Racers who want a boutique aero-light bike. O2 VAM is the climbing sibling; LS is gravel.
Factor's aero-all-rounder: light enough to climb, aero enough to race, and a stiff, precise race bike that reviewers keep measuring against the Tarmac SL8.
Sprinters and fast road riders who picked aero over weight. If you wanted the climbing bike in this era, compare stack/reach against the Émonda instead.
Gen 7 Madone: a pure aero race bike built on Kammtail Virtual Foil tubes with the IsoFlow cutout for rear compliance. It is the fast, heavier half of Trek's race line — Émonda is still the light bike in these years.
CX and gravel racers who already like Santa Cruz. Not a bikepacking mule.
Drop-bar Santa Cruz: CX/gravel race geometry, not a touring bike. It feels like the brand's MTB handling translated to drop bars.
| Measurement |  FactorOstro VAM 2024 |  TrekMadone SLR 2022 |  Santa CruzStigmata 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stackmm | 562 | 563+1 | 589+27 |
| Reachmm | 390 | 390 | 415+25 |
| Head tube angle° | 73.3 | 73.5+0.2 | 69.5−3.8 |
| Seat tube angle° | 73.2 | 73.3+0.1 | 74.0+0.8 |
| Chainstaymm | 405 | 410+5 | 430+25 |
| Wheelbasemm | 995 | 987−8 | 1075+80 |
| BB dropmm | 70 | 70 | 72+2 |
| BB heightmm | — | — | — |
| Standovermm | — | — | — |
| Part | Ostro VAM 56 | Madone SLR 56 | Stigmata 56 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stem | 100 mm | 100 mm | 100 mm |
| Bar | 420 mm | 420 mm | 420 mm |
| Crank | 172.5 mm | 172.5 mm | 172.5 mm |
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