Simon's 3T Exploro LTD | Bikepacking Special

If you've seen Si's epic bike packing ride out in Morocco, you'll have seen he was riding a pretty unique looking, tricked out, 3T Exploro LTD. Si had a look through the details that make this bike so suited for the demands of 'all-road' bike packing.
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In association with 3T
Frame and forks: 3T Exploro LTD
Wheels: Zipp 303 650b
Tyres: Continental Speed King 2
Handlebars: 3T Superghaia
Stem: 3T Apto Team
Seatpost: 3T Charlie Sqaero
Saddle: Fi'zi:k Arione
Shifters: SRAM Force
Brakes: Sram Red flat mount
Rear Mech: Sram Force Wifli
Chainset: 3T Torno LTD w/ Wolf Tooth custom chainring
Pedals: Shimano SPD
Chainring size: 40t
Cassette: 10-42
Crank length: 172.5mm
Tyre width: 55mm
Finishing touches: Lizard Skins bartape, Wahoo Elemnt, steel bottle cages
If you'd like to contribute captions and video info in your language, here's the link 👍 gcntech.co/3y
Watch more on GCN Tech...
Bikepacking Morocco gcntech.co/moroccoepic 📹
Photos: © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Bettiniphoto / www.bettiniphoto.net/
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[@gcntech]

To bikepack or not to bikepack?

[@zoid88]

If I use a frame bag to carry my gear on every ride is that still bike packing?

[@danielnavott9929]

To bikepack!!!

[@ZeroSeriesMMX]

Do bikes use wheels and pedals? Does the open road call out to your wanderlust? Are you a breathing human being? 😁

[@petinka721]

To bike pack of course!

[@przemysawbabik4997]

Ideal utilitarian bike for long backpacking: 4200 EUR carbon frame, custom carbon crankset, ZIPP wheels, wireless shifting... All of it of course easily repairable in the field... Not that steel frames and mechanical groupsets exist :)

[@muhdluthfiismail6679]

Never have I thought that a 55mm tyre on a 650b wheel on an aero frame would look so cool

[@joelklingenberg3271]

“Now if we can get a little bit geeky...” Yes, Si. That is why we are here :).

[@vidarwinje4631]

The waterline in the bottles are quite satisfying :)

[@gcntech]

We'd absolutely love to say that was on purpose! 😂

[@wserda]

Love the details that GCN viewers are able to spot in the videos. I can't say that I see them at first, but love referring back to the point in the video to look at the details closer.

[@Mannerzs]

Awesome video - Simon's enthusiasm is infectious!

[@firstmatepegboot2589]

wow, now i have something to aim for. Your trip has to be one of the best GCN videos i've seen, and that bike is divine.

[@rrobotman]

I have been waiting for this it seems forever. Si bike packing woohoo! Nice bike bro.

[@gcntech]

rrobotman Hope it didn't disappoint!

[@maxmxl]

I own an Exploro and I love it! It seems just designed for the strade bianche where I live.

[@gcntech]

Awesome stuff Max!

[@covali69]

Really appreciate the extra geometry nerdyness!

[@stiedacycling]

The best parts of cycling all wrapped into 1 bike!

[@kevinking7673]

That was a fantastic idea to do that segment. Enjoyed it. Great to see new products. After the show I probably need another bike.

[@gcntech]

Thanks Kevin!

[@pkelly20091]

Watching this makes me nostalgic for the times we were allowed to bikepack.

[@JakeBuckeye]

Very nice. I have the Exploro's cousin, the OPEN U.P., and this is making me want to load it with gear and disappear into the woods for a while!

[@alexcharles321]

Thus bike is the inspiration for my retro rigid mtb conversion to gravel / bikepacking build. Can fit 2.1" tyres on quite easily, and a 1x gravel groupset with bar will suit the geometry perfectly given a bit of adjustment. Now I'll just need to get some plane tickets to Morocco past the other half now that I've been allowed to get another bike 🙈

[@davepratt9909]

At 0:50 Si channels his inner Thanos and with a snap of his fingers, half of the bike set up disappears.

[@soloist777]

Very cool! Inspired now to take this up!

[@gcntech]

Lorenzo Valla Awesome

[@kimrice394]

Now that’s tire clearance! Home run(or Goal! over the pond) build 3T!

[@th_js]

That would be the dream for our roads here in Finland!

