My Aero Gravel Race Bike, the New Factor Ostro Gravel

Aero gravel bikes are coming and aerodynamics seems to be playing a bigger role in gravel events every year. Is an aero gravel bike necessary though? I break down how much aero matters at low speeds and give you a run down of my own personal aero gravel bike, the Factor Ostro Gravel.
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[@amputech]

I don't care about marginal gains on my bike because I don't race, but I love watching your videos and learning all the theory.

[@peterknight7880]

This

[@ralvesco]

@@peterknight7880 that's it, I simply don't care about performance, but I think this info super interesting

[@robbchastain3036]

Yeah, but now that I'm learning all these tips at the gravel speed shop, I'm thinking maybe I'll win a few more trophies for roosting in the over-60 class. 😀

[@IvanKoch]

exactly

[@bike4fish241]

read my mind.

[@ANONyme-xt4vb]

I thought this was only going to be a boring advert for Factor but I am glad that this video is much more technical.

[@mattk8810]

Aero is less complaint.

[@2ball434]

@@mattk8810 you literally have wider tires tho?

[@donaldryder5534]

I liked this a lot because it brought together a lot the things you talk about into one video showing practical applications.

[@jeffreythompson6282]

Backward hat Dylan was on point this video! Love the nerdery.

[@andyheilmann1656]

thanks for the simple math brake down. especially at 10mph! Ive never an aero breakdown this slow, and it's definitely a real speed for a lot of people

[@Wiz3721]

You almost could have been doing a video about time trialing. Everything you mentioned really matters. Good stuff.

[@gte534j]

Your video convinced me to only ride in the drops all the time, even on my mountain bike.

[@terryhollands2794]

Chamois is a softened deerskin. My wool cycling shorts had a deerskin chamois.

[@cycletherapyUSA]

Your videos take a while to come compared to others but they are well worth the wait. Thanks for sharing and putting out all the science and experience to back it. I'm not a racer but I'm always seeking to improve so your channel is well loved on my part. BTW, your alter ego character is genius, top notch comedy and I always look forward to it. Thanks again!

[@torstenfrank1856]

Kudos to Factor. So much cool and right things done. Rest assured you are not the only one preaching to the industry to do the simple and obvious things like that handlebar where you can screw aerobars on and off to your liking. Actually it blows my mind how intricate and overengineered (cough, Canyon, cough - but they aren't the only offenders) some integrated cockpits are and how the companies wax lyric on a few saved watts here and there when the greatest saving is the riders position. Aerodynamics and comfort for long gravel rides... If you want that you have that to throw that cool integrated cockpit out of the window with many top gravel (and road bikes for that matter) bikes and mounting a normal stem handlebar combo to be able to fit real aerobars. And you have a PITA of a rerouting / reconnecting brake hoses to boot. So again - hat's off to Factor. That's how it's done.

[@mellowcat42]

Lots of good takeaways, even for more casual or fondo riders: keep your chain clean, tidy your cables, choose tires carefully, etc.. These will let riders at all speeds use less energy and ride faster or further. Keep up the solid content!

[@spookyshark632]

Listening to this while on my Schwinn beach cruiser

[@matthewsweat]

love the direct mount aero bars. the only other company I could find doing that is Vison. The METRON 4D FLAT M.A.S. AEROBAR. Not only does it look cleaner but as someone who rides with clip on aero bars it would be much easier/faster to take them on and off without the hassle of leveling them correctly each time.

[@dmallo]

I got the 4d MAS for my road bike last winter, and they are fantastic. It takes me 5 minutes to install the aero bars (less to remove them), and thus do it often depending on the route/training I am doing. I wish this was more popular and available for all integrated handlebars. I hope factor adds this one to their road lineup too!

[@matthewsweat]

@@dmallo nice! I have been debating on buying them for my road bike

[@roilev]

ENVE have optional extensions for their aero road bar. Which is of limited availability lately

[@williamcatt5570]

Good stuff Dylan. I am the proud owner of regular Ostro and love everything about that bike. Still waiting for your review of the Lando XC.

