3T Aeronova Ltd Carbon 205g Road Handlebar

3T Handlebars

3T is a brand synonymous with lightweight road cycling components, such as stems, bars and seatposts. Founded in 1961, 3T (Tecnologia del Tubo Torino - or Turin Tube Technology) was initially named 3TTT, and is situated near Milano in a city called Bergamo, in Northern Italy. As the name suggests, initially their products were made with metal - steel to be precise - as the founder Mario Dedioniggi specialised in working with this material. By 1970, steel was replaced by the increasingly popular alloy, in order to save weight without sacrificing performance. 5 years later the famous Superleggera handlebar was born, weighing just 250g, which at the time was believed to be the lightest handlebar on the market. It was constructed from 7075 aluminium alloy, which was usually reserved for aerospace industries.

Over the years 3T has provided components for victorious Tour de France, Olympic, World Championships and successful World Hour Record attempts. In 1984 Moser pushed past the 50km barrier in his hour attempt using a 3T bar, eventually setting a new record of 51.151km. In recent years Ryder Hesjedal won the 2013 Giro d'Italia on a 3T equipped bike. In the MTB world, Nicolas Vouilloz won his 3rd Downhill World Championships whilst riding with a 3T bar. Nowadays 3T produce components in carbon fibre, as well as having cheaper lightweight alloy ranges for those on a budget. For more information on 3T's products, please visit their website, or view their history page. Alternatively you can find more information on the Italian company on their Wikipedia entry.

About Chain Reaction Cycles

This product is for sale at Chain Reaction Cycles, one of the largest online cycle shops in the world. Opening in 1985, and starting off as a small independent bike shop in Ballynure, it moved to Ballyclare in 1989 and is now based in Doagh (all in Northern Ireland). In addition to regular local service, Chain Reaction Cycles (or CRC as it is often abbreviated to) established itself as a mail order business via advertisements in bicycle magazines; this continued until 1999 where it launched it's now famous website at ChainReactionCycles.com. Their blue themed website stocks around 90,000 products ranging from MTB & Road cycling equipment, to triathlon, BMX and running kit. As per several other leading bike shops, Chain Reaction produce their own product ranges, under brands such as Brand X. To this day CRC sponsor many cycling events, and due to the company's size and efficiency are able to offer very competitive pricing on cycle equipment. In 2016 Wiggle acquired Chain Reaction Cycles, although the two websites continue to operate independently of each other, both with their own distinctive branding and product ranges.

For more information on CRC, you can visit their official online store at Chain Reaction Cycles.com, or find out more about the origins of the company on their wikipedia page.