Now a booming race discipline, gravel is showcasing a new breed of rider: one who thrives on rough terrain at near road-race speeds. These riders require a bike as committed as they are.
Refined and lean, the LS flies. With optimized stiffness for gravel, an ultralight 950g frame, and crisp race-focused handling, LS is a no-holds-barred gravel racer.
Simply, race. Intentionally stripped of distracting features and excess materials, LS is meticulously crafted, solely focusing on the essence of gravel racing: speed and grit.
Perfectly balanced geometry and stiffness aids in powerful acceleration and climbing, diverging from traditional, pack-animal gravel bikes. LS offers the correct stiffness for aggressive riding to outperform the group without beating on the racer.
Conquer the Dirt
Unapologetically, the LS is built to conquer whether it’s soaring over the unforgiving Midwest rollers, prevailing through red clay, or overcoming the notorious Flint Hills.
The LS is optimized around 40 to 43 mm tires and is compatible with both 1x and 2x electronic and mechanical shifting.
With shorter seat stays and refined steering trail, racers maintain the ability to react in a heartbeat to the often unpredictable dirt road conditions while still running tires with appropriate volume for fast riding on rough gravel.
Detailed Finishes
Compatible with 1x or 2x, Mechanical or Electronic Shifting
Integrated Chainsuck Protector
Hidden Fender Mount
Rider Reviews
The LS is insane and so good in so many ways. I’m never one to worry about weight, especially when you’re taking a bike off on the gravel and onto rocks, ruts, and carrying terrain – I’d rather have the durability to be able to handle it, versus a lightweight gram weenie. That said, it checks both boxes of being lightweight but reinforced and durable/burly in high-stress areas.
With the durability and added capacity, it not only makes it super compliant off-road, but also on road. Where I’m training, it can take over an hour to get to the good gravel roads and it’s proven ridiculously fast on the road. I’ve been on 33mm file tread IRC tires mostly, but also 40mm IRC’s – and the bike rolls along so well on pavement. Even out of the saddle, it’s jumpy in the right ways to deliver a good sprint.
What I find incredible is the ability of the bike to maintain traction on steep inclines without spinning out. Clearly, the geometry was addressed to ensure this capacity in these types of conditions.
As for handling off-road and on gravel, I can throw the bike where I want it, and it responds in kind. It feels super solid and confident out there. I left 10mm in the steer tube to allow for raising the integrated bar/stem from Black Inc to suit long events and training rides, but also for having the ability to drop it low for shorter, faster sessions and events that are less aggressive terrain wise.
One last note – it’s so beautiful. I absolutely love the bare carbon layup as it shimmers and glistens in the sunlight. It’s subtle, understated, but powerful.”
My first ride on the Factor LS was a social ‘Strade Bianche’ event around the city of Vejle in Denmark with a lot of gravel sectors and some nice paved roads in between.
After the first gravel section, I found myself in a smaller group of 6 riders who wanted to push the pace. I quickly got the feeling that this bike was made for speed and racing, as every pedal stroke effortlessly transformed into power and speed.
The LS felt really stiff, and the handling skills were great – both on gravel and paved roads. With my previous gravel bikes, I had the feeling of heaviness, of no power transfer and difficulty with handling in the corners. With the LS, I am not disappointed. This bike is by far the best gravel or cross bike I have ridden.
In my opinion, the perfect gravel bike will be as close to a road bike as possible, and I think the LS frame is very close, if not spot on. When you look at the frame you can tell that Factor has used some of the know-how from the O2 frameset and made more room for bigger tires, added additional space for bottle cages and made the frame more resistant to small impacts from rocks and other hard objects.”
WorldTour-Proven Geometry
By working alongside the highest level of cycling professionals, Factor specializes in making performance-oriented machines based on the exacting needs of racers.
Avoiding trade-offs associated with accommodating the larger tire sizes preferred by gravel racers, the geometry is optimized to ensure exceptionally reactive handling.
Origins of LS
Stepping into the gravel scene with the LS, I chose to name the bike after someone who lived the ethos of gravel long before gravel became popular. Larry Shahboz put me on my first race bike and gave me my first job at a bike shop. He welcomed and created a space for other “misfits” who loved bikes, and supported a long list of up and coming athletes. Gravel is founded in the principle of community and welcoming all even as it becomes an authority in racing. Larry created a community in the South Florida cycling scene, simply through his love of cycling. While he may not be here to witness the emergence of the welcoming gravel scene, I know he would have fully embraced and loved its core values based in community.”
This really is a great mixed terrain bike that performance-focused riders will get a kick out of… its ride quality and low mass offer a subtle improvement over many other comparable bikes… the LS shows there’s always room for simple design done well.
Factor’s first attempt at the gravel bike concept has delivered an all-terrain-conquering racing machine – and speed is its number one priority – 4.5 Stars
Factor LS Frameset
$2,700.00 ex. tax
Factor LS SRAM Force eTap AXS Disc
$6,999.00 ex. tax
| Size | 49 | 52 | 54 | 56 | 58 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 49 | 52 | 54 | 56 | 58 | |
| A | Stack | 530 | 547 | 566 | 585 | 605 |
| B | Reach | 372 | 378 | 383 | 392 | 401 |
| C | Seat Tube Angle | 74.5 | 74 | 73.5 | 73.5 | 73.5 |
| D | Top Tube | 519 | 535 | 550 | 566 | 580 |
| E | Head Tube Angle | 71.5 | 71.9 | 72.3 | 72.3 | 72.3 |
| F | Fork Offset | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| G | Fork Trail | 60-61 | 60-61 | 59-60 | 59-60 | 59-60 |
| H | Seat Tube Length | 455 | 481 | 507 | 527 | 552 |
| I | BB Drop | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 |
| J | Front Center | 582 | 589 | 597 | 612 | 627 |
| K | Fork Length | 395 | 395 | 395 | 395 | 395 |
| L | Chainstay Length | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 |
| M | Wheelbase | 990 | 998 | 1005 | 1020 | 1035 |
| N | Stand Over Height | 748 | 772 | 789 | 809 | 831 |
| Brand | Model | Specification | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Model | Specification | ||
| Frame Set | Frame | Factor | LS | |
| Fork | Factor | LS | ||
| Seat Post | 27.2 Round, post not included | |||
| Headset | 1-1/8" upper, 1-3/8" lower, 45x36 | |||
| Saddle Rail Clamps | 7x7 and 7x9 | |||
| Front Axle | 12x100 Threaded | |||
| Rear Axle | 12x142 Threaded | |||
| Brake Type | Disc | |||
| Compatible Components | 1x or 2x, Electronic or Mechanical | |||
| Color | UD/Grey | |||
| Manufacturer Warranty | 5 year limited lifetime warranty | |||
| Wheel Size | 700c | |||
| Max Tire Clearance | 43mm |