Factor ONE V3 Road Bike Frameset

The ONE is not a revolution pulled from thin air; it is the evolution of everything we’ve learned in recent years. From the Olympic-record-breaking HANZŌ Track to the all-conquering OSTRO VAM, each project has added layers of knowledge. We’ve amassed a deep understanding of form and shapes, fusing CFD, wind tunnel, and real-world knowledge. How to manipulate turbulence around a spinning wheel, how to extract more speed without sacrificing stability. When the UCI relaxed key design regulations, we were ready. We pushed to the very edge of what is now possible, not only aerodynamically, but in rider fit and handling. In its first public appearance, unannounced, in prototype form, the ONE won a stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. It was not a debut. It was a declaration.

• Extreme Aerodynamics - Our R&D team has been here before. The Olympic-record-breaking HANZŌ Track research and development showed us how airflow “spills” off the front tyre and disrupts everything behind it. An internal road bike test project taught us that, freed from traditional fork constraints, we could significantly improve performance. The OSTRO VAM proved that aerodynamic speed could be paired with low weight and stable, responsive handling. Those projects were more than products; they were reconnaissance missions. Each revealed weakness in established designs and gave us the tools to attack them. By the time the UCI changed the rules, we had the experience, the factory capability, and the appetite to go further than anyone else. The ONE wouldn’t just be about matching the OSTRO VAM’s speed, it had to leapfrog it. That meant not just refining existing shapes but breaking them apart and rebuilding them better.
• Focused Modern Geometry - Aerodynamics was only half the mission. The modern racer’s position has shifted, using narrower bars, more forward saddles, and shorter cranks, all of which push the rider’s weight further over the front wheel. Without carefully focused geometry, this can upset handling balance and increase crash risk. The ONE’s geometry was designed to accommodate these WorldTour positions without compromise. By decoupling the handlebar mount from the steering axis, we can give riders the extreme reach they want without resorting to unstable, overlong stems. We adjusted bottom bracket drop to compensate for the raised centre of gravity from shorter cranks and larger tyres, preserving stability and keeping front/rear weight balance in check. Even in the smallest sizes, the ONE keeps identical steering geometry to the largest frames, a rarity in high-performance road bikes.
• Advanced Use Of CFD - Advances in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) have made it possible to gain unprecedented insight into airflow, allowing us to iterate hundreds of virtual prototypes before ever stepping into a wind tunnel. Not only is the tool effective, but we have experience to read it and the understanding to apply it. Our development team used their years of accumulated knowledge and the lessons we’ve learned to understand and interpret the results. Every decision was tested, refined, and proven on screen and on the road. But this isn’t just about slicing through the air. We studied the changing position of the modern racer. They are rotated forward over the front of the bike, pushing saddles further forward, using shorter cranks, narrower bars, a longer reach. The UCI has responded to these trends with new rules, and the ONE is designed to embrace them, putting the rider in their most powerful position while maintaining perfect handling balance and centre of gravity.
• Dictating Airflow - Wind tunnel testing proved what our CFD trials had been indicating: the Bayonet Fork + “Chin” Fairing system produced the lowest drag and the most stable yaw performance, holding its advantage beyond 15° where competitors fell apart. The ONE’s front-end design isn’t simply about cutting the air. It dictates where the air goes next, ensuring smoother flow across the entire system. The design controls airflow at the front end and sustains an aerodynamic advantage deep into crosswind yaw. The UCI’s rule changes allowed us to escape the dimensional prison of the traditional fork box. We used that freedom to design the wide fork with a ducted chin, a forward-projected structure that manages the “spillover” drag created when airflow detaches from the front tyre and crown area.