Factor is unashamedly premium in its intentions, with the prices to match. The Ostro Vam with Shimano Dura-Ace comes in at just £500 less than a Specialized Tarmac SL8 in a similar spec. £11,000 for one of the best road bikes is verging on ridiculous. Drop down a tier to Ultegra, and you’re still parting with £8,995 for a second-tier groupset on the flagship frame.
In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, only having bikes at that level in your inventory can’t be that much fun - and so Factor has produced the Monza.
The launch literature spoke to the needs of the ‘everyday’ racer. I’m not sure if that means every day, as in racing the bike every day, or every day, like a toaster or a serviceable car. But, at £3,000 less than the Ostro VAM, the Monza certainly looks like a serious effort to bring more people to the brand.
Quite how ‘everyday’ a £6,399 bike is for most people is unclear. But if you, like me, covet well made, high performance bikes and like the idea of riding the best kit out there, it’s not a crazy proposition to put a cut-price Factor ahead of lesser brands.
But is it more than that? And is Factor on to something with the Monza? I tested it over a very active period of riding this summer to find out.
Design details
The Factor Monza is intended as a stripped-back, more practical version of the Ostro VAM. The company has had to make some compromises along the way, of course, but it seems to have considered them all from the perspective of the use case in the project brief, the everyday racer, so some won’t come as a surprise.
The handling geometry remains exactly the same as the Ostro VAM. There is no extra chainstay to give a bit more stability and no extra trail with that extra tyre clearance (now 34mm).
This is important. The Ostro VAM is every bit the Tour De France race bike template, sharing a short wheelbase, short front centre, low trail value, and steep angles with many other competitive bikes in the pro-peloton. All those handling characteristiccs are transplanted directly into Monza, unchanged.
The fit geometry is adjusted in what it calls a move towards ‘democratisation’. In reality, that means a 9mm extra stack over the Ostro VAM, rising at the front end to 574mm, and shortening the reach by just 3mm. If the previous fit wasn’t democratic, it’s not a lurch to the centre ground, but it will be welcome for many. At the very least, it means fewer spacers, but you wouldn't put it in the best endurance road bikes category, so that shouldn’t put anyone off.
To achieve the magic numbers on the spreadsheets, the layup includes some lower modulus fibres, which increase the frame weight over the Ostro Vam. However, Factor claims they've retained the ride quality and response that the Ostro Vam is known for. It’s a fair bit heavier, 1,100g, but they’re assuming the ‘everyday racer’ doesn’t care if it comes with some extra robustness. Handy if you’re prone to crashing and need to ride home.
Some of the extra grams have not just gone on bloat and armour. Some have been spent on added practicality. It’s not all one-way traffic in the features sense, though, as the Monza gets some extra goodies, a round steerer, larger top bearings for added serviceability, and a neat hatch to stow race day goodies, like a tube, a gel, or some spares. A UDH hanger, too. Sounds good.
Enough of the intentions, let’s see what all the fuss is about, and get into the actual review.
Performance
On a smooth piece of tarmac we usually have an excellent idea of what we’re getting into with this geometry. Even the harsh ones work well on such a road surface.
A sub 1m wheelbase, 405mm chainstay, and steep seat- and head tube angles, ported over from the Ostro Vam, is clearly going to ride well. It’s ‘insert-favourite-race-bike-handling-here' territory.
I can also reach for the usual descriptors to tell you how that feels under power and in the corners; the Monza feels stiff, light, eager, quick to change direction, and planted, just like a proper race bike should. It’s fast, straight out of the gate.
The slightly more upright position is barely noticeable, but welcome, and I defy anyone to notice the reduction in reach, but it’s reassuring to know it’s there.
What’s surprising is I don’t feel like I’m hauling a load of extra mass around. This is partly due to the numbers directing the handling, of course. They give the bike a lithe, high-frequency, racey feeling.
When the road got rougher, I was delighted to discover that the bike wasn't darting around like a startled rat. It’s got plenty of composure, and while the ride is firm, it’s well balanced from front to back, with no noticeable jarring.
The ride quality is plenty good enough for a bike of this type in terms of out-and-out comfort. With much of the design focus going into hitting numbers on a spreadsheet you’d think the ride quality might suffer, but it hasn’t. Hats off to Factor in that department.
Is the harshness hiding in a big tyre? Well, no, not really. Okay, I’m running 60psi front and back in what are excellent Continental GP 5000s, but they’re 28mm, and I’m hitting every pothole between here and Sheringham, along the Norfolk Coast road.
When you really want to press on, the bike's immediate responsiveness makes you want to chase everything down, while handling is intoxicating. I found myself pushing hard in bends I might otherwise have cruised around. The boxy frame and deep section wheels respond with those race bike noises that add to the theatre.
As much as there’s a bit of lovestruck hyperbole in that statement, it's just what the best race bikes do. To deny that heady concoction would miss the point of these exotic toys.
Over a period of eight weeks I reached for the Monza more than any other bike currently at my disposal. And I had some pretty exotic stuff lying around. Why was this? It wasn’t just down to the handling.
