The Paris-Roubaix bike formula for most riders on most teams has, for a great many years now, been run your normal aero bike with as wide a tyre as you dare. Occasionally, things go off-script, though, and we see teams using totally non-standard bikes for the most brutal one-day race of the year.
Last year the Visma – Lease a Bike men raced on the Cervélo Soloist rather than their standard aero machines, despite doing a recon on the aero S5, and in 2024 Israel – Premier Tech made big waves by opting to run their bike sponsor’s gravel bike, the Factor OSTRO Gravel rather than the OSTRO VAM aero bike, despite only being able to fit 32c tyres in it due to the front derailleur clearance.
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Greater durability, or just more publicity?
According to a press release from Factor, the reason behind the team riding the Monza, which Factor still classifies as a race bike, is that it is a more durable frame:
“Our rationale for this decision lies in the concept that while the ~2.5-watt aero penalty moving from the OSTRO VAM to the MONZA doesn’t put the rider into a non-competitive position, a mishap leading to a broken frame 100% will put them out of contention…The Monza’s general durability when contrasted with the ultra-light, optimised layups of the ONE and the OSTRO VAM give it an innate “toughness.”
To the surprise of nobody, though perhaps to the disappointment of some, this means the hyper-aero Factor ONE won’t be smashed over the cobbles; it’s just too stiff, it seems:
“That’s because the ONE has much deeper tube sections, a wider/deeper fork situated more directly under the rider’s hands, and it lacks the deflection from the bar/frame interface since the steerer is removed in this configuration.” The statement explained.
(Image credit: Factor)
The Monza does, on paper, seem like a decent Roubaix option. The 34mm tyre clearance, coupled with the team’s SRAM sponsorship and near-certain 1x configuration means Modern Adventure could probably run a 35c tyre on the day if they so wished, though as they are Michelin sponsored and the Power Cup race tyre only goes up to a 32c (unless there’s something new in the works) that is what we expect to see on the brand’s Black Inc. wheels.
It is probably worth outlining that there is no implication that Factor is worried that the OSTRO VAM would snap at random during the course of the race, but given the propensity of crashes, especially worrying given the weather forecast, there is a greater likelihood of a frame being put out of action after an unscheduled lie down with the OSTRO. The Monza is designed to handle everyday use, such as “leaning up in front of a coffee shop”, which perhaps speaks more to the delicate nature of the OSTRO than the outright durability of the Monza.
After using the OSTRO Gravel in 2024, Israel – Premier Tech then opted to use the OSTRO VAM in 2025, which did make the use of a gravel bike feel a little like a publicity stunt from a team that wasn’t ever going to be in contention at the pointy end of the race. Whether this is the same situation will perhaps come down to what Human Powered Health uses in the women’s race. Tellingly, Modern Adventure’s general manager, George Hincapie, outlines the team’s aims first and foremost as just getting everyone to the end:
“We’d love to have as many of our riders as possible finish our first Paris-Roubaix; that’s the main goal. If we could get one or two riders in the top 20 in the process, that would be a dream scenario for us.”
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