New Factor Slick Tri Bike

Feb 15, 18 9:57

Post #1 of 37 (9780 views)

http://www.bikeradar.com/.../factor-slick-51749/

https://factorbikes.com/product/factor-slick/

The Factor Slick is Driven by Obsession. Obsession for speed. Obsession for the highest performance. Obsession for all-round adjustability. From the Twin Vane Evo downtube and the hidden front brake, to the integrated carbon StoraPak, the obsession is in the details to create the fastest and most technically advanced aero bike.

Factor’s design and engineering team has been obsessively studying, modifying and enhancing the frame structure in search of the lowest aerodynamic drag and the highest stiffness possible. Every shape in the frame come as a result of extensive CFD and wind tunnel testing, combined with riding feedback from some of the best time-trialists and triathletes in the world. The results? The Factor Slick cuts straight through the wind, while also providing impressive power transfer and handling.

Teaming up with bike-fitting specialist 51 Speedshop, the Slick aerobars provide all-round adjustability while totally integrated for reduced aero drag.
Triathlon specific accessories come standard on the Slick, integrated in the bike structure and designed for maximum convenience of use while training or racing. The rear-mounted carbon StoraPak, top-tube threaded bosses and BTA hydration mount provide a complete support solution for the performing triathlete.

Split dowtube!

Make Inside Out Sports your next online tri shop! http://www.insideoutsports.com/

Last edited by: BryanD: Feb 15, 18 10:04

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [BryanD] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 12:22

Post #2 of 37 (9573 views)

Don’t you mean look at this 2014 Trek SC knockoff 4 years late.... nothing groundbreaking here. Just my .02

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [Sbernardi] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 12:24

Post #3 of 37 (9565 views)

I mean....I kind of thought the same thing. The split down tube is unique though.

Make Inside Out Sports your next online tri shop! http://www.insideoutsports.com/

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [BryanD] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 12:24

Post #4 of 37 (9565 views)

Nice bike, but it is a lot like the child of a Speed Concept and one of the Chinese TT frames. The draft box and the stem look very similar to that of Trek.

Owner at TRIPRO, The Netherlands

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [BryanD] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 12:56

Post #5 of 37 (9472 views)

Split Down tube is weird. I would actually think that would cause some very strange and probably negative air flows across the bike.

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [BryanD] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 12:58

Post #6 of 37 (9465 views)

I wonder if the downtube becomes an aero disaster if you put a bottle on it. More like a parachute had a baby with a cargo net.

----------------------------------------------------------
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Interviews with Chris McCormack, Helle Frederikson, Angela Naeth, and many more.
http://www.zentriathlon.com

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [BryanD] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 13:31

Post #7 of 37 (9399 views)

Not sure about that as a concept. Doubles the skin area of the downtube, with less stiffness and more material. There should also be interference drag between the two tubes. This is what was driving Burrows when he built what became the Lotus; single sided forks and stays to reduce interference drag.

And yeah, it looks like the Trek.

Developing aero, fit and other fun stuff at Red is Faster

Last edited by: SkippyKitten: Feb 15, 18 14:02

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [Sbernardi] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 13:32

Post #8 of 37 (9395 views)

Sbernardi wrote:

Don’t you mean look at this 2014 Trek SC knockoff 4 years late.... nothing groundbreaking here. Just my .02

agreed...

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [BryanD] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 13:40

Post #9 of 37 (9371 views)

"Show me the data."

I'm not buying the "split downtube" being a benefit...

http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [Tom A.] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 13:56

Post #10 of 37 (9333 views)

Tom A. wrote:

I'm not buying the "split downtube" being a benefit...

Me neither. It's been a long time, but didn't Damon Rinard say something about a FD tab causing more drag than an entire downtube? It doesn't seem like a split airfoil is really used anywhere else either.

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [dangle] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 14:03

Post #11 of 37 (9310 views)

No one is building biplanes any more.

Developing aero, fit and other fun stuff at Red is Faster

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [SkippyKitten] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 14:40

Post #12 of 37 (9257 views)

SkippyKitten wrote:

No one is building biplanes any more.

Waco Aircraft Co would like a word with you Skippycat.

I'm just here making jokes because lift and drag are not part of my professional background. I'll sit back and wait more NASCAR threads.

Last edited by: dangle: Feb 15, 18 14:41

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [dangle] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 16:26

Post #13 of 37 (9162 views)

dangle wrote:

Tom A. wrote:

I'm not buying the "split downtube" being a benefit...

Me neither. It's been a long time, but didn't Damon Rinard say something about a FD tab causing more drag than an entire downtube? It doesn't seem like a split airfoil is really used anywhere else either.

Didn’t Damon Rinard lose massive amounts of credibility when he said that ridiculous thing and when he followed it up with a bogus “study” of the aerodynamics of disc brakes relative to rim brakes?

Affirmative.

