Factor Bikes Vis Vires - first look
£10k superbike with Formula One background arrives at RCUK
Factor Bikes is a small bicycle manufacturer born in 2007 and based in the Norfolk town of Diss. It is the offshoot of bf1systems, a provider of electrical, electronic and composite components to the motorsport, automotive, aerospace and marine industries.
Factor hit the headlines in 2009 when it launched the sophisticated and beautiful FACTOR001, a unique take on the traditional road racing bicycle. The ground-breaking design incorporated advanced electronics with over 100 channels of biometric data, full hydraulic disc brakes, and a lithium polymer battery system supplying power to the on-board computer, sensors, and Shimano Di2 shifting system.
In 2012, it unveiled the Aston Martin One-77 Cycle, which the company claimed was ‘the world’s most technologically advanced road bike’. The bike was a two-wheeled version of Aston Martin’s million pound One-77 supercar, with carbon fibre frame, fork and handlebars and an advanced computer system featuring GPS, a rear-wheel speed sensor and a crank position sensor. Only 77 models were built, each with a £25,000 price tag.
The latest superbike from Factor is the Vis Veres, launched in 2013. The company’s first production bike, it allows riders to monitor and improve their techniques as never before with wireless ANT+ sensors connected to a centrally-mounted Garmin Edge computer. It comes in three versions – the Ultegra White (available in 2014), and two versions of the £8,000 Dura Ace, the Team and the Stealth. Both Dura Ace models are available with Factor Power Cranks for an extra £2,000.