[@diederik7645]

The hydration level on this bike is spot on! (3:14)

[@eddyhoughton6542]

This might sound really nit-picky, but I see the nozzles on those bottles are open to the elements. When you're doing umpteen miles over farm tracks, mud, puddles, and cowpat-strewn trails, it's a really good investment to get the kind of bottles with a flip-over nozzle-cover. One of the lads at our cycling club got really sick with a stomach bug last winter, and blames it on a contaminated bottle-nozzle after cycling through a manure-strewn farm yard. They only cost a few quid from Decathlon, and when you're out in the back of beyond, the last thing you want is to have to cycle 100Km back to civilisation with a dose of Delhi-belly!

[@spino155]

Finally!

[@AlessandroCardano]

That is a very cool bike, Si. =One Love= -A

[@dudesneeds]

Great insight on a genre I'm fascinated with!!!!!%

[@gcntech]

dudesneeds Thanks!

[@douglaspate9314]

Awesome. I have seen the question below and agree that I too would love to hear more about the bags and gear you took with you.

[@gcntech]

Stay tuned Douglas!

[@jurjendraaijer4286]

Great complimentary video to your bikepacking one, I do hope there's more to come! Tubeless is the way to go though, mate, next time please!

[@sycarter2024]

love this set up...especially as some of us are trending our rides longer further and of beaten tracks as cycling seems to be going this way for some of us. if i could afford this bike id be ordering this bike today..

[@benhuygh9086]

Very nice bike and setup, I would like to see more videos about bike packing. especially about gear luggage ect...

[@gcntech]

Stay tuned Ben!

[@TiFiber]

I am an avid bike packer and would love to hear a little about the bags you chose and how they worked out for you. Thanks that was a great video.

[@gcntech]

Stay tuned for more bikepacking content!

[@SoloSchoolwear]

Fantastic video. It's like Top Gear for cyclists. Hope to see some more great adventures.

[@Theo-lt3wn]

That’s a nice bike si

[@gcntech]

It sure is Theo!

[@puggsley100]

Love that bike ❤️❤️Be good to see 3T make a cheaper model of those bars maybe alloy Cheers Fred from OZ

[@Grant_Ferstat]

very cool stuff thanks!

[@BryanHammons]

That is one cool bike.

[@PatrickPecoraro]

I like how his water levels on each bottle were level with each other.

[@apocreg11]

Would love to have the free time to try this!!!

[@martins.3070]

Which tire pressure did you run? Did you change between the tarmac and the gravel parts?

[@khanakhbar6311]

Wow Awesome...

[@RomansFiveDotEight]

"I'm utterly utterly filthy" needs to be supercut into every GCN show where Si makes some sort of off-color remark or bad pun. (So, essentially, every GCN show)

[@nceebee6859]

Might be expensive, but the versatility seems to counter the need or want for having multiple bikes?

[@willpollak4795]

Epic...indeed...!!!

[@ZenTeT]

that bike looks good

[@BCCoxFam]

Salsa calls 'em woodchipper bars. Seem like the right tool for the job.

[@bean4332]

that's one handsome bike

[@TheGamingCucumber]

WOWOZA.

[@senorzepeda]

Are we going to get an depth look at the gear and equipment used? How gear was packed? Brand of bike packing bags, sleeping bag used(weight of gear) etc. ✌🏽This video was so awesome!

[@gcntech]

Stay tuned!

[@andrewreid380]

Hi, great video, did you use protective tape where you attached the bags to protect the frame/seat post from rubbing? Also how many litres was your saddle pack? Cheers

[@MrScooterland]

I'm wondering if this could be one of the very rare N=1 bikes. Do you think that with skinnier tires you would be happy doing some road riding, then swapping to those 650b wheels for the rougher stuff?

[@CannaCJ]

Shimano PD-M520 SPD Pedals, have 'em myself. Love those things.

[@BCCoxFam]

They look like older 747s to me.

[@CannaCJ]

Nah, the screws on the end-plate are a dead giveaway.

[@lanzji1345]

Not enough geek in there 😉 Isn't this Geek Cycling Network? Apart from that : great series, I'd love to see more bikepacking and bike touring and bike travel...

[@markrichardson9591]

Hi gcn, well Si I’m very impressed that was some awesome ride, how many more rides like that are on your bucket list?

[@kevinthomson6324]

I've been thinking of planning a bike packing trip this summer. All this content is coming at a perfect time for me. Keep it coming. 👍 looks like it was a epic ride Simon. Are you planning on doing more rides like this on the channel?

[@gcntech]

Cheers Kevin, sounds like you have a great adventure coming up. Stay tuned for more bikepacking content!

[@automat8]

Thanks Simon. Can you give some detail on the handle bars?

[@CloneLingo]

Hey GCN, can you give the specs of the luggage you have here in the video? Looking to use the same exact setup- just stuck between the 10 liter Backloader and the 15 liter Backloader. Thanks!

