Factor has announced the release of the Monza, a new aero road bike targeted at amateur racers and riders instead of elite athletes.
Inspired by the WorldTour-spec Ostro VAM aero bike, Factor says the Monza – which takes its name from the iconic race track in northern Italy – uses a simplified design aimed at making it more practical and affordable.
Headline features include clearance for 34mm-wide tyres, a more “democratic” fit geometry, integrated frame storage and a simplified cable routing system. Factor has also designed a new set of aero wheels and an integrated cockpit designed to better serve the needs of amateur riders.
Despite these changes, Factor says the Monza is “refined, not compromised”.
As a complete bike with two water bottles, Factor says it’s only 2.5 watts less aerodynamic at 45kph than the Ostro VAM and even claims it’s ”faster than the Cervélo S5, [Specialized] Tarmac SL8 and others”.
Prices for the Factor Monza start at £6,399 / $6,799 / €7,999, for a build with Shimano Ultegra Di2. A build with SRAM Force AXS is also available for £6,599 / $6,999 / €8,299, including a power meter.
Made for more racers
While Factor claims its Ostro VAM is “the world’s fastest race bike”, it acknowledges that its singular focus on pro racing makes it somewhat impractical (and unaffordable) for everyday racers.
In contrast, the Monza is aimed squarely at everyday racers and riders who want to go fast but don’t want – or can’t afford – a WorldTour-spec race bike.
Factor’s engineering director, Graham Shrive (formerly of Cervélo), says the Monza is “the bike we’d design for ourselves”.
Rather than simply offering a version of the Ostro VAM from the same moulds with a cheaper carbon fibre layup, though, Shrive says the goal was to “accommodate riders for how they’re actually using the bikes, rather than dictate to them”.
It’s a similar concept to Cervélo’s latest Soloist – a simplified version of the S5 aero bike more commonly used by the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and his Visma–Lease a Bike teammates (outside of Paris-Roubaix, at least).
As such, the Monza uses a more relaxed fit geometry than the pro-spec Ostro VAM, with increased stack height and reduced reach (when the new cockpit is taken into account) to better suit amateur riders, as opposed to elite athletes.
Factor says the handling geometry is unchanged from the Ostro VAM, however, in order to keep that bike’s responsiveness and quick handling.
The Monza’s frame tube shapes have also been subtly reshaped in order to reduce the layup complexity and, ultimately, production costs.
The head tube, seat tube, seatpost and seatstays are all wider, for example, while the rear of the fork isn’t sculpted to meet the down tube to the same extent.
Practical features
The Monza also gets a number of features designed to make it easier to live with for everyday riders.
The rear dropout, for example, uses SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) standard. This enables compatibility with SRAM’s recently launched, 13-speed Red XPLR AXS groupset, and – we imagine – future-proofs the frame for any upcoming groupsets.
Leaks suggest a new SRAM Force AXS groupset could launch soon, for example, meaning a UDH-only XPLR version might not be far off either.
Adding a saddle bag to a bike can incur a drag penalty of up to 6 watts at 45kph, according to Factor's testing, so Shrive says it made sense to add an integrated storage port on the down tube for storing tools and essential spares.
Shrive acknowledges this features adds weight to the frame (around 80-100g), but he reasons that since a saddle bag weighs a similar amount, it evens out in the real world, where riders need to be self-sufficient.
With the space behind the saddle freed up, Shrive says Factor has also designed a dedicated saddle rail mount for accessories such as rear bike lights or rearview radars.
Tyre clearance on the Monza is also increased to 34mm, up from 32mm on the Ostro VAM.
While 28mm-wide tyres are still dominant in the pro peloton, Shrive says bigger tyres allow for better performance on the rough roads local races and group rides often take place on.
Echoing this theme, Shrive says the new Black Inc Forty Five wheels, which have been designed alongside the Monza, present a “fast solution that’s versatile and robust, and will withstand that day to day pounding”.
Built using carbon rims with “modern” dimensions, the Black Inc Forty Five wheels use steel spokes and “readily available bearings” to reduce cost compared to the pricier 48/58 wheelset specced on the Ostro VAM.
A simplified front end
While an integrated front end is practically de rigueur for any modern aero road bike, Factor says it aimed for the Monza to be more “pragmatic” in this area than the Ostro VAM.
As such, Factor has specced a larger, 1.5in upper headset bearing from the Ostro Gravel, which affords space for a round steerer tube and “more straightforward internal cable routing”.
Factor has also designed a new integrated handlebar specifically for the Monza, rather than opting for a cheaper two-piece setup.
The HB04 cockpit features a “semi-aero profile” on the tops, to offer a better feel in the hand than the AB01 cockpit found on the Ostro VAM.
The reach and drop of the handlebar have also been reduced by 5mm on the HB04, compared to the AB01, while the drops flare out by 8 degrees from the ramps to offer improved control when sprinting or descending.
Factor Monza specifications and pricing
The Factor Monza is available in two builds, with Shimano Ultegra Di2 or SRAM Force AXS.
Alternatively, riders can purchase a frameset kit for £3,799 / $3,999 / €4,699 that includes the frame, fork, seatpost and HB04 cockpit.
There are three colour schemes available: green, blue or white (although, of course, Factor has fancier names for each).
