FACTOR OSTRO VAM
Lightweight Aero Road Bike
When the most important aspect of performance is everything – aero, lightness, comfort, handling – the OSTRO is the answer. If pros were limited to one bike to ride all year, they’d all choose the OSTRO in a heartbeat.
OVERVIEW
Factor call the OSTRO an ‘everything’ bike and we agree
The OSTRO VAM is ready for dream trips to the mountains or to the cobbled Classics, for long weekend rides or fast-paced chaingangs, and it especially loves to be raced. It can take tyres up to 32mm, so it’s ready for Britain’s rougher tarmac.
In comparison to Factor's other models, the OSTRO VAM is very nearly as aero as the ONE, as ultra-lightweight as the O2 VAM, and as smooth as the O2.
Attributes
The Everything Bike
The pros love it because they never have to sacrifice aerodynamics for lightness or comfort and most races feature mixed terrain. Everyone else loves the OSTRO because it can do the job of three bikes. No matter the ride, it’s always the right bike. Suddenly, N=1.
COLOUR OPTIONS
How to order
All Factor bikes ordered through Vires Velo can be custom built for you. See standard build spec pricing using the dropdown or use the links below to see what bikes we have in-stock now.
- Factor OSTRO VAM Frameset
- Black Inc FORTY FIVE Wheels
- Black Inc Integrated Barstem
- Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170
- £8,700
SHOP IN-STOCK BIKES NOW
See the bikes available now
Exclusive UK Partner
We are the exclusive partner for Factor Bikes in the UK. All bikes ordered are custom built to your size and spec.
Let us help you find your size and dial in your fit
We offer a state-of-the-art bike fitting service from our Experience Centre, using the idmatch system. We can also assist remotely to give you a recommendation.
Our mechanics build your bike in-house in Norfolk
Your new bike will be assembled by the skilled technicians in our Experience Centre in Norfolk. It can be delivered straight to your door or you can collect it for a New Bike Day experience.
DESIGN
AERODYNAMICS
Factor designed the OSTRO from the ground up to be as aerodynamic as possible, while also being superlight. Three key technologies enabled this achievement.
The frame tube shapes are aggressively truncated NACA airfoils which deliver the low drag of a much deeper airfoil shape while maintaining lightness, ride quality and stiffness under power.
The fork uses a ‘wide stance’ concept, with the legs set further from the wheel, and the crown features Factor’s ingenious ‘Reversing Flow Energising Channel’. Both work to greatly reduce the turbulence caused by incoming airflow colliding with air being dragged forwards (reversing flow) by the rotating wheel and tyre. In turn, this smooths the airflow onto the downtube, further reducing drag.
The OSTRO’s fully integrated cockpit increases efficiency in several ways. Its sleek, aero shape is an easy win into clean air, and the hidden cabling also reduces drag. These are now common on high-end bikes. What makes the OSTRO special is that Factor achieved this without enlarging the headset and negating the benefits (as most brands do), so the frontal area and headtube profile remains optimised.
Build My OSTRO
LIGHTNESS
The OSTRO is made from exceptionally high grades of carbon fibre, resulting in a disc-brake aero frame which is very light in weight.
This achievement means that Chris Froome and his Israel – Premier Tech teammates can benefit from the aero even on mountain stages. After all, an aero bike isn’t saving any watts sat in the team truck.
For the rest of us, the OSTRO is the bike to do it all. It isn’t just about the mix of terrain in your favourite Sunday loop, it’s about the mix of rides in your ideal year. The OSTRO is the aero bike you can take on holiday to Tenerife or the Pyrenees and feel perfectly equipped.
Build My OSTROCOMFORT
Smoothness is an essential component of efficiency and speed. The OSTRO was designed for pro riders to use at Paris-Roubaix, the most brutal of the cobbled Classics and known as a breaker of bikes and riders. It’s a 260km race that averages around 45kph, so a bike this fast can make a huge difference. While British roads might not be as bad as pre-war cobbles, our rough surfaces require mitigation. In both scenarios, many riders in the past were left with no choice but to sacrifice aero for more comfortable options. Aero and comfort were seen as mutually exclusive.
The OSTRO rips up the old dogma with three key design features: it has huge 32mm tyre clearance, ultra-thin seat stays which absorb vibration, and the carbon layup is the result of scores of iterations to reach an exceptional degree of compliance for a frame with immense stiffness under power.
Key Features
To save weight and aero drag, and in line with customer wishes, the OSTRO is built for electronic groupsets only
Thread-fit BB standard gives a secure fit and makes maintenance easier
Ensuring every customer enjoys optimised handling characteristics, the OSTRO uses three different fork offsets across the size range compared to the industry standard of two
The mid-depth aero profile and lightweight seatpost is offered with a choice of 0 or 25mm setback
The OSTRO is compatible with the one-piece Black Inc Barstem as well as conventional separate bars and stems. When using separate components, the cables enter the frame below the stem
The handling and fit geometry of the OSTRO are both near identical to the O2 and O2 VAM, which makes it easy for the pros to switch between models and eliminates that issue when you’re choosing which Factor to buy
Factor Ostro Reviews
Read the latest reviews on the Factor Ostro
The simple fact is that it’s hard to find fault with this bike. The Ostro VAM is stiff yet comfortable, fast yet agile, and aerodynamic yet like a whippet up climbs.
I’ve ridden the Ostro a lot – 3,000km and 70,000m of climbing – I’ve pushed it as hard as I can and taken it on myriad all-day rides, and my admiration for it only increases. I get the question a lot, ‘What’s the best bike you’ve ridden?’ This is my new answer.
Addictively fast with brilliant handling at speed. One of the best race bikes out there. Its stiffness and geometry result in a bike that is super fast, tracks through high-speed corners beautifully and is comfortable enough for long training days.
Factor’s new Ostro VAM is unquestionably a modern all-rounder. With its generous tyre clearance, unmistakable aero design, and a respectable weight, it really does serve as the well-mannered aero road bike that most speed enthusiasts should be on.
RECENT BUILDS
Get inspired and check out the latest builds to roll through our workshop
SPECIFICATION & GEOMETRY
Geometry
