Factor always rolls with CeramicSpeed

A lot of brands in the cycling industry aspire to be totally committed to uncompromising performance and elite production. But few live the reality in the same way that Factor Bikes and CeramicSpeed do. Their shared love of innovation and craftsmanship combined with a passion for riding bikes fast has made the partnership between Factor Bikes and CeramicSpeed not only ideal, but inevitable.

From the very beginning, Factor Bikes and Black Inc wheels have always made Ceramic Speed the first choice when it comes to bearings. It’s not only because Factor always wants to offer a premium product, but because the ultimate goal of being able to ride as fast as possible requires a combination of removing friction from the drivetrain while enhancing overall durability of the system.

“At Factor we’re passionate about high performance engineering, every detail matters, we have worked with Ceramic Speed since the beginning because we know they share our pursuit of excellence.”

The Speedification of Gravel

Though road bikes have always meant to be fast, and even mountain bikes destined to be raced at World Cup level have needed to be fast, the progression towards fast gravel has been paradoxically slow. That all changed with the release of the Factor OSTRO Gravel, which like all other Factor Bikes, comes standard with all CeramicSpeed bearings.

“The world of gravel is changing, which even surprised me,” CeramicSpeed’s Off-Road Specialist, Mike Garrigan explained. “Marginal gains are now considered in gravel. People want beautiful and fast gravel bikes. A performance package.”

And that is certainly what they get with the OSTRO Gravel. Unique among gravel bikes for the extreme level of research and development that went into making the OG the most aero gravel bike on the market, it has been ridden at and taken victories in some of the most difficult and important gravel events around the world, most recently having taken an emphatic win at Santa Vall in Girona, Spain.

“We’ve seen gravel racing change significantly in recent years, marginal gains are now the norm, I’ve seen this first hand. I spoke to Magnus Bak after he crushed the opposition on an OG at the first Gravel Earth Series event of 2025 and he told me he believes it is the fastest gravel bike in the world. He’s not alone, I saw so many OSTRO Gravels at that race, the spirit of gravel has morphed into the speed of gravel,” David Millar, Factor Brand Director, explained.

High tech with a personal touch

Not only do the production values of Factor and CeramicSpeed dovetail, they employ similar production methods that rely not only on advanced technological machining, but also the expertise of deeply knowledgeable people. “We are committed to the high tech side with a human touch,” CeramicSpeed’s Mike Garrigan said.

Having a well-trained factory staff is what sets both brands apart. Factor’s factory employees, the experts who prepare and layup the carbon fibre of every bike, are the heart and soul of what makes Factor a leader in high performance carbon bikes. Many of them have worked for Factor Founder and CEO, Rob Gitelis for multiple decades. As with CeramicSpeed, it’s a partnership based on shared values, a love of cycling, and a commitment to producing the highest possible quality of work.

“We make the best bikes in the world; they need bearings that match our performance standards and unwillingness to compromise.” Rob Gitelis, Factor Founder.

The ultimate goal: pleasing our customers

Nevertheless, no one is working in a vacuum. Neither Factor nor CeramicSpeeds would be doing this if we didn’t have the customer’s needs and requirements to fulfil. “Both CeramicSpeed and Factor are similar because we are uncompromising, committed to producing high end products and satisfying our demanding customers,” Mike Garrigan confirmed. And with the demand for gravel bikes to offer the same elite level of efficiency that had previously only been found on road bikes, the Factor OSTRO Gravel offers a spec sheet that is almost indistinguishable from the high-flying OSTRO VAM road racing bike.

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