GRAVEL
ROAD
The Racemax has never set out to be an adventure gravel bike. At 3T, it remains a bike built to go fast, with one foot on the road and the other on the dirt. The new 3T Racemax+ WPNT doesn’t change that brief – it broadens it.
The Italian brand frames this version as an evolution of the Racemax launched in 2020: more tyre clearance, six sizes, tweaked geometry and a lower price than the ITALIA and ITALIA X lines. The frame isn’t made in Italy, but it is painted and assembled at 3T’s Presezzo facility near Bergamo.
🚀 In brief:
New fast 3T gravel bike, derived from the Racemax launched in 2020
Clearance up to 51 mm WAM in 1x, 48 mm in 2x
Six sizes available, from XS to XXL
The most tangible change is tyre clearance. The Racemax+ WPNT is optimised around tyres that actually measure 38 to 48 mm WAM. WAM, for Width As Measured, refers to the real width of the tyre once mounted, a figure often more useful than the stated size on the sidewall.
With a 1x drivetrain, the frame and fork accept up to 51 mm WAM, with a maximum RAM quoted at 363 mm. With a double chainring, the limit drops to 48 mm WAM. It’s an important step for a bike that stays positioned as fast gravel, because the market has clearly shifted towards more generous sections, even on race machines.
This puts the Racemax+ in an interesting spot: more accommodating than the earlier 3T Racemax focused on fast 700c, but less extreme than a bike built for very large volumes like the 3T Extrema Italia.
3T isn’t pitching the Racemax+ WPNT as a clean break. The brand talks about a structural, aesthetic and technical evolution of the original platform. The bike keeps its performance DNA, with a few telling adjustments.
Stack and reach increase by 3 mm compared with the previous Racemax WPNT, except in size XS. Chainstays grow to 425 mm – still short in absolute terms, but likely to help keep things stable at high speed. 3T also quotes increased fork offset and a steeper head angle to preserve a direct response.
Another useful change: the range now runs to six sizes, from XS to XXL. It’s less eye-catching than a new tube profile, but probably more important for many riders.
On a fast gravel bike, position matters a lot. Too long, too low, too compact – the bike can quickly lose its appeal, especially on fast rides where you spend plenty of time on the bars. With this broader size range, 3T aims to make the Racemax+ easier to fit to different body shapes.
The brand talks about a better balance between a sporty position, stability and easier handling. It’s a cautious promise, but consistent with the bike’s positioning: a gravel bike for riding hard, entering your first races or targeting more structured events.
The Racemax+ WPNT sits below the ITALIA and ITALIA X models in the 3T hierarchy. The frame is manufactured in Asia from prepreg carbon fibre, then painted and assembled in Italy.
This matters because it helps explain the price. 3T claims around 1 000 € saved compared with the previous Racemax WPNT on an equivalent build. The brand keeps part of its Italian story – paint, assembly, product culture – without charging the price of frames made in Italy.
It also makes the Racemax+ WPNT a little easier to place within the range. The Racemax² ITALIA represents the more radical, higher-end evolution of the platform. The Racemax+ WPNT stays closer to the original model, with modernised technical choices and a lower entry price.
The frame uses 3T Semi-Integrale integration, with routing for up to three cables. It’s compatible with 1x mechanical, 1x electronic and 2x electronic drivetrains. The UDH standard is also present, which is becoming almost essential on a modern performance-oriented gravel bike.
The full range starts with a frameset listed at 3 200 €. The Shimano GRX 1×12 build with a Fulcrum Lite GR wheelset is offered at 3 700 €. Two SRAM Rival XPLR AXS 1×13 versions are also planned: one with a Fulcrum Lite GR wheelset at 4 600 €, the other with a 3T Discus 40|30 carbon wheelset at 5 300 €.
The Racemax+ WPNT is offered in Foresta Green, Vela Beige and Quarzo Grey. Three understated colours, very much in the WPNT spirit, with paintwork done in-house in Italy.
Visually, the bike stays faithful to 3T’s design cues: profiled tubes, a compact rear triangle, tidy integration, a chunky fork and careful shaping around tyre/frame clearances. The brand continues to defend a very aero take on gravel.
The 3T Racemax+ WPNT doesn’t try to tick every box of modern gravel. It isn’t presented as a bikepacking bike, nor as an ultra-comfortable machine for rough terrain. Its sweet spot remains fast gravel, sustained rides, sporty all-road and races where efficiency counts as much as the ability to absorb imperfect tracks.
The standout evolution is tyre clearance. Being able to fit up to 51 mm in 1x gives more leeway to adapt the bike to today’s courses, often rougher than the very smooth image of gravel racing. The lower price than the Italian-made ranges also makes the package more accessible, even if the entry point remains high-end overall.
🔔 We have just received this bike for testing, stay tuned!
| Riding style | Gravel race |
|---|---|
| Frame | Carbon |
| Electric assist | No |
| Gender | Unisex |
| Year | 2027 |
| Model | 3T Racemax+ WPNT AXS, 3T Racemax+ WPNT AXS Carbon, 3T Racemax+ WPNT GRX |
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