BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Factor Bikes and Black Inc have officially announced today a complete track fleet; the Hanzo Track pursuit bike, the RAIDEN Track mass start bike and Black Inc Zero disc and Sixty wheelsets.
Hanzo Track
Factor’s first CFD-led project, the Hanzo Track was developed in partnership with AusCycling over the past three years. The goal was to create the fastest track bike for the Australian national team to ride for Gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Optimized according to the latest UCI design regulations, the Hanzo Track offers ultra-efficient aerodynamics and maintains supreme rigidity for power transfer, perfectly crafted for pursuiting.
With the goal of maximising the chord length of the airfoil sections and keeping the width minimal, the Factor engineering team used rapid CFD interactions to test a variety of combinations to find the optimal performance while staying within the UCI regulations.
Focusing on the interaction of the airflow between the bike and athlete, the Hanzo Track features a wide fork and seat stays which are intended to isolate the spinning wheel from the pressure change from the fork moving through the air.
Similarly, the rearward position seat post acts to straighten the highly turbulent flow coming off of the rider’s legs and decreases the amount of mixing taking place.
Raiden Track
To complete Factor’s track bike offering, the Raiden Track offers riders focusing on mass start endurance and sprint events with a bike optimized to win.
Utilizing the knowledge the Factor engineering team gained during the development phase of the Hanzo Track and the Ostro Vam road racing bikes, the Raiden Track design balances the requirements of straight-line speed and manoeuvrability required when racing in a group in the velodrome.
Featuring aspects of the Ostro Vam’s headtube and leading edges while also utilizing standardized parts, including a 1”¼ round steerer, the Raiden Track boasts versatility for easy maintenance, service and rideability.
Black Inc Zero Track
Complementing Factor’s move into track racing, Black Inc has also concurrently released two sets of track wheels to complete the set-up.
Optimized in collaboration with AusCycling, the Black Inc Zero Track disc wheels prioritize stiffness and aerodynamic performance enhanced for the airflow experienced in the velodrome.
Sixty Tubular Track
Black Inc also wanted to complete its offering of track wheels by also introducing the Sixty Tubular Track wheelset. Ideal for hard training sessions or as a gateway wheel to track racing, the wheels offer exceptional power transfer while remaining agile and quick to accelerate.
The Australian Men’s Team Pursuit four-man squad, aboard the Hanzo Track and Black Inc Zero Zero disc wheelset, set a new World and Olympic Record time of 3:40.730 in the qualifying round and went on to snatch the Olympic title from the Great British team in the Gold medal ride off on Wednesday, August 7, in Paris.
At launch, Rob Gitelis, Factor and Black Inc founder commented: “Three years ago when Factor / Black Inc began a new partnership with AusCycling, our collective vision was to develop the world’s fastest pursuit bike and help Australia reclaim the top step of the podium in Paris this summer.
“To take this vision and manifest it into reality is a testament to the hard work and engineering excellence of everyone involved.
“We look forward to our continued pursuit of being the fastest bicycle brand in the world, and helping even more riders unlock their maximum potential.”
