Nordest’s latest gravel bike is trying not to take itself too seriously. Because sometimes you just want to pedal your bike for fun or head out an adventure, not necessarily to set KOMs everywhere you ride. So, they’re calling the limited edition 3003 a flat bar gravel bike. Sure, you could still slap a drop bar on there and crush some kilometers. But why not just sit up, sit back, and enjoy the ride…
Nordest 3003 simple steel flat bar gravel bike
The new steel 3003 is a gravel bike, but with quite a different attitude than the aero gravel trend we’ve been hearing a lot. Instead, this is Nordest founder Pedro Jerónimo’s “personal vision of what a flat handlebar gravel bike should be“. It’s a simple steel flat bar gravel cruiser built for a wide range MTB-style drivetrain (with UDH compatibility) and big volume 29×2” tires to cruise over any type of road or trail surface.
“The calm life!
That’s what I had in mind when I designed the 3003. I can admire the landscape in comfort, safely seated. The adventure no longer means counting the miles, and the clock doesn’t distract me. The night sky moves along its path, or the sun shines overhead, and I roll along, enjoying every moment, every trail, every road, always calm.”
How does flat bar geometry compare to the Albarda family?
Nordest already has two steel Albarda dropbar gravel bikes. So, why the limited edition flat bar option, and how does this new Nordest 3003 really compare?
That’s the trick. Nordest calls the new 3003 a flat bar gravel bike, but it doesn’t really have to be a flat bar bike at all. That’s really just motivation to opt for a more upright position when you decide on your own custom build.
It looks to us like the 3003 is something of a happy medium between the lighter Albarda 2 and the more laid-back, MTB-inspired Super Albarda. A compromise in between with relatively stable geometry that can be ridden for any type of terrain, whether you want a more upright flat bar position or not.
The 3003 features a quick-handling 69° head angle, a steep 74.5° seat angle to shift weight forward, medium long frame Reach, comfortably high (but not extreme) Stack, lots of BB drop, and short for a cruiser 420mm long chainstays. As off-road bikepacking bikes have gone super long and slack, the new Nordest 3003 sits right in the middle between gravel & adventure. And Nordest thinks that’s a great place to sit up with a flat – or gently rising – bar, and enjoy the ride.
Tech details
- welded from double-butted 4130 chromoly steel tubing
- long reach geometry optimized for flat handlebar builds with a short 50-80mm stem
- max tire clearance 700cx50mm/29×2.0″ or 650bx53mm/27.5×2.1″
- 1x (max 46T chainring) or 2x (max 50/34T compact chainset) compatible with chainstay yoke
- fully external cable routing, plus internal routing for a dropper seatpost
- 2x 3-pack anything cage mounts on downtube, standard seattube cage mount & toptube bag mount
- plus 2x 3-pack anything cage mounts on either steel or carbon fork options
- full rack and fender eyelets
- UDH, and thus compatibility for SRAM T-Type direct mount transmission derailleurs
- threaded BSA bottom bracket
- flat mount disc brake
- 12x142mm thru-axle spacing (thru-axle included with frame)
- 27.2mm round seatpost (28.6mm alloy seatclamp included with frame)
- straight 44mm headtube for 1 1/8″ ZS44/ZS44 or 1.5″ tapered ZS44/EC44 headset
- claimed frame weight: 2490g (size Medium)
- designed for a 400mm axle-to-crown 1.5″ tapered steerer fork with 52mm offset (factoring in the external lower headset cup)
Nordest 3003 gravel frame – Pricing, availability & options
This new flat bar gravel Nordest 3003 is being offered now as a limited edition frame or frameset pre-order – in 4 sizes. Just 50 frames will be made, and it’s up to you how you want to build it – whether flat bar or dropbar. Pre-order pricing starts at 599€ for the frame only – in your choice of glossy Racing green or Sand – eventual full retail price of 749€. Custom paint is also always possible as an add-on cost.
If you want Nordest to include a fork with it, two frame kits are available – both including a Cane Creek 40 headset and 50mm stem. The 749€ Steel Kit pre-order then includes a straight steerer unicrown steel fork and the 899€ Carbon Kit includes a tapered steerer full carbon fork with adjustable rake – both with anything cage & fender mounts.
The limited 3003 series will be ready in January 2025 so you can build it up – like with these affordable MicroShift Sword groupsets. And you’ll still have time to start cruising again after the winter, with free shipping included in Nordest’s pricing for EU buyers.