Specifications
To understand the appeal, I’ll have to dig into the spec and features a little more, and of course, the aesthetics.
Firstly the spec is pleasingly sensible, and all good stuff. The handlebar, the Black Inc HB04 carbon, is nicely shaped and stiff enough without feeling harsh. Great in the drops and with no crazy flares , just sensible dimensions as befits this kind of bike.
I really like the fact that it’s in a contrast black. That clearly makes it a little easier to throw together and might be a cost-saving device, but it looks really smart. The interface between the fork and the headtube is sensible too, apparently saving money on moulds while creating a really purposeful-looking front end for this bike. No fuss, but fast looking.
The groupset features what I believe is the best-looking crankset on the market - the new SRAM Force D2 setup, with its narrowing crank design and those lovely-looking chain rings. I don’t care that you can’t buy this bike with SRAM Red AXS, because Force works just the same. And compared to Shimano Ultegra it really is the better-looking option now. Excellent brakes are now a given in SRAM setups, and the lever feel is next level.
The wheels are Black Incs, with a 45mm depth. These aren’t anything to write home about, but in testing, they’re solid, reliable, and responsive, and didn’t deviate or degrade in any way. The presence of a steel spoke is a plus in my book, and you can keep your carbon alternatives.
I swapped the saddle out so I won’t comment on Factor’s standard saddle choice. However, if you do go and buy one of these from a Factor dealer, and especially Vires Velo in Norfolk, where I picked this bike up from, they’ll put you on their ID-Match fit jig and find you one that fits you.
Such is the personal nature of saddle choice. And more power to Factor for supporting dealers in making the necessary changes to ensure your expensive bike fits your physiology. More of that, please, big brand bike companies.
Value
At three grand less than an Ostro VAM, I’d struggle to recommend the Ostro VAM, or even a Specialized Tarmac for that matter.
While I don’t need a space in the downtube for a Snickers bar on my race bike, once you’ve got one, it’s a nice feature for sure. Hell, Factor reckon your bike is slower with a saddle pack on it anyway, so why argue? But in all seriousness, the added practicality really enhances and does not detract from the Monza.
The SRAM Force components are sensible cost-wise, compared to SRAM Red, and so what if it’s a few grams heavier? A Black Inc wheelset and matching bits probably feel or seem a bit more premium than most lower to mid-priced aftermarket options, too. Certainly, it looks a little more murdered-out or fancier than some big brands, so I’d have to say Factor is pretty compelling in the rolling stock and finishing kit stakes, too.
Where value can’t be suggested or assured is in this bike’s intentions. It’s for the few, not the many, even at just shy of seven grand, I’m losing patience with hearing about value at all at this price point, and I’m sure the public is sick to death of it too.
If, however, you’re lucky enough to have seven grand burning a hole in your pocket for yet another bike, or even one bike that will be, as Factor intended, suitable for racing on the weekend, training in the week, and riding home from it all, or dare I say commuting, too, this certainly is a compelling option.
In fact, I’m not sure which bike would be better at it or look better for this money.
Verdict
The Factor Monzo is a cracker of a race bike that can just about squeeze enough tyre to take on some other fun rides, too, or even a commute, with clever storage and a thoughtful spec that does away with a lot of stuff we don’t need as ‘everyday’ racers, and adds plenty of things we never even thought of.
You might get a bit lighter bike for an extra three grand, but you won’t get it much slipperier, and I’d argue it certainly won’t be better looking. You could spend that spare three grand on another hobby altogether, and be just as quick around Hillingdon on a Wednesday.
Tech spec: Factor Monzo
- Frame: Toray®, Nippon Graphite® Pan-Based Fiber
- Weight: 0.00kg
- Groupset: SRAM Force AXS
- Wheels: Black Inc FORTY FIVE
- Tyres: Continental GP 5000
- Bar/stem: Black Inc Integrated Barstem
- Seatpost: 0 and 25mm setback available
- Saddle: Selle Italia SLR, 7x9 carbon rails
Geometry table
Size |
45 |
49 |
52 |
54 |
56 |
58 |
61 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stack |
502 |
514 |
535 |
552 |
574 |
597 |
611 |
Reach |
360 |
367 |
373 |
381 |
389 |
401 |
410 |
Head Tube Angle |
71.1° |
71.7° |
72.5° |
72.5° |
73.3° |
73.3° |
73.3° |
BB Drop |
72 |
72 |
72 |
70 |
70 |
70 |
70 |
Trail |
58 |
58 |
58 |
58 |
58.6 |
58.6 |
58.6 |
Fork Rake/Offset |
57 |
53 |
48 |
48 |
43 |
43 |
43 |
Chainstay Length |
405 |
405 |
405 |
405 |
405 |
408 |
410 |
Wheelbase |
970 |
969 |
971 |
985 |
987 |
1006 |
1022 |
Standover Height |
726 |
742 |
765 |
786 |
803 |
830 |
842 |
Seat Tube Length |
428 |
450 |
474 |
498 |
519 |
541 |
553 |
Seat Tube Angle |
75.5° |
74.5° |
74° |
74° |
73.5° |
73.5° |
73.5° |
