Next in our series looking at which box is the best choice for some of customers' favourite bikes, the Factor OSTRO VAM. The OSTRO VAM's integrated cockpit and internal cable routing make removing the front end a job most owners would prefer to avoid when travelling.
The Buxumbox Ventoux allows the cockpit to stay attached. Remove the wheels and seat post, rotate the handlebars 101 degrees to the right, then secure the bike using the front and rear axle mounts inside the box.
That keeps the OSTRO VAM’s bar position, brake hoses and headset arrangement undisturbed, while avoiding the need for a larger straight-loading box.
Why the OSTRO VAM suits the Ventoux bike box
The Ventoux was designed for modern road bikes with integrated or internally routed cockpits that can still be turned alongside the frame.
Current OSTRO VAM builds use Black Inc’s Integrated Aero Barstem AB02. It combines the handlebar and stem into a single component, with the hydraulic brake hoses routed internally through the bar, headset and frame. Factor offers the cockpit in widths from 36 to 42 cm and stem lengths from 80 to 140 mm.
Removing that cockpit for a flight would mean loosening an important part of your ride position and dealing with the brake hoses running through the front of the bike. It would then need to be refitted, aligned and checked before riding at the destination.
The Ventoux leaves the cockpit in place. Your bar angle, stem position, lever alignment and headset arrangement remain untouched, reducing both packing time and the amount of rebuilding needed when you arrive.
Check the handlebars rotate through 101 degrees
To use the normal Ventoux mounting arrangement, the OSTRO VAM’s handlebars must rotate 101 degrees to the right. This is slightly beyond perpendicular to the frame:
While Factor does not publish a maximum steering angle for the OSTRO VAM, and the actual bike should be checked before ordering, Buxumbox customers report using the Ventoux with no issues and keeping cockpits intact. The OSTRO VAM's assembly manual does not show a conventional mechanical steering stop, although it does refer to a protective anti-rotation vinyl patch behind the fork. Factor says this may bind in some circumstances to help prevent damage if the fork is over-rotated.
Turn the bars carefully and confirm that they reach the required position without the cockpit, controls, hoses or fork contacting the frame. Do not force the steering past any natural resistance.
Standard or Wide Ventoux?
The OSTRO VAM is available with a broad range of cockpit combinations, so the correct Ventoux width should be selected from the assembled bike rather than its frame size.
Use Measurement D, taken from the centre of the stem cap to an imaginary line across the furthest-forward point of the brake hoods.
Choose:
- Ventoux Standard: Measurement D below 270 mm
- Ventoux Wide: Measurement D of 270 mm or more
The Black Inc barstem has an 80 mm reach and is available with stem lengths up to 140 mm. Longer combinations may require the Wide Ventoux, but the cockpit specification alone cannot confirm the correct box because the fitted brake levers and their position also affect Measurement D.
Measure the completed bike rather than adding together figures from a component chart.
Will the Factor OSTRO VAM fit?
The current OSTRO VAM is made in seven frame sizes, from 45 to 61. Factor’s published wheelbases range from 969 to 1,022 mm across those sizes, placing the whole range within the Ventoux wheelbase limit of 905 to 1,055 mm.
The bike must still meet the remaining Ventoux fitting limits. These checks are particularly important on custom builds, where the cockpit, spacer arrangement or lever position may differ from Factor’s standard configurations.
For an OSTRO VAM that meets those limits and allows the handlebars to rotate through 101 degrees, the Ventoux provides a compact way to fly without dismantling the integrated front end