Major Drool: Factor 001

[Every Miles A Memory]

If you havent seen this bike yet, be ready to drool. I was reading the September 09 issue of Men's Journal (I know, I try and keep up to date on these things..LOL) and saw this bike:Wow1:

http://www.factor001.com/

Whether you're into bikes or not, the build quality of this thing is simply amazing. I've spent a half hour on their site, and I'm not even interested in ever buying one because I dont ride street, but it's like drooling all over a Ferrari knowing I cant ever get one

 

[Christophe Noel]

Gotta be honest...I don't get it. I've been a die hard roadie since 1985 and this thing boggles me. You can't race it - it's not UCI legal. It's not aerodynamic. It's like a one-off science experiment. Reminds me of the Modolo bike, in fact VERY much like the Modolo concept bike from about 1986. But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

Like I said, I'm not a roadie and never plan on owning one, but look through their site, they've got some pretty cool features that could trickle down to other bikes in the future

It's the equivilent of looking over a Fiskar Electric Car for me

 

[xcmountain80]

It's pretty, and like I said before to someone somewhere you can only invent the wheel so many times before it comes back around. The head tube and fork remind me of my brother R-1 (1000cc Street bike for the uninitiated). I appreciate build quality and design, spend hours looking at pictures from the hand made bicycle shows.

A

 

[Christophe Noel]

It's interesting in the sense that everything on this bike is far from revolutionary, but when you package it like this it LOOKS revolutionary. As an example, the first people to really use that faired fork design was Look in 1994. Even Clement Klaspar of Morati Titanium from the Czech Republic used discs as recently as 2004 on his road bikes before UCI shut that down. I even have some Hayes prototype hydraulic STI levers in my basement from Clement.

It's also curious that companies like these say they're striving to design outside of UCI regulations for the ultimate bike, yet they stick with the regulation mandated double diamond frame format and not something like the Lotus bikes or the Pinarello bikes like Big Mig used in 1993.

It's crazy looking, all give you that. Also weird they tried to gain aerodynamics with the spokes, but paired that to what looks like sub 45mm rims. Funky.

It is cool in a certain way.

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

I guess I'm drooling over how clean and simple it looks

No lines/cables or anything to take away from the simplicity of it all

It would look really sweet with a set of Cyclocross tires on it

 

[Cackalak Han]

I think it looks hideous. The whole headtube area looks like a train wreck. And what's with discs? Is it a road bike or cyclocross bike? I think it has some identity issues.

If you want simplicity, take a look at a fixed gear singlespeed.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I think it looks hideous. The whole headtube area looks like a train wreck. D

The entire front wheel, fork, stem and headset set up makes my wrists throb just looking at it. You can't tell me that doesn't ride like a jackhammer. And they must not have received the memo from about 2005 that discs and road bikes are a pointless combi.

 

[AFSOC]

Flounder, I'm having a tough time figuring out what's you're opinion of this bike?
:costumed-smiley-007

 

[Rexsname]

Why aren't there any pedals?

REX

 

[Christophe Noel]

Flounder, I'm having a tough time figuring out what's you're opinion of this bike?
:costumed-smiley-007

I think it's not unattractive, but a design disaster. It's the most impractical bike I've ever seen. And...to what end? Bikes are slowed by gravity, wind and mechanical drag. This can't possibly be light. It certainly doesn't look more aero than say a Ridley Noah. Mechanical drag is so insignificant, that doesn't matter. So, you've got a bike that looks like it was pooped out of a NASA think tank and it's no faster than 30 year old Masi or De Rosa.

Speaking of ugly:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...-bike-the-impec_124440/attachment/bmc_impec22

This is truly cutting edge, but when they sat down to design this they said, "shall we go swoopy and elegant, or make it blocky like a Transformer on roids?"


I think the most beautiful bike (for me) is a Colnago EPs: http://www.colnago.com/bikes/2010/eps Ernesto's beautiful machines are made with love and precision and their partnership with Ferrari is seen throughout their line. Mama mia.

 

[1speed]

Why aren't there any pedals?

REX

"Real" bikes don't come with pedals. :elkgrin:


Seriously though, for the market a bike like that is aimed at most potential buyers have a preference of what pedal to use and a lot of them are very expensive. Cyclists are a picky bunch, if they put pedals on it 90% of potential buyers would want something else.

 

[1speed]

...If you want simplicity, take a look at a fixed gear singlespeed.

Something like these perhaps?

 

[1x1_Speed_Craig]

I see more marketing and non-standard parts considerations than anything else, but that's just me. BTW, I wouldn't be opposed to discs on a road bike, especially if you do all-weather riding (I'm more of a fair weather biker, myself).

I'll stick with my fixxie and SS. Simplicity and (essentially) maintenance-free bikes at their finest. :sombrero:

Craig

 

[Christophe Noel]

Here are some real funky rigs, some only concepts, some carried riders to mega victories. All of these are 10 if not 20 years old. The Modolo/Botecchia is from 1986. A working model never hit the road. All of these were squashed by UCI's mandetory "Double Diamond" frame format.










The Pinarello was Indurain's TT bike and another was used by him to break the Hour Record. Boardman rode that Lotus to prologue and Hour Record wins. That Bianchi never saw much action, but if you notice, that's first generation Campagnolo Record C (Not C-Record) from 1985.