Although the stage win eluded him, Julian Alaphilippe was back somewhere near his best on the Strade Bianche inspired stage 6 of the 2024 Giro d'Italia. The Frenchman narrowly missed out on victory to Pelayo Sanchez in the sprint for the line.Getting a roadside view of the former world champion's v...

Whether or not bikepacking bags are truly "waterproof" is a contentious topic, especially with bag makers claiming their bags are waterproof when they're clearly not. The Ortlieb Toptube Frame-Pack is a half-frame bag with welded seams and a unique waterproof zipper that may well be the only truly waterproof bag with a zipper. Find Neils Ortlieb Toptube Frame-Pack review hereThe post Ortlieb Toptube Frame-Pack Review: Waterproof with a Zip appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

3T rounds out their made-in-Italy bike line-up with an all-new Strada Italia road bike that refines aero performance for, once again, wider tires. The Strada has always been a unique aero road race bike, embracing wider-than-normal tires. And now it can fit up to 35mm slicks. Because ultimately, that wider rubber offers lower rolling resistance, better grip, improved control, and even extra comfort. 3T only had to figure out how to reshape the bike to make it more aerodynamic, too.3T Strada Italia wide tire aero carbon road bike, made-in-Italy(Photos/Cory Benson)This is pretty much everything that made the Strada special, just with even bigger tires and better aerodynamics. Now, on top of that, it hits a new level of lightweight performance and responsive ride, thanks to its unique robo-fiber-wound, resin-transfer-molded carbon construction, fabricated entirely in 3Ts HQ in northern Italy.The 3T Strada has been pushing the road bike envelope since its wide-tire 1x-only debut all-the-way back in 2017. It snuck 1x drivetrains into the pro peloton already that year. And we tested and dug that 1x setup. But the world wasnt quite ready. So 3T added a 2x option by 2018. In fact, the cycling world still isnt quite ready at the top of road riding & racing. So this latest high-end road bike can be run as a 1x or 2x, too. Some new tech that the cycling industry has embraced though is fully hidden integrated cable routing, which the Strada Integrale added a little over one year ago. Now all of that evolves one step further with this latest made-in-Italy Strada Italia edition.Whats new?The least obvious but most important upgrade for the new 3T Strada Italia road bike is 35mm WAM (real Width As Measured) tire clearance. Designed for any tire in the real 30-35mm width range. Thats the heart of the faster rolling, improved grip, and extra comfort claims that 3T makes for their new road bike. Just to be clear, 3R specs this bike with 700x32c Conti GP5000S tires, which measure out to around 34mm on their own Discus wheels. These days its harder to be sure exactly how wide a tire will sit on various wide rims, so its nice that 3T speaks clearly about their WAM tire clearance.Now to make sure that wider tire doesnt just slow you down with more wind resistance, 3T completely redeveloped the aero character of this new Strada Italia.The bike was aero-optimized in CFD, first in 2D tubing profiles, then in 3D to make all these airflow improvements over the Strada Integrale which is made-in Asia. 3T doesnt really dwell on the numbers (we asked), but they do assure that the new bike is faster that the old version, even with the wider frontal area of these fat tires. 3T explained that 0 Yaw drag reduction was a first focus. Improved Aerodynamic Frontal ReshapingThe frame sticks with the same 46mm across narrow headtube as before, just slightly bulged out at the top and bottom to fit their unique MiniMax bearings that allow for the full 1.5 to 1.125 tapered carbon steerer in the space that regular bearings for a 1.25 tapered setup would fit. Those bearings measure just 42 & 47mm outside, with the carbon frame bulged only to 48 & 53mm to fit them. (Studio photos/3T)The fork crown and legs are a shade wider to fit the bigger tire up front. But the big change for wind hitting the front of the bike, is the now massively wide and pointed lower downtube section. Measuring a whopping 73mm across, its as big as on 3Ts latest Italia edition gravel bikes. A bit of that seems to be the result of the wide tires here not being all that different than fast gravel tires. Yet the real reason is to make the frame wider than your water bottle. Every road cyclist rides with a water bottle, so 3T designed their new downtubes to completely shield your regular bottle. It effectively creates an airfoil shape with the frame being the leading edge and the bottle being the trailing edge. 3T says this alone dramatically reduced drag on the bike with a bottle in the cage (vs. the previous Strada that widened to about 2/3 of the bottle width), completely making up for the wider tire frontal area. Deeper Aero Shapes in ProfileFurther back on the bike, the bent seattube now grows to 29mm wide to smooth air onto the rear wheel. And the seatstays and their dropped top all get smoother aero shaping. But its that massive downtube that will apparently make the new 3T Strada Italia faster into the wind.From the side, the overall silhouette of the new 3T Strada Italia looks quite familiar. But most tubes are deeper, now that the UCI threw the 3:1 rule out the window. My test bikes headtube is now 130mm deep. The seattube