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TPE16: 3T introduces length adjustable stems and Road Plus carbon wheels

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3t taipei 2016 adjsutable length stem gravel plus road wheel reverse aero bar

If you’ve ever wished you could add or subtract length to your stem, 3T looks to have the answer. Their new Apto Pro stem uses an oval steerer tube compartment to allow for the stem to grow in up to 15mm increments. Check out the guts inside as well as the company’s new carbon Road Plus wheel next…

3t taipei 2016 adjsutable length stem gravel plus road wheel reverse aero bar-4

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Using an internal wedge system to attach the stem to the steerer, the Apto is maintains a relatively sleek form for something that builds in a lot of adjustability. using two different top plates, the stem can be run in the stock length (+0), or +5, +10, and +15mm settings. That means just four different stems can be uses to reach from 70-145mm. Available in 70/85, 90/105, 110/125, and 130/145 models, each has a -6º angle and a reverse bolt 31.8mm faceplate with a hidden accessory mount in the logo. Even with all those features the card on display says it comes in at a claimed 77g for the 100mm stem which seems hard to believe. Pricing and availability is still TBD.

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With WTB getting in on the Road Plus tire market, 3T is wasting no time to offer a carbon wheel for the emerging trend. Details on the Discus Plus C25 team were super limited but it’s clear that it is a carbon 27.5″ wheel that looks to be a perfect fit for the horizon 47c tire.

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3T wasn’t able to tell us the inner width of the rim, but going off their naming structure the depth should be 25mm. Inside is a hookless tire bed which appears to be tubeless compatible. Straight pull spokes project out from thru axle compatible, centerlock disc brake hubs. We’re sure to hear more about this wheelset soon.

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Finally, 3T had an interesting take on basebars with their Revo bar. Instead of projecting forward the outer grip arcs backwards which supposedly will provide more control. Other than that tidbit, details were non existent meaning it’s probably coming soon. It was good to see in person, the bar we had introduced the details on a few weeks back

3tcycling.com

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32 Comments
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Derek
Derek
8 years ago

Is that 77g for the 100mm stem correct? That’s ridiculously light if so. For reference, 3T’s lightest stem (the ARX) is 118g for 110mm.

Mick
Mick
8 years ago
Reply to  Derek

My hunch is that 77gr only refers to the stem…the internal hardware, bolts, & face plate probably add another 40-50 gr

Roman
Roman
8 years ago

do not think that is right..if so, wow, probably not, so…..

Velociraptor
Velociraptor
8 years ago

What is Road Plus???

anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago

I’ve seen a similar system, except the handlebar hole is oval, and there’s just a shim you can put either in front or behind.

Mike
Mike
8 years ago

It’s not “Road Plus” … It’s “Groad”

tttuuhy
tttuuhy
8 years ago

those reverse bolt faceplate look impossible to get a torque wrench into

Chris
Chris
8 years ago
Reply to  tttuuhy

I hadn’t really looked at the pic before reading your comment and thought “that’s crap, of course there is”. But yeah, it looks tight. My Ritchey c260 has the reversed bolts at a nice, easy to get at angle. I wonder why they’ve reversed them?

i
i
8 years ago
Reply to  Chris

They reversed them so when the idiot that doesn’t know how to use a torque wrench strips the hole, it’s in the cheaper, easier to replace part rather than trashing the whole stem.

jlg
jlg
8 years ago
Reply to  i

Why someone who doesn’t have the knowledge to properly use a tool would be an idiot ?
Have you been treated that way ?

Alvis
Alvis
8 years ago
Reply to  i

Its all a cheap move for the manufacture, now they just forge four lengths and sell the compromise to the end user as an innovation. 3T source their stuff in Taiwan and Vietnam just like everybody else now. Lets see if that cost saving on tooling gets passed along.

jlg
jlg
8 years ago
Reply to  Alvis

Are you planning to buy the product ?
Which price would be fair for you ?

SuperDave
8 years ago
Reply to  Alvis

Stem forged tooling does not need a mold for every size even without the ability to have adjustment. Exactly how a few hundred dollars for tooling cost is somehow going to move a project into profitability is also a mystery. Wouldn’t there be tooling costs for the wedge that other stems don’t have? What about the injection molding for the 3T logo and the computer mount inserts? “tooling cost savings” is about the last box this new product checks.

krafty369
krafty369
8 years ago

Specialized has an angle adjustable stem, don’t know of any other length adjustable stem.

anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago
Reply to  krafty369

A company called “WAKE” makes an adjustable length stem, except the handlebar hole is elongated and has a shim. There’s also those track stems, like Major Taylor rode.

