Justin Williams’ Factor OSTRO VAM L39ION Edition
Finding inspiration in LA
What does cycling mean to you? Fitness, fun, easy access to nature? To Justin Williams and his brother Cory, finding cycling meant a lot more than that. It helped open up a whole new world, gave them a fresh perspective on life, and encouraged them to carve their own path in the sport.
Photo credit: @logical.photo
“We grew up on 39th street in south central LA playing all kinds of sports and then we found cycling. It really changed our perspective on the world, and it gave us the ability to see life for more than what was offered to us with where we were from,” Justin explained. “It showed us the world, and put us in a position later in our careers where we not only had the freedom to express ourselves, the way that we wanted to, true to our culture. But we also had the chance to share cycling and show what the bike can bring to people who come from where we come from.”
L39ION of Los Angeles IG / Website
Cycling in the States
Road racing in the United States, though not as entrenched as in Europe, has a deep history that is intertwined with community and criterium racing. America might not have an established stage race; it is simply too large of a country to make a national Tour possible. But for many decades, cities have been hosting criterium racing, grassroots events that engage and excite the locals, finding new fans and new talents, like the Williams brothers.
“I love criterium racing because they take place in city centers, and I feel like the racing is brought to the people. And that's massively important to me and I think that is way cooler. I like criterium racing because it is more relatable to people that look like me,” Williams said. “Crit racing was the primary format of bike racing that we had access to, and we love it because it reminds us of football and basketball; it’s a contact sport. It’s super intense and it’s exciting. You have to be very quick on your feet to be good at it. The strongest person never wins. It’s the person who has the most skills and knows how to utilize them at the right time.”
But even if criterium racing has a history in the United States that stretches back decades, what is it about the Williams’ brothers and their cycling team L39ION that makes it seem like a whole new sport?
“Creating a community is what L39ION stands for. Creating spaces for people to feel they can be an authentic version of themselves. You don’t have to hide, you don’t have to pretend, you don’t have to conform. You can show up and be who you are,” Williams explained. “And L39ION has gotten people into cycling that wouldn’t have given it a chance. Our team is so different, because it is so relatable, because it feels so cultured. People think it’s cool. It’s so unique in the space.”
Giving back to the community
Founded in 2019 by Justin Williams, L39ION cycling team focused on crit racing and immediately made an impact, not only by winning nearly every race they entered, but by exciting inner-city youths and encouraging them to take up cycling as well.
“We have junior day camps where the kids can come for a ride with the pros, ask some questions, and have a mentor program,” Williams said. “Helping kids develop and find what they want to do, whether it’s crit racing or working towards the Tour de France or even just working in the cycling industry. Opening up as many doors as possible.”
Amanda Lester co-manages the team with Justin Williams. New to cycling, she sees the impact the team has already made on their local community and the wider community of cycling in the USA. “I get to see it from the outside since I don’t come from the cycling world. I have fresh eyes for sure,” Lester explained. “It’s really cool though. I see the impact it makes on the community, the impact it makes in communities outside of cycling, there are opportunities to have influence on youth and the sport. It’s such a dynamic space. I think Justin does a great job at being a conduit, since he connects all the people, he has the creative side of it. It's a really cool activity that brings so many different dynamic people and ideas and components together.”
A meeting of minds between team and bike brand
From the first contact between Factor and L39ION, there was an immediate connection and sympathy. “My agent reached out to Factor, and we jumped on a call with Calvin Chan, Factor COO, and then it was just clear that you guys speak my language,” Williams said.
“Honestly, I think we stopped looking for a bike sponsor just after that one conversation because the alignment was so strong. Having conversations about fashion and shoes and culture outside of the bike. Having ideas that you don’t talk about with most cycling brands. So that was massively important to me.”
