Factor Ostro VAM

Yes, the most expensive bike won. But what a bike the Ostro VAM is on multiple road types and topography

WHETHER GOING UP or down, on good or bad roads, Factor’s Ostro VAM really does excel, and the customisation options mean you can truly make it the bike of your dreams. Contact points are a personal thing, and Factor has done the smart thing in making the frameset compatible with aftermarket parts. When you’re spending this much money on a bike, the details matter and you want to feel right at home on it. It isn’t cheap, but you get a truly top-spec bike for the money and you could easily spend far more elsewhere.

The Cube Litening C:68X SL is a very impressive bike and one that I thoroughly enjoyed riding – it lost out only by a whisker. I loved the fast handling, aggressive geometry and stunning paint job, but as someone with very particular tastes in handlebars, the proprietary nature of the stock set-up is a deal-breaker for me. Of course, if your fit preferences align perfectly with the single shape and range of sizes in which Cube offers the integrated handlebar, then that won’t apply to you. And, as with the Factor, the Cube is also available in less expensive builds if the price of entry for this model is too steep.

I’ll admit to being a little disappointed by the BMC Timemachine 01 Road Three. It isn’t a bad bike by any measure and it’s certainly fast against the clock, but its relatively sluggish handling and stiff frameset made for a bike that simply wasn’t as much fun to ride as the others. If you ride mainly on good-quality roads with lazy, sweeping turns, or simply want a bike that prioritises stability and straight-line speed over all else, then it might be a good fit for you. For my tastes, though, I want a bike that makes me feel like a fast rider on all terrains, regardless of whether I can actually supply the power to match it.

“The Ostro VAM isn’t cheap, but you get a truly top spec bike for the money and you could easily spend far more elsewhere”