Factor HANZŌ: Fastest in the world

When we first released the HANZŌ, most of the press for it revolved around the super slim front end, which was made possible when the UCI changed their antiquated 3:1 tube size rule. And indeed, the blade-like shape of the head tube is a big contributor to the overall aero efficiency of the frame. Designed to slip almost invisibly through the air, the head tube is just 14 mm thick.

However, it needs to be understood that absolutely every detail has been engineered to cheat the wind and save seconds. Not only that, but positioning and stability are essential pieces to the puzzle. If a rider cannot find a comfortably fast position or lacks confidence in the stability and controllability of the ride, then that will cost the rider speed and any chance of victory.

Focusing on each part of the bike, both individually and as a working whole, we have developed the HANZŌ with input from our professional riders. In particular, time trial specialists Chris Froome and Alex Dowsett consulted at length with our engineers to give their insights into what a WorldTour pro absolutely needs in their time trial machine. Aerodynamics, yes, but also confidence and control in a position that allows them to put real power through the pedals.

Rigidity and responsiveness

Any pro will tell you that frame rigidity is the first thing they need in a bike. They need a structure that will allow their high power output to translate into pure speed. Factor friend Jan Bakelants explained, “As a pro, stiffness is the holy grail. It’s just amazing to see how strong good carbon manufacturers like Factor make carbon these days. But you will only have that when there is good engineering and top materials for the frame, otherwise it will show signs of wear, get weak and not feel stiff anymore. I obviously used a lot of different frames in my career as a pro, and some of them would get a bit flexy after just two months.”

Consequently, all design aspects of the HANZŌ focus on melding aero design cues with extremely rigid performance. The one-piece fork and head tube combine with the mono riser to ensure the front end is rigid and immediately responds to the rider’s input. Equally important in the stiffness equation, the down tube forms the backbone of the frame and offers a sturdy joining point for the super rigid bottom bracket. This is in addition to its aerodynamic function, particularly in how well the down tube integrates an aero water bottle.

Efficient at low yaw angles

Every part on the bike has been shaped carefully, with particular attention being paid to the transitions between tube shapes to give the best possible performance at low and high yaw. The HANZŌ’s super thin front end creates a true airfoil to optimise the lowest possible drag by facilitating full laminar attachment at low yaw angles. That’s important since the wind seldom comes only directly head-on. Selecting the perfect airfoils while taking into account the angle of attack remains the key to ensuring the bike performs optimally during real world racing conditions.

We devoted hundreds of hours in research, development, computer simulation, and wind tunnel testing to ensure HANZŌ offered unparalleled performance in time trials of all possible lengths, from 4 km prologues to 45 km time trials and everything in between. These are the tests that our professional riders will routinely face. Testing, iterating, and retesting the design features guarantees the quality of the product. Every step of production from conception to finished product is done in house.

The carbon layup is done in our own factory by experts who have worked decades for Factor’s Founder Rob Gitelis. Other manufacturers who do not own their own factories cannot approximate the level of control in production that Factor can. Owning the entire process makes such precision possible.

“It is in many ways a mix of old school craftsmanship and 21st century cutting edge technology,” Factor Brand Director and former Time Trial World Champion, David Millar explains. “Every frame is a work of precision carbon engineering.”

The Factor HANZŌ is designed to be raced at the Tour de France, and ready to help every rider compete at the highest level.

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