Since Williams and L39ION are disruptors and innovators in the crit racing world, it seemed an obvious choice to join teams with Factor, a cycling brand that not only innovates but looks for new ways to get out its message. “Factor is always innovating and pushing boundaries and doing things out of the norm. The fact that Factor is going out and trying new things. Trying new ways to do things. Just taking it on from the perspective of “here’s this blank canvas, now go do it.” It’s literally what we did at Legion,” Williams continued.
“The technologies that are used by Factor and the way they are developing frames, the riders love it. And the riders also love the fact that they have input. Having a relationship where your voice matters, and where Factor understands where we’re coming from and understands how criterium racing is different from road racing. Having our ideas and needs considered is everything. And we can’t get that anywhere else.”
A bike complete with transit map
Racing on the Factor OSTRO VAM, the L39ION of Los Angeles men’s and women’s teams have found the perfect tool to continue their domination of the US crit racing circuit. With its elite blend of aero efficiency and power transfer, the OSTRO VAM has in spades the attributes most important to high octane criterium racing.
And now with the special edition L39ION of Los Angeles design, the team can dominate in style. “Basically, Justin had the graphic concept pretty much fleshed out. He wanted to pay tribute to the city of Los Angeles and really call out the neighborhoods and the transit system that is integral to connecting, if you’ve ever lived in LA, it’s pockets everywhere,” Factor’s Creative Director, Jay Gundzik explained.
“It was super cool working with Justin. We basically went back and forth a little on his design, and I took his feedback and just tried to make it a little bit streamlined but still communicate the transit system concept. I created a map thanks to Justin’s examples that he shared. We created this legend that called out all the different neighborhoods and different colors, so we worked with a real subdued color palette with super bright accents of color and chrome. It has this really nice balance to it.”
As a youth, Justin Williams relied on the LA bus system to get around the city. His design concept recognizes how important public transport has been in his life, and the enormous role it will play once the Olympics reach Los Angeles in 2028. “I wanted to tie the design back to Los Angeles culture and the metro system because as a kid I remember having to get on the bus. And with the Olympics coming to California, one of the big issues is how people are going to get to all the events and how the city is going to be way more bike friendly, so I think it is perfect timing for it all,” Williams confirmed.
“The design just reflects back to my roots in LA and 39th street, and how you would get around when you were younger, and then also celebrates how cool it is that the Olympics is coming and magnifying how people will be using the transit system to get to and from events.”
Accessibility and relatability at their core
Justin Williams is not only a super successful sprinter and criterium racer. He is a touchpoint for a lot of people inside and outside of cycling. His wide range of interests and experiences means that he can pull together experts from disparate fields to weave together a tapestry of creatives. “Working with good companies, like Factor, and working with good people is the reason that we look so unique,” Williams explained.
“I like to use my connections with people who are not from cycling. We’re finding people who do other things. For instance, we’ve worked with Atiba Jefferson, who’s an amazing skate and basketball photographer. That sort of thing changes everything because I am relatable to the outside world. We work with people who maybe have an interest in cycling, and use their talents and unique perspective on the sport. I get to be the conduit for that, and that’s really cool.”
The nature of criterium racing enhances their level of accessibility and excitement. It’s much more up-close-and-personal than a point-to-point grand tour stage can be. “Crit racing is so much more relatable to a kid playing football,” Williams believes. “When you are playing football, it feels like every play is a new chance. When you are criterium racing it feels like every lap is a new chance. You have the chance to think ‘how do I use my skills to be better on this lap, how do I use my skills to be better on this lap.’ Whether that’s like going for a prime, or chasing a break, or just recovering, finding the right lines so that you are not wasting energy. Knowing when to fight, when not to fight. That’s what makes criterium racing special and I feel also very relatable.”
Creating that connection to young people who may have grown up playing other sports is one of the main drivers for Williams and L39ION.
“That kinda summarizes what we’re doing and who we are. It’s really important to us to do for even just one other kid what cycling has done for us.”
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The OSTRO VAM L39ion Edition can be ordered for a limited time. We have multiple build options available. If you would like to add the unique design to your collection, please contact us and one of our experts will be happy to help.
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