THE PERFECT ALL-ROUNDER?
Gerard Vroomen, designer at Italian bike company 3T, has never been a man to conform. His first forays into cycling as one of the founders of Cervélo kickstarted the aero-road bike revolution, while his company Open Cycles also pushes boundaries.
3T’s pioneering status was forged in components: its bars, stems and seatposts were the pros’ choice in the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s. More recently, it’s broadened out into bikes. Vroomen’s partnership led to the radical 1x Strada road (2017) and the original Exploro back in 2016, which is widely regarded as the first aero gravel bike. In short, Vroomen’s an innovator. So does this disruptive DNA express itself in 3T’s RaceMax? Yes, albeit in a subtler form, highlighting the importance of versatility and furthering aero credentials. The RaceMax is available in six builds: three based around 700c wheels (Race) and three built on 650b wheels (Max) and are priced between £4199 and £7099. Here we’re testing the GRX 1x in Race trim with a carbon wheel upgrade at £5599.
“Some thought the first Exploro was crazy, ‘An aero gravel bike?’” Vroomen recalls. “But if you’re riding on a gravel road across a plain slowly with a 50mph headwind then aerodynamics are as important to you as they are to a roadie in a time trial. Riding into 50mph means the resistance working on you is the equivalent of going fast, even if your ground speed is relatively slow.”
