Two years in development, the Factor Lando builds on the brand's recent expansion into the off-road market with two capable cross-country mountain bikes
(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
As a company widely renowned for producing some of the best road bikes, Factor has today announced the launch of its mountain bike platform, the Lando XC and HT. With a line-up that already comprises a brace of off-road-specific models - the Factor Vista and LS gravel bike - the Lando represented the next logical step for the brand.
According to founder, Rob Gitelis, Factor has always been about creating premium bicycles and not defined by a particular bike or discipline, and the Lando signifies that rhetoric. In fact, Gitelis is no stranger to the mountain bike design process and the brand can trace its roots back to its original design manufacturer days when it built bikes for Cervelo, Santa Cruz and Rocky Mountain.
Black Inc. components are used liberally throughout the Lando's build (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
As its nomenclatures alludes to, the Factor Lando XC and HT have been designed to deal with the technical terrain features of contemporary cross-country mountain biking as well as marathon stage races. In fact, the Lando made its debut at this year's Absa Cape Epic where Nancy Akinyi Debe and Jordan Schleck Ssekanwagi of Team Amani Racing put it to the test across some of the harshest terrain on the planet.
The Lando aims to not only appeal to Factor patrons but riders looking for a premium option that goes against the current perennials dominating the best mountain bike segment. As a result, it benefits from Factor's extensive knowledge of carbon fibre while adhering to the geometry and suspension kinematics of contemporary mountain bike design.
The Lando will be available in both full suspension and hardtail guises, sporting the XC and HT nameplates respectively.
Both Lando's are built around a SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS groupset (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Factor Lando XC and HT, the numbers
The XC is Factor's most capable offering featuring a single-pivot frame that weighs just 2.1kg. Built around a 100-120mm front/115mm rear suspension configuration, the Lando XC's suspension kinematics have been tuned to balance traction, speed and comfort.
In terms of geometry, a 67-degree head angle and a virtual 75.5-degree seat angle are consistent across all bike sizes, of which there are four. The progressive geometry places the rider over the bottom bracket which helps with power delivery and modulation, not to mention boosting the frame's resistance to squat or pedal bob.
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Oil slick 10-52T cassette is a hallmark feature of the XX1 Eagle AXS groupset (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The frame’s split seat tube enables the use of a monobox chainstay connection for extra torsional stiffness without the need for additional pivots. This single-link shock design also prevent stiction and premature shock wear. The long top tube and short stem arrangement has been implemented to navigate tight and tricky singletrack where fast-reacting steering is a necessity.
Cables can be routed externally or internally. The Lando is available in 1x only and comes with a super-handy threaded T47 bottom bracket. Developed in collaboration with CeramicSpeed, it provides a painless fitting solution and is natively compatible with DUB and Shimano 55mm chain lines.
Lando XC nameplate takes up residence on the seat tube (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
As the name suggests, the Lando HT uses classic hardtail styling cues, and builds on the learnings from the brand's road and gravel line-up with dropped seatstays taking centre stage. Despite sharing certain cues with the Vista and Ostro VAM, the HT is a mountain bike at heart and features the same 67-degree head angle as its XC sibling.
While bereft of rear suspension, the flat top tube provides some semblance of flex under load, while the dropped stays help with compliance on bumpier terrain. The use of boost 1x spacing coupled with the 88.5 axle standard has resulted in a wider downtube, not to mention increased clearance for tyres of up to 2.4-inches. It can also be specced with a fully rigid Black Inc fork if that's your cup of tea.
There's plenty of storage options on both models with bottle cage bosses on the downtube and underside of the top tube. Looking at colourways, four distinct visual packages are available - vintage blue (pictured here), crystal green, stealth and naked carbon.
Saddle comes compliments of Selle Italia, in this instance the company's SLR Boost Superflow X-Cross TI (145mm) (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Fully loaded spec level
The Lando XC and HT are both built around a 34, 10-52T SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS groupset, complete with SRAM Level Ultimate brakes. As expected, Black Inc's suite of high-end carbon componentry is used liberally and comprises the bar-stem, seatpost and wheels. The Black Inc 27 wheels are laced up using CeramicSpeed hubs with five-pawl engagement and chrome-nickel DT Swiss axles - they also feature a wide internal hookless rim profile. Tyres will depend on global stock levels but all Landos should come standard with either Goodyear Peak or Maxxis Aspen.
At launch, both bikes will be specced with DT Swiss suspension: a shared DT Swiss FT232 One fork (differing in travel) while the XC gains a DT Swiss R232 One shock. Touchpoints come compliments of SRAM (grips) while the saddle is Selle Italia's SLR Boost Superflow X-Cross TI (145mm).
Black Inc 27 wheels are shod in Maxxis Aspen rubber (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Pricing
The Lando XC and HT are priced from $9,199 / €8,399 / £6,999 and $7,099 / €6499 / £5,399 respectively. Each bike is also available as a frameset option, while the Lando HT can be specced from factory with a Black Inc rigid fork, making it the cheapest mountain bike option in the range at $6,599.
The full trail test of the Factor Lando XC will be available on sister site, Bike Perfect, in the next few weeks.
Aaron was the Tech Editor Cyclingnews between July 2019 and June 2022. He was born and raised in South Africa, where he completed his BA honours at the University of Cape Town before embarking on a career in journalism. Throughout this career, Aaron has spent almost two decades writing about bikes, cars, and anything else with wheels. Prior to joining the Cyclingnews team, his experience spanned a stint as Gear & Digital editor of Bicycling magazine, as well as a time at TopCar as Associate Editor.
Now based in the UK's Surrey Hills, Aaron's life revolves around bikes. He's a competitive racer, Stravaholic, and Zwift enthusiast. He’s twice ridden the Cape Epic, completed the Haute Route Alps, and represented South Africa in the 2022 Zwift eSports World Championships.