[@smokey7930]

I think the sentence " I am utterly utterly filthy" will be edited in alot in the future. Btw. Dope bike!

[@PaddleAsia]

He's not even close to being dirty... such a drama queen. 😉

[@TheHuester44]

I enjoyed watching the video from Morocco. Looked like you ate well on the trip . And thanks for this video as I was wondering about the details of the bike you used . Does Continental make tubeless tires that size ?

[@PerfDayToday]

Next bike

[@dedraklemen]

Nice one. Could it compare to Specialized Diverge or GT Grade? Cause I'm interested in one of those ones. Thanks!

[@872521]

From one UltraNerd to another: I never heard the length of the wheel base tho the head angle, BB drop and chain stay length were mentioned. Fill us in, Mates? Cheers!, UltraNerd

[@RodrigoDeJaneiro]

What are the shorts you are wearing... can't seem to find them on the GCM shop

[@ahmadzuhairi]

Do you get enough speed on the 1by crank when you need to? By speed I'm not talking race speeds but just enough pick up speed when needed.

[@nctrns]

Wonder how this would compare to Rondo Ruut. You rode that in one of your previous videos.

[@tantrictriathlete]

Please do a video on the bag setup. What bags used, and what was in them.

[@gcntech]

Stay tuned!

[@Advcrazy]

So what’s more fun to ride, the 3t exploro or the trek Crockett?

[@vivekrbs]

how does this bike ride with road setup.What would be the ideal gearing in this bike to possibly do both road and gravel riding.I mean the cheapest frame itself costs 3 grand

[@njx9230]

How do you protect the frame against scratches/rubbbing of the bike bags? I used a feed bag for a longer ride on my canyon ultimate cf slx cockpit and the matt carbon got messed up after one (315km) ride.

[@lionelclavier2476]

Hi Guys at GCN : this is a mouthwatering bikepacking video. You did mention Wolftooth. Perhaps a little off topic: have you heard about their RoadLink? I am looking forward to have one fitted to my Ultegra Di2 (6870) and fit a massive 11-40 cassette to climb the Alps this summer - as I am not as fit a cyclist as you are ;-). So any advice on this RoadLink might be useful, thanks and well done again for this Moroccan trip! It looks great.

[@KB-fw6zo]

What about toe overlap? Could you pay more attention to this when reviewing bikes? I naver see any geometry spec about distance between the pedal mount and the rim or the stock tyre. Would be great to know what shoe size and tyre combination on average would trigger the toe overlap for a certain size of bike.

[@MLLD00]

This could quite possibly the most Batman-ish/MadMax/SEAL-team Six bike I've seen. Rugged and so freakishly cool. This will guaranteed push the 303 650b sales....

[@christopheamyot-giroux7556]

Would love to know about your bag/packing setup. Future video maybe?

[@gcntech]

Stay tuned!

[@fscmedeiros]

What a nice bike, Si! I also happen to love gravel bikes. By the way, what chain lube did you use during your journey? Your chain looks rather clean.

[@markalfresco]

Did you take a spare chain with you? Great video .

[@mattjth]

do you recommend non-steel frames for touring and bike packing?

[@vas_chu]

Considering all the measurements mentioned in the video, how tall Simon is to fit M-sized frameset?

[@stephenbaines7394]

Hi Si, what brand & ratio of cassette and rear derailleur are you running on the bike? I’ve got a scott Foil 20 (2012) & would like something that would work with my Shimano shifters for a bike ride up Mt agung in Bali. 8.1kms & 950m of climbing.

[@nasvfc]

What was Si's riding partner riding? Any key differences? I think I saw the WTB Byway 47s...

[@alex_smallet]

Did I miss tyre pressure? What tyre pressure did you use?

[@JeffPoulinISO]

What an awesome bike! 2 questions: how much does it weigh, and how much does it cost?

[@hurimadur]

Simon, What is that bar tape? It looks awesome for cx.

[@tobiasvo4589]

I have a slight problem with these 3T cranks for bikepaking. Image being just somewhere apart from a big city not to talk about being in the atlas mountains, and having a problem with them there. Finding a replacement chainring etc. is prob even hard if you're only in a smaller city in western Europe.

[@scottishjohn]

Well I suppose that 3T definately lived up to the job which you put it through. Not sure if I would always love taking a bike onto some of the "roads" that you had been on through quite amazing to see such fat tyres on a standard road bike. I guess the bike comes into its own when you are doing something very unique like that trip but I guess its just going to be how often would you do a trip like that? Just guessing that it is not a particularly cheep bit of kit and it kind of has limited scenarios where it really does shine. Great video none the less!

