Subtly modded Factor Ostro VAM is proof that a modern aero bike can climb

Adam Pinder's Factor Ostro hill climb bike.

The hill climb scene regularly sees competitors turning up on bikes that look as though they have been assembled in Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory.

At these races ‘old’ doesn’t correlate to ‘outdated’, with rim brake compatible framesets a regular sight thanks to their weight advantages. You’ll also see plenty of 10-speed groupsets with mismatched parts. Indeed, it's not uncommon to see riders cut the drops off their handlebars, a similar approach to weight-conscious mountaineers who'll go as far as to chop the handle off their toothbrush as they seek to make their load as light as possible.

But it’s not always the case. Take Adam Pinder’s Factor Ostro VAM. Here is a machine that, with a cursory glance, looks like a pretty typical high-end road bike that you’d see at club rides the length and breadth of the country. And in some regards it is.

The Ostro VAM has the tube shapes of an aero bike but is light enough for the climbs, too. (Image credit: Future / Andy Jones)

The frameset is Factor’s race-approved aero option, ridden by the Israel PremierTech team at the WorldTour level. Typically aero frames aren’t a brand’s lightest offering but with a claimed weight of 830 grams for a size medium, the Ostro VAM is hardly portly. It's a feature that appears to make the bike extremely versatile.

“I use the bike all year-round, from hill climbs to light bike packing, to the Mallorca 312 and 600km Audaxs,” says Pinder.

He opted for a custom blue paint job from Vires Velo in Norwich, although he says he wished he'd have chosen lighter decals to better stand out against the frame’s main colour.

Pinder's chosen tyres, Veloflex Record, weigh just 170g each. (Image credit: Future / Andy Jones)

So while this capable all-rounder sees plenty of action across various disciplines and races, Pinder has made some important adjustments for the hill climb events.

With dropping a few grams the goal, he opted for Hunt’s UD 32 wheelset that have carbon spokes and weigh a little over 1,200 grams for the pair. He then fitted the wheels with Veloflex Record tyres.

“They are insanely light at about 170g per tyre,” says Pinder. “Annoyingly, I left them in a drawer in my garage over the summer and they were a breeding ground for mould. It’s impossible to remove and I have tried all techniques. They're out of stock everywhere so I just stuck them on mouldy.”

Proof, if you needed it, that when it comes to hill climb races weight trumps all.

Converting the Dura-Ace chainset to a single ring makes an additional chain catcher a necessity. (Image credit: Future / Andy Jones)

The 12-speed Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset has also received a few alterations designed for the roads that point up.

“I converted the double chainrings to a 1X set-up to save a bit of weight for hill climbs,” says Pinder. “I'm currently running a 40T single on the front with a Wolf Tooth chain catcher.”

However, it’s a customisation that hasn’t been without its issues.

“I can't find a narrow-wide chainring to fit the unique profile of the 12-speed Dura-Ace crank spider, so the chain catcher is my only hope at keeping the chain in place. It came very close to dropping at the Mill Lee Road Hill Climb, as that is an all-out one-minute effort.”

Eschewing bar tape may seem like a step too far but in the world of hill climbs every gram counts (Image credit: Future / Andy Jones)

Pinder has equipped the rear mech with a CeramicSpeed oversize pulley wheel. Other choices include Wahoo’s Speedplay pedals and a set of Black Inc aero handlebars. Without bar tape of course. It all adds up to a bike that weighs 6.4kg.

“It’s heavy by hill climb standards, but it is incredibly stiff and aero,” says Pinder. “I did consider building a hill climb-specific rig but left it too late. Maybe next year!”

We look forward to seeing the outcome.