Australia chases Olympic success with help of $98,000 Factor track bike

The lead up to an Olympic Games is always packed with interesting tech releases as brands and their national teams tentatively unveil new equipment that they hope will provide an edge over their rivals. This pursuit for a technological advantage can lead to unique designs, but it also notably results in some eye-watering price tags, as displayed by AusCycling's Factor Hanzo track bike which is currently available on the British brand’s website for $97,979 (Australian Dollars)/$59,999.

The bike has already been around for a couple of months, having officially been unveiled in Adelaide in January at the Tour Down Under on the same day that Factor and AusCycling announced their partnership. No price tag was provided at the official release but an exploration of Factor’s website has unveiled the cost, which is close to breaking the six-digit mark.

It’s hard to imagine a bike costing more than that, but the Factor Hanzo won’t be the most expensive bike on the track at the Paris Olympics. Great Britain’s UKSI-BC1 bike, which is 3D printed and was released in November, costs £55,000, which is roughly $106,000 (AUD).

These costly figures extend to other areas of tech too, including clothing. Assos, for example, recently released its Fenoq skinsuit, or chronosuit as it calls it, with a £5,670/€6,500/$7,040 price tag.

If these price tags are anything to go by, the cost of Olympic success in track cycling is incredibly high.

• Read more: Team GB has a new track bike for 2024 Olympics that's 3D printed and costs £55,000

So, what does a near $100,000 track bike feature? We don’t actually know as Factor is remaining tight-lipped about any technical details, simply stating on its website that the bike “pushes the boundaries of speed to create the world's fastest pursuit bike”. It says that it is specifically designed for the pursuit disciplines, which includes the team and individual pursuit. Visually the bike appears to have followed common trends, including some of the deepest tube profiles we’ve seen, while the fork appears to have a wider stance. However, sticking to the theme, Factor has only provided one side-profile image on its website to base this off.

It may seem strange that Factor has provided such a small amount of information considering the incredible price tag, but that’s common practice in the build up to the Olympics when brands try to keep their designs under wraps for as long as possible - after all, no one wants to give their rivals any ideas.

They can’t keep them completely out of the public’s eye, though, as any equipment used at the Olympics must be commercially available, according to article 1.3.006 in the UCI’s regulations. It’s common for brands to lower their prices once the games have passed.

For now, anyone who wants to own the Factor Hanzo will need to find nearly $100,000 (AUD) in spare change, although that doesn’t include the delivery fee. The package includes the frame, fork, base bar, seatpost, front wheel, rear wheel and small parts.

You can’t simply hop onto the Factor website and purchase the bike, though. Instead, there is a form that customers can fill out to register their interest in the bike.

Factor

Factor bikes is a UK based high-performance frame brand which makes bikes built predominantly for racing.