[@pjlehtim]

Also, this bike looks damn cool! It might not make you faster but it makes you look better. Worth it. :)

[@benmiller388]

Matters alot for Dylan since he lets the first group go after 23 mins. Top 5 fav channels. Even if its a topic I don't care about I'll let it play and like for support.

[@nienkerk1]

Great content as always Dylan! 🤩🙌

[@RimShot99]

I don't ride gravel, but still found this interesting and educational. Thank you! Besides that, I had missed Backwards Hat Dylan.

[@h20s8804]

Gravel has had me scratching my head for a long long time. It's a race? It's a scene? Its' how you go ride alone in the woods with no cars? What are those bikes?? They're road bikes... mostly, until they're mountain bikes... wait... I finally got one and for me it is the ability to ride just about anywhere, any surface, and all on the same bike, on the same ride. It's awesome.

[@wazzup105]

I don't care about speed, but I do care about efficiency. Riding further in the same amount of time means I see more and have more fun ;-) Especially when efficiency "hacks" are free (or cheap).

[@epicoverfifty9745]

Oh you arrive at your destination 20 sec faster over that 4-hour ride lol It's marketing hype that would not even benefit the pros when you consider most of the they are drafting aero gains are important to time trial and that's about it the rest is more and more marketing blurb.

[@RiordanJohn]

I subscribe to a lot of channels, but yours are the videos that I save for reference. This video is no exception. Well done.

[@davidpomerantz]

I'm glad I found this channel because my first race is this upcoming Sunday (Gravel)

[@wasupwitdat1mofiki94]

I guess this means we are going to start getting aero mountainbikes. Can't wait.😁

[@ihanatom]

Agree with your wider tyre theory - I have both 40 and 45 mm Pirelli Mud tyres on my gravel bike and the wider ones are faster and, of course, more comfortable.

[@Nick_007ia]

Dylan, maybe a summury about your preparations to the season (zone 2, HIT and weight/gym trainging and so on..) and a conclusion what did work for you what did not and what would you change for the upcomming 2023🙏🙌🏻 btw thanks for awesome content/knowledge❗️

[@keithc5729]

This is good stuff! This chanel should be much bigger!

[@YuriThorpe]

I raced on Continental RaceKing Protects in 27.5x2.2 for Unbound XL, Rockstar 250, and Gravel Worlds 300. Everyone was so shocked, but I was at the front end of all of those races and was happy

[@samuraioodon]

Cool this is what I was thinking about too but saw it wasn’t as common setup, is it?

[@roadglide]

Progress is sublime. 😎

[@williamtate5077]

Thanks for the "Performance Shamimg"!!!! 🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲

[@stevejenkins6045]

Great video as always. I just shared it to my Facebook page.

[@conan_der_barbar]

it just looks so good

[@BikeRidingBassist]

Very Good content here D. One of the best I’ve seen of yours especially with Backwards Hat D.

[@chrisnelson5770]

It's kinda funny that somebody that loves riding a 40 lbs drop-bar Pugsley on gravel races would be interested in aero gains (see profile pic from The Almanzo years ago) ... but you really made the point, getting aero is important. Being one of the only people racing gravel with drop-bars on a fatbike, I'm regularly on the the podium for fatbike categories, and frequently beat riders on new CF gravel bikes to the finish.

[@ivaeiintch]

Love this full blown nerd fest!! No hipster purest nonsense, just performance driven facts 👍👍👍

[@terrillford7784]

Best video my man. I appreciate these informational videos

[@JoshRoss]

Pleasure to meet you. Good luck at the big sugar race!

[@tmunk123]

Possibly your best video yet

[@thegrumpygraveller8820]

awesome summary, I switched to an aero gravel bike this year (3T Exploro Racemax) !00% agree with everything you said!