Matthew
Matthew
8 years ago

Ummmm, I want to see the guts as promised. No guts here.

CRAIG
CRAIG
8 years ago
Reply to  Matthew

I also wanted to see the guts. Maybe they got censored?

Alvis
Alvis
8 years ago
Reply to  Matthew

Me too. I’m intrigued how that (very cheap and nasty looking) top cap works? One for each possible length?

greg
greg
8 years ago

3t keeps making aerobars with super-wide-set extensions.

Ventruck
Ventruck
8 years ago

Pretty sure they forgot a “1” in front of the “77”

wheels
wheels
8 years ago

3T don’t know internal width of their rim!? Who did the construction of these rims then, if they don’t know, it seems it’s a bought concept from the manufacturer (Asia)?
They’ve must have had a caliper at hand?
On several occasions i have asked for stems that could be made to be in +5mm increments.
Like a 10cm stem that could be 9.5mm, 10.0 and 10.5cm. It would help with handlebar reach tuning.
I wonder when they come up with stems that are stiff vertically but offer shock absorption laterally. Not a big hefty weight stem, something under 150g.

Alvis
Alvis
8 years ago
Reply to  wheels

Hookless bead, I hope they paid the IP license or the lawyers will take the proceeds from selling any of these.

F
F
8 years ago

Some Look bikes have the C-stem with variable length and angle.
F

c2andy
c2andy
8 years ago

Length adjustability in 5mm steps by shims is patented since a couple of years – see; http://www.isa-system.ch

Dave
Dave
8 years ago

“Using an internal wedge system to attach the stem to the steerer….”

Don’t the makers of forks with carbon steerers specifically warn against the use of stems with this type of clamping system?

Alvis
Alvis
8 years ago
Reply to  Dave

Yes they do. It’s very hard to get the wedge system to apply evenly distributed loads if it tips at all then very high stresses can be applied at the edge contacting the steerer tube. These high edge loads could easily damage a carbon steerer. Maybe it’s for 3T forks and they mitigate against this problem somehow.

Dakota Norte
Dakota Norte
8 years ago

Someone smack WTB for taking something that’s existed for 10+ years (at least) and pretending to create something new to call it “road plus”. Then buy the engineer who suggested they make such a tire a beer.

And 3T….deserves an award for not only creating this brilliant adjustable stem system that will not only allow consumers to fine tune their rides w/o extra cost, but will allow shops to keep just a small stock of stems fo cater to a variety of people while providing the consumer a beneficial product. Someone is thinking at 3T.

wheels
wheels
8 years ago

Just checked with 3T, the rims internal and external width is not like reported.
Internal is 28mm and external is 34mm

Alvis
Alvis
8 years ago
Reply to  wheels

somebody found the Reynolds catalogue then.

pm
pm
8 years ago

I really like that adjustable stem! Hopefully it’s strong enough for offroad. The 110/125 would be perfect for my cx bike. I switch stems on it a bit between actual CX races and longer rides.

Champs
Champs
8 years ago

I make no comment about the merits of the product, just nomenclature.

Whether or not they’re using the same standard, I thought we agreed that all modern standards use inches for mountain wheels and millimeters for road. It may not be criminal to use them alternately once in a while, but mixing units like above (27.5″ x 47C) is crossing the streams.

And maybe I’m wrong, but I’ve always understood letters in tire width specs as shorthand for wheel size. The pro peloton rides 23-25Cs, French rando types maybe 37-42B.

SuperDave
8 years ago

Thanks for your comments. The stem weights are 156g for the Team version with the top cap and fixing bolts. A typical top cap is ~20g so you’re looking at an effective ~135g stem. The PRO version is another 15g. The stem also features a variety of inserts on the faceplate that allow an integrated Garmin or Cateye mount. The wheels are an all new concept for 650B road wheels. The aluminum Discus Plus 25 PRO wheels get a 24mm internal 30mm external width and come in at a superlight ~1640g weight. The carbon 650B Discus Plus 25 Team wheels have a 28mm inner width. The wheels have the option of 11 speed Shimano/SRAM road freehub as well as Campy and XD driver options. Apologies for Zach for missing the opportunity to explain some of the details and for not having all the features and dimensions displayed so they’d be reported in the initial article. Let me know if there are further questions.

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