Factor officially unveiled its updated O2 VAM at the Tour de France Grand Depart in Bilbao.

Factor claimed a frame weight of 730g for the new O2 VAM in size 54, bringing the complete bike weight to a UCI-beating 6.2kg. This is with Shimano Dura-Ace and the latest Black Ink 26/33 carbon spoke wheels, which weigh in at 1,146g. [Factor's lightweight bike, launched in 2017, is the 2019 model with the VAM (Vertical Ascent in Metres acronym), and the 2021 model adds cable integration.

Factor Bikes supplies the O2 VAM to the Israeli Premier Tech Pro team, who requested a bike weighing less than 7 kg, complete with race trim, pedals, transponders, and race numbers. According to Factor, a race bike was completed that met the 6.8 kg weight limit. Simon Clark's bike at the Tour weighed 6.92 kg.

According to Factor, the new bike is designed for mountain and hilly riding, allowing for quick climbs, confident descents, and increased speed on flat terrain. Factor points out that there is no such thing as an uphill-only ride, but rather aerodynamics on downhill and flat sections. He also said that aero remains important for professionals to maintain speed on climbs with a gradient of about 8%.

Market assessments showed that bikes like the S-Works Tarmac SL7, while aero and designed for mixed climbing routes, are not as lightweight as pure climbing bikes like the S-Works Aethos. However, pure climbing bikes often have round tube shapes with no integrated cables.

O2 VAM's aim was to develop a climbing bike that would be both lighter and more aerodynamic, while at the same time increasing frame stiffness.

In contrast, Factor claims that the new O2 VAM is 12 watts faster in wind tunnel testing at yaw angles of ±15 degrees, about half the difference between the Ostro VAM aero race bike and the previous O2 VAM model. At low yaw angles, the new O2 VAM is only 5 watts slower than the Ostro VAM, which Factor claims is faster than any other lightweight bike.

According to Factor, the frame stiffness of the O2 VAM has been increased by 35%, making it as stiff as the Ostro VAM. The maximum tire clearance is 32mm, but Factor says the frame is aero optimized for 28mm rubber, as is the new Black Ink 28/33 wheelset.

At the same time, the new design improves ride comfort and the seat post slides outward on the seat mast, eliminating the need for a seat post clamp to save weight, according to Factor.

The ultra-thin top tube tapers to a height of only 10 mm, which Factor claims allows for controlled saddle flex on rough surfaces, along with 10 mm wide seat stays, the minimum allowed by the recently updated UCI frame geometry rules.

Factor also tweaked the geometry, increasing the stack height by 10 mm to reflect the Ostro VAM's handling-related geometry numbers. This includes the use of four different fork offsets, which allows for a consistent 57mm trail across all seven sizes offered.

Factor says the new design facility allowed them to reduce the time it takes to prototype new frame designs, and they were able to use state-of-the-art cloud-based CFD modeling to design the bikes and incorporate the effects of spinning wheels and riders.

The fiber mix of the new frame is similar to the Ostro VAM, which uses T1000, M60J pitch, and TeXtreme fiber, with new compression techniques used to create complex shapes without adding weight. Boron is blended into the seatpost to increase strength vs. weight.

Also announced today is the latest 28/33 wheelset from Factor's in-house component brand Black Ink, a hook-bead tubeless clincher weighing 1,146 grams with a 23mm inner/ 28mm outer width. Like the O2 VAM, this wheel is aero optimized for 28mm tires.

The Black Ink 28//33 wheelset is priced at £2,900 / $2,899 / €2,799 / $4,690 AUD.

The new Factor O2 VAM is available in seven sizes ranging from 45 cm to 61 cm, in three stock colors (Storm Gray, Red Velvet, and Chrome/Low Carbon) and custom paint by Prisma Studios; the O2 VAM frameset is priced at 6,300 pounds ($6,299, €6,049, A$9,990).

There is also a full build equipped with the latest Black Ink 28//33 wheelset and Dura-Ace, Ultegra, Red AXS, and Force AXS groupset, including a power meter for SRAM options. Prices range from £9,900 to £12,200 ($9,899-$12,199, €9,499-€11,699, A$15,999-$19,690).

I took delivery of the Factor O2 VAM last weekend and am currently working on a full review of this bike.

The model I am testing is equipped with SRAM Red eTap AXS and 40cm wide handlebars. As assembled, my 58cm bike weighed an impressive 6.71kg fully ready to ride (with Ultegra pedals and one lightweight bottle cage). This is lighter than the aforementioned Clark small frame.

My model is the 11,800 lb model without a power meter; add the SRAM Red cranks and the Quarq option and the price jumps to 12,200 lbs. It's nice to have options, but a nearly 12,000 lb bike without a power meter seems crazy to me.

I had to spend a little time assembling it before riding, but everything was easy, although I appreciated that the brake hoses were already taken care of before shipping. I'm not allowed to cut the steerer tube to #slamthatstem (not possible with modern hips), but the spacers can be split, so at least I don't have to cut the hoses too.

The seatpost clamp consists of two small magnetic pieces that are placed inside the topper of the seat mast and slide into a groove on the back side of the mast. Two grub screws are used to spread the pieces, and in the few rides I've had with it, it hasn't slipped at all.

When I rode them in person, the feathery weight and increased stiffness were immediately apparent on the steep climb out the front door. I felt confident on the descents as well, even though I had been riding mainly gravel bikes for the past few months and needed to get used to the thinner bars. Many will liken the O2 VAM to a Giant TCR because of the seat mast. I prefer Factor's clean, integrated front end, and I suspect it is slightly more aerodynamic that way. The one-piece cockpit is one of my favorite parts of the bike. The shallow depth makes it sleek and blends well with the shallow frame tubes. I haven't tried it on long rides or really rough roads yet, but it's comfortable and stiff enough that it doesn't feel like it's absorbing power in a sprint.

Factor said in his presentation of this bike: Factor said in his presentation of this bike that "price is not very important in making the best bike. The price is very comparable to the best road bikes on the market, and we need to compete among them. [But first impressions are positive.