Factor Ostro

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shinkaiyui
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2021 3:33 pm

by shinkaiyui

Just placed an order for my Ostro in flicker with ultegra DI2! Looking forward to delivery.
I got some questions though.. Would the BB and casette be greased up before they are installed on the bike when factor ships it out?
Im asking this because i plan to build it up by myself and it'll be my first build ever

by Weenie


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RDY
Posts: 2393
Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2020 10:31 pm

by RDY

FabianV wrote:
Tue Jun 15, 2021 1:14 pm
ericlambi wrote:
Tue Jun 15, 2021 1:16 am
FabianV wrote:
Mon Jun 14, 2021 6:04 pm
iggg wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 3:03 pm
I ordered a frameset a few weeks ago, and was told it would be delivered by end-of-May
Still no bike or eta, did you get yours?

I orderd mine mid march. :cry:
I ordered a launch full bike in Sept through my LBS. Today I got the frame set, in the wrong color, with the wrong hub body on the rear wheel. They'd told the shop in March they couldn't deliver a full bike but could ship the rolling frame set immediately, so the shop paid them for it. I guess it took ~3mo to get here, yeah right. Factor has been a huge disappointment this whole way. I get the sense the trouble point is the US distributor, but hard to say.
The Dutch distributor isn't much better. The LBS ordered a rolling chasis because a full bike would take longer and a frame was in stock. He would get the group set form a different supplier. Both are not in yet. I still love the bike, but i'm getting a bit disappointed by now.

Wrong hub and wrong color is even worse. It almost sounds like someone has your bike and you have got his.
Factor have previously implied delays were down to their factory being such a long way away and remote (despite owning it and managing it) in Taiwan ... but from what I've heard they don't actually make anything at the Taiwan place - it's just painting and testing and design. Everything made in China by a third party and then shipped in ... hence why all the factory tours show them showing off test jigs and paint rooms, but no production facitlities. So an Orbea-like setup, except it's China -> TW, rather than China -> PT.

Possible I could have heard wrong, but I suspect this rather complicated and convoluted setup is causing them issues.

tomato
Posts: 729
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2019 8:37 pm

by tomato

RDY wrote:
Sat Jun 19, 2021 1:59 pm
... but from what I've heard they don't actually make anything at the Taiwan place - it's just painting and testing and design. Everything made in China by a third party and then shipped in ...

Possible I could have heard wrong, but I suspect this rather complicated and convoluted setup is causing them issues.
Yeah, I think you heard wrong.

RDY
Posts: 2393
Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2020 10:31 pm

by RDY

tomato wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:19 am
RDY wrote:
Sat Jun 19, 2021 1:59 pm
... but from what I've heard they don't actually make anything at the Taiwan place - it's just painting and testing and design. Everything made in China by a third party and then shipped in ...

Possible I could have heard wrong, but I suspect this rather complicated and convoluted setup is causing them issues.
Yeah, I think you heard wrong.
Can you show me a production line in any of the many videos produced at their Taichung plant?

P.S. Gitelis himself has admitted (NB not to Western press!) that 60% of their frames are made in China. So I suspect you're labouring under the marketing induced delusion unfortunately. Because I'm pretty confident in the industry source I heard from, and Gitelis admitting at least some of the ruse to a Taiwanese paper - see below.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/a ... 2003748139

Maybe 40% are made in Taichung as he claims ... but I have doubts about that too. Even at 60/40, it's a hugely different picture to the one painted via Western bike media.

tjvirden
Posts: 540
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2020 9:21 pm

by tjvirden

In fairness to Factor, they've been quite open about their manufacturing in Xiamen - Rob Gitelis gave an interview in 2019 explaining it all........

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/6012 ... iwanese-hq

Edit: In my view, equating "country of origin" (whatever that might mean) with "quality" (whatever that may mean) doesn't really get anyone anywhere....and I don't even own a Factor.

tomato
Posts: 729
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2019 8:37 pm

by tomato

RDY wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 2:38 pm
tomato wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:19 am
RDY wrote:
Sat Jun 19, 2021 1:59 pm
... but from what I've heard they don't actually make anything at the Taiwan place - it's just painting and testing and design. Everything made in China by a third party and then shipped in ...

Possible I could have heard wrong, but I suspect this rather complicated and convoluted setup is causing them issues.
Yeah, I think you heard wrong.
P.S. Gitelis himself has admitted (NB not to Western press!) that 60% of their frames are made in China. So I suspect you're labouring under the marketing induced delusion unfortunately. Because I'm pretty confident in the industry source I heard from, and Gitelis admitting at least some of the ruse to a Taiwanese paper - see below.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/a ... 2003748139

Maybe 40% are made in Taichung as he claims ... but I have doubts about that too. Even at 60/40, it's a hugely different picture to the one painted via Western bike media.
The frames are not made by a third party in China -- Factor owns the factory.

User avatar
cyclespeed
Posts: 1126
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:45 am

by cyclespeed

Some interesting discussions on the pros and cons of the O2, Ostro and One.

Factor likes to market them as the climber, the all rounder and the aero. But IMO the Ostro kind of makes the One somewhat redundant; they have a very similar aero design, and yet the Ostro is significantly lighter. To my mind, the Ostro is actually a One Mark 2, but they still sell the One because they have the moulds and hey, if people buy them why not?

The Ostro even nips at the heels of the O2, because it's certainly no slouch going uphill, and any few seconds lost to the O2 on a steep climb should be quickly recovered on the descent or flats.

ericlambi
Posts: 149
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 6:16 pm

by ericlambi

Got my Ostro built ... a little bit of a frankenbuild to get everything I needed ... mix of dura ace and ultegra, roval clx wheels ... the first ride gets a thumbs up though ... did 106mi w/ 7k climbing, average speed more similar to if I'd ridden my triathlon bike than a road bike.