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [BryanD] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 17:13

Post #14 of 37 (9067 views)

I think thats a Trek with a different draft box.

2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [Tom A.] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 17:13

Post #15 of 37 (9067 views)

Tom A. wrote:

"Show me the data."

I'm not buying the "split downtube" being a benefit...

Any rough guesses of what the depth of the boundary layer for a down tube would be? It would seem that the design would just end up performing like one really wide down tube.

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [BryanD] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 17:21

Post #16 of 37 (9054 views)

I'm going to echo what everyone else here is saying: son of the Speed Concept, not buying the downtube design.

What's that saying? Imitation is the best form of flattery? IMO the last two years has shown just how much Trek got right with the Speed Concept (mono spacer, draft box, etc.)

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [BryanD] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 17:33

Post #17 of 37 (9032 views)

I don’t get the split down tube, like everyone else here. Methinks it’s a marketing gimmick more than anything else, trying to differentiate this bike from others with a design feature that doesn’t have any real function.

___________________________________________________
Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [spot] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 17:59

Post #18 of 37 (8977 views)

Well if you were to look at it from the ground up, the twin down tubes look like: 11!

This one goes to eleven.

.

Once, I was fast. But I got over it.

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [BryanD] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 18:29

Post #19 of 37 (8933 views)

BryanD wrote:

http://www.bikeradar.com/.../factor-slick-51749/

https://factorbikes.com/product/factor-slick/

The Factor Slick is Driven by Obsession. Obsession for speed. Obsession for the highest performance. Obsession for all-round adjustability. From the Twin Vane Evo downtube and the hidden front brake, to the integrated carbon StoraPak, the obsession is in the details to create the fastest and most technically advanced aero bike.

Factor’s design and engineering team has been obsessively studying, modifying and enhancing the frame structure in search of the lowest aerodynamic drag and the highest stiffness possible. Every shape in the frame come as a result of extensive CFD and wind tunnel testing, combined with riding feedback from some of the best time-trialists and triathletes in the world. The results? The Factor Slick cuts straight through the wind, while also providing impressive power transfer and handling.

Teaming up with bike-fitting specialist 51 Speedshop, the Slick aerobars provide all-round adjustability while totally integrated for reduced aero drag.
Triathlon specific accessories come standard on the Slick, integrated in the bike structure and designed for maximum convenience of use while training or racing. The rear-mounted carbon StoraPak, top-tube threaded bosses and BTA hydration mount provide a complete support solution for the performing triathlete.

Split dowtube!

Didn't CUBE bikes have a split downtube on a model that Andreas used, that was more of a prototype--which never got released? I know there is a split behind the head tube, but thought there were some spy pics about 1 or 2 years ago that showed the actual downtube with a split--anyone recall those?

Last edited by: Rocky M: Feb 15, 18 18:35

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [kileyay] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 19:24

Post #20 of 37 (8865 views)

kileyay wrote:

dangle wrote:

didn't Damon Rinard say something about a FD tab causing more drag than an entire downtube?

Didn’t Damon Rinard lose massive amounts of credibility when he said that ridiculous thing and when he followed it up with a bogus “study” of the aerodynamics of disc brakes relative to rim brakes?

Affirmative.

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [Rocky M] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 19:27

Post #21 of 37 (8855 views)

I don't recall a split downtube on the Cube but I think Willier may have tried it at some point in the past.

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [Tom A.] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 19:38

Post #22 of 37 (8831 views)

Is that an actual split down tube or is the down tube just have a hollow U? Any pics of the bottom of the bike to see the down tube? Hard to see but doesn't appear to be completely split.

Hans Bielat
TorHans LLC Co-Founder, Owner, Chief Innovation Officer
http://www.torhans.com

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [Ted Striker] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 19:50

Post #23 of 37 (8810 views)

Ted Striker wrote:

Is that an actual split down tube or is the down tube just have a hollow U? Any pics of the bottom of the bike to see the down tube? Hard to see but doesn't appear to be completely split.

Yes, maybe that is just an innovative storage compartment for gels!

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [Ted Striker] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 20:04

Post #24 of 37 (8791 views)

Ted Striker wrote:

Is that an actual split down tube or is the down tube just have a hollow U? Any pics of the bottom of the bike to see the down tube? Hard to see but doesn't appear to be completely split.

well, their premier road bike has an actual split downtube, so i'd guess that's kinda their thing.

the seat tube angle looks really, really slack. maybe that's just the picture, but i'd be more concerned with that than the gimmicky downtube design.

Re: New Factor Slick Tri Bike [Ted Striker] [ In reply to ]

Feb 15, 18 20:43

Post #25 of 37 (8746 views)

Ted Striker wrote:

Is that an actual split down tube or is the down tube just have a hollow U? Any pics of the bottom of the bike to see the down tube? Hard to see but doesn't appear to be completely split.

It is split all the way:

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