SARANA
Where Speed Meets Distance
Redefining How Far Performance Can Go
The SARANA represents Factor's deliberate expansion of the gravel spectrum. It’s been created for ultra distance racing, events measured in days rather than hours, where riders are entirely self-supported and performance depends as much on efficiency and resilience as on outright speed. Races that stretch across countries, through days and nights, where riders are their own mechanics, navigators, and occasionally, their own worst enemies.
As our interpretation of what a true ultra race bike should be, the SARANA reflects the same instincts that drive every Factor: curiosity, precision, and the belief that speed is something to be felt as much as measured.
PLATFORM CLASSIFICATION:
Ultra-distance gravel race / endurance performance system.
DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE:
Create a gravel race bike with road-level efficiency and off-road resilience, a self-sufficient speed system for the world's toughest events
Engineering Solutions for Speed
Every Factor begins with a question of performance. For the SARANA we asked: How can a race bike stay fast when the rider is too exhausted to think about speed?
The speeds, durations, and demands of ultra racing were unlike anything Factor had optimised for before, yet the principles were the same: efficiency, responsiveness, control. Working directly with Canadian ultra racer and 2025 Unbound XL champion, Rob Britton, the engineering team began translating his racing mindset into design parameters. British Columbia became the SARANA’s testing ground: vast, rough, and relentlessly varied. Each prototype was ridden, refined, and redefined by feedback from the field.
Over months of riding in British Columbia, through heat, rain, altitude, and isolation, Rob pushed each iteration of the SARANA through the kind of punishment only real ultra events deliver. Every ride produced a set of numbers, but more importantly, a set of sensations that shaped the next version.
“ROB BROUGHT US A NEW WAY OF THINKING ABOUT SPEED. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT ULTRA ISN’T SLOWER RACING, IT’S RACING UNDER A DIFFERENT KIND OF PRESSURE.”
Graham Shrive, Factor Chief Engineer
"We were designing for the way a rider feels on hour twenty, not hour two. That changes everything about stiffness, flex, and control."
Mike McGinn, Factor Industrial Designer
Finding the limits of endurance
From the first prototypes onward, Rob Britton became both test rider and collaborator. Each prototype was ridden, refined, and redefined by feedback from the field. The engineering team learned where responsiveness gave way to fatigue, and how geometry could hold composure when the rider was running on instinct.
At the heart of the SARANA is a geometry designed for sustained high-speed riding across variable terrain. Stack and reach proportions are tuned to maintain control through fatigue, allowing riders to stay low and efficient without collapsing posture. Subtle refinements to wheelbase and trail enhance stability on rough surfaces while preserving the agility required in competitive scenarios.
To enhance traction and absorb rough road vibrations, the SARANA introduces a leaf-spring seat-stay system. Dropped stays and a subtly offset seat tube create in-plane flex that smooths vibration while maintaining lateral drive. The seat tube offset also allowed our designers to maintain the 425 mm chainstays across all sizes. This solution keeps the rear end tight and combines with the 65 mm trail (tyre size dependent) to ensure sharp, responsive handling that belies the wide tyre clearance.
18% REDUCTION IN VIBRATION AMPLITUDE COMPARED TO PREVIOUS ENDURANCE BASELINES.
ZERO STRUCTURAL DRIFT IN STIFFNESS AFTER 40 HOURS OF CONTINUOUS SIMULATION.
STABLE STEERING AND AERODYNAMIC BALANCE AT 30–40 KPH EVEN WITH ENDURANCE LOAD SETUPS.
LEAF-SPRING SEAT-STAY SYSTEM
CLEARANCE FOR 57 MM (29 × 2.2-INCH) TYRES
COMPATIBLE WITH RIGID AND 30MM TRAVEL FORKS
LARGE DOWNTUBE INTERNAL STORAGE
30.9 MM DROPPER POST READY
T47 WIDE BOTTOM BRACKET
71.5° HEAD TUBE ANGLE
425 MM CHAINSTAYS
80 MM BOTTOM-BRACKET DROP
In-frame storage
Large integrated down tube storage with a custom bag allows you to stash belongings safely. Carry anything from essential tools to foul weather clothing.
Custom Frame Bags
Working in collaboration with Post Carry, the specially designed frame bags give you ample storage space while enhancing the frame’s aero-efficiency.
Black Inc Gravel Wheels
Black Inc FORTY SIX gravel wheels with 27 mm inner rim width offer a 46 mm deep profile and aerodynamically shaped steel spokes for speed and durability.
Dropper post compatible
By opting for a 30.9 seat post with an external clamp, the SARANA can accommodate a lighter weight dropper post that offers more drop with less insertion.
Suspension fork option
With an eye towards the SARANA’s ultra-capability, it has been designed to be compatible with 30 mm travel forks without impacting the handling or geometry.
Black Inc Cockpit
The SARANA comes equipped with the Black Inc HB05 Integrated Barstem specifically designed for aggressive gravel riding with a short drop and wide flare for assured handling.
Make it yours
Available in 2 colourways that capture the atmosphere of endurance rather than speed. It looks the way it rides, calm, deliberate, and built to go the distance.
Available in sizes from 46cm – 61cm. With bags or without. Frame only or full build. Because adventure is personal.
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