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TECH NEWS

Sneak peek: AG2R’s Factor O2 race bike

Check out what Romain Bardet and team will be riding in 2017

AG2R La Mondiale pro cycling team has shown off the Factor bikes that its riders will be racing on next year.

We told you last month that the French squad would be switching from Focus to Factor in 2017. 

The British bike brand has been in existence only since 2009.

The bike pictured here with the team's Romain Bardet is a Factor 02 with a claimed frameset weight of just 740g. The team will also be riding the Factor One.

Factor says that the 02’s frame tubing has been designed to minimise drag and that its Svelte fork has one of the smallest surface areas of any out there.

The chainstays are asymmetrical to cope with the differing forces on either side of the bike while the skinny seatstays are intended to minimise vibration and provide comfort.

AG2R is making the switch from SRAM to Shimano for 2017, so the team will be using Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets.

Shimano will introduce a Dura-Ace power meter next year but that’s a new SRM power meter on Bardet’s bike, with superlight carbon-fibre cranks from THM.

Check out our Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 first ride review here. 

The team previously used Quarq power meters, but Quarq is part of the SRAM Corporation so that deal has come to an end. 

AG2R have used Zipp wheels for the past few years but that changes now, Zipp being part of the SRAM Corporation too. Instead, AG2R riders will use Mavic wheels. These are Cosmic Ultimates pictured here. The tyres of Continental Competition Pro Ltd. 

As previously, saddles come from Fizik and pedals come from Look.

www.cyclisme.ag2rlamondiale.fr

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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6 comments

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Ad Hynkel | 7 years ago
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Just been looking on their website. Interestingly they seem to have more dealers in France than England and Wales. Have they been getting a better reception over the water than here or is it a deliberate move to target France as the primary market?

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therevokid | 7 years ago
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nice ... reminds me of another makers frame, just can't place which one ... still,  think

I may need to sell a kidney and first born  1

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Danger Dicko | 7 years ago
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Wow.

What lovely bikes. 

Makes me wish I'd studied harder at school so I had a better paid job.

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MARK5292 | 7 years ago
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Lovely Bikes British pro continental team "One Pro Cycling" have been using Factor one this season

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ashfanman | 7 years ago
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Now that is a lovely looking thing. Will be right up there with Katusha's Canyons as the best looking bikes in the peleton, IMO.

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Nathan79 | 7 years ago
1 like

Very Nice ! Look forward to seeing them in the peleton.

 

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