Factor's newest bike, the Monza, is an interesting concept. Designed for the everyday racer it seeks to blend high performance with more practicality. The desired outcome is a race bike that’s more accessible than the current WorldTour offerings but doesn’t feel like a compromise for those who still take their racing and training seriously. But is this possible?
Pure racing bikes are exclusive by their very nature. Designed for the best riders in the world they are built without compromise, both with regards to the technologies and materials used and the geometry and ride quality. The result is a raft of super-stiff bikes with exorbitant high price tags, suited for the few rather than the masses.
So what have Factor done with the Monza to make it more affordable and user-friendly yet still deliver the levels of performance that riders expect from a marque that excels at making top-tier racing machines?
A 'strategic layup'
The Norfolk born brand is naturally quick to quash any idea of the Monza being a trade-off between price and quality. ‘Monza is not a step down, it’s a step forward’, reads the marketing material. To make this move possible, it says it's taken the essence of the Ostro VAM, the aero bike ridden by the Israel PremierTech team, but refined it to impact costs but not the performance.
Examples of this approach can be found across the Monza, all of them seemingly rooted in the notion that the many of the subtitles found on the Ostro VAM that hike the cost of manufacturing up can be altered without notice for the everyday rider. Take the carbon used. While the Ostro VAM is made from a no-expense spared layup of TeXtreme, Toray and Nippon Graphite Pitch-Based fibres, the Monza is formed from a “strategic layup” that reduces costs but still, Factor says, allows it retain the correct balance of stiffness-to-weight as well as hitting the right notes with regarded to overall ride feel.
As for the frame design, like the Ostro VAM it features aero-optimized tubing but adopts less complex manufacturing techniques to achieve this. Look at the front end. While the headtube is a similar shape to the Ostro VAM it's noticeably wider in profile, with the greater tube thickness lessening the manufacturing complexity. A planar break between the fork and the frame is used for the same reason. This more robust look is featured across the frame, particularly evident in the chunkier seat stays.
Redesigned cockpit and a 'democratised' fit
Similarly the cockpit looks to strike a balance between practicality and performance. Named HB04 it is a user-friendly version of the AB01 found on the Ostro VAM. Shorter in both reach and drop, it features a semi-aero design with a standard round cap and moulded cable entry ports that are cheaper to manufacture as well as making for easier routing. It’s used in combination with a head tube assembly that relies on a round steerer and large 1.5” bearing that are designed to make routing and adjustments easier.
Perhaps nowhere is Factor’s ‘refined, not compromised’ approach more apparent than in Monza's geometry. While it retains the same head tube angle, fork offset and chainstay lengths as the Ostro VAM to ensure a similar responsive ride, the stack height has been increased by 10mm. From experience it's a small change that can make a big difference for those who are less flexible. It also makes it better suited for those who need to use their race bike for training and leisure rides too.
This practical approach is mirrored in other areas. To help future proof the Monza clearance allows for tyres up to 34mm in width, which also increases its versatility. There’s also a down tube storage compartment.
It makes sense that the build options seek to blend performance and price too. In that vein the Monza is offered with Ultegra Di2 and Force AXS groupsets and Black Inc wheels and components, with prices starting at £6399 / $6799 / $11499 AUD. It’s also available as a frameset, seat post and cockpit package for £3799 / $3799 / $6799AUD. While we’d never suggest this constitutes a bargain it’s almost £3,000 cheaper than the Ostaro VAM package. For competitive weekend warriors that’s a considerable chunk of change.
The Factor Monza is available in 7 sizes from 45cm to 61cm and is available in three colours, Steel Green, Solar Blue and Pearl White.
CW Says
Factor’s approach to the Monza is commendable. WorldTour race bikes have become expensive making them impractical for everyday racers. Not only is the initial cost prohibitive but repairs and maintenance are also costly. The Monza doesn’t fix this entirely of course, £6399 / $6799 / $11499 AUD is still a huge amount of money, but it does at least offer the opportunity for more people to benefit from WorldTour tech in a package that is better suited to their needs.
