3T Ultra 2 Italia Rival/GX Bike w/Discus 45|40 Wheels

The 3T Ultra 2 Italia Rival/GX Bike w/Discus 45|40 Wheels is the first bicycle built using 3T's Fusion Carbon manufacturing process — a construction method developed and executed entirely at the brand's Presezzo facility in northern Italy. The ITALIA designation places this frame in 3T's Made in Italy line: frames designed, manufactured, and finished in-house using proprietary carbon technologies 3T has been refining since it brought production back to Italy in 2018. In 3T's gravel hierarchy, the Ultra 2 sits between the race-focused Racemax and the expedition-ready Extrema — designed to hold speed and flow across unpredictable terrain over long distances, for riders who want capable handling without sacrificing comfort when the day goes long.

Fusion Carbon is 3T's answer to a fundamental challenge in carbon manufacturing: no single process does everything best. The Ultra 2 ITALIA frame combines three methods. Filament winding wraps continuous carbon fiber around a mandrel for precise, repeatable structure. Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) forces resin into a sealed mold under pressure, producing dense, uniform laminates without voids. And selected hand layup is used in areas where traditional techniques remain the most effective option. Each section of the frame is built the way best suited to its geometry and load requirements. The 3T Fango Ultra² fork — "fango" being Italian for mud — completes the front end and accepts tires up to 57mm wide as measured. Both ends run 12mm thru-axles, the rear using a UDH-compatible dropout that supports current and future drivetrain standards.

The 3T Superghiaia Integrale LTD handlebar is a one-piece integrated design with fully internal cable and hydraulic line routing — no external housing visible once assembled. "Superghiaia" is Italian for super gravel; "Integrale" describes the construction. The bar has 110mm of drop and 77mm of reach, proportions that prioritize all-day comfort over race-position aggression — appropriate for the Ultra 2's character. Width is 40cm on S and M frames, 42cm on L and XL. Stem length scales by size: 80mm at S, 90mm at M, 100mm at L, 110mm at XL, allowing 3T to dial the fit for each frame size rather than relying on a one-stem-fits-all approach.

The drivetrain is what the gravel world calls a mullet setup: road-style levers running mountain-bike range. SRAM Rival AXS E1 shifters and brake levers bring road ergonomics and modulation to the cockpit; the SRAM GX Eagle Transmission T-Type rear derailleur and 10-52T cassette supply the low-end range to handle steep descents, technical singletrack, and loaded mountain roads. A 40-tooth chainring sits up front — enough to move efficiently at road-adjacent speeds on packed gravel, while the cassette's 52T extends the low end further than most road-oriented groupsets reach. Wireless shifting via SRAM AXS operates the rear derailleur; SRAM Rival E1 hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors handle stopping at both ends. Crank arm length varies by size: 165mm on S, 170mm on M, 172.5mm on L and XL.

The 3T Discus 45|40 carbon wheels are built on an asymmetric rim profile — the two figures denoting different depths on the drive and non-drive sides of the same rim. The asymmetry is intentional: it offsets the rim to equalize spoke tension between flanges, counteracting the dish created by the rear cassette that causes imbalance in standard symmetrical rims. Continental tires — RaceKing/Dubnital or Terra Adventure depending on configuration — come mounted. A 3T carbon side-load bottle cage is included, along with 3T Prendo Tough bar tape and a Fizik Vento Argo X5 140mm saddle. The Ultra 2 Italia ships in four Italian colorways — Lavico, Glicine, Avorio, and Bamboo — sized S through XL. This is a gravel bike for riders who want Italian handbuilt carbon, wide tire capability, and all-day range in one package.