Factor Bikes, the high-performance bicycle brand distributed in Italy by the Reggio Emilia-based sales company Beltrami TSA, recently had the opportunity to welcome seven-time Grand Tour winner Chris Froome to its headquartersThe reason for the visit? The presentation to the British cyclist of the new special edition colorway of his O2 VAM: a very original livery that will accompany Froome throughout the next 2024 season.
During your visit to Factor Bikes, Froome had the opportunity to meet the entire Factor design and engineering team to discuss the brand's product development through 2024 and beyond. During a full day of true "immersion" into the Factor world, spending considerable time in close contact with all the staff, Froome had the opportunity to offer several insights into the brand's latest products, providing important input on the direction and technical direction of future projects. Last but not least, The British champion also had the opportunity to ride with cycling enthusiasts and his local fans.
In addition to riding Factor, Chris Froome is an investor in both the brand – he is also a member of the board of directors – and Black Inc., the company that produces components for high-performance racing bicycles.
Unique personalization
Born from the collaboration between illustrator Karl Kopinski and Factor's creative director, Jay Gundzik, The unique colorway of the special edition O2 VAM for Chris Froome is a true celebration of the partnership between Factor and the prolific Giro, Vuelta, and Tour winner. Featuring a color scheme inspired by the Kenyan landscape and inspired by Froome's "spirit animal" (the rhino), the graphic design is seamlessly integrated into the frame, ensuring a fast, lightweight, and aerodynamic bike.
This specific color is the third custom creation for Factor by artist Karl Kopinski, after the one-of-a-kind Factor Ostro VAM butterfly-painted for Bradley Wiggins and Andre Greipel's customized OSTRO VAM with the gorilla identifier hand-drawn by Kopinski himself.
An identifying design
“Spending time with the Factor team in Taichung,” Froome said. it was a real privilege for meIt was enlightening to see the technology and the array of data and variables that are entering the bicycle design industry. We were able to discuss some exciting new designs and products that will hit the market in the next couple of years… The custom O2 VAM that Jay and Karl created for me was a truly fantastic surprise.: and I'm honestly amazed that they managed to keep it a secret!
“From the very beginning of the O2 VAM development process,” said Rob Gitelis, CEO of Factor Bikes, “we decided that we wanted to create a special design for Chris. The bike is tailor-made for her riding style: powerful, precise, but also a little wild.… Our desire was to use this frame as a true canvas to tell the story and spirit of Chris Froome."
Factor Bikes was founded in 2007 as a branch of bf1systems, a company that works for leading brands such as Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati, and numerous F1, MotoGP, and WRC teams. Factor's first carbon fiber bike was introduced in 2009: the revolutionary FACTOR001 capable of marking the DNA of all future modelsToday, Factor Bikes owns and operates its own carbon production facility so it can oversee and control every stage of production, from concept to final assembly.
