Factor has added another bike to its gravel range today in the form of the Sarana, which the brand calls a ‘race endurance’ model.
The Sarana joins the race-first Ostro gravel, and the Aluto all-rounder, but this is a bike that, in Factor’s words, has been “built specifically for ultra-distance racing, and riders pushing the limit of modern gravel racing.”
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Plenty of riders are already competing in mammoth events on a range of gravel bikes, some off the shelf, some custom built, what makes the Sarana so well-suited to the task?
Factor says Sarana uses a carbon monocoque frame with a directional carbon fibre layup, which is tubed for “lateral stiffness and in-plane compliance.” The brand told me it had endeavoured to strike a blend between comfort, stability and performance.
Up front, there’s the option of a rigid or suspension fork in the form of the RockShox Rudy unit with 30mm of travel, and the frame geometry is geared to accept both options. At the rear, Factor has employed ‘leaf spring shaping’ at the heavily dropped seatstays to boost compliance.
The front end of the bike has received some aero attention; the sculpted head tube is evidence of this, though there aren’t really any major aero claims to go over from Factor. The head tube and front end have also been designed to integrate neatly…
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