Race Sunday, train Monday: The Factor MONZA is the perfect pro-level bike for amateur racers

Factor Bikes is renowned for building pro-level, race-focused machines designed to carry teams like Israel Premier Tech to Grand Tour glory – bikes such as the excellent O2 VAM climbing weapon, the pro level all-rounder in the OSTRO VAM and, soon perhaps, a dedicated aero bike for the sprinters.

The new Factor MONZA, though, isn't a bike designed for the likes of Michael Woods, Stevie Williams or Joe Blackmore. Instead, Factor says the MONZA is designed for passionate competitors who balance family, careers, and life’s responsibilities while still pushing themselves to their limits on the bike. That's us right?

It's a bike that Factor says isn't a step down, but a step in the right direction. The MONZA is designed to be a true high-performance race bike that balances speed, efficiency, and real-world usability, without unnecessary complexity.

Watch Cycling Weekly's Factor MONZA First Look

You don’t have to look very far before you realise what Factor means. For example, unlike the OSTRO VAM, the MONZA has in-frame storage in the down tube. Why? Well, because you don’t have a team car full of food and spares following you around and this storage eliminates the need for a saddle bag, keeping the MONZA looking clean and aero.

In fact, Factor says that its in-house wind-tunnel testing shows it being faster than almost all competitors thanks to aerodynamic systems borrowed from the learnings of the OSTRO VAM and HANZO track bike.

You can actually fit quite a lot into the storage section – stash a spare tube, a multitool, tyre levers and you're still left with plenty of space left for some anti-bonk Haribos.

It won’t come as much of a surprise that the geometry has also been tweaked, Factor calls it a “democratic fit”, which includes a slightly higher stack height to help open up hip angles. This is something that could benefit many riders because, whether we like it or not, most of us will find it difficult to get completely comfortable on a bike that’s designed for pro riders. Most pros probably spend more time stretching in a week than we spend actually riding our bike!

That said, the MONZA still has the same length chainstays, wheelbase and seat- and head-tube angles as the OSTRO VAM. In essence it's the same geometry as the race bike, but with the handlebars a little higher and closer to you.

And that’s a good thing, because one of the simplest ways to get faster on the bike is to get more comfortable.

Sticking with the frame you'll notice that there’s plenty of room for wide tyres. Factor realises that you might want to train on, or race, this bike on less than perfect tarmac so there's clearance for up to 34mm rubber.

This should help to future proof the frame and, allied to the latest UDH mech hangar and a T47 threaded bottom bracket, this bike will happily see you through plenty of seasons.

At the front end, there's an HB04 Black Inc Barstem,, which not only looks good but, Factor says, offers the aero advantages of a one-piece bar/stem while enhancing the versatility of the set-up with a shape that can accommodate all hand sizes.

So, what models are available? Well, the one featured in the video above comes with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and is available from £6799.99/$6799, there's a SRAM Force AXS model (from £6999.99/$6999) or, if you want to build a MONZA to your own specification then a frameset and bar only combo is also available – from £4000/$3999.

For both the SRAM and the Shimano builds you’ll be looking at a bike with Black Inc’s 45mm deep carbon wheels and the MONZA is available in three colours: Steel Green, Pearl White or Solar Blue.

To find out more about the MONZA visit Factor Bikes.