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THM Carbones to join 3T Cycling in mutually beneficial buyout

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3T+THM_merger-buyout

Just this morning 3T Cycling announced that they are in the process of buying out THM Carbones, bringing the boutique carbon maker under the 3T umbrella. The partnership is meant to bolster 3T’s high-end carbon capabilities, and at the same time give more sales and distribution support to THM.

While 3T has been innovating for more than 50 years from the first set of aero bars to modern wheels, their product focus has often been on aerodynamics and all-around rideability. That has meant at times not getting too caught up in weights, but also in making products that riders could afford. THM on the other hand seemed to lean toward a no-holds-barred approach to trimming weight and boosting stiffness where money was almost no object. Together they both have expertise to share, and the partnership has interesting implications…

3T+THM_Thomas-Mertin_THM-founder_and_Rene-Wiertz_3T-CEO

The deal has Italian 3T buying all shares out of the smaller German company this summer, while carrying on both THM and 3T brands. By bringing THM’s engineers on board, 3T will have access to the know-how of their tightly integrated design and production teams based in the northern German THM facility in Alt Duvenstedt. For 3T who designs products in Italy but produces them around the globe in Taiwan, a better understanding of this close design:production relationship has the potential to optimize both ends of the product development process.

THM_Clavicula_SE_all_carbon_ultralight_crankset_raw_finish_2

The deal is expected to give THM added financial stability and sales support to allow them to keep pushing the envelope with ultralight carbon fiber component designs, while 3T will help ensure that the products can more easily and reliably make their way to discerning cyclists worldwide. While devoting more resources to R&D is certainly welcome news for anyone looking to get ahold of a 285g road disc fork or 287g road crankset, we’re maybe more curious about what 3T gets out of the deal.

3T-Discus-C60-Team_carbon-wheelset

The partnership seems to have been mostly sought out by 3T themselves who are bent on improving their current lineup of road and MTB wheels and cockpits, while also rumored to be working on a few new projects. A big part of the buyout will be THM’s technical engineering team getting in on 3T’s development of new product. Our first thought of course would say that could mean lighter weights for 3T components. We’ve had pretty solid experiences with 3T’s recent Discus disc brake road wheels and cockpits for both cyclocross racing and mixed surface riding, but in each case it seemed there was excess weight that could have been trimmed off.

We look forward to seeing what will come of a partnership that will let THM focus even more on their light and stiff designs, and will maybe trickle some weight weenie tech into the more affordable components of 3T’s line up.

3TCycling.comTHM-carbones.com

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Warren
Warren
8 years ago

That’s pretty awesome business move – get some cutting edge experts and make better components. It certainly makes me more inclined to check out future 3T parts.

David R
David R
8 years ago
Reply to  Warren

>> Hopefully they might tinker with a monocoque disc caliper?
^^ This!!!

Pete
Pete
8 years ago

THM’s state of the art designs & build quality is the finest in all of cycling.
I confess I’ve gladly given them most of my disposable income.

Hopefully they might tinker with a monocoque disc caliper?

David
David
8 years ago

” For 3T who designs products in Italy but produces them around the globe in Taiwan” I think that there may be a problem with this sentence…

Greg
Greg
8 years ago

3t is in dire need of competent designers and engineers. They’ve consistently made sub-par components. I think they lucked into their Ergonova bar shape that people seem to love (only to ruin it with internal housing routing last year). Hopefully the days of bar-crimping ARX stems, shearing aerobar pad bolts, cracking seatposts, etc, are almost over.

Nope
8 years ago
Reply to  Greg

Literally never had this happen or never seen this happen to anyone in the shop, and that’s with dozens of parts of my own and dozens of customers with their parts. 3T stuff has been bombproof for many for years.

Burton
Burton
8 years ago

Because “Three Triple T” isn’t enough of a mouthful to utter, hopefully they’ll append the “THM Carbone” to their name, so that people will have to say, “Three Triple T – THM Carbones.”

Mick
Mick
8 years ago
Reply to  Burton

ummmmm… you can drop the triple, it hasn’t been referred to as “Triple T” in quite a while…and has never been known as “Three Triple T”

Andy
Andy
8 years ago

Italians buying German companies… Like the car industry in reverse

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
8 years ago

I was riding with a guy that had these cranks just snap under him. He’d never crashed on them. One of those guys with lots of bikes and these cranks were new so not much chance of fatigue. Well, he had to ride home about 15 miles with about half an inch of crankarm attached to one pedal. It was a pretty clean break. I’m guessing it was a super botched layup job. Not something you expect from such an expensive piece of junk.

Robin
Robin
8 years ago
Reply to  Veganpotter

Maybe it was the rare occasion, but then an n=1 sample set is the best.

Nope
8 years ago
Reply to  Robin

100% failure rate!

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
8 years ago
Reply to  Nope

Ha, close. Like the Concord, one crash destroyed their flight record. The layup was super crappy on this crank. It was too clean of a break

Bengt
Bengt
8 years ago

I for one think they should rename them self to 4T @mike

Wv Cycling
8 years ago

I made a note about bike company mergers on the ENVE / Mavic article, the the lindarets/wolf tooth posts.

I do believe we’ve hit peak bike components, and consolidation will be the best way for many boutique firms to stay afloat.

Still worried about Campy, too.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
8 years ago
Reply to  Wv Cycling

Campy is not boutique. It’s expensive for no reason whatsoever.

Cheese
Cheese
8 years ago

Italian manufacturing versus Taiwanese doesn’t count as a reason, Vegan?

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