I am looking at getting the bike repainted though, just can't get excited about this Sicilian Peach. My wife has even suggested it's a good idea when I mentioned I was thinking about it, ha.

Of note: bike was a shade under 16lbs fully built (cages, pedals, 52cm, gp5000 TL 28). Think eventually will get sub 15, much lower would take some real effort. Hopefully Darimo will make a seatpost for it relatively soon.

Scott2017
Posts: 161
Joined: Sat May 20, 2017 11:40 am

by Scott2017

ericlambi wrote:
Sun Jun 27, 2021 3:05 pm
Got my Ostro built ... a little bit of a frankenbuild to get everything I needed ... mix of dura ace and ultegra, roval clx wheels ... the first ride gets a thumbs up though ... did 106mi w/ 7k climbing, average speed more similar to if I'd ridden my triathlon bike than a road bike.

I am looking at getting the bike repainted though, just can't get excited about this Sicilian Peach. My wife has even suggested it's a good idea when I mentioned I was thinking about it, ha.

Of note: bike was a shade under 16lbs fully built (cages, pedals, 52cm, gp5000 TL 28). Think eventually will get sub 15, much lower would take some real effort. Hopefully Darimo will make a seatpost for it relatively soon.
Nice, I think that's a good weight considering the components you have it on, pedals etc. as well. Peach paint not as heavy as I thought, care to share some photos of it all built up?

barbaar
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2020 11:40 am
Location: NL

by barbaar

Anyone else having problems with the headset not staying tight?

I have the updated plug, but the issue is still here for me. LBS is has agreed to contact Factor about this but the same LBS currently appeared to have moved away from this planet..

I wondering how much space you guys have between the top of the fork and the topcap on the stem. Primary suspect (from my side) is that the fork is still too long
Fuctor Ostro - Campy EPS SR Disc 12sp/P2M NG
Ridley R12 - Campy EPS Record 11sp/P2M NGEco
Thrust something - Campy Chorus/Record mechanical/P2M NGEco

No, that's not a typo

owlbass
Posts: 38
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:31 pm

by owlbass

tomato wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:22 pm
RDY wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 2:38 pm
tomato wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:19 am
RDY wrote:
Sat Jun 19, 2021 1:59 pm
... but from what I've heard they don't actually make anything at the Taiwan place - it's just painting and testing and design. Everything made in China by a third party and then shipped in ...

Possible I could have heard wrong, but I suspect this rather complicated and convoluted setup is causing them issues.
Yeah, I think you heard wrong.
P.S. Gitelis himself has admitted (NB not to Western press!) that 60% of their frames are made in China. So I suspect you're labouring under the marketing induced delusion unfortunately. Because I'm pretty confident in the industry source I heard from, and Gitelis admitting at least some of the ruse to a Taiwanese paper - see below.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/a ... 2003748139

Maybe 40% are made in Taichung as he claims ... but I have doubts about that too. Even at 60/40, it's a hugely different picture to the one painted via Western bike media.
The frames are not made by a third party in China -- Factor owns the factory.
I just emailed Factor and they said everything is made in Taiwan.

stevesbike
Posts: 324
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 5:33 pm

by stevesbike

cyclespeed wrote:
Mon Jun 21, 2021 9:27 am
Some interesting discussions on the pros and cons of the O2, Ostro and One.

Factor likes to market them as the climber, the all rounder and the aero. But IMO the Ostro kind of makes the One somewhat redundant; they have a very similar aero design, and yet the Ostro is significantly lighter. To my mind, the Ostro is actually a One Mark 2, but they still sell the One because they have the moulds and hey, if people buy them why not?

The Ostro even nips at the heels of the O2, because it's certainly no slouch going uphill, and any few seconds lost to the O2 on a steep climb should be quickly recovered on the descent or flats.
I purchased a ONE a few years ago (rim brake option). My build is about the same weight as the Ostro with disc brakes, so in my opinion is still the better option given the ONE has superior aero performance (and I dislike disc brakes on road frames).

Omiar
Posts: 386
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:20 pm

by Omiar

Why does the Ostro have a spacer on top of the stem, even on a lot of the ISN riders images/bikes. Is it because the (older) faulty steerer plug?
And what is the verdict on the integrated barstem, too flexy or not?
Cannondale SystemSix R8170
Trek Checkpoint SL5 MY2022

fruitfly
Posts: 187
Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2020 1:40 pm
Location: Wet coast

by fruitfly

I just took delivery of a frameset. The version I received does not use a compression plug, but instead has a threaded insert bonded into the steerer that extends the full length of the steerer. The instructions on the website say the steerer should be cut 3mm below the top of the stem, so if the directions are followed, there won't be a spacer above the stem. I am optimistic that the changes will solve the problem of the headset coming loose.
Factor Ostro

by Weenie


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mrlobber
Posts: 1933
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 9:36 am
Location: Where the permanent autumn is

by mrlobber

fruitfly wrote:
Fri Jul 23, 2021 3:21 pm
I just took delivery of a frameset. The version I received does not use a compression plug, but instead has a threaded insert bonded into the steerer that extends the full length of the steerer. The instructions on the website say the steerer should be cut 3mm below the top of the stem, so if the directions are followed, there won't be a spacer above the stem. I am optimistic that the changes will solve the problem of the headset coming loose.
Yes, the O2 VAM disc now uses the same system.

As a result, though, the fork of even the O2 weighs a ton - 360+ g when cut.

But I guess that's still a good thing, at least the risk of a breaking steerer is minimized.
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Aero bike | GC bike | GC rim bike | Climbing bike | Climbing rim bike | Classics bike | Gravel bike | TT bike | Indoors bike

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