Nicola Rutzou
Factor Bikes says it asked the question: How fast can a UCI-legal road bike truly be?, when it designed the new Factor One aero road bike. The company says independent testing confirms the One as the fastest road bike in the world, and then on the road, where a stage win at the Critérium du Dauphiné on its prototype debut.
The defining feature of Factor One is its bayonet fork and “chin” fairing system, which control airflow at the very start of the bike, minimising spillover drag and sustaining advantage deep into yaw (yaw angle is the angle between the bicycle’s direction of motion and the direction of the relative wind), where Factor says other platforms lose efficiency.
Factor Bikes also says that by decoupling the handlebar mount from the steering axis, the Factor One enables reach positions that would previously require unstable stems. A revised bottom-bracket drop restores handling balance, which is altered by shorter cranks and modern tyre choices, keeping the bike planted at high speed.
Factor says that the new model is >8% faster than the OSTRO VAM 2.0, 15% faster than the Cervélo S5 (2024) and 22% faster than the Specialized Tarmac SL8, which was validated in wind-tunnel testing at Guelph and SASI.
The Factor One is available in five sizes 47, 52, 54, 56, 58, and comes in four colour options: Blush, Nimbus Grey, Onyx Black, and Silverstone. Prices start at AUD$11,699.
Nicola Rutzou – a long-time contributor and, most recently, the editor of Bicycling Australia. Nicola is a keen Sydney-based road cyclist who writes reviews, news, and destination pieces, as well as the weekly e-newsletter for BA online.
