IN BRIEF
Factor has unveiled the Elara, a race-focused gravel bike that takes over from the Ostro Gravel. The frame accepts 57 mm tyres with a single chainring, and Factor claims a drag coefficient 5 to 8% lower than that of the Ostro Gravel. The brand describes a complete redesign rather than an update: chainstays tightened to between 420 and 425 mm depending on size, an offset seat tube junction to make room for the big tyre, and a carbon fork derived from the ONE. According to Cyclist, the frame is listed at €7,199 and complete bikes from €10,999 to €13,599.
| Tyre clearance (1x) | 57 mm |
| Chainstay length | 420 mm (small sizes) to 425 mm (large) |
| Colours | Virescent Blue and Matte Carbon |
| Claimed frame weight | Under 1,100 g in a painted size M, according to Factor |
| Sizes | Six, from 49 to 61 cm, according to Cyclist |
| Frame price | €7,199, according to Cyclist |
| Complete bike prices | From €10,999 to €13,599, according to Cyclist |
Race gravel has long been built on a compromise: room for the tyre, but not too much, at the risk of lengthening the chainstays and dulling the handling. Factor says it refused that trade-off — its Elara accepts 57 mm tyres with a single chainring while keeping chainstays of 420 to 425 mm.
The Factor Elara takes over from the Ostro Gravel
Factor tells of a project that outgrew its original brief. “What may have started as an update to the OSTRO Gravel quickly turned into a complete redesign”, Factor writes on the bike’s presentation page. According to Cyclist, the Elara does indeed take the Ostro Gravel’s place in the range. The British outlet notes that this is the third new gravel bike launched by Factor in a year, after the Aluto, aimed at versatility, and the Sarana, dedicated to ultra-endurance.
The geometry was reworked in the same move. Factor announces “a longer reach, reduced trail and a lower bottom bracket than the previous model”, with an 80 mm bottom bracket drop — 82 mm on the two smallest sizes, 49 and 52. The brand explains that it is seeking to better place the rider’s centre of gravity, a condition for sound handling with tyres this wide.
57 mm of tyre without lengthening the rear end
This is the bike’s technical crux. To fit a 57 mm tyre — 2.2 inches — between chainstays of 420 to 425 mm, Factor worked on two levers: a one-piece construction, which allows chainstays “thin enough for the carcass of a 57 mm tyre to clear them”, and an offset seat tube junction. The frame remains compatible with a double chainring, but clearance then drops to 47 mm.
Factor specifies that this width is aimed at speed rather than adventure: “it’s specifically designed to allow the rider to maintain very high speeds”.
Aerodynamics claimed to be 5 to 8% better
Factor claims “a drag coefficient 5 to 8% lower than that of the OSTRO Gravel”. The brand states that its computational fluid dynamics (CFD) validation “confirms measurable drag reductions with race tyres from 45 to 57 mm”, and places the resulting aerodynamic efficiency “on a par with modern road frames”. These figures are the manufacturer’s.
The front triangle borrows from the brand’s ONE and OSTRO VAM programmes, with an hourglass head tube and a more deeply profiled carbon fork, inspired by that of the ONE. Factor says it has gained as much in stiffness as in air penetration.
In-house wheels and handlebar, and a steep bill
The best-equipped versions get the new Black Inc Sixty Four Gravel wheelset, which Factor notes requires a 47 mm tyre as a minimum. According to road.cc, these rims measure 30 mm of internal width. A one-piece handlebar was developed alongside it, the Black Inc Aero Gravel Bar AB07, with an integrated computer mount and internal hose routing.
On price, Cyclist lists the frame at €7,199 and complete bikes from €10,999, with SRAM Force XPLR AXS and Black Inc 46 wheels, to €13,599 with SRAM Red XPLR AXS and Black Inc 64 wheels. The British outlet also cites a claimed bare frame weight of under 1,100 grams in size M, and six frame sizes from 49 to 61 cm. The Elara comes in two colours, Virescent Blue and Matte Carbon.