is 56mm deep. And the new proprietary truncated aero seatpost is 50mm deep. Even the newly teardrop seatstays are 25mm deep. Only the curved lower seattube isnt deeper, because it effectively gets its depth combined with the tire and rim.First Rides: Stiffer, More Reactive FrameWhile fat tire and aerodynamic benefits are great. Its important not to ignore the benefits of 3Ts made-in-Italy filament-wound resin transfer molding carbon construction that give the new bike its Strada Italia name. This semi-automated manufacturing process uses programmed robots to wind continuous dry carbon fibers (not conventional cut pieces of pre-preg) around mandrels that are then combined and placed into molds by hand. The result is more accurate fiber placement, longer continuous fibers, and only the exact amount of resin is injected into the mold at the last step. You get lighter and stiffer frames, that ultimately have a ride character that feels like it better damps vibrations. Its a hard characteristic to quantify. But every 3T Italia frame that I have ridden (RaceMax, Extrema, and now Strada), feels tangibly stiffer and somehow more responsive than their conventionally made versions. Yet at the end of the ride, I dont feel like that extra stiffness resulted in a harsher ride. 3T describes the Italia bikes ride as more reactive. The discussion of reactivity andstiffness-to-compliance is vague. But theres an improvement here in ride quality that you can really feel.On paper, 3T says the differences in stiffness and comfort are small. Both the regular Strada Integral made in Asia and this Strada Italia made in Italy are designed for the same performance characteristics. This one is apparently incrementally stiffer, but its not officially more comfortable as a frame. But with bigger tires at lower pressures, theres a lot more comfort gained.And Lighter, tooWeight loss is tangible though. This new 3T Strada Italia officially claims a 950g frame weight (54cm unpainted) and 350g fork (also unpainted). Thats 55g lighter than they say for the same sizeStradaDue Integrale. Its reasonably light for an aero bike, but not that light compared to many of the latest performance road bikes. Complete bike weight isnt ultralight either, but you have to remember how wide these wheels & tires really are. My complete 54cm 3T Strada Italia Project X with Force 2x weighs 7.9kg. Or a full 8.21kg ready to ride with 280g pedals, a single bottle cage, and tires set up tubeless. Its no superlight, but sure feels fast out on the road.Updated GeometryThe new Strada Italia also features slightly updated geometry, and only 4 sizes 51-58cm (for now.) But handling doesnt really change with the same proven head & seat tube angles. Its mostly about slightly lowering the BB height to offset the larger diameter tires. Then, adjusting headtube lengths, overall Stack heights, and slightly longer Reach to give more consistent sizing steps and aggressive positions on the bike that are achievable by most riders.Of note (and importance to me who worries about these things), theres not a ton of saddle height adjustability within that short straight section of seattube. But each bike comes with a size-specific seatpost length to hit ideal seating heights that 3T communicated clearly. And 3T dealer shops will cut your proprietary seatpost to the correct length, then you still have around 2-3cm of adjustment. And ultimately there are longer posts available if you need a less conventional fit. Tech detailsFully-internal cable routing via proprietary 3T MiniMax Integrale bearings and the D-shaped steererElectronic shifting only1x (min 36T, max 62T) or 2x (min 45/29, max 54/40 or more with XL hanger) compatibility BB386EVO press-fit bottom bracket shell with threaded-together Token Ninja BB160mm flat mount disc brakesSyntace X-12 12mm thru-axlesUDH universal derailleur hangerproprietary Strada Italia seatpost with Ritchey 1-bolt head for all rails2024 3T Strada Italia Pricing, options & availabilityThe newly made-in-Italy 3T Strada Italia wide tire aero road bike comes in several complete bike builds, and frameset options. Framesets in Verde green, Bianco white, or Rosso red paint showing off the carbon weave in the 3T logo start at $660 / 6000 including the seatpost, 3T More Integrale Stem & 3T Aeroflux LTD handlebar. Ready to Paint framesets without a topcoat sell for $7000 / 6300, and the shiny raw carbon Project X finished framesets sell for $7200 / 6500.2024 3T Strada Italia Rival AXS (Photo/3T)Complete bikes start at $8700 / 7900 in standard colors with a Rival AXS 212 build and Zipp 303S wheels. 2024 3T Strada Italia Ultegra Di2 (Photo/3T)Or $10,200 / 9200 in standard colors with Ultegra Di2 212 and 3T Discus 45I32 LTD wheels. 2024 3T Strada Italia Force AXS (Photo/3T)Then, $10,600 / 9200 for Force AXS 212 and the 3T Discus 45I32 LTD wheels. The top-tier 3T Strada Italia Project X frame built up with Force AXS 212 and Discus 45I32 LTD wheels like I am testing sells for $11,600 / 10,500.Get yours today. Ill be riding this one more throughout spring and into summer to see how it handles road and all-road riding.For those who realize those prices are super high The previous, Asian-made Strada 2x Integrale will carry over for more affordable complete road bike builds too.3T.bikeThe post Next-Gen 3T Strada Italia Road Bike is Made-in-Italy for Wider Tires, Comfort & Extra Speed appeared first on Bikerumor.