[@fabiantellmann9970]

Hi Dylan! Absolutely love your content. I learned a lot from it, and it's safe to say all the provided knowledge has increased my performance and fun on the bike. However, what really caught my attention in this video was that you run bigger chainrings in the front. I already upgraded my bigger chainring from 46 to 48 (GRX) about 10k ago and really felt the difference. Since my next drivetrain maintenance is fast approaching, I already had a look into the compatibility of the GRX groupset with a Shimano road crankset. Unfortunately it seems there is next to no information available, apart from GRX (47mm) and road groupsets (43/44mm) having different chainlines. Would appreciate a lot if you leave a short comment about how you went about installing bigger chainrings. Best regards from the flatlands of Northern Germany

[@mikeburton8426]

Yeah, I’m trying to find a way to fit my Stache wheels and tires onto my Tarmac, should be lightning fast :)

[@seriousbees]

1:45 This was a very surprising result to me. Good stuff!

[@ekimviewmaster5010]

I see body position as being a major improvement in aerodynamics, but hoods, cables, etc., I see being in the realm of the "aero-weanie". (close cousin to the "weight-weanie")

[@spj515]

Only a couple of mins in but one of the other considerations is you are more likely to be in the wind/not in a peloton in a gravel race. So despite a lower speed the effective wind speed is higher

[@ridinmabike]

Thanks for sharing your setup!

[@ryannelson9256]

"Aerodynamics makes some sort of small difference at all speeds, even very slow ones" /proceeds to show a clip of Dylan motoring along comfortably at a pace I could handle for 73 whole seconds before giving up biking/

[@grantrutenberg2847]

Changing flavors on the Hyper Gain Beast Mode Mass Gainer Raw Edition enabled me to sit up on the bike during 100 mile races and come in 2 mph faster than the full aero race position.

[@cyclingchefglenn]

Factor bikes for the win. Nice set up Dylan.

[@rudyelizondo1935]

Great Vid Dylan, I always enjoy them with the comedy inserts. Yeah your right on all the points you make. I own a Diverge which only has tiagara parts and it still weights the same as all the pro models. I have fun with my bike and do gravel close by me. It was hard finding ng the sweet spot for n my tire pressure for my pathfinder so 38. I finally settled on 35 front n 37 on back tire on size 38’s.

[@Carftymk]

if i was a bike company i'd only make 2 dropbar disc bikes: one would be aero, racing optimized with clearance for ~40mm (as measured, not the conservative estimate) one would be endurance with clearance for 45mm and more i think those two would fit 99% of riders

[@rolandtatnall]

1. why drops better than hoods? tests (even implied in your vids) show low forearm frontal area (hoods) faster than drops 2. wider tyre rolling resistance: N=1 experience (on an interval - 100s of repeats on the downhill); it's the profile that matters - GK knobbly significantly slower at higher speeds (downhill) than visibly more aero Pathfinder Pros at same size

[@basedgodstrugglin]

I’m always here for more gcn bashing

[@T0H16H]

Great video as always

[@nofascistsonmywatch]

I like the aero gravel bike option, since IF I ever can afford to buy a new, crunchy carbon, disc braked, fully hidden/'integrated' cable/brake lines wonder, I can buy ONE bike to ride on both the roads AND the canal tow paths around here (with just a wheel/tire change, of course). I do not like the 'MTB with drop bars' stance of some of the 'sliding the back wheel around downhill gravel/trail turns' current gravel bikes, and would rather skew my priority to a fast road bike (albeit not 'race' geometry) which has the wheel/tire clearance to be ridden on gravel paths.

[@wesleycurrin1457]

I don't care that much either but it is helpful when I make decisions on the new Giant Revolt purchase regarding wheel and tire choices. I ride on pavement and light gravel. Retiring in 2 years and rides will increase.

[@lrh8197]

To better answer the question of WHY the aerodynamics give you a better advantage at relatively lower speeds, we could observe a basic air drag model and see that air drag is directly prepositional to the drag coefficient ( aerodynamic efficient), but is proportional to the SQUARE of velocity. So overall velocity will always have a greater impact on how much resistive force is experienced and as Dylan pointed out, compounded over time that will result in greater time gains at lower speeds.

