The road brand FACTOR makes its debut in MTB with its first two models

From road to MTB. That's today's move by one of the companies that has seen the greatest growth in recent years in the world of bikes. We're talking about Factor Lando, the first two mountain bikes from the Anglo-Taiwanese brand, which is targeting the premium and competition segments, taking much of the good work accumulated on one surface to the other. Designed with XC, marathon and adventure in mind, it comes in two versions: hardtail and full suspension. And the latter has already made its debut at the latest Absa Cape Epic 2022.

Lando Factor: this is how this road brand is making the leap to MTB

According to the company, its two new mountain bikes have been designed from scratch with competition in mind and, more specifically, for all those enthusiasts who in recent years have made the leap from road to MTB (they claim that up to half of their customers also ride in some of the off-road modalities). In this sense, it should be clarified that this is the first mountain bike to be named after the brand, but not the first one that its managers have worked with.

Because although Factor was founded in 2007 in the UK as part of a motor company called BF1, it soon came under the control of Rob Gitelis, a US citizen who has been involved in making bikes for third parties in Taiwan for decades. His company, which specialises in carbon fibre, has worked with giants such as Cervélo, Scott and Canyon, so they have faced the challenge of creating mountain bikes before. So Factor boasts that the design is the result of "decades of experience" in this field, and that the carbon is made in-house.

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Lando XC Factor: characteristics of a lightweight and versatile full-mountain bike

The aim of the Factor team was to achieve the lightest possible bike that was also extraordinarily dynamic. The frame, in fact, weighs 850 g (2.1 kg including the shock). As for the full suspension version (Lando XC), it has a fork with 100-120 mm travel, while the shock travel ranges from 100 to 115 mm.

To maintain the balance between torsional stiffness and lightness, the engineers decided to position the shock absorber vertically. This concentrates the forces in the bottom bracket area, and allows weight to be removed from other areas.

In the same vein, the use of a monopivot for both shock and swing arm is, according to Factor, the simplest, strongest and lightest way to use the available material. The triangle is also made in one piece. Moreover, the new Lando has a progressive geometry, and both the steering angle of 67° and the (virtual) saddle angle of 75.5° are maintained across the 4 sizes it will have.

It can be ordered with internal or external wiring, and its developers say that one of its strengths is precisely the possibility of customising the bikes. So, as soon as the component supply problems currently plaguing the sector are resolved, they expect to offer their customers a wide range of possibilities.

This is the bike ridden by the Amani Racing Team, composed of Kenyan Nancy Akinyi and Ugandan Jordan Schleck Ssekanwagi, in the recent Cape Epic. This team with an activist spirit aims to create opportunities for cyclists from East African countries.

Factor Lando HT

The hardtail version, Lando HT, can be ordered with either a 110mm travel fork or a Black Inc rigid fork, which is part of the same group as Factor. In this case, the shape of the tubes is inspired by the current Factor Ostro Vam road fork used by Chris Froome's Israel-Premier Tech team.

The frame has a wide, straight top tube for better shock absorption. The down tube is also wider and sturdier, while the distance between tyre and frame is 2.4". The hardtail, like the full suspension, has a CeramicSpeed T47-88.5 bottom bracket, which is not very common in this type of bike.

Black Inc Components

As mentioned, component manufacturer Black Inc belongs to the same group as Factor, headed by American entrepreneur Rob Gitelis, so it is no surprise that the new Lando is fitted with wheels and handlebars from this brand. The handlebar with integrated stem (60-90 mm, with a -10° angle), is 760 mm wide and has an 8° backsweep.

The 29" wheels, meanwhile, bear the name TWENTY SEVEN due to their rim width of 27 mm. With CeramicSpeed bearings and CX-Ray and CX-Sprint spokes, they weigh exactly 1,459 g each. In addition, the Lando HT can also be equipped with a rigid fork from Black Inc, weighing 720g.
 

Factor Lando: models and prices

Let's take a look at the specifications of the two versions of Factor's new Lando, which goes on sale worldwide this Saturday, 2 April, and whose prices range from 6,499 to 8,399 euros. These are:

By the way, the Anglo-Taiwanese brand has already announced that the catalogue will continue to grow and that it is considering entering the eMTB segment, as well as plans to have a professional mountain bike team, beyond its collaboration with the Amani team. However, they have not yet made any further details about this.