First raced in the World Tour in 2016, Factor’s O2 road bike got some fresh attention in the middle of last year. At that point, the Factor O2 VAM took the chance to drop even more weight from an already light weight bike with some enhancements to their carbon fiber production process. While the O2 VAM is still in Factor’s lineup, the company took the opportunity to bring some of those same production techniques to the second generation O2 to make it better than ever.
One way to drop weight in an existing carbon frame is to cut down on the amount of excess resin left in the frame when it pops out of the mold. Factor claims that they managed this by increasing the amount of pressure in the compression molding process along with more “intricately detailed internal mandrels.” It seems that the actual carbon materials themselves still set the two frames apart though as the O2 lists a blend of Toray and Nippon Graphite Pan-Based carbon fiber while the O2 VAM lists a blend of TeXtreme, Toray, and Nippon Graphite Pitch-Based carbon fiber. Factor states that the new O2 frame is lighter than the previous model, though the exact number isn’t provided. The O2 VAM was reported to be 100g less than the O2 which resulted in sub 700g frame. We’d guess that the new O2 will be a bit heavier than that, but it should be under 800g if all of their claims are true.
Carrying over from previous designs, the new O2 has an asymmetric downtube and bottom bracket.
Fans of bigger tires will be happy to see that tire clearance has been bumped up to 30mm. The seat tube uses a hidden and integrated seatpost binder tucked under the top tube.
With 12mm thru axles front and rear, Factor points out that these are aero thru axles with flush profiles.
Still available in rim or disc brake versions, both bikes have internal cable routing throughout the frame and fork. You’ll also have the choice of mechanical or electronic drivetrains with blanking plates for the cable ports on the electronic models.
Of course, the new frames also have a new look with two new color options – Pearl White and Miami Blue.
Framesets will start at $2,700 which includes their Svelte Fork and a headset, and complete builds offered with either Shimano Ultegra or SRAM Force.