CyclistThe 3T Strada Italia is an aero bike built for tyres up to 35mmOften known for its gravel bikes, 3T has followed in the tracks of its Racemax Italia and the Extrema Italia which cater to fast gravel racing and adventure gravel respectively with the Strada Italia, an aerodynamic road bike with expanded tyre clearance.Its aerofoil tubes and deep headset nod to aerodynamic optimisation but with the design shaped around builds of up to 35mm tyres (Width As Measured), comfort is also a priority. 3T claims this is a bike for real-world conditions and the design of the Strada Italia is predicated on the improved safety, speed and efficiency of running wider tyres.On the Strada, 3T has continued to use an aggressive rear wheel cutout as with the original model, alongside a wide variety of tube depths, shapes and curvatures as well as a very chunky bottom bracket junction. 3T claims these design features combine to produce a bike that is easy for riders to hold a comfortable aerodynamic position on.Weight isnt a primary concern for the Strada Italia but the unpainted frameset and forks still weigh in at a respectable 1.3kg (size 54).3T sells both complete builds and individual framesets, with framesets available for 5,487 including proprietary fork, stem and bars. A ready-to-ride build with SRAM Rival AXS and Zipp 303S wheels is 7,226. The more expensive builds with improved components come with a power meter included. Related Posts Which bikes can you ride at Cyclist Track Days 2024 in Bath and Leeds? 3T Strada review Are wider road bike tyres faster? 3T to bring its carbon frame building in-house Coming homeIn 2021, 3T brought its manufacturing back to Bergamo, Italy, to maintain control over every stage of the carbon manufacturing process. All three bikes mentioned are now made here using filament winding and Resin-Transfer-Moulding. The former is a process that involves using a turning core around which carbon fibres are wound. 3T claims this helps them to angle every thread of carbon with more precision.New carbon layup3T says the improved carbon layup has added various benefits to the performance of the Strada Italia, including improved reactivity, handling and comfort.Changes to the balance of stiffness and compliance at the head tube have been important for handling, while the carbon layup in the lower seat tube area has been modified to help with compliance. Short chainstays add to the racy feel of the bike.Comfy aerodynamicsWorking on the premise that aerodynamic bikes are only thus if riders can hold an aerodynamic position, 3T is keen to provide a good fit by offering some flexibility in reach and stack with its Integrale technology. The two-piece Aeroflux carbon bars and the carbon MORE stem conceal all cabling internally and allow for precise adjustments to sizing both pre and post sale.The main aerodynamic optimisation occurs at the Strada Italias head tube and down tube, stretching the new UCI regulations as far as possible.The head tube is very deep and thin while the down tube bulks out closer to the bottom bracket in order to shield the bidons. The rear wheel cutout remains very pronounced with the rider sitting in line with the chainstays halfway point.WheelsetsContributing to this balance between comfort and aerodynamics are the different wheelsets offered by 3T on the Strada Italia. Customers have a choice (in price-ascending order) between Zipp 303S (hookless and 23mm internal width), 3Ts own deeper Discus 45|32 LTD, (25mm internal width), or the gently sawtoothed Zipp 353S NSW (hookless and 25mm internal width).Depending on the spec choice, these wheels will be rolling on either Continental GP 5000 S TR 32mm or Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR 30mm.If you use tyres smaller than 28mm, 3T recommends checking that you have enough clearance between pedal and ground.Sizes and coloursThe Strada Italia comes, true to its name, in the tricolour options of green, white and red. Alternatively, you can stump up for 3Ts premium Project X finish, which is largely black and gold but leaves the carbon weave exposed to catch and reflect sun rays accordingly. Failing that, you have the option of a ready to paint version that lets you do the job yourself.Size-wise, its available in just four options: 51/54/56/58.ComponentsThere is some room for customisation when building up the Strada Italia. As mentioned, the two-piece bar and stem can be flexed, with the Areoflux Integrale LTD bar coming in 40/42/44cm widths, while the More Integrale stem is available in 90/100/110/120mm sizes. The bar is wrapped in 3Ts own Prendo Speed bar tape.Choice of crank lengths is the same whether option for SRAM or Ultegra variants: 170/172.5/175mm, while the cassette ranges of 11-34t (Shimano) and 10-33t (SRAM) combine with chainrings of 50/34t (Shimano) and 48/35t (SRAM).The deep aero seatpost comes with a Ritchey clamp and is topped off by the San Marco Shortfit, the Shortfit Superleggera or the Shortfit 2.0 3D Carbon FX saddle. The latter is the most premium option and retails on its own for 364.99. It offers differentiated cushioning and is 3D printed in the usual, black webbed effect.Electronic onlyUnfortunately for fans of the old ways, the 3T Strada Italia will only cater for electronic gearing. In addition, groupsets from SRAM and Shimano are offered on the website but Campagnolo isnt. It uses the increasingly popular Universal Derailleur Hanger system and the front derailleur hanger is removable, meaning it is possible to run a 1x system with a minimum 36t and maximum 62t chainring. Unless you opt for the cheapest SRAM Rival build, a power meter will come as standard on the Ultegra, Force and Red builds. Related Posts Which bikes can you ride at Cyclist Track Days 2024 in Bath and Leeds? 3T Strada review Are wider road bike tyres faster? 3T to bring its carbon frame building in-house The post The 3T Strada Italia is an aero bike built for tyres up to 35mm appeared first on Cyclist.

