3T just gave their most affordable gravel bike a major update boosting their Racemax+ WPNTs tire clearance by a whopping 21%, while also cutting pricing to pre-Covid levels. Yes, six years later, the Sqaero aero gravel pioneer is better than ever, and more affordable. Plus, while it went fully integrated two years back, this bigger-clearance Racemax+ is actually still compatible with mechanical drivetrains, making complete bike builds literally more affordable than ever!2027 3T Racemax+ WPNT gets bigger tires at better prices(All photos/3T)The Asian-made 3T Exploro RaceMax effectively remained unchanged since it was introduced back in 2020. At the time, 3T designed the bike for optimal aerodynamics, depending on your preferred wheelsize. Pick narrower 700c gravel tires up to 42mm for speed, or wide 650b setups up to 2.25 (61mm) for an adventure-ready setup. I tested the bike in pandemicky summer of 2020, and came away loving the faster, more capable update. And that statement still stands.Sure, 3T since reshaped their top gravel bike platform last year when they introduced the made-in-Italy RaceMax Italia version, giving that bike a new aero nose job and max 51mm tire clearance. But it was also decidedly upmarket, with framesets selling for $6500/5900 and complete bikes starting at an already eye-watering$11k/9740. Thats great and all, but far out of the reach of most gravelers. Now, 3T have gone back to refresh the original Racemax with longer geometry, bigger tire clearance, and a frameset price three thousand euros lower than the top-tier raw RaceMax Italia X!Whats new? 700c x 51mm tire clearance!The + means they added more tire clearance. Chainstay length is 10mm longer, and the fork axle-to-crown 12mm longer to fit in bigger tires. (Plus, it gets a bit more fork offset, 0.8 steeper headtubes to keep handing sharp, as well as 3mm higher Stack & 3mm longer Reach on all but XS sizes.)Now its officially 51mm WAM (real tire width, as measured) up to 363mm RAM (outer tire radius, as measured) on a 1x drivetrain setup with a minimum of 5mm clearance all around. For a 2x setup, thats down to a max 48mm WAM tire, for clearance behind a front derailleur cage. Thats a big step up from the previous generation of the Racemax WPNT, which topped out at just 42mm max WAM 700c tire clearance.And its the same official max clearance as the latest, made-in-Italy Racemax Italia.Wait, whats WPNT again?Thats the 3T abbreviated name for their We Paint program. That means the frame is made in Asia (3T mix production between China & Taiwan depending on the model) where it gets a primer coat only. Then, they get shipped to Italy and are painted in-house, giving 3T the option to run small-batch color offerings, or simply painting frames to best match real consumer demand.Tech detailsprepreg carbon RaceMax+ frameset, made in AsiaWPNT means it then gets painted (and assembled) in Italy, just outside of Milano51mm max tire clearance, as measuredaerodynamically optimized for 38-48 mm WAM tires36mm minimum WAM x 350mm RAM tirefully integrated, internal cable routing through the headset1x electronic or mechanical, AND 2x (semi)wireless electronic compatible (max 3 internal lines)UDH rear derailleur and removable braze-on front derailleur tabBB386EVO pressfit bottom bracket12mm Syntace X-12 thru-axles and FM160 flat mount disc brakesincludes proprietary aero seatpost, with Ritchey 1-bolt clamp headinternal wedge-style seatpost clampwider 6 size range (XS-XXL)1050g frame and 430g fork weight claims (size M, presumably unpainted)Updated 3T Racemax+ WPNT gravel bike Pricing, options & availabilityThis is where it really gets interesting. The new 2027 3T Racemax+ WPNT sells for just 3200 for a frameset! Thats the same as the original Racemax debuted at back in 2020, or 4800 for todays Racemax Italia, or even 6200 for the top-tier Racemax Italia X that shows off the raw made-in-Italy carbon weave.Complete bike builds also start at just 3700 with a mechanical Shimano GRX 112 groupset and alloy wheels. Thats down from 4200 complete back in 2020 with a similar mechanical setup. And the cheapest complete Racemax Italia today starts at 6900.Needless to say, the new 3T Racemax+ WPNT is a relative bargain.There are currently three WPNT colors on offer Vela beige, Quarzo grey (brown?), and Foresta green. And in a wider size range than the made-in-Italy bikes, adding once more even since the previous Racemax WPNT.Plus, there are also two more complete builds to choose from a $4800 / 4600 wireless Rival AXS Xplr 13sp with alloy Fulcrum wheels, and a $5600 / 5300 version of the same groupset but 3Ts own Discus 40|30 carbon wheels. Those also equate to almost 1000 lower prices than similar electronic builds on the previous integrated Racemax WPNT earlier this year.Pick whichever one you want, direct from 3T now.3T.bike