3T Cycling (Italy) – Press Release: The 3T Strada is the world’s first 1x dedicated road bike, removing the front derailleur and inner ring to improve the aerodynamics around the BB. Of course we also want to streamline what’s left and for that we offer the Torno.

It benefits from the 20 years of experience at our sister company THM in making the world’s lightest and stiffest cranks. It uses special aero cross sections that seem impossibly thin to slice through the air. Best of all, just like all THM products, it’s made right here in Europe, under our own control at our own factory.

And of course, the Torno works beautifully not just on the Strada but also on any 1x Exploro.



The crank is one of the most complex parts for aerodynamics; the leading edge of your shape becomes the trailing edge 180 degrees later, you have the major influence of the forward speed and the minor influence of the rotational speed, your feet spin by, the frame is right there, the chain runs over the chainring and can’t really be changed aerodynamically, etc.

Our best aero shape was a knife-like 12mm wide at the pedal, significantly thinner than anything else in existence (cranks are usually 15-17mm at the pedal end). In the other direction, our desired profile was much deeper than usual.

The transition to the spider is another headache area. For structural and stiffness reasons, we want the spider to be integrated with the crank arm and fibers running through both. Yet we also want the chainring to be separated spatially from the drive-side crank arm (not one blended shape) to avoid aerodynamic blockage. The Torno spider offers exactly that and works in unison with the dedicated Wolf Tooth aero rings.

In-house manufactoring:


Quite simply, there is only one company in the world that is technically capable to make a crank this thin, this stiff and this light. Luckily, that's our sister company, THM.

The Torno is produced at THM’s factory in Germany with the same proprietary technologies, in-house developed production equipment and maniacal attention to detail as all THM products. Incredibly, despite the Torno being extremely thin and aero, it is the world’s second-lightest crank (THM’s own Clavicula SE being the lightest).

Thomas and Petra Mertin founded THM in 1996 in Alt Duvenstedt, northern Germany. An aerospace engineer by profession, Thomas found a niche for special-purpose high-grade carbon fiber components in the sports and leisure sector. The breakthrough into the bike industry came when THM designed and made the world's lightest cranks and fork, raced and proven by Team Deutsche Telekom. THM then added further components to its portfolio: more cranks, brakes and cockpit parts.

In 2016, THM merged with 3T, and its super-premium products continue to be highly prized by custom bike builders and leading bike manufacturers trying to create ultra-light special models.

Design is in the details:

• NarrowQ: Narrow is aero and the ultra-thin crank arm blades provide a double advantage: They cut through the air more efficiently and the reduce the Q factor by 4mm, keeping your feet closer together for better biomechanical and aerodynamic efficiency
• THM layup: We’re sworn to secrecy but can tell you it’s not only a blend of different moduli but also unidirectional and weave. Unlike what you often see, this weave is not cosmetic but an integral part of the structure to achieve the Torno's incredible weight & stiffness
• Carbon axle: Unique to THM is the carbon axle directly integrated in the drive-side crank arm and spider. This is the stiffest and lightest design possible (and unfortunately, also the most complex and most expensive). But when only the best is good enough, this is the best
• Aero spider: The spider is separated spatially from the drive-side crank for aerodynamic reasons. Structurally however it is integrated with the axle and crank arm as well as the chainring, not only through its four bolts but also via its (patent-pending) countersunk design
• Wolftooth chainring: These 1x-specific chainrings uses Wolftooth’s DropStop tooth pattern for the best performance. The countersunk bolt pattern is dedicated to the Torno spider, transferring your power not just via its bolts but also its shape for optimal power transfer

Specifications:

• Weight crank (+/- 3%): 330g (172.5mm, crank arms, axle, spider)
• Weight chainrings: 79g (36t), 89g (40t), 110g (44t)
• BB standards: Fits any frame with one of the following BB shells: BB386EVO, BB30, Press t30, Shimano Press t, BBrightTM, Italian threads, Press Road BSA (bottom bracket not included)
• Spider BCD: Custom aero spider & bolt pattern
• Chainrings: 36, 40 & 44 tooth
• Gear ranges with 3T 9-32 cassette: 36t chainring equivalent to 48-34 chainrings with 12-30 cassette, 40t chainring equivalent to 53/36 chainrings with 12-29 cassette, 44t chainring equivalent to 54/36 chainring with 11-26 cassette
• Q-Factor: 142mm
• Chainline: 47mm (optimized for 1x in combination with 142mm rear axle spacing)
• Inner crank width: 118mm
• Available lengths: 170, 172.5 or 175mm
• Max. permissible total weight: (rider+bicycle+luggage): 110kg (264lb)