[@NeonGrayEdits]

Yes great video, I do get a lil board of the white paper. I’ll just take you at your word 😄. I don’t care much for gravel, but now I feel like I need to care more about it on my road bike!

[@dvoob]

Above all 4 things you mentioned is positioning. You can do quite a bit just by optimizing your bike size & fit. It's also better to have a slightly less aero position that you can hold for 4 hours straight, rather than having a super aero position in the drops that you can only hold for 5 minutes, and then you end up riding with straight arms on the hoods all race.

[@plixplux]

Super interesting suff! I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts in a future vid on Jonas Vingegaard's bike having a 1x drivetrain, both last year and this year.

[@76844]

Appreciate the insights

[@chuckfrizzell8668]

I watch all your videos. After 34 years of cycling there’s still more to learn. Many thanks and… where/how can I buy a Factor bike?

[@mariofonseca9267]

Great video once again. Great learning 4 me. Thx.

[@ggcadc]

I care about marginal gains because going slightly faster makes the suffering slightly shorter. Ive got the *other* aero gravel bike from 3t and it forced me to sell my endurance road bike because it was slower and less comfortable.

[@janjansen6263]

I love that it’s possible to have aero bars on those handlebars, they would be even better if they would allow separate adjustments of width and reach

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

Just got an aero handlebar for gravel bike, (not aero bars) aero sleeves aero socks aero helmet and an aero food box. I do have aero bottles but they don’t carry enough water for gravel race distances.

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

I’m also going to go change my road tires and let some air out now too.

[@hossromani]

Awesome video - do you still love this bike? I’m thinking of the Ostro as next bike vs upgrading to the new Crux - your thoughts are much appreciated and of course the community’s

[@JonathanHair]

I got a Ventum GS1 this year. Seems to be the best value in Aero Gravel by a wide margin.

[@MarkLRandall]

I'm glad Factor makes this bike, because there is no reason a gravel bike shouldn't be aero, and there's little reason an aero bike can't have clearance for wide tires. There's no reason you should need to buy three or four bikes!

[@stevencole7331]

That's funny where I had the same thought pedaling in the mid range of a cassette is more efficient . The only difference I went to a smaller front single chainring to match up to my 12 speed pie plate in the rear as I ride more technical MTB trails and mostly not getting those higher speeds . The smaller ring keeps me in that mid range for a majority of the ride . I do think 2 by systems with smaller cassettes are more efficient than the single rings and the pie plates on the rear

[@sepg5084]

I converted from a 1X setup to a 2X setup. I mostly ride paved roads, dirt roads, and gravle so i have no need for a 1X's chain drop resistance anyway.

[@mastaJaber]

Aero Gravel - The Future is now, old man! :) Great video! What's the size of these pirelli tires?

[@robertm1552]

Have to say, you’ve come a long ways from your original clip on tri bars bought from Amazon.

[@edsinofsky]

enjoyed very much, thanks.

[@jason200912]

You should get a regular aero bike and slap on gravel tires and gearsets onto it. Madone, aeron, supersix, venge vias, felt ar are the fastest frames with the lowest watts.

[@andrew9579]

Great video. I love it that you speak your mind and use the equipment that makes the most sense. A question - Your seat is slammed all the way forward. I wondered what your saddle seat back is?

[@meatmotorendurance]

Watch that seatpost wedge. Hearing a lot of people slightly reshaping it for more surface contact with seatpost.

[@chrisvejnovich116]

On a recent "The Gravel Ride" podcast Josh P. Claimed that just aero drop bars can save up to 28-30 watts at wind tunnel speeds. I believe if I'm correct that speed is usually 30mph. While I normally travel at half that speed, I am now shopping for an aero drop bar. And my rationale is actually less about the watts I might save (I'm on a steel non-aero frame with exposed cable), and more about the comfort of the wing shaped bar tops. Interesting stuff here. Nice video Dylan!

