Black Inc FIVE Track

Track racing in cycling often gets compared to Formula 1 racing for cars: the origin of all the cutting edge tech that eventually will trickle its way down to regular bikes and cars. While the analogy might seem apt, it minimises the actual labour of love that Factor and Black Inc invest in designing bikes and wheels for the track. We don’t design these things just so we can later use the advanced tech in our road sector; we create class-leading products like the HANZŌ Track, the RAIDEN, the Black Inc ZERO Track wheel, and now the Black Inc FIVE Track because we are committed to providing top quality, high performing products to all our track athletes.

Photo credit: @factor_racingteam

As the newest addition to our track wheel line-up, the Black Inc FIVE Track carbon tubular front wheel has been designed to perform equally effectively in outdoor as well as indoor velodromes. An outdoor velodrome’s unpredictable airflow proves challenging to disc wheels, which are naturally more sensitive to crosswinds.

The five-spoke design of the FIVE Track more efficiently manages the potential for unexpected wind gusts that are possible when riding outside. They also combine very well with the Factor RAIDEN in mass start track events, indoor and outdoor, where again air turbulence is more pronounced and unpredictable.

Photo credit: @factor_racingteam

Spotted in the wild

One advantage of being a member of the Factor Racing Team is that the athletes have first access to all the latest materials from Black Inc as well as Factor. Members of the team were testing the wheels this past week at the Novo mesto velodrome in Slovenia under the experienced eye of Jost Zevnik, liaison for the sponsored teams and general manager of Factor Racing Continental team .

Riders were testing equipment like the new FIVE Track front wheel aboard both the HANZŌ Track and the RAIDEN. Current Slovenian U23 Time Trial Champion, Nejc Komac, was full of praise for the wheel:

“From the first lap, I could feel how direct the FIVE Track wheel was. It’s incredibly stiff but still smooth; it holds speed effortlessly. In a sprint or a long effort, it just feels fast. As a front wheel on a HANZŌ Track it will be very valuable in pursuit races, especially if racing on an open velodrome. You can tell it’s built by a brand that is focused on aerodynamics.”

Combining the Black Inc FIVE Track with the RAIDEN in a scratch race or omnium enhances the manoeuvrability of the bike without compromising on aerodynamic efficiency. Indeed, adding the FIVE Track to the wide range of Black Inc track wheel choices increases the rider’s ability to choose the precise set-up they need for the race conditions and variety of track events.

Photo credit: @factor_racingteam

Our commitment on track

Preceding the development of the FIVE Track, Black Inc ZERO Track full disc carbon wheels were created in conjunction with the HANZŌ Track. Ideal for pursuit racing, they prioritise stiffness and aerodynamic performance in indoor velodrome situations. Alongside the Factor RAIDEN, Black Inc developed the SIXTY Track wheelset that can function both for hard training sessions or as a gateway wheel to track racing.

Investing in the R&D to develop a track bike and wheels concurrently is one of the major decisions that sets Factor apart. “I don’t think there are many examples across the industry where the wheel/bike has been developed with this close of a collaboration of all company departments,” Factor’s Chief Engineer, Graham Shrive said when referring to the Factor HANZŌ Track and Black Inc ZERO Track wheelset.

“The Black Inc ZERO Track wheels were developed for the HANZŌ Track and in this case, we opted for a front flat disc and a slightly lenticular rear disc wheel. We actually did quite a lot of R&D work on a front lenticular versus a front flat disc.”

Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Factor had committed to creating the fastest possible team pursuit bike for Aus Cycling. It was a prime opportunity for Factor and Black Inc’s experts to combine experience and efforts to develop something truly special. The use of CFD software can only tell so much. Eventually you need to take your ideas into the wind tunnel for verification.

Photo credit: @z_w_photography

“We needed to test the interaction between the flat front disc, including the surface finish on it. Looking at that and how it works with the design of the fork is something that we iterated quite a few times,” Shrive explained. “We even went so far as to go to the wind tunnel with a fully, more or less production ready, lenticular disc front wheel and different arrangements of forks.”

The results of the wind tunnel testing confirmed that a flat front disc outperformed a lenticular disc for the front wheel. The tests also indicated which coating was more effective. The final set-up has proved spectacularly successful, resulting in a team pursuit world record and gold medal at the Olympics for Australia and a silver medal in the 2025 Track World Championships.

Photo credit: @swpix_cycling

“The management of the air flow between the fork and the wheel at low yaw is something that is a little bit of a black art, and the Black Inc ZERO Track wheelset is very much built for that fork and when they are combined together, you get some really dramatically better results than you would if you used a different wheel on the HANZŌ Track.”

Designs for the future

At Factor and Black Inc, speed isn't a marketing claim, it's a consequence of how we operate. We're among the only bike brands in the world that owns every part of the process: from concept to carbon layup, from wind tunnel to WorldTour podium. Both companies were born from the belief that to make the fastest bikes in the world, you have to control everything. No outsourcing. No compromises.

This mentality and commitment to excellence ensures that each new bike and wheelset on the horizon will continue to push boundaries and set new standards. It’s how we define Never Status Quo.