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TECH NEWS
Tour Tech 2017: Romain Bardet's Factor O2 race bike
The AG2R La Mondiale pro cycling team switched from Focus to Factor bikes this season, replacing the German brand with a brand that started out as a British company as an offshoot of an F1 engineering company. The stock team bikes are a lovely shade of blue, but GC hopeful Romain Bardet has a custom white bike to help to spot his bike in the peloton that little bit easier. Just don't confuse it for the white Treks...
The O2 is Factor's newest and lightest offering, with a claimed weight of 740g for the frame. As well as being light, the tube shapes have been shaped to offer some aerodynamic benefit, which is fitting for a company that made its mark with the extreme aerodynamics of the Vis Vires, the company's first proper production bike (and the only test bike I've ever crashed. Ahem).
AG2R also switched from SRAM (it helped the US company test its eTap wireless groupset) to Shimano this season, so it's a full complement of Dura-Ace Di2. Naturally.
The main deviation from the Shimano theme is the SRM Origin carbon fibre power meter with Dura-Ace chainrings, and the bonkers CeramicSpeed Oversized Pulley Wheel System. The huge 17t jockey wheel is claimed to improve drivetrain efficiency and can save 3W at 250W power output. But you pay a hefty price for those watts, it retails for £400.
We like this motivational message on the top tube very much so.
There's more Tour Tech coverage on the other side of this link.
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
Latest Comments
- JohnMcL7 30 min 7 sec ago
With the lack of any decent content updates for a long time now, the build up to the tenth anniversary and the big hike in monthly price we'd...
- Prosper0 49 min 48 sec ago
No offence to Endura, but same advice as to Rapha, I actually have all the kit I need, for probably several years. You need to go and win the next...
- froze 50 min 20 sec ago
Well, thanks for correcting me, I thought that bike was still in production! That bike was great though, too bad, so sad it's gone.
- bensynnock 2 hours 54 min ago
Here's one I got an AI to write......
- kingleo 2 hours 59 min ago
Anti-cycling programs or articles always get a lot of attention or comments, so they are very good for media advertisers.
- Cycle Happy 4 hours 24 min ago
This is a screenshot in low light and drizzle at approx 15mph. It's pretty decent in my opinion. I have mounted mine on my offside seat stay within...
- chrisonabike 4 hours 44 min ago
Ah - yes, they've got an American Star the wrong way round (means the child carrier needs rearranged though). Or it could be a Facile but inverted?
- lesterama 6 hours 37 min ago
What a bunch of ases
- quiff 7 hours 30 min ago
It was only your comment in the carousel that first brought me here, and yet I still managed to read most of the page before remembering this isn't...
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8 comments
Why is the Ceramic Speed cage "bonkers"?
Have you only just got into cycling the last couple of years, it's not like this is new or unknown tech.
The bigger 'tension pulley' aids in lowering friction due to the chain not having to bend as much on a smaller diameter pulley's.
I bet you're still feeling silly/cringing about that reply you made last year when reviewing a bike and were challanged re being able to fit 28mm tyres and guards for all purpose gravel bikes and you dismissed 28mm as not being that common for road use/not wanted by riders.
It's bonkers because it's a sh*t load of money, and doesn't make one bit of difference to the drive train efficiency ( well, less than half a watt according to all independant studies).
It's bonkers because it's (the 17 tooth wheel) larger than life, unnecessary, stands out... all these things generally fit under the banner bonkers.
I very much doubt, as a professional journalist he's smarting at all from some reply he got from an interwebs jockey over a year ago. As for just getting into it? I suggest you read his bio.
He clearly doesn't hold a petty grudge nearly as long as you do.
Don't feed it. I use a Safari extension to block his comments, but unfortunately he still shows up when quoted.
That Ceramicspeed cage/jockey wheels look cool. Not sure I would want to put up with the extra noise of those aluminium jockey wheels though...
That CS cage actually improves that appearance the new Dura Ace rear mech.
I thought Factor would last 5 minutes with their weird split downtube etc. however they're getting some good exposure on this tour. Nice to see a British company doing well. If I could only afford one, I could see myself riding a Factor.
"The huge 17t jockey wheel is claimed to improve drivetrain efficiency and can save 3W at 250W power output. But you pay a hefty price for those watts, it retails for £400. "
£400? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaidiots.
As custom finish bikes go this one's nice and understated, and keeps with the kit colours nicely. I quite like the O2, although it reminds me quite a bit of Canyon's bikes for some reason (not necessarily a bad thing)