[@DrMonkehify]

they are so comfortable man

[@nofascistsonmywatch]

Yeah, I kind of wish that those were a possibility in alloy, and NOT exclusively carbon, but eventually I might get them anyway in the crunchy stuff to try and alleviate my 'cyclist's palsy' (and yeah, they look cool as well!). Josh also claimed that the 'nest' of cables coming out of the bars in the middle, under the stem (like I currently have on my now very 'old school' frame and setup), is decidedly and measurably UN-aero, and DOES actually cost cdA watts, just like Dylan explained above. So, sadly, whatever infinitesimal 'gains' I might get from the NACA shaped bar tops will be negated by those exposed cables.

[@chrisvejnovich116]

@@nofascistsonmywatch since I do not run electronic shifting, I to have cables that will cause aerodynamic disadvantage. Honestly, The main reason I would get a flat top arrow style handlebar is for the possible comfort factor. It does make a lot of sense that a wide flat top will be more comfortable in your palms.

[@adamgoodman3422]

Ostro Gravel vs Ostro Road with same tires. This could make the case for a one bike does it all. Crit/Climb/Gravel.

[@barrowsworm1226]

This bike clicks some boxes for me vs. my current rig: slightly longer reach, lower BB, and of course attention paid to aero gains. But I cannot stomach the price. I just cannot see the "value" in frame sets which are over $5K, when there are many just as good frames (in terms of quality of carbon construction) at sub $4K prices. It seems that many brands which come form the road side set their pricing based on name "prestige" rather than any real advantage in the actual construction quality of the frame. Considering that most of these frames in one of a few Asian builders, the price differences appear very difficult to justify.

[@thomasbaron9052]

Love your videos! Keep it up!

[@daisyseptimus561]

I don't like Aero Bars. Use Specialized S Work for a few years took it off and pun on FSA-Force Light Nano and love it because of the easier adjustability. For me on the hood and the drop make only 2kmh difference. For long ride and races comfort is very important for me rather than fighting with my bike I rather choose comfort.

[@Speedy.V]

How about comfort? Would having a rear suspension like for example the Berria Belador, the Cannondale topstone, or the moots Softail gravel bike help you stay "fresher" through long rides outweigh any aero gains a gravel bikes would have (considering that all other things remain equal)? Or would a more flexible seatpost be better than the complexity of frame suspension. Like for example the ergon flex posts. Concerning aerodynamics I think that the rider position is the biggest factor and if some sort of suspension or flex aids in keeping that aero position for longer than that's better in the long run.

[@Olguini91]

In the last video within this video you're not wearing an aero helmet ??? Does that change when you race? How about raceway gear? Speedsuit? Is there a video coming ? Cheers, love your content!

[@Mamilian]

Having been in several races with people using aerobars, I don't have a problem with them existing, even in the race. The problem is that you get a lot of people using them while in a group. This puts everyone next to, and behind that person, at risk. Classic example of why we can't have nice things...

[@obikedog]

Aero gravel bikes are here; have been here for years. And yes, they make sense to those who don't have their head up SoG's bunghole. I've done three races so far and they all benefitted from my Pinarello's foils. BWR Asheville last year I was easily passing on long, road downhills. Croatan 150 I was seriously benefitting on the long, flat, windy headwind sections with no protection and catching riders on their cool looking Rodeo Lab titanium bikes (I also ran aero bars, so there!) Finally there was Unbound 200 this year. Yeah, it's windy and there are a lot of hills where NOT parachuting down will help overall speed over 12 hours. Also, people should realize anytime a cyclist is going over about 12mph the aero drag is going to be the biggest watt draw.

[@chuckylee1865]

3T exploro has been out for some years, probably the first aero gravel

[@Medic23451]

Late to the comments party but I just don't understand how he can make the geometry of the bike work for both the aero position and the upright riding position. He's not using a noseless saddle, yet he doesn't seem to die from perineal pain, which is what I do. I assume the general assumption is still that the aero position consists of a higher, more forward saddle with anterior pelvic tilt (increasing pressure on the perineum), whereas riding on the hoods would mean moving the saddle back, a little lower and less forward tilt.

