GRAVEL
ROAD
Gravel racing keeps changing shape. Factor has just unveiled the Elara, a bike that pushes quite far down a path part of the market has taken: more aero, more integration, and also markedly bigger tyres.
This is not an adventure gravel bike disguised as a fast bike. Factor places it in a very specific category: fast, demanding gravel races where you aim to hold speed on rough terrain. The Elara has already been spotted for several months at certain events, notably ridden by Romain Bardet.
🚀 In brief:
New Factor gravel race bike inspired by the brand’s aero road platforms
Claimed tyre clearance up to 57 mm with a 1x setup
Monocoque frame under 1,100 g in painted size M
Factor presents the Elara as its most speed-oriented gravel bike. The kinship with the Factor ONE, the brand’s aero road model, is clear enough: deep fork, narrow head tube, extensive integration, Black Inc AB07 one-piece cockpit and claimed aerodynamic work on the front triangle.
The brand claims 5 to 8% lower drag coefficient compared to the Ostro Gravel, validated in CFD with gravel tyres between 45 and 57 mm. As always with this kind of figure, take it for what it is: a development indicator, not a guarantee of seconds saved for every rider.
But the direction is clear. Where the Factor Ostro Gravel already embodied a very road-like take on performance gravel, the Elara seems to go further into race specialisation.
The standout number remains the claimed clearance: up to 57 mm – 2.2 inches – front and rear with a 1x setup. For a bike billed as fast and aero, that is a lot. Really a lot.
Factor explains this choice comes from rider feedback, notably Magnus Bak Klaris, winner of the Gravel Earth Series 2025. The idea is not to make the bike more comfortable in a touring sense, but to let you hold speed when the terrain gets hard, broken or tricky.
It is a clear trend. Gravel race is no longer just a road bike with knobbly tyres. Fast yet deteriorated courses call for larger sections, less for dawdling than to limit impacts, reduce puncture risk and keep efficiency on imperfect ground.
Within the Factor range, that places the Elara above the Aluto, which is already very modern with its generous clearance and fast-gravel positioning, but less extreme in a pure race approach.
A few years ago, pairing a deep aero fork and 57 mm tyres might have seemed contradictory. Today, it is almost the summary of premium competition gravel.
Factor embraces this crossover. The Elara borrows shapes inspired by the ONE and OSTRO VAM programmes, with a carbon fork with a pronounced profile, an hourglass-shaped head tube and cleaner transitions around the down tube and bottle cage areas.
The brand also announces a monocoque frame, painted, under 1,100 g in size M, lighter than its predecessor and stiffer at the bottom bracket and head tube. The bottom bracket remains the T47A internal threaded standard, a rather reassuring choice on such an integrated bike.
What is interesting is that Factor does not sell the big tyre as an adventure argument. Here, volume serves speed. It is exactly what we have been seeing on the market for some time, and which we had already noted in our piece on gravel race trends seen at ProDays 2026.
The Elara remains heavily inspired by Factor’s road platforms. The brand quotes a head angle between 71.3 and 71.5°, a 61 mm trail, short chainstays of 420 to 425 mm depending on size, and a bottom bracket drop of 80 mm in size M, 82 mm on sizes 49 and 52.
Factor also mentions a longer reach, reduced trail and a lower bottom bracket than on the previous model. The aim is quite simple: keep a position and reactivity close to a race bike while offsetting the height and inertia of very big tyres.
This is probably one of the most sensitive aspects of this bike. A 57 mm clearance does not suffice to make a good fast gravel bike. The geometry needs to remain clear, the bike must not end up tall and tippy, and the steering must not lose precision. Factor seems to have worked in this direction, but without a field test it is impossible to go beyond the technical read.
The Elara remains compatible with electronic 1x and 2x drivetrains from SRAM, Shimano and Campagnolo. This matters, because not all gravel racers make the same choices: some favour the single chainring for simplicity and maximum tyre clearance, others stick with double chainrings for fast races and long rolling sections.
There is, however, a nuance to keep in mind. The maximum 57 mm clearance applies to the 1x setup. In 2x with a front derailleur, Factor states compatibility with 47 mm tyres.
The UDH / direct-mount hanger is present, as is integrated storage in the down tube, two bottle mounts in the triangle, a top tube mount and a mount under the down tube. It remains a race bike, but not a totally stripped one.
Top-spec builds receive the Black Inc SIXTY FOUR Gravel wheelset, clearly geared to aero performance. Factor specifies a minimum tyre width of 47 mm for this wheelset, which says a lot about the intended programme.
The Black Inc Aero Gravel Bar AB07 cockpit follows the same logic: one-piece handlebar, slight flare, integrated computer mount and internal hose routing. Factor emphasises integration that remains serviceable.
On pricing, Factor stays Factor. The Elara starts at €7,199 for the frameset. The complete bikes announced climb quickly: €10,999 with SRAM Force XPLR and power meter, €11,599 with Campagnolo Record 13X and power meter, and €13,099 with SRAM Red XPLR and power meter.
These are high amounts, even in today’s high-end gravel race context. The bike clearly targets a very committed audience: competitors, kit enthusiasts, or riders who want a radical machine without seeking maximum versatility.
The Elara arrives at the right time for Factor. The gravel market is segmenting more and more: endurance, adventure, all-road, ultra, European race, American race. And at the top end, bikes are becoming less versatile but more specialised.
This Factor does not try to do it all. It targets fast, rough races, with a fairly modern reading of performance: going fast no longer necessarily means going narrow.
| Riding style | Gravel race |
|---|---|
| Frame | Carbon |
| Electric assist | No |
| Gender | Unisex |
| Year | 2027 |
| Model | Factor Elara Campa, Factor Elara Force, Factor Elara Red |
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