The new Factor Ostro Gravel is not the brand's first foray off the pavement. There is an LS model called the Gravel Race Bike and Vista, an endurance road bike with gravel performance.

Adding "gravel" to the name of an aero road bike that does everything the brand does gives some idea of what the new Ostro Gravel is aiming for. Gravel racing is here to stay, and this gravel race bike has its sights firmly set on the top step of the podium.

The small UCI sticker, which can be found on the top of the seat tube of all UCI-certified bikes, is something that is often overlooked and, until recently, was not something bike manufacturers needed to consider when building a gravel bike. But now, given that it is a prerequisite for entry in UCI-approved gravel races, and given that the Factor LS is not UCI-approved, if the brand wanted to compete, they had to either redesign the LS or build a new bike, and they clearly chose the latter option.

While weight reduction has taken a backseat to aero optimization in recent years, the frameset weight of less than a kilogram is certainly on par with the best gravel race bikes. There are no fork bosses, but there is a bolt-on lunchbox on the top tube and a double set on the downtube for a third bottle that Factor described as an "E. coli catcher."

The OSTRO VAM's DNA is 900 grams light for a gravel frameset (essentially unpainted and slightly splashed with a "naked grunge" paint option), but there is still enough material to sculpt the tubes into an aero optimized shape, clearly visible, as Factor claims "class-leading aerodynamics". The headtube is particularly deep, more akin to the best aero road bikes than to those that ride over rough surfaces. No hinged head tube is used, instead a round steerer and standard headset are used for added strength.

Gravel bikes usually have a looser head angle and higher trail values than road bikes, which can cause the front wheel to collapse at low speeds. This is great for rough descents, but affects handling on gentle climbs. With this in mind, Factor chose a slightly steeper head angle than "normal," 71.2 to 72.3 degrees, depending on size. The aim is to maintain the crispness of the front end when using the maximum 43mm tire size.

This also has the combined benefit of creating a handling package more akin to an endurance road bike, which Factor is keen to promote as a clear secondary use case for the Ostro Gravel.

Best-in-class aero framesets are one such example, but without the proper build, they are still a drag. Factor's in-house component brand, Black Ink, offers a new wheelset, Thirty Four, optimized for tires over 30 mm. It is hookless, has ceramic speed bearings in the hubs, and is estimated to have an inner width of about 22 mm, but this is not yet confirmed.

It also features a new, lightly flared integrated bar stem combo, with internal routing for brake hoses and a computer mount based on the Go-Pro mounting system. Given its performance, it is not surprising that the Factor Ostro Gravel is electronically controlled, not to mention that it is disk-based.

The Factor Ostro Gravel is available in the aforementioned Naked Grunge and the slightly heavier White Grunge, with built and semi-built options.

Framesets including fork, seatpost, barstem, Ceramicspeed T47A BB, and Ceramicspeed headset are £4,730/$5,499/€5,450; with Thirty-Four wheels, £6,450/$7,499/7,430 Euro.

Full SRAM-only builds are also available as follows: