Bugatti has spent a century building cars that ignore the normal rules about what a road vehicle should be, and in March 2026 it turned that habit onto a bicycle. The Bugatti Factor ONE is a limited run of 250 numbered aero road bikes, built with British manufacturer Factor, and it sells for $23,599 in the US (£25,799 in euros, $35,999 in Australia). That is more than a base Toyota Corolla, and about $9,400 more than the fastest standard Factor ONE.

Factor Bikes was founded in Norfolk by Rob Gitelis, a former professional rider who moved into carbon-frame engineering and now designs and builds his frames in-house. The standard Factor ONE already carries a serious claim: the fastest UCI-legal aero road bike in the professional peloton, first raced at the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné.

The Bugatti version keeps the frame's DNA but abandons the UCI rulebook entirely, and that decision drives everything interesting about it.

Look at the front fork. It measures 147 mm across, where the UCI caps fork stance at 115 mm, so Factor's engineers gained 32 mm they are normally forbidden. The standard ONE uses a bayonet fork, similar in principle to the Cervélo S5 and Colnago Y1Rs, where the legs run up into a narrow head tube.

The Bugatti version widens that stance and adds a fairing with a vent at the base of each leg to manage airflow around the brake caliper. Factor puts the drag saving at roughly two watts. That sounds trivial written down, but at racing speed two watts is the difference a rider will chase for a full season, and here it comes purely from geometry the rules would never allow.

Beyond the fork, the build is a catalogue of expensive decisions. Black Inc Bugatti Hyper 62 wheels run full carbon-bladed spokes and weigh 1,298 g for the pair. The tyres are blue Bugatti-branded Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT.

The crankset is a bespoke Carbon-Ti unit with a chainring cut from carbon and titanium, paired with an SRM power meter. The saddle is a carbon-shelled Selle Italia wrapped in Alcantara, the suede-like material Bugatti uses inside its cars.

The paint is a two-tone Bugatti Blue over bare 3K twill carbon, the same weave the company shows off on its road cars, and the head tube carries the 'Dancing Elephant', a small sculpture the founder's brother Rembrandt Bugatti made in the early 1900s. Factor sizes the bike 1 through 5 rather than in centimetres, each frame gets a numbered badge, and every bike ships assembled in a Factor travel case with bottle cages and a 3D-printed computer mount already fitted.

For a sense of the premium, the standard Factor ONE runs from about $7,599 to $14,199 depending on spec. The Bugatti costs roughly ten thousand dollars more than the dearest standard build. Some of that pays for the wheels, the crankset and the limited run. The rest pays for the badge, and Bugatti has never pretended its badges are cheap.

The Factor ONE is the first thing Bugatti has attached its name to that a cyclist would take seriously. The earlier attempts did not clear that bar.

The first official one came through PG, a German carbon specialist, who built a belt-driven single-speed with Bugatti branding. The work itself was competent enough. The problem was the concept: a flat-bar fixie from a company whose whole reputation rests on aerodynamic engineering for outright speed. It looked like a licensing deal, because that is what it was.

The better bike never had Bugatti's blessing at all. A Sydney car restorer working under the name Tuning Mako built a one-off Chiron tribute in his own garage, and it is the bike this article was written about when it first ran, after the build appeared at Sydney's Throttle Roll. No endorsement, no production, no press release. Even so, the proportions and paintwork caught the Chiron's character better than anything Bugatti had officially signed off to that point.

That a backyard tribute beat the factory's own efforts for years says a lot about how carmakers usually treat bicycles: as merchandise, not machines.

Plenty of people will pick apart the component choices, the geometry and whether the thing actually rides well, and they will have a point. But that misses what it was. A car restorer built it to satisfy a personal obsession, and as a two-wheeled Chiron it caught the essence of the original far better than Bugatti's own fixie ever did.

The builder goes by Tuning Mako, and he set up a Facebook page to show off the build, with more of his work and shots from the Throttle Roll party where these photos were taken.

Motorcycle marques send their stock models to custom shops for street cred all the time. It makes you wonder what a Rolls Royce, a Land Rover or an Aston Martin might get back if they handed a brief to some of the British frame builders we cover here.

On paper, yes. The Factor ONE platform underneath it is fast and properly engineered, the parts are all top of the range, and the wider fork is a genuine aerodynamic decision rather than a styling flourish. Nobody has published a long-term ride review yet, so the honest answer stops there.

