a 45mm deep rim with a 40mm external diameter and 29mm inner width. However there’s now a hookless design and Scope Race series hubs using 21 spokes in the front and 24 in the rear. The changes add up to a 1435 gram wheelset weight compared to the previous 1665 weight.
Build options
Racemax² Italia frameset with 3T More stem and 3T Aeroghiaia Integrale LTD handlebar: € 4,917 | £ 4,425 | $ 6,499
Racemax² Italia with Shimano GRX 2×12 and 3T Discus 45|40 LTD wheels: € 8,114 | £ 7,303 | $ 10,999
Racemax² Italia with SRAM Force XPLR AXS 1×13 and 3T Discus 45|40 LTD wheels: € 8,115 | £ 7,304 | $ 11,699
Racemax² Italia with SRAM Force XPLR AXS 1×13 with Torno Wide crank and 3T Discus 45|40 LTD wheels: € 8,605 | £ 7,745 | $ 11,699
Racemax² Italia with SRAM Red XPLR AXS 1×13 and ZIPP 303 XPLR SW wheels: € 10,409 | £ 9,368 | $ 13,899
Racemax² Italia with SRAM Red XPLR AXS 1×13 with Torno Wide Crank and ZIPP 303 XPLR SW wheels: € 10,409 | £ 9,368 | $ 14,399
Racemax² Italia with Campagnolo Super Record 2×13 Gravel and 3T Discus 45|40 wheels: € 10,736 | £ 9,662 | $ 14,599
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
3T Racemax² Italia geometry
There are four sizes available
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
3T Racemax² Italia ride experience
I don’t want a mountain bike for a gravel bike. The whole point, to me, of a gravel bike is the ability to knock out big miles efficiently and not care if the road is paved or not. I want a bike that will seamlessly transition on and off the pavement but can manage a few miles of deep ruts and rocks without issue. If the skies open before a big adventure, as they did when I rode the Traka 360, I want to know that I’ve got the clearance and capabilities of bigger tires.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
Look at the Racemax² Italia through that lens and you’ll understand why I love this bike. I have no doubt that there’s more capable gravel bikes with slacker headtubes and longer chainstays. Maybe even some suspension. I don’t care. This is what I want in a gravel bike. I’ll be running 45mm tires, as it has on it now, but I like that there’s space for a 50mm just in case I decide to take on something where that seems advantageous. Alternatively I could go to a 40mm and have tons of mud clearance or a reasonable all road bike.
I also like all the aero detailing for a similar reason. Yeah it’s weird, and you can’t really feel it, but I know in my head that it’s there and I love that. When I’m tucked in battling the wind on a long gravel road through open farmland I know I’ve got the advantages of whatever aero optimization 3T was able to find. I’m even willing to deal with toe overlap, which I do have on a size medium, for that advantage. This bike isn’t optimized for single track switchbacks.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
When it’s time to stop, there’s a special vibe to this bike and I don’t want to discount that. First people look at the color shifting paint. Then we can talk about it being handmade, filament wound, and RTM molded in Italy. I’m not going to try and say I can feel the different molding and carbon when I’m being bounced around on a rough road with 45mm tires but, like the aero details, I appreciate that it’s there anyway.
After the paint, everyone instantly looks at the crank and asks about it. I get to say it’s actually aero. Normally I’d call out the lack of a power meter on a bike this expensive as an issue. This time 3T is offering something instead and I’ll move to a power pedal gladly. Colnago might consider taking notes here.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
There is some weirdness I’m less fond of though. A small detail is that light in the seatpost. Why is it there? That kind of thing is a nice feature for a mid-range road bike. What’s it doing on a premier aero gravel race bike? Certainly it’s not hurting anything but it’s just such an odd inclusion given the purpose of the bike.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
A bigger issue is the front end design. This is something I talked about in the Specialized Aethos 2 review also and I’m just as confused here. This bike should have a fully integrated one piece bar and stem. I’m not sure there’s a huge reason not to leave the little window at the bottom of the stem, if travel is really an important consideration, but what is gained with a two piece bar and stem that still routes through the bearings? There’s flexibility in only replacing one or the other for fit but how many people buy a bike at this level and aren’t sure about fit? Get rid of the weird faceplate bolts and two pieces.
I do also want to call attention to what I’d consider some weirdness in the geometry. The reach is quite a short 377 in a size medium. That makes the bike very comfortable, and controllable when it gets rough, but it’s also an oddity given the purpose of the bike. I find myself wanting to stretch out more on the tops in an aero position but I also find it easy to grab that flat spot in the curve of the drops and knock out miles. I can see the advantage of this but if you like more reach it’ll bug you.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
In terms of the build, mine is a little different than what you’ll get. Primarily that means I have the Zipp 303 XPLR SW wheels paired with the Torno crank and SRAM Force AXS groupset. Normally that build would have the 3T wheels but I think the Zipp wheels are actually a better match.
The 3T Discus 45|40 would be a lighter wheel but this is an aero race bike. The Zipp wheels are both wider internally, and deeper. These are the wheels I’d want here and I’m a fan of the build as it is. I won’t dwell much on Force AXS other than to say yeah it’s amazing. You can read my SRAM Force AXS review of it but there’s little reason to make a change.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
Usability
If you are looking for an easy to wrench on and easy to live with bike. This is not the one you want.
Presumably it’s easier to travel with because you can remove the stem and fold the bar and stem down a bit but I have a hard time believing that will work as advertised. There’s not actually much slack there. Could you really get it positioned the way you need in a case? And you still have to deal with hoses through the bearings plus weird backwards stem bolts.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
There’s downtube storage but it’s not a good system. Although the downtube itself is massive there’s a relatively tiny opening behind the hatch plus there’s a partial blockage below the hatch. I couldn’t get a reasonable jacket in there and the closure system requires an unintuitive extra movement to actually lock. It’ll appear locked but unless you pull it down it won’t be plus you have to remove the bottle to get it open.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
UDH is a positive and I’d call BB386 EVO with a thread together design neutral.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
Conclusion
My all-time favorite gravel bike is the Enve MOG. That bike fits 50mm tires and jumps when you ask it to. It’s such a joy to ride and it’s got tons of capability. The 3T Racemax² Italia is a different flavor of the same concept and I love it nearly as much.
The ride is snappy and fun but the flare on the bars coupled with the length of the drops offers a lot of control. I love the weird aero detailing, the paint, the gorgeous crank, and special nature of the layup. I don’t love the stem but I’d easily overlook it if only the downtube storage was better dialed. On the other hand, If this was my only gravel bike I’d probably figure out how to reconfigure the way I carry everything with clothes in my jersey pockets and flat repair in the bike vs the opposite approach I take now.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
If you are looking for a highly capable adventure gravel bike to take on the roughest terrain, this isn’t it. If you want to fly on one day races such as the Traka, Unbound, and Big Sugar this is a bike that does it with style.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)