Today Factor bikes has launched an all-new gravel bike, the Aluto, which it describes as a pocket knife that looks to redefine the all-rounder, and aims to be the perfect foil to the race-oriented and well established Ostro Gravel.
While many brands start out by creating an all-round gravel bike before producing a race model, Factor has taken the opposite approach, but hopes the Aluto will have a broader appeal, covering racing, training, exploratory gravel riding and endurance riding.
More stable, but still lively
The Aluto isn’t simply a slimmed-down Ostro Gravel, but has a geometry of its own that, while derived from the Ostro Gravel, is distinct. The head tube angle is a hair slacker by 0.3º, and the bottom bracket drop has been increased by 4mm in a size 56. This, combined with identical length chainstays to keep the rear end feel the same, gives a longer wheelbase by 6mm. Small changes, but these should make the bike feel more planted and stable at higher speeds, and a slightly higher stack at the front end by 5mm should mean it’s easier to fit a broader range of riders.
The frame itself also takes its design cues from various models across the Factor range. The top tube is derived from the lightweight O2 VAM, though in this case it has a set of bosses built in for a bento box. The seat stay insertions, suitably dropped down the seat tube, mirror those of both the new Monza and that wild prototype that hasn’t been released yet, but that we’ve already tested in the wind tunnel.
Like the Monza, it also features a downtube storage box in the slender downtube, and on the underside, another pair of bosses are in evidence for those who need additional water or tool storage. While it certainly isn’t as aero-optimised as the Ostro Gravel, the head tube is still a slight hourglass shape, whilst still allowing room for full internal cable routing and a traditional round steerer, and the tube shapes still exhibit the classic truncated aerofoil cross sections that have become the norm in bike design in the last decade or so.
Tyre capacity has also been increased over the Ostro Gravel. The Aluto has been optimised for a 45mm tyre, but the fork can fit a 52mm, and a 47mm can be crammed into the rear triangle for those subscribing to the ‘wider is faster’ doctrine.
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An all-new cockpit and dropper compatibility
The Aluto will also ship with an all-new cockpit from in-house component…
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