Unleashed Aero Bike by Factor Stirs Up Controversy - Its Design Pushed Boundaries, but Predictably So
Cranking up the competition: The latest buzz in the cycling world is all about a new bike that's shaking things up at the Critérium du Dauphiné. This brainchild from Factor Bikes has left everyone utterly intrigued — and a little jealous!
We can't reveal much yet, but all we know is it's a prototype aero bike, and it's taken the world by storm. British cyclist Jake Stewart rode a mysterious blacked-out version to a whopping fifth place on the first stage! One look at those outrageous, obnoxiously wide forks, and you'll understand why everyone's talking about it. This bicycle is no ordinary road machine; it's the beginning of a new era in bicycle design!
Or so it seems. Fans of track racing might have felt a twinge of dejà-vu when drooling over the Photoshopped images. Yep, the front fork might be the talk of the town on the road, but it's nothing new on the track. The adventurous spirit of tech trends begins on the velodrome, and this slick new ride is no exception!
Let me explain a little more. In track racing, speed reigns supreme. Every Olympic cycle, nations dish out millions in developing new bikes and components, aiming to shave milliseconds off their rivals. The Factor's wide forks can be traced back almost six years, to the Hope HB.T track bike, developed for the Great Britain Cycling Team ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
At the time, the Hope's fork blades were revolutionary. They looped out away from the frame, splitting airflow on impact and elegantly guiding it around the rider's legs. The bike proved a winner; it was ridden in Tokyo to seven medals, of which three were gold, and it continues to inspire descendants even today. At the Paris Olympics last year, three countries — France, Japan, and Australia — switched to track bikes boasting wider forks: the Look P24, the V-Izu TCM-2, and the Factor HANZŌ.
Hey, have you heard about the HANZŌ? It's the same brand as Stewart's insane new bike! Coincidence? I think not. A little over a year after Australia's men's team pursuit squad won gold on a wide-forked machine, Factor, it seems, has produced a road version that's not far behind. Look ma', no handles!
Another example that's left us scratching our heads is Filippo Ganna's UCI Hour Record attempt in 2022. Pinarello whipped up a new Bolide F HR 3D frame, complete with unique aero ridges down the seatpost and tube, referred to as 'tubercles.' These tubercles were inspired by humpback whale fins. Fast forward two years, and the same design showed up on the Bolide F time trial bike, just in time for the Paris Olympics.
Sounds familiar? It should! Successful track trends don't not remain confined to the velodrome. So, what's the big deal with road bikes having wide forks? Well, we kind of saw it before, to an extent. Take Ribble's Ultra SL, launched in 2022, featuring abnormally wide forks. It was all about speed, just like the Hope HB.T, but with reined-in fork width. It was part of a growing trend towards wider forks, fostered by the disc brake revolution and catering to demands for wider tire clearance.
However, you might question why we haven't seen forks as wide as the HB.T's on the road before. It's simple: safety concerns, potential consumer put-offs, and the difference in racing conditions. Wide track bike forks were designed to tackle wind resistance from one direction (front) and to hit speeds of 70kph and beyond. There are no crosswinds in a velodrome. Would they fare as well on the road, and at slower speeds?
Well, it's been tested. In 2021, Hope unveiled a prototype time trial bike version of its 2019 HB.T, pinning hopes on a new dawn for the design. It was ridden by Great Britain's Ethan Vernon in the under-23 TT at the UCI World Championships. Vernon placed seventh, and the prototype disappeared without a trace.
The logical assumption? The design didn't translate well to the road as hoped. But years have passed, technology has progressed, and there's no harm in trying out something new.
So, will the Factor bike kickstart a domino effect in peloton fashion, like the Hope HB.T did on the track? Or is Stewart's wide-forked machine just a short-lived oddity, like Vernon's prototype in 2021?
One thing remains certain: if you want to keep your finger on the pulse of the next big road trend, start digging around in velodromes. They're the breeding ground for cutting-edge technology that trickles down to the road in time!
Sign up for our newsletter!Want to stay in the loop with the latest race news, exciting features, expert reviews, and expert buying guides? Subscribe and get it all delivered straight to your inbox!
- The adventurous spirit of technology trends in sports, particularly in road racing, is evident as designs from the velodrome, such as the wide forks on the Factor bike, find their way to the road.
- The wide forks on Jake Stewart's new bike are a reflection of the advancements in technology that originate in track racing,, demonstrating how innovations in sports technology can transcend different disciplines.
