The Factor O2 is a great ride too, justifying its premium price tag. You get an asymmetric, squarish down tube with a chunky BBright bottom bracket shell and a round seat tube with a round seatpost, although the bar/stem should smooth airflow over the bike’s front end.īut the classic silhouette still looks stylish and sets the O2 apart from the current crop of semi-aero road bikes, which to be honest all look a bit the same.

So there’s an external run into the frame and fork in an electronic set-up and a blanking plate in the down tube which lets you run mechanical shift cables if you prefer and means that the O2 is compatible with the full gamut of manufacturers’ groupsets.Īlso unlike many of the latest crop of premium bikes, such as the Cannondale SuperSix, Specialized Tarmac and Scott Addict RC, the Factor O2 doesn’t boast any aero flourishes. Unlike many brands’ latest high end bikes, Factor hasn’t run the cables fully internally through the bar/stem on the O2. Since there’s a standard width steerer tube, you could instead fit a standard bar and stem if you wanted, although I reckon that would upset the front end aesthetics. There’s a custom out front mount for a Garmin as part of the package. That's an unusually large range for a low volume, expensive to manufacture carbon component. That’s helped by the wide range of sizes available, with 19 options from 380 x 90mm all the way up to 440 x 130mm. Some complain of the lack of adjustability in a single piece front end, but I found the geometry just right, with a neutral hand position in the drops and plenty of surface area to the tops. The wheelset comes with CeramicSpeed bearings, helping to explain its £1,900 price tag, although at 1,475g claimed for the disc brake version and 1,390g rim brake, its light weight helps to justify that price.įactor fits the O2 with a custom Black Inc bar/stem.

Despite their lower profile, they still felt a little twitchy on a gusty day. The wheel depth is a bit less than many carbon clinchers, with all-rounder designs typically coming in around 45mm. Set up tubeless, the extra width and lower pressure came in handy on the usual bumpy backroads, and it didn’t feel as if it impeded progress either.īlack Inc’s 30 AR wheelset is designed for 28mm-plus tyres and works well with the Vittoria Corsas, with the 21mm internal, 30mm external rim supporting them well.īuy now from Factor, frameset price starts from £2,650 The test bike came with pliant, fast-rolling 28mm Vittoria Corsa tyres. The O2’s makeover didn’t just split the field into two models though, it also upped the tyre clearance to 30mm.

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