Factor is best known for its performance-oriented road bikes raced by the likes of Chris Froome, Daryl Impey and Giacomo Nizzolo on the Israel Premier Tech team. However, the British brand’s, engineers have brought over some of their wind-cheating advances and marginal gains to the dirt, with the release of the Ostro Gravel.

Based on feedback from their North American gravel racing team, Factor believes that as gravel racing speeds continue to rise, aerodynamic upgrades can spell the difference in results over a 200-mile race. Although in the past these aero-gains were generally associated with some sort of trade-off in compliance or tire clearance, Factor boasts a handful of impressive frame specs like clearance for 45mm tires and smart handling.

Factor experimented with a number of head tube angles but determined that a steeper angle (over 70-degrees) prevents front wheel flop. A size 54cm frame has a 72.2-degree head tube angle paired with a 101.4cm wheelbase.

Factor claims a frame weight of 900 grams and offers an impressive frameset package of premium parts. It includes frame, fork, seatpost, barstem, CeramicSpeed BB and CeramicSpeed Headset. White and black colorways are supplanted by Factor’s custom paint program which offers premium upgrades.

We’ll be riding the Ostro Gravel over the next few weeks and continue to develop our review. The Ostro Gravel is available globally online and at authorized Factor dealers from the end of September 2022. They are also available at all Factor Experience Centers in the United States:

– Cadence Cyclery, Dallas
– ACME, Brooklyn
– Roberio Cycling Lab, Miami
– Velotown, San Diego

Specifications

FRAME: TeXtreme, Toray, Nippon Graphite® Pitch-Based Fiber
FORK: OSTRO Wide Stance Fork
SEATPOST: 0 and 20mm setback available
BARSTEM: Black Inc Aero Bartsem Reach 80mm, drop 120mm. Multiple stem lengths and bar widths available
HEADSET: CeramicSpeed 1.5″ bearings
HEAD TUBE DIAMETER: 1.5″ upper and lower
BOTTOM BRACKET: CeramicSpeed T47A Aluminium cups / CeramicSpeed bearings with Wheels MFG 24mm BBRight Reducers / Adapters
MAX TIRE CLEARANCE: 45mm
WHEEL SIZE: 700c
BRAKE TYPE: Disc
FRONT AXLE: 12 x 100mm thru-axle
REAR AXLE: 12 x 142mm thru-axle
CABLE ROUTING: Internal

Factor Ostro Gravel Prices

SRAM FORCE – $8,599 / EUR 8,520 / GBP 7,400
SRAM FORCE + Power meter – $8,799 / EUR 8,720 / GBP 7,570
SRAM FORCE XPLR + Power meter – $8,199 / EUR 8,120 / GBP 7,060
SRAM RED – $10,499 / EUR 10,400 / GBP 9,030
SRAM RED + Power meter – $10,899 / EUR 10,800 / GBP 9,380
SRAM RED XPLR + Power meter – $9,799 / EUR 9,710 / GBP 8,430

Package Frameset – $5,499 / EUR 5,450 / GBP 4,730

Package Frameset + Black Inc Wheels – $7,499 / EUR 7,430 / GBP 6,450
**Includes Black Inc Thirty-Four wheels

FACTOR OSTRO GRAVEL GEOMETRY

 

More info: www.factorbikes.com