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3t Exploro aero gravel bike goes flat mount with new frame & Fango LTD fork

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A while back, 3T introduced a new flat mount road bike fork called the Fundi. While the fork was definitely meant for road bike usage and not gravel bikes, it did hint that flat mount changes were on the way for other 3T products as well. Products like the new 3T Exploro Flat Mount. Along with the new frame, the bike gets a new Fango LTD fork to complete the transformation.

3t Exploro aero gravel bike goes flat mount with new frame & Fango LTD fork

Other than the change in brake standard and the new fork, little has changed for the Exploro other than a new, more user friendly seatpost wedge collar. It’s still a very unique bird with a gravel frame that’s meant to accept both 650b and 700c wheels and tires – all in an aerodynamically tuned package. The result seems to work pretty well as the new Exlporo Flat Mount just notched its first victory under Mat Stephens at the Land Run 100 (Mat also won the DK200 on the post mount Exploro). 3T actually points out that to them, flatmount is hardly big news and that they were perfectly happy with the standard but when Shimano pushes a new standard, it’s hard to not follow along.

3t Exploro aero gravel bike goes flat mount with new frame & Fango LTD fork

Italian for mud, the new Fango fork offers a complete redesign with more aerodynamic Sqaero fork legs, internal cable routing, flat mount brake tabs for 140 or 160mm rotors, and dedicated 12mm thru axle dropouts with a Syntace X-12 axle. They also mention that there will be full fender options coming in fall 2018, making us think it will be a custom fender set for the frame and fork.

3t Exploro aero gravel bike goes flat mount with new frame & Fango LTD fork

The Exploro still offers clearance for 700 x 40mm road tires or 650b x 54mm tires for multiple build options based on your preference or needs. Interestingly, 3T lists the Flat Mount frame as 40g heavier than the post mount version at 990g for a medium vs. 950g. However, the new Fango fork is 400g compared to 425g for the Luteus II, meaning there’s only a 15g difference between the two.

3t Exploro aero gravel bike goes flat mount with new frame & Fango LTD fork 3t Exploro aero gravel bike goes flat mount with new frame & Fango LTD fork

The geometry of the bike stays the same with just four sizes offered. Both the Exploro Flat Mount and Exploro will be offered with the Flat Mount versions priced at $200 more per frameset – $3,200 for the Exploro Flat Mount Team, or $4,400 for the Exploro Flat Mount LTD. That makes the complete Exlporo Team post mount Rival build at $3,990 seem like a bargain.

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Tom
Tom
6 years ago

yup, I’m all about the aero. Right after I mount up 45mm knobby tires.

D-con
D-con
6 years ago

There’s a lot of cool thinking in this frame but the price puts it up against some seriously nice boutique options. I’d be all over one for $2k or $2.5k Ltd, but reason takes over above that.

3t is just too far from the market on this one.

El Pablo
El Pablo
6 years ago
Reply to  D-con

The funny thing is, the market doesn’t seem to care. I see more & more of these going out the door from shops across the country. I agree the price is high, but the fun thing with bikes is that there is always a customer for something new & different, and generally the first few generations will also mean expensive.

myke2241
6 years ago
Reply to  El Pablo

Just wondering what other options you guys are referring to?

D-con
D-con
6 years ago
Reply to  myke2241

At $4400 they’re at 90% of the cost of a custom Firefly. A 22 drifter made by the Serrotta guys starts at $3700 for a frameset, $6700 complete. To say nothing of every other carbon gravel frameset on the market.

There’s a lot of competition at that money.

myke2241
6 years ago
Reply to  D-con

well i am not seeing the argument here. The entry price is $3200 for the standard frame. complete bikes starting at $3900. i honestly don’t get the point of comparing Firefly drifter since it doesn’t come close to having the same clearance. i was thinking you guys would say something like the Trail Donkey or Kelsons DNA frame which can be a custom layup (Also American made). Those buying a Firefly are a different set of buyers

mud+rock
mud+rock
6 years ago

So, what do you get for the Flat Mount LTD? Is that a complete build? And, since this bike can take two wheel sizes, I think they should have stuck with a 15mm TA in front, to make it compatible with MTB wheels.

Dolan Halbrook
Dolan Halbrook
6 years ago
Reply to  mud+rock

You can shim a 15mm hub to a 12mm fork, but not the other way around.

Pete
Pete
6 years ago

And aside from the flat mount and less than an ounce, what’s the real-world difference between the Fango and the Luteus fork?

Teal is Real
Teal is Real
6 years ago

That whole thing is one fuugly fango to my eye.

myke2241
6 years ago
Reply to  Teal is Real

Some people like all that junk in the trunk!

Moby
Moby
6 years ago

I could not be happier with my LTD for gravel racing. Fast, fast, fast. Run it with Compass Barlow Pass 38mm gravel slicks and Enve M50/DT180 wheels and over the same stretch it is darn near as fast as my Storck Aernario Disc with Enve 5.6 wheels and 25mm Conti GP 4000 S II tires. A little drop off with Schwalbe G-Ones but that is mostly rolling resistance of the file tread versus the slicks. Unscientific of course but based on speed and watts over sections of bike path that I ride consistently with both bikes.

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