[@tjb8841]

Are fully internal cables necessary in gravel? Yes, on a bare bike, they are much more aero, but a gravel bike usually has a top tube bag. Every gravel race I’ve ever done requires a big giant number plate across the front. Between those two, couldn’t the cables be hidden form the wind there, and just have normal, in the frame routing for the rest? In fact, since it’s not UCI stuff, you could make small fairings easily enough to shield the cable and make the fin of the bike more aero, while still being able to remove them for service.

[@jsfred9k511]

It would be nice if you could wind tunnel test a higher rim coupled with your Specialized 42mm tire to see if it’s more efficient than your Black Inc 34mm wheels😉 Do you think you could find aero gains with higher rims?😉

[@PedroPrego]

factor needs to update (steepen) their seat tubes angle!

[@KwadSkwad]

where..? might someone find those handlebars + integrated aero?" I'm definitely looking for the cleanest way to add some aero bars to my cockpit without screwing up the carbon bars or having to swap to some alloy. that is sooooooo clean.

[@jrudmanjr]

Yeah, but what if you get up to speed in the drops then move to the hoods but keeping your same profile. A friend said I’m hard to draft cuz I ride the drops but I’m not. I look at the shadows of our peloton and my arms are bent not locked. Best aero advantage gains is our own bodies

[@mcbezinque]

Glad to see integrated handlebar/stem/aero bars becoming available. Swapping out handlebars including rewrapping bar tape, rerouting cables and bleeding brakes got old a long time ago. Any idea when the Black, Inc. ones will be available? Anyone know of other options? (I thought I saw a booth at the Unbound expo featuring aero bars but for some reason I didn't check it out)

[@ZacharyPawlowski]

I've been checking the Black, Inc site daily for the bars!

[@dhyangibson622]

could you make a similar video for MTBs, very cool content

[@tubbytoast2]

Sick bike ,

[@nickw6175]

its very much what works for you, I race a winter gravel series on forest trails on my road bike, with 28mm Durano DDs so a solid road tyre pumped up to around 95psi, always gives me a definite advantage especially on the climb sections over gravel/mountain type bikes, I usually have a top 5 finish, but would I recommend that set up for anyone else ?

[@bingoberra18]

What would be a good 50/50 road/gravel bike under $3000? No competition, but 200 mile rides and occational "credit card" bike packing.

[@joseleonardoluztoloza6362]

Hi Dylan, thanks for your videos, I would like to know more about how to train the Vo2 by bike and how to incorporate it into the training plan together with the FTP sessions.

[@RAP4EVERMRC96]

in case of running a 45mm tire, would you rather recommend a shallow low weight rim or a aero rim but heavier?

[@justinofboulder]

Interesting question! I would guess that if one were going for aero gains, than a deeper rim? But if the width of the tire would defeat the aero advantage of the rim, than perhaps the lighter (shallow) is the way to go?

[@RAP4EVERMRC96]

@@justinofboulder sounds logic but where lies the treshhold when the width of the tire defeats the aero advantage? Most rims outer width is maximum 30mm. So is the aero advantage defeated by a 45mm tire? maybe we need new aero wide width aero wheels before they make any sense on gravel bikes. I would never go below 45mm.

[@chrisduerschner8514]

I'm just being pedantic here, but aerodynamics does not matter exponentially more as your speed increases (as you say at 0:50). Drag is proportional to velocity squared, so the relationship is only polynomial, not exponential.

[@AntoineThisdale]

Don't really care about these gains since i don't race. However, i do like this bike and wonder now if it's a good idea to move to this platform. Currently running the Canyon Grail...

[@bevillenz]

You should question your assumptions more. First assumption is that actual exertion and heart rate remain the same for a given power on the hoods or in the drops.

[@tmunk123]

Which is why you have to ride with aero bars for a while to mitigate that difference