I’ve spent the last few months dipping in and out of fantasy Factor Ostro Vam ownership, alongside pretending to own some other really exceptional pro-level road bike kit. I swap them around during my testing schedule, and often end up back-to-backing very similar bikes. I was very keen to see how this bike performs alongside its nearest competition, which I had several of to hand.
What’s obvious before I even get a leg over these kinds of bikes is that there are very few geometric outliers in the pro ranks. The only one is the BMC Roadmachine, which features an unusually long wheelbase and a trail of 63mm, which is well outside the average. At the other extreme is the Specialized Tarmac SL8 with a trail value of just 55mm, similar to the Cervelo S5, and the others that sit between 56 and 59mm.