Sensible is a different question. For $23,599 you could commission a custom titanium or steel bike from a builder like Saffron Frameworks, keep a couple of wheelsets in the shed, and race all of it legally on a Saturday morning. The Bugatti cannot be raced under UCI rules, comes in numbered sizes instead of your actual measurements, and is aimed, in Bugatti's own words, at collectors after "the rarest expression of performance cycling".

That last line is the tell. This is a bike bought for owning more than for riding, by the same people who buy hypercars and put six hundred kilometres a year on them. For that buyer it is precisely right. For anyone who actually wants to ride, it is a beautiful thing to look at and leave in the showroom.

The Bugatti Factor ONE is available to order through Factor Bikes. Images of the Factor ONE: Bugatti / Factor Bikes.

The post Bugatti Bikes: The 2026 Factor ONE & Chiron History appeared first on The Spoken.

The 2023 Tour de France kicked off last weekend but while the rest of the world can’t seem to see past the maillot jaune riding the latest carbon fiber creation, we’ve only got eyes for Donhou Bicycles’ sunflower-hued Utility Bike.

Tom Donhou has, quite literally, set up shop in Athens: the Donhou Store is his retail therapy where, alongside a fully equipped frame building workshop, he purveys a curated collection of sustainable cycling products — including their Utility bIke.

The exceptionally-versatile Utility Bike is offered as a frame set (which includes frame, fork and handle bar/stem combination), a complete bike or a custom build. The geometry is optimised for a front load, yet is still lively and stable riding unloaded and carefree.

Built from strong and dependable Reynolds 525 tubing, it has all the rack and mudguard mounts you’d require — even a kickstand mount. ISO disc mounts are standard and horizontal dropouts mean you can run it single speed or geared.

Donhou Bicycles has deservedly won numerous awards over the years from all the big shows, and all that experience has been poured into their Utility Bike. This is one bike to do it all, from commuting around town to a leisurely grande boucle around France.

Head to the Donhou Bicycles website for prices and ordering information.

The post All Eyes On Yellow: Donhou Bicycles Utility Bike appeared first on The Spoken.

You gotta hand it both partners in this collaboration: both State Bicycle Co. and The Grateful Dead have smashed it out of the Golden Gate Park with this smokin’ klunker and a psychedelic range of accessories.

Coincidentally, the collection dropped today: 4/20 also being a celebration of cannabis culture. Fun fact: one of the original Waldos was a roadie for the Dead’s bassist Phil Lesh.

Oh man, if we weren’t already hooked on klunker kulture, this one hits that high point of history when cycling’s counter-culture took to the hills.

The klunker is available in two guises: our favorite is featured here, emblazoned with Dead iconography, and a goddamn bottle opener on the seat tube.

There’s a beautiful black version too, decorated with the Dead’s ‘Dancing Bears’ icons, although don’t get us started on the accompanying apparel and accessories.

The list is long but, needless to say, our favorite is the 4/20 bar ends. And we’re a sucker for the tie-dyed jerseys. And saddles. And bar tape. Oh, man. This is one bike I’d like to take on a long, strange ride.

See more on the SBC website.

State Bicycle Co. | Instagram

The post Shake Down Street: State Bicycle Co & The Grateful Dead Klunker appeared first on The Spoken.

It finally happened: ENVE, our favorite composite component maker has announced the commencement of its own custom frame program — and while the name and livery might be one of the most uninspiring yet, the bare bones are looking beautiful.

The addition of the ‘Custom Road’ to the catalog was a logical next step for ENVE who, up till now, has stuck mainly to the production of wheelsets, forks, and finishing kits.

It’s made-in-the-USA with completely custom geometry from a versatile molding kit and will be available in Race (up to 25-31mm wide tires) and All Road (29-35mm) modes.

The integrated frame and finishing kit are what I'm most stoked about. It's an ethos that hearkens to the LOOK 795 and even further back to that of the French constructeurs.

Inside ENVE’s one-piece, SES AR Bar/Stem Combo is Chris King’s new AeroSet™ headset that allows the cabling to be routed straight down through the bars and frame.

A complete comes with SRAM Red or Force AXS, Shimano Dura-Ace or Ultegra Di2 and disc brake drivetrains only. Frame-only is also an option, as is a custom travel case.

Custom paint? Oh yes: four templates, two finishes, and thirty-eight colors. Pick one. I’d love one, but could I please have it in raw carbon so I can admire its construction?

