3T Ultra 2 Italia Rival/GX Bike

The 3T Ultra 2 Italia Rival/GX Bike brings 3T's Made-in-Italy Fusion Carbon gravel platform to a price point where fully wireless shifting is part of the package. At $6,999, this build pairs the same Italian-manufactured frame as the rest of the Ultra 2 Italia lineup with a SRAM AXS wireless drivetrain — a combination that's harder to find at this price than it should be.

The frame is Fusion Carbon — 3T's hybrid manufacturing method that combines proprietary dry filament winding and Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) with elements of more conventional carbon construction. It's built at 3T's factory in Presezzo, in the Bergamo province of northern Italy, where 3T has been producing carbon frames since 2018. Fusion Carbon was developed to extend 3T's Made-in-Italy production to a wider range of builds, preserving much of the structural character of the brand's higher-end carbon process while improving manufacturing efficiency. The Ultra 2 Italia is the first Ultra-family frame built with Fusion Carbon, and every build in the lineup runs the same platform regardless of component spec.

Geometry places the Ultra 2 Italia at the most relaxed end of 3T's gravel lineup. Stack heights run 560mm in a size Small up to 620mm in XL, sitting 10mm taller than the Extrema Italia across all sizes while sharing the same reach dimensions — a combination that suits long days and changing conditions more than short race laps. Head tube angles run from 69 degrees in Small to 72 in XL, and a consistent 437mm chainstay delivers predictable handling across the size range. The 27.2mm seatpost accepts dropper and suspension posts, and the frame is designed to accommodate a suspension fork if the terrain warrants it. This build runs the rigid 3T Fango Ultra 2 fork, which extends tire clearance to 57mm WAM. An internal downtube storage compartment — accessed via Fidlock closure and lined with a Miss Grape neoprene bag — keeps tools and trail essentials stable and quiet. Multiple mounting points on the frame and fork handle bags, racks, and fenders, and the fork includes internal routing for dynamo cables.

The drivetrain pairs SRAM Rival AXS XPLR components at the front end with a SRAM GX Eagle AXS T-Type Transmission rear derailleur — all wireless. The Rival AXS XPLR E1 crankset, levers, and hydraulic disc brakes handle rider inputs, while the GX Eagle T-Type rear derailleur shifts through SRAM's T-Type interface — a system that uses a dedicated chain and cassette pairing designed for more consistent engagement and reduced chain drop on rough terrain. The SRAM XS-1275 12-speed cassette spans 10-52t, paired with a 40t chainring — enough range to handle steep technical climbing without losing top-end speed on fast gravel. SRAM's AXS wireless system runs on rechargeable batteries, eliminates shift cables from the frame, and maintains its own shifting position without mechanical adjustment.

Wheels are Fulcrum Lite GR, aluminum gravel wheels built for all-day durability on mixed surfaces. The cockpit is 3T's Superghiaia Integrale LTD bar and More 2 stem, which route cables internally for a clean front end. Bar width runs 40cm at the hoods and 47.8cm at the drops in sizes S and M, expanding to 42cm and 49.9cm in L and XL. A Fizik Vento Argo X5 saddle in 140mm is fitted from the factory alongside Continental tires — either the RaceKing/Dubnital combination or Terra Adventure depending on availability — and 3T Prendo Tough bar tape.

Available in four colors — Lavico, Glicine, Avorio, and Bamboo — in sizes Small through XL.