I’d been chatting with Brian for 20 odd minutes before I spotted this 'blinged up Factor over his shoulder. It’s like Darth Vader bought a bike for Mr T, and Chris Froome spec’d it out! Which is fitting when you get to know Brian - behind the friendly smile lies a history of bike racing and some legs that mean business!! Here’s what we found out:
“Southampton on the South Coast of the U.K.”
“Always had a bike as a child. Then one day my father brought home (purely by chance) a copy of @cyclingweeklymagazine & immediately I was hooked. I was about 12 years old & decided then that I wanted to try racing. I still race a little now, even in my more mature years.”
“These days cycling gives me the freedom of exploring the countryside while offering huge benefits to my health & general fitness. Since my wife Mandy passed away cycling has provided massive help to my mental health. Every day I have a reason to get up and enjoy life.”
“I ride a 2023 Factor Ostro VAM finished in the Limited Edition Brushed Gold. The reason I selected a Factor bike was that it seemed like the time had come to go ‘disc brakes’. I had noticed the bikes previously while watching some racing on TV. Also had a local friend riding one.
How the bike looked was important to me and it seemed that the Factor would fit the bill. There was no opportunity for a test ride before placing my order. Risky?? Maybe. However, I felt that with all my years of experience and the figures from previous bike fits I was well enough educated to make the correct selection. I have not been disappointed and can thoroughly recommend the brand. The geometry works so well for me plus you are able to pick your preferred bar/stem size and seatpost offset when ordering. So, as near custom as you can get.
The bike is complimented with matching accessories provided with the frame, being brushed gold decals to the handlebars/stem, seatpost and bottle cages. I built up the bike myself using Shimano Di2 12 speed group set but replaced the chainset with a Rotor 2INpower. In my opinion a far better chainset plus twin power metres.
Wheels are Parcours Strade. This is an English brand with 49/54 rim depths. Great for racing and general riding. I sit on a Selle Italia 3d printed saddle while pedalling Look Keo pedals with the drive train being assisted with CeramicSpeed OSPW in Gold to match the bike. I tend to mostly roll on Pirelli tyres.”
"Oh the best bits?.. Well everyone says that their bike is the best they have ever ridden, and I suppose I must agree. I am very confident in my bike fit so can justifiably state that this bike is amazingly comfortable while being capable of doing everything well. It is fast due to being aero yet can climb with the rest. It is not a coincidence that these bikes are currently being used at World Tour Level. Mine is christened the ‘Ostro Arrow’.
The Shimano group set is an outstanding piece of engineering. It just works perfectly while providing such comfortable levers."
This is complimented with matching accessories provided with the frame being brushed gold decals to the handlebars/stem, seatpost and bottle cages. I built up the bike myself using Shimano Di2 12 speed group set but replaced the chain-set with a Rotor 2INpower. In my opinion a far better chain-set plus twin power metres. Wheels are Parcours Strade. This is an English brand with 49/54 rim depths. Great for racing and general riding. I sit on a Selle Italia 3d printed saddle while pedalling Look Keo pedals with the drive train being assisted with Ceramic Speed OSPW in Gold to match the bike. I tend to mostly roll on Pirelli tyres.”
"Cycling offers so much more than just riding a bike. It has given me acceptance to groups of wonderful people I would never have met. It offers a unique way to network with like minded people. I have been fortunate to ride in many places around Europe in the past few years but particularly love Mallorca and Belgium. 2 very different destinations but both amazing places to ride a bike. Mallorca has great roads and some epic climbs while Belgium is steeped in cycling history. I will continue to ride including a bit of racing for as long as my legs will allow."
This is a project / hobby that I started about 10 years ago. I was sat in Giro cafe, Esher and struck up a conversation with a complete stranger about his bike. The next thing I know we were writing a post, and Me & My Bike was born. We all meet great characters at cycling cafes and this is a good start at sharing them. So next time you go for a coffee, don't be afraid to chat to the group next to you - you never know where it might take you.
