Factor’s new Elara gravel bike is the latest addition to its off-road range, and looks set to rival Ridley and Argon 18’s aero-optimised gravel racers.
The Elara gets a wide-mouth fork inspired by the road-racing One, alongside new progressive geometry with a longer reach, yet shorter trail for fast handling and clearance for 57mm tyres.
Perhaps the biggest surprise, however, is Factor has managed to retain 2x compatibility, yet kept the back end short with 423mm chainstays.
We spotted an aero-gravel prototype from Factor at this year's Traka, alongside the suspension-fork equipped Sarana. This looks to be the full production version of that bike.
New geometry
The Elara’s geometry has a longer reach, reduced trail and lower bottom bracket compared to its predecessor.
According to Factor, this is the key to improving the handling, especially when using larger tyres.
The increased length of the front centre is said to better manage the centre of gravity and put the rider within the bike. It’s a position Factor says will feel familiar to road racers, with the bike remaining composed over gravel. That's something I’m keen to try out because the previous Ostro gravel struggled to maintain its composure on the roughest terrain.
The shape of the Elara’s frame is informed by lots of CFD aerodynamic work, and you can see the influence of both the One and Ostro VAM road bikes in the Elara’s design.
1x or 2x
In a bold move, Factor has retained 2x compatibility for the Elara, whereas its rival gravel bikes from the likes of Argon 18, Scott and Ridley have switched to solely 1x designs.
Factor’s design engineer, Stuart Munro, explains: “Nobody’s managed to keep a proper short rear-centre on a 2x gravel bike with 57s. We just kept shaving it until it fit, 423mm chainstays, and everything still clears. 2x was never negotiable; we didn’t want to force a drivetrain choice just to fit a tyre. That’s not how we work.”
Factor says it has overcome this challenge by using a shapely and very thin driveside chainstay. It claims this could be achieved by producing the Elara frame as a true monocoque one-piece construction because a thin joint here could be a weakness. The result is a frame with better alignment, less machining required and a lighter weight.
Aero included
Factor says the Elara design draws on Factor’s One and Ostro VAM designs, with planar fork integration (the wide-mouth crown and forward position of the fork's leading edge), a narrow hourglass head tube, and refined leading-edge transitions around the down tube and bottle zones.
The brand says CFD validation has confirmed measurable drag reductions with 45-57mm race tyres (although it hasn’t provided any data to support this). Factor claims the Elara delivers aero efficiency on a par with modern road frames.
There is a down-tube storage port, so Factor says you won’t spoil the aerodynamics with add-on bags when carrying all the essentials for training and race days.
Black Inc components
Factor’s component partner, Black Inc, has created both a one-piece cockpit for the Elara and a new aero gravel wheelset.
The new Black Inc Aero Gravel Bar AB07 one-piece cockpit offers a subtle flare, integrated computer mount and internal hose routing.
The new Black Inc Sixty Four gravel wheels have a 64mm-deep aero rim and a 30mm internal width.
The Factor Elara will be available in six sizes, ranging from 49 to 61cm. The Elara can be ordered with a zero or 20mm-setback seatpost.
The Black Inc Aero Gravel Bar AB07 Barstem comes in a wide range of sizes, from 36cm bar width and 80mm stem length to a 40cm-wide bar and 140mm-long stem.
Pricing begins at $5,999 / €7,199 for a frame package.