Stage 6 saw the GC contenders take it easy on tough roads. A lot would've been thinking of the stage 7 time-trial. We preview the 40-kilometer long stage that features a difficult climb.The seventh day of racing presents the first and longest time-trial of the race. 40 kilometers between the cities...

CyclistItzulia Women 2024: Route, how to watch, start list and everything you need to knowThe three-stage Itzulia Women will take place from Friday 10th May to Sunday 12th May 2024 around the Basque Country for the third edition of the race.Demi Vollering won the first Itzulia Women in 2022, winning all three stages in the process. Her SD Worx team won again in 2023 with Marlen Reusser winning the general classification and Vollering placing second. Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) was third overall.Vollering broke away for victory on Stage 1 and followed that up with a sprint victory on Stage 2. However it was Reussers impressive exploits on the final day, a breakaway win on Stage 3 by over two and a half minutes ahead of Vollering, that propelled her to the top step of the podium. Vollering, Reusser and Niewiadoma will all return for the 2024 edition. Related Posts Pro Log: Tro-Bro Lon, La Vuelta Femenina and the Giro dItalia The best photos from La Vuelta Femenina 2024: The empire strikes back Kasia Niewiadoma is cyclings latest example for why you should never give up Opinion: Coverage of the Stage 4 Itzulia Basque Country crash is inexcusable Itzulia Women 2024: Key informationDario Belingheri Getty ImagesDate: 10th May-12th May 2024Start: Vitoria-GasteizFinish: DonostiaDistance: 356km2023 winner: Marlen Reusser (SD Worx-Protime)Live TV coverage: Discovery+Itzulia Women 2024: Route and stage profilesStage 1: Vitoria-Gasteiz Elgoibar, 139.2kmItzulia WomenItzulia Women begins on 10th May in Vitoria-Gasteiz with the longest day of the race. The first climb, the Category 3 Olaeta, arrives 40km into the day. Theres a long descent before the next climb of Azkarate (4.2km, 7%), which comes immediately after the first intermediate sprint point. The descent off the final climb goes straight into the second sprint point, which is less than 20km until the finish in Elgoibar.Stage 2: Basauri Basauri, 104kmItzulia WomenStage 2 is a shorter affair at 102.2km with three climbs preceding the two weirdly-close sprint points. Stage 3: Donostia Donostia, 114.9kmItzulia WomenThe final stage of Itzulia Women is the 114.6km ride around Donostia, with the peloton facing a couple of climbing tests along the way including the Jaizkibel, which was the final climb on Stage 2 of the mens Tour de France last year. Itzulia Women 2024: How to watchDario Belingheri/Getty ImagesItzulia Women 2024 will be available to watch in the UK onDiscovery+for 6.99 per month with the basic package, which includes cycling.Eurosport will not be showing Itzulia Women but the race will be shown live on Amazon should you have a Discovery+ subscription.If its not being shown in your country, you may be able to watch coverage using a VPN Virtual Private Network which allows users to mask their IP address and watch geo-blocked content, provided they dont need to pay for a subscription. This is also helpful for watching paid-for coverage while abroad in countries without access. One such example isExpressVPN, which is verywell reviewed, helps users to find a way to watch cycling without having to pay for broadcasters services, and