Factor Bicycles revealed a new Aero bike prototype at Stage 1 of the
Critérium du Dauphiné this past sunday.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/how-did-they-keep-this-a-secret-insane-new-factor-prototype-blows-minds-at-the-dauphine/

In addition to yet more aero shaping of the frame components, it uses a Hope-style fork with extremely wide-set legs, which have been
successfully used on track bikes for several years now. The theory is
that the fork legs help shape the air around the rider's legs, as well
as allowing more of the front wheel to hit clean air.

How did it work?

It was ridden by Jake Stewart of Israel-Premier Tech to a 5th place on
the stage, which for all intents and purposes was a win for the field
sprint as a break of 5 was away in the last kilometer.

As a point of great note, that break was stellar, containing Tadej
Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel and
Santiago Buitrago. (f you don't know four of those names, you've been
living under a rock - in cycling terms anyway)

The break formed on a small hill 5 K from the finish but never got more
than 15 seconds on the field. Buitrago lost contact as the leaders wound
up their sprint and got swarmed by the field with the final being
Pogačar, Vingegaard, van der Poel,and Evenepoel.

But chasing hard at the front of the field and finishing close enough to
get same time was Jake Stewart on the new bike. If it was fast enough to
catch the likes of Pogačar and company in the final K of a 190 road
race, I'm pretty sure Factor is calling that a win.
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On Tue Jun 10 17:15:13 2025 Zen Cycle wrote:

Factor Bicycles revealed a new Aero bike prototype at Stage 1 of the
Crit rium du Dauphin this past sunday.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/how-did-they-keep-this-a-secret-insane-new-factor-prototype-blows-minds-at-the-dauphine/

In addition to yet more aero shaping of the frame components, it uses a Hope-style fork with extremely wide-set legs, which have been
successfully used on track bikes for several years now. The theory is
that the fork legs help shape the air around the rider's legs, as well
as allowing more of the front wheel to hit clean air.

How did it work?

It was ridden by Jake Stewart of Israel-Premier Tech to a 5th place on
the stage, which for all intents and purposes was a win for the field
sprint as a break of 5 was away in the last kilometer.

As a point of great note, that break was stellar, containing Tadej
Poga?ar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel and
Santiago Buitrago. (f you don't know four of those names, you've been
living under a rock - in cycling terms anyway)

The break formed on a small hill 5 K from the finish but never got more
than 15 seconds on the field. Buitrago lost contact as the leaders wound
up their sprint and got swarmed by the field with the final being
Poga?ar, Vingegaard, van der Poel,and Evenepoel.

But chasing hard at the front of the field and finishing close enough to
get same time was Jake Stewart on the new bike. If it was fast enough to catch the likes of Poga?ar and company in the final K of a 190 road
race, I'm pretty sure Factor is calling that a win.

Most of that aero garbage doesn't actually do anything since there is NO clear air around anyone but the lead rider. All of thid testing is in wind tunnels that present clean air from straign ahead. They will occassionally twist the bike in the stand so
that the air strikes at another angle but that is equally useless and you can often see that the support riders are riding older non-aero framesets.And they will be leading the peleton for most of the race.

I'm of the opinion that on a flat course an old steel frameset would be just as fast and the one true advantage of carbon frames is lighter weight so that you can climb longer and faster.

Adding disc brakes is hanging an anchor off of the bike in aero terms and they are still riding everyone with discs.

On a track, with dead wind, the bikes can cause a rotating airstream which acts as a tailwind increaing the track speeds slightly and making these so-called aero effects seem real. The one's and Pro's, at Fremont Track, are often using old steel bikes
which doesn't seem to me to hndicap them.

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On 6/10/2025 9:15 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 6/10/2025 5:15 PM, Zen Cycle wrote:

Factor Bicycles revealed a new Aero bike prototype at Stage 1 of the
Critérium du Dauphiné this past sunday.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/how-did-they-keep-this-a-secret-
insane- new-factor-prototype-blows-minds-at-the-dauphine/

In addition to yet more aero shaping of the frame components, it uses
a Hope-style fork with extremely wide-set legs, which have been
successfully used on track bikes for several years now. The theory is
that the fork legs help shape the air around the rider's legs, as well
as allowing more of the front wheel to hit clean air.

I wonder how long that fork design will remain legal. UCI is pretty conservative about visible aero tricks.

It's been legal for track bikes for several years now. Granted, the
rules for track bikes are a little different, but as of now certain
things like aerodynamic features on road and track frames alike are
limited. I give it a much better chance than usual for staying around.

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On Tue Jun 10 22:02:21 2025 cyclintom wrote:

On Tue Jun 10 17:15:13 2025 Zen Cycle wrote:

Factor Bicycles revealed a new Aero bike prototype at Stage 1 of the
Crit

I wonder what is going on with Newshosting> Maybe it odesn't like me agreeing with Flunky on the rare occassions.

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On 6/20/2025 11:09 AM, cyclintom wrote:

On Tue Jun 10 22:02:21 2025 cyclintom wrote:

On Tue Jun 10 17:15:13 2025 Zen Cycle wrote:

Factor Bicycles revealed a new Aero bike prototype at Stage 1 of the
Crit

I wonder what is going on with Newshosting> Maybe it odesn't like me agreeing with Flunky on the rare occassions.

Right.
The cabal of evil staff at Newshosting doesn't like you.
And only you.

--
Andrew Muzi
[email protected]
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

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On Fri Jun 20 11:35:32 2025 AMuzi wrote:

On 6/20/2025 11:09 AM, cyclintom wrote:

On Tue Jun 10 22:02:21 2025 cyclintom wrote:

On Tue Jun 10 17:15:13 2025 Zen Cycle wrote:

Factor Bicycles revealed a new Aero bike prototype at Stage 1 of the
Crit

I wonder what is going on with Newshosting> Maybe it odesn't like me agreeing with Flunky on the rare occassions.

Right.
The cabal of evil staff at Newshosting doesn't like you.
And only you.

--
Andrew Muzi
[email protected]
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

You don't like sarcasm?

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