For the 2026 edition of Unbound, several of Factor Bikes' athletes will be racing and testing a head-turning prototype bike.
It doesn't yet have a name and it is still in the development process, but Factor's engineers tell me that after Unbound concludes and the feedback is analysed, it will be one crucial step closer to fruition.
We had a sneak peek at this prototype in Emporia before the racing got underway.
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The bike, as it exists currently, reflects features that top gravel athletes are demanding in their quest for more speed. The rear end and saddle are pulled forward, and there is ample tyre clearance to say the least.
The most eye-catching aspect of the bike is the fork and head tube. I'm told more traditional designs were tested, but the current shapes have proven to be the most aerodynamic on the part of the bike where their effects are most felt.
The to-be-named prototype bike that Factor athletes will be testing at Unbound features a similar design to the ONE road bike, with its wide fork and big tyre clearance. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
Even with very large tyres, mud clearance is not likely to be an issue up front. These are Continental Dubnitals in 2.2in. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
The lateral tyre clearance at the rear is pretty good too. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
The unique shapes of the head tube and fork resemble the ONE road bike. The clearance on either side is ample. The gap to the fork crown is where tyres - or mud - will become an issue. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
The saddle sits atop a very slim aero seatpost similar to those on Factor's road offerings. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
Dropped chainstays and bottom bracket help offset the effects on geometry that running larger tyres creates. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
This removable section tells us the frame can be equipped with a 2x chainset too, unlike the recently released Crux from Specialized. It's unclear if this will affect the tyre clearance at the rear, but it's no doubt the reason Factor opted for dropped chainstays. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
It's also clear that an extra bottle can be attached at the bottom of the downtube. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
This example is equipped with new Black Inc deep aero wheels too. The '64' tells us these will be 64mm deep, but what's unclear is their width. They look to be really wide, with a blunt, rounded profile. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
More evidence of the wheels' width is just how neatly the tyre flows on to the sidewall of the rim. There isn't a 'lightbulb' shape that you often get with big tyres on narrow rims. In front of this, the seatstay and downtube junction are nice and smooth, and look really good. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
I'm told there's a new cockpit for this bike too. The exact degree of flare is unknown, but the drop is quite compact. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
The fork on this prototype features some unusual and eye-catching shapes. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
The new integrated cockpit from above. It has a degree of backsweep like Black Inc's road cockpits. (Image credit: Ethan Glading)
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Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews.
On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.
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