REFUSE TO COMPROMISE

The OSTRO VAM is an ‘everything’ bike, a master of all trades. Searingly fast, incredibly light, and supremely comfortable, it’s ready to win sprints, mountain stages and cobbled Classics. It’s the ultimate all-rounder because it refuses to compromise. If you’re the sort of rider who races with ‘the knife between your teeth’ no matter the parcours, this is the bike you’ve been waiting for. When we say you can have it all, we mean it.

LIGHTWEIGHT AND AERO

The OSTRO VAM is an aero disc-brake frame which weighs just 830g (painted, size 54, Flicker design). We have used the very best materials to reach such a low weight, laying up the ultimate carbon materials perfectly to ensure low weight, responsive ride, and durability. It can easily be built up to below the UCI 6.8kg weight limit, which is unique among aero frames. That means that the aero advantages come without the usual weight penalty. Few rides or race routes are exclusively mountainous or flat roads so, naturally, you want it all: speed and lightweight. The OSTRO is the everything bike, making you fast whatever the terrain.

Factor Bikes, the premium performance bicycle brand, has announced the new MONZA performance road race bike. Integrating the latest technology from across Factor’s portfolio, the MONZA is optimised for racers seeking the perfect balance between high performance and everyday practicality.

• OVERVIEW

  Factor Bikes has built a reputation on engineering, designing, and developing the fastest, most advanced bikes in the world. Laser-focused on the needs of the racer, most of the bikes we’ve released over the last decade have been ear-marked for WorldTour athletes, Olympic track racers, Kona-level triathletes, and Unbound winners. With the Factor MONZA we’ve created a bike intended for serious racers like us.

  “The MONZA is a bike that we, the Factor engineers, have designed for riders like ourselves,” Graham Shrive, Factor Director of Engineering explained. “Engineers in the bike industry are not flashy people. We typically use our bikes extensively and we often come from a racing background. And we’re drawn to being more value-focused and function-based. You want products functioning at the absolute top level but not necessarily concerned about whether you have a couple of titanium cogs on your bike cassette."

  When designing the MONZA, two features were non-negotiable: the bike would have to handle like an elite WorldTour bike, and it would have to have a stiffness level comparable to the Factor OSTRO VAM. Aerodynamics would of course also figure, as would an optimum weight and overall durability. If the OSTRO VAM is the Factor bike that acts as the ultimate all-rounder for WorldTour pros, then the MONZA should be the ultimate all-round bike for committed amateur racers. Ideal for all race and training situations, from Tuesday night crits to Saturday morning fast group rides and Sunday afternoon hill climb championships.

  PERFORMANCE ORIENTED; UTILITY DRIVEN 
  The MONZA proves that being fast and practical are not mutually exclusive; the two goals can meld into one exceptionally fast racing bike. Balancing speed, efficiency and real-world usability, the MONZA features an optimised carbon lay-up that ensures Factor’s signature responsiveness and sharp handling without driving up the weight or cost. Sculpted tube shapes retain a high degree of aerodynamic efficiency while also being streamlined for efficiency in the manufacturing process. The resulting stiffness-to-weight ratio ensures explosive power transfer for snappy accelerations out of the final corner before the criterium finish line.

  That might all sound vaguely familiar since these sorts of features are the goal of every racing bike on the market. Where the MONZA pips everyone to the post is recognising that all cyclists driven to compete are not necessarily driven to every race. They are often racing straight from work to their Tuesday evening crits in business park parking lots. That means they have to come prepared with their own repair kits and inner tubes. Saddle bags are ubiquitous since they have remained the most common way to carry extra tools and replacement tubes. But with the MONZA’s down tube storage point, it is possible to carry all essentials without compromising aerodynamics, since a normal saddle bag can cost up to six watts of drag.

  BLACK INC WHEELS
  For anyone who regularly needs to tackle terrible city street road conditions, the MONZA offers capacity for 34 mm tyres enhancing both comfort and reducing the chance of punctures. The width provides the perfect balance between aerodynamics of modern wide tyres on wide rims and real-world race adaptability.

  Pairing wider tyres with the Black Inc FORTY FIVE wheels enhances the MONZA’s ability to dive into races as effectively as it negotiates pockmarked city streets. Constructed from high modulus carbon fiber with a UD matte glossy clear coat, the FORTY FIVEs represent our ultimate wheelset for daily racers. The 45 mm rim depth accompanied by a 21 mm inner rim width strikes the perfect balance between aerodynamic efficiency and structural strength, making it a true multi-purpose choice. With steel spokes, easily serviceable bearings, a durable freehub body, and modern tyre bed profile, these wheels are fast, versatile, and robust.

  The Black Inc FORTY FIVE wheels are lightweight yet resilient, as effective climbing and descending mountains as they are cornering and sprinting in crits. This helps make the MONZA ideal for athletes who race, train, and commute all on the same bike in all types of weather conditions and every sort of road surface. Enhancing the wide range of build options possible, the MONZA also includes UDH compatibility, which allows it to accommodate the increasing demand for road-oriented 1x groupsets.

  THE GATEWAY TO FACTOR
   Entering the market at a more accessible price-point, the MONZA can introduce more riders to Factor’s elite-level of engineering, craftsmanship, and racing pedigree. Though it is not intended for WorldTour competition, nothing in the design has been compromised. Rather it has been refined to provide amateur cyclists with practical features that enhance speed, performance, comfort, and functionality. Every refinement serves a purpose: to maintain speed, stiffness, and sharp handling, while optimising materials and components for a streamlined, practical approach. “We want the MONZA to make the rider as fast as possible in all ride situations,” Factor’s Graham Shrive concluded.

  • FEATURES

    OPTIMISED SHAPE & MATERIALS
    The MONZA retains an aero-optimised frame, tuned for efficiency in real-world racing conditions while refining certain features and materials to reduce manufacturing complexity and costs.

    Similar to the OSTRO VAM, the MONZA utilises an integrated and aero-optimised front end that has been meticulously designed to promote flow attachment and reduce drag. However, unlike Factor’s flagship all-round road machine, the MONZA features a planar break between the fork and frame. This approach enables Factor to deliver refined elite-level performance to a wider cycling audience.

    The MONZA’s design leverages the OSTRO VAM’s proven technology with a more streamlined approach. The head tube and fork feature converging contours, while the top tube, seat stays, and chain stays have smaller-profiled tube sections with tighter, more refined lines—enhancing both aerodynamics and manufacturing efficiency. A strategic carbon layup reduces cost while maintaining Factor’s signature ride feel. The MONZA’s balanced stiffness-to-weight ratio ensures explosive power transfer and efficiency at high speeds.

    PERFORMANCE GEOMETRY AND HANDLING
    With an ambition to deliver handling identical to Factor’s WorldTour race bikes, the slightly democratised fit features an increased stack height by 10 mm. This allows for a broader range of rider flexibility and comfort without sacrificing performance.

    Retaining the responsive ride feel Factor racers demand, the head-tube angle and fork offset are identical to the OSTRO VAM. The short chain stay lengths and wheelbase are also the same, tuned for both fast-moving pelotons and solo rides.

    SIMPLIFIED MAINTENANCE AND USABILITY
    An all-new HB04 integrated, semi-aero barstem features optimised hand positioning and moulded cable entry ports. This reduces machining complexities and facilitates easy cable routing while offering a clean, simplified front end.

    Retaining an aero-first design, the MONZA's head-tube assembly prioritises a pragmatic approach with a simpler round steerer than the OSTRO VAM’s, paired with a larger 1.5" bearing. This allows for more straightforward internal cable routing for cyclists to set up and adjust their position.

    Integrated in-frame storage, inspired by the SLiCK, features a convenient latch mechanism for easy access to ride essentials—without compromising aerodynamics. This design saves up to six watts of drag while lowering the centre of gravity. With 34 mm tire clearance, the MONZA hits the sweet spot between aerodynamics and versatility, ensuring optimal performance in real-world conditions.

    Rob Gitelis, Factor Bikes and Black Inc Founder said: “Racing is our DNA at Factor, and we remain committed to delivering the very highest-performance products to cyclists. With the introduction of the MONZA, we’re expanding our lineup to give more racers the opportunity to experience Factor’s elite-level engineering, craftsmanship, and racing pedigree. It’s the perfect entry point into the Factor family of high-performance cycling." MONZA is not a compromise; it is Factor’s vision of performance, redefined for the modern racer, tuned for efficiency, speed, and usability, without losing what makes a Factor bike special.”