Factor has launched the new ONE road bike today, after a season of the bike being teased in racing, claiming it is the fastest UCI‑legal road machine in the world after a development push that spans a decade of product development and a year of focused engineering.
The bike aims to suit the reality of modern pro racing: aggressive, forward positions, narrower bars, shorter cranks and bigger tyres - and as a result the design is a drastic deviation from the leading aero bikes as recently as five years ago. Clearances run up to 34 mm, while the geometry extends reach by around 20 mm versus many rival race frames, with a virtual seat angle that can effectively sits around 76° across different sizes.
At the front of the bike, Factor has reached to the very limits of thea recent UCI fork‑box rule changes. A bayonet‑style fork projects forward of the head tube into a deep "chin" fairing that ducts airflow around the front wheel, cockpit and down tube. The company says the front end was refined through more than 200 CFD iterations to prioritise stability in real‑world crosswinds beyond 15° of yaw.
The cockpit is equally unconventional. The one‑piece bar mount is structurally separated from the steerer. Factor argues this lets riders run very long, low positions without upsetting handling, with five effective lengths, three rises and 15 mm spacers giving 35 mm of stack adjustment.
In controlled wind‑tunnel sessions at 48 km/h, with wheels and contact points normalised, Factor says the ONE cuts drag by more than 22% versus the Specialized Tarmac SL8 and about 15% versus the Cervélo S5, while also beating its own OSTRO VAM 2.0 by over 8%. Independent testing at the University of Guelph and SASI, plus a Cyclingnews tunnel session – the industry-leading objective media testing – is cited in support.
Race validation arrived early. Jake Stewart (Israel‑Premier Tech) sprinted to victory on a bare‑carbon prototype in Stage 5 of the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné.
Although not yet stated by Factor, based on the brand's previous frames we'll expect the One to dip below 1kg for a 54 cm, with complete builds landing in the mid‑7 kg range. The ONE keeps a BBRight press‑fit bottom bracket, adds a SRAM UDH hanger for future 1x compatibility and is electronic‑only for shifting.
Pricing reflects the superbike positioning. A frameset module, including fork, cockpit and seatpost, starts at US$6,900, with complete bikes from US$10,899 for Ultegra Di2. Top‑end builds with Dura‑Ace Di2 or SRAM Red AXS, all on Black Inc carbon wheels, climb up toward US$13,000.
Founder Rob Gitelis describes the ONE as "the culmination of the last ten years" with a clear brief to win races. Whether the ONE is truly the fastest UCI‑legal road bike will now be tested not just in the wind tunnel but across an entire season in the WorldTour peloton.