Head to ENVE for more information and pricing:

ENVE | Instagram

The post Straight Up Layup: ENVE’s New Custom Road Program appeared first on The Spoken.

Not many would choose a fatbike as a first choice of vehicle to take on a long distance tour, but it depends on what type of terrain you intend to tackle. Marc traversed a good chunk of Europe to realize a fatbike was his ideal carriage.

Marc’s list of conquered countries include France, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Iceland, Sri-Lanka, Morocco, Mauritania and half of Africa.

All of his travels had been aboard a touring bicycle, but a new cheap fat bike changed the game, awarding the ability to float over everything from fesh-fesh to deep snow.

He destroyed that cheap fat bike, but he was working as a mechanic and, subsequently, frame builder at a Parisian travel bike brand before accepting the same role at Victoire.

He’s been working at the Auvergne workshop for two years now, developing his dream bike that’s now a reality. It’s stout enough to handle Marc’s 120kg frame and 5″ tires.

Orange HOPE components flash like autumn leaves against the camouflage paint, which took thirty hours of sanding, priming, painting and clear-coating to apply.

Marc intends to ride the 2021 Grande Traversée du Massif Central à VTT aboard his new Victoire before returning to Iceland to ride from Akureyri to Reykjavik. But meanwhile he’s carousing around the Puy-de-Dôme region that surrounds the Victoire workshop.

Victoire Cycles | Instagram

The post L’automne Tourer: Marc’s Fall Fat Bike By Victoire Cycles appeared first on The Spoken.

It’s been two years since Cameron Falconer blew me away with the fat-tyred mini-velo dirt shredder he built for a Japanese customer. This new lemon sherbet cruiser again proves Falconer’s focus on fabricating insanely fun and functional bikes.

Cameron can build you a rock-solid roadie or a sure-footed back road tourer, but he also has a reputation as the go-to builder if you’re after something, well, a little different.

Travis of Paul Components contracted Cameron to build him a klunker-inspired mountain bike — the grandparent of the modern MTB — and there are others, too.

Building up freaky pedal-powered ensembles that break out of boxes is something Japan’s Blue Lug bike shop is also famous for, which they did with this new cruiser.

Like Travis’ Falconer, the components are almost all made in the USA. The headset, cranks and bash guard, freewheel and chain ring were made by White Industries.

Paul Components manufactured the Boxcar stem, hubs, brake levers, Klamper brakes and the Tall and Handsome seat post. Nitto made the handlebars.

My favorite detail is the 1990 Selle Italia Flite saddle — another complete juxtaposition to the overall perceived style of bike but, for some, it’s kinda the Holy Grail of saddles. Classy and iconoclastic, just how we like it.

Falconer Cycles | Instagram

The post Fast And Fizzy: Falconer Cruiser by Blue Lug appeared first on The Spoken.

It’s been a strange last few months but, if anything, they have proven that bicycles really are the best form of release from a locked-down lifestyle. This 650b+ Explorer from Dorset’s Sven Cycles is the ultimate escape plan — and it could be yours.

The Explorer is one model in Sven’s Semi-Bespoke range, developed by Darron and the team to carry you away from a world of nervous crowds, masks and sanitiser, offering the best form of social distancing possible.

The heart of the Explorer is a TIG welded Reynolds 921 stainless steel frame, dressed in matte green military paint with Paragon Rohloff dropouts. It’s fronted by a thru-axle Columbus unicrown fork with all the necessary mounts.

There’s a Rohloff Speedhub in the rear and a SON 28 Dynamo in the front, surrounded by stealthy WTB KOM Light rims, Sapim Race spokes and Schwalbe G-One rubber. Yes, that’s a custom matching X-Pac frame bag by Spoked UK.

There’s a HOPE headset up top with a Jones H-Bar and a black Brooks Cambium. A pair of TRP Spyke brakes haul everything up and the drivetrain consists of Middleburn cranks and chainrings.

Sven Cycles’ portfolio of previous work reveal a true passion for craft and innovation. The Explorer is a noble steed, like every bike manufactured by the Dorset workshop, one that epitomises the spirit of adventure and the desire to commune with the outdoors.

This one in particular was built for a customer but as a result of these ‘unprecedented’ times, it is now up for sale. With this spec it has a retail value of more than £6,000 but is being offered for a substantially lower amount — head to the website to find out more.

Sven Cycles Website | Facebook | Instagram

The post Life In The Green Lane: Sven 650b+ Explorer appeared first on The Spoken.