costs from 5.36 per month, with three months free.Other options includeNordVPN,SurfsharkandKapersky.Live TV and streaming timesAll times BST and subject to change by broadcastersStage 1: 11:3013:00Stage 2: 11:3013:00Stage 3: 11:3013:00Itzulia Women 2024: Start listData powered by FirstCycling.com Related Posts Pro Log: Tro-Bro Lon, La Vuelta Femenina and the Giro dItalia The best photos from La Vuelta Femenina 2024: The empire strikes back Kasia Niewiadoma is cyclings latest example for why you should never give up Opinion: Coverage of the Stage 4 Itzulia Basque Country crash is inexcusable The post Itzulia Women 2024: Route, how to watch, start list and everything you need to know appeared first on Cyclist.

From the 10th to the 12th of May we quickly reach another Spanish race from within the Women's World Tour. In the Basque Country more specifically, the peloton takes on the hilly Itzulia Women. We preview the stage ahead.The first stage of the race is a tricky one... A breakaway could succeed as no...

From the 10th to the 12th of May we quickly reach another Spanish race from within the Women's World Tour. In the Basque Country more specifically, the peloton takes on the hilly Itzulia Women. We preview the race ahead.The first stage of the race is a tricky one... A breakaway could succeed as not...

Stage 7 of the Giro d'Italia is an important day for the overall classification. The riders take on a hilly 40-kilometer time-trial where big differences can be created. Here are the start times and order for the day.The first rider off the start ramp will be Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL's Julius van...

The Frameworks downhill mountain bike race team has the same David versus Big Bike Brand Goliath vibe as the brand. Pro racer Neko Mulally pulls double duty as a downhill pilot and head of the brand, which offers only one hand-welded frame, simply dubbed the DH Frame. Unfortunately, the Frameworks Racing Team van and all its contents were stolen in Milton Keynes, UK, after the Fort William round of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Downhill World Cup. Ironically, Asa Vermette earned a third in the mens junior event. The three-member downhill racing team asked for help yesterday on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neko Mulally (@nekomulally)The bikes are easily recognizable, as the unpainted aluminum tubes welded to CNC aluminum lugs (made by Frank the Welder of old Yeti Cycles fame in Vermont). This front end is mated to a carbon fiber rear triangle linked to a huge CNC aluminum rocker arm. These bikes should stick out in a sea of mass-produced carbon frames. The team recovered the van and some items that had been abandoned by thieves, which were tracked by an Apple AirTag. However, the items below are still missing, including the race bikes.3 Frameworks DH race bikes1 Specialized S-Works Levo bike2 Specialized S-Works Levo frames1 Specialized S-Works Kenevo complete bike2 pro toolboxesCustom helmets and gearThe next UCI Downhill World Cup round is May 17-19 in Poland. Lets help this underdog team get back to battling the industry giants! If you have any information, please get in touch with the Frameworks Racing Team at info@rideframeworks.com or the local police department. This story originally appeared on GearJunkie.The post Neko Mulallys Frameworks Race Team Van Stolen After Ft. William World Cup appeared first on Bikerumor.