3T Ergonova Team Carbon 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 Merlin Cycles

This cycling deal was found at Merlin Cycles, one of the UK's most famous bike shops, located up North!

Merlin Cycles started life in 1993, founded by John Moss as a mail order Mountain Bike business ran directly from his spare bedroom in Chorley. Due to early growth, shortly afterwards he opened his first outlet in Ormskirk, and a few years later in 1998, the company grew into larger premises, moving to Leyland.

In the 1990's and early 2000's, Merlin were known for their ranges of mountain bike hardtails, released under the Rock Lobster and Merlin "Malt" brands. These steel and aluminium hardtails were designed in house, available as framesets or complete bikes, representing excellent value for money. The company was also well known for their handbuilt MTB wheels, which in my experience lasted for years without needing truing!

Merlin have always been competitive on pricing, particularly on suspension forks, brakes, wheels and groupsets, which continues to this day. Nowadays they have introduced road cycling equipment and clothing into their product ranges, due to the increase in popularity in this field, thus catering for a broader range of cyclists.

For more information on Merlin Cycles you can see their shipping costs, read about their history, or visit their homepage.