[@themartinlozano]

I suppose you could fashion one on the cheap. But agree on your comment on how it is a very niche type of riding, compared to what I normally ride.

[@ProjectSB350]

I love this bike and setup but lets face it, most of us won't every be able to afford a $4,000 frame with another $2k in goodies, can you guys do some "top of the line" but under $1000/$2000 setups? Love seeing some new tech and setups but come on man! Think of us lowly common folk as well as the pro/super dedicated cyclists. You got me jealous with this setup! Lol.

[@bitoszair4631]

OctoSloth_Lyfe, that's what it's all about: to get you jealous. This is what makes the market growing. the pure fun is almost gone and technicalities are taking it's place

[@GeekonaBike]

Of the triple crown bikepacking events this bike would only work on the tour divide. Colorado & Arizona trail races both need wider tires.

[@oliverachilles4639]

How much does it weigh in total without/with bags?

[@davewalker4991]

Just watched this. Great video of the trip which reminds me of running the MDS in 2015. However, as a lot of comments say, how about doing it on a shop bought under £1K bike set up. If this was your credit card would you really spend that much on the bike.

[@massivejester]

What is the price for that particular bike? With the ZIPP wheels, 3T handle bars and all.

[@md1967gb]

which shorts were you guys sporting on the gravel ride? they look a bit looser fit than your average lycra!

[@Strange_Brew]

Having a stealth bike riding bike pacing is a good way to get run over. I use bright colors on my packs and clothing.

[@amelieschuster3586]

Great bike and great performance. Do you think you can do something like that with a Fully MTB?

[@gcntech]

Hey Amelie, that's something for our sister channel, Global Mountain Bike Network!

[@charlesaubert3000]

Coming from the GCN Chanel video, which model of dynamo hub and light was Josh using ? SON Delux ? Great tech video, keep up with the awesome work ! 🚴🏼💪🏼

[@k1dicarus]

The light looks like a magicshine, bt40s or gemini.

[@jonnybags]

Think the light is an Exposure Revo. I have one. 800 lumen. It's great

[@jontystegmann4892]

what was the total weight with bags and kit?

[@alantaylor6691]

So you were using 55mm tyres! It looked like Josh had thinner tyres than that. What was the width of his tyres?

[@HenryAshman]

The biggest question for me (and probably the most depressing one...) how much would all that set you back?

[@staminapromos]

Well, bearing in mind the frame and fork alone are 4500 Euros you can bet that the whole rig is probably around 8000 Euros.

[@jeremyboetger2934]

Did you have any mechanicals or flats on your Morocco ride?

[@hamzaelsaid5988]

What is the biggest tire that would fig the zipps 404 pn this bike?

[@Blockspliter]

What is the biggest chain ring that you run in this bike?

[@beemrdon52]

I toured across the USA using standard front/rear panniers/handlebar bags and would like to try it bikepacking style...but...I don't see how I would get all of my stuff in those bags...(I am not going to eliminate things that I need - thanks in advance).

[@pbassred]

Pedaling for 4 days on MTB pedals versus road pedals:- How did that feel? Are they any less comfortable or lower performance than road clips?

[@DominiqueB]

i _only_ use MTB pedals (speedplay frogs for me), for convenience, around town, or when getting off the bike on long rides. With shoes with decent soles (like sidi dominators, as one example out of many) I have absolutely no issues even on 600k brevets. GCN has a video out there where they compared mtb vs road pedals/shoes.

[@TheGamingCucumber]

You should look at bikes more in the affordable price range.

[@adamsteineke4661]

Next up, Si and Lasty go touring on Salsa Journeyman! Make it happen!

[@stephenmoore7882]

Be nice to see them on a Carrera from halfords lol

[@TheGamingCucumber]

Stephen Moore I am not talking that cheap. Like 1000-3000 mark

[@C345OFR]

I'll be riding a Carrera Gryphon (on Schwalbe CX Comp's) through the West Highland Way later this year and (if successful with that) afterwards the Route 500. Not quite the Atlas mountains, but still, bikepacking!

[@carlose6010]

TheGamingCucumber I'd like to see them with a Bombtrack Beyond 1.. I'm interested in the bike asides for its weight; 28lbs medium.

[@scherzo0o]

Ok, I do have a question: how much does it cost? This marvelous bike, I mean...

[@Franksey180]

Okay daft question and apologies if I missed it, but what category of bike is it? Road bike? Gravel? CX?

[@DominiqueB]

gravel

[@gaza4543]

Love the casual​ shorts are the available to buy?

[@gcntech]

Hey gaza4543, you can buy the shorts on ASSOS' own website. They were a one-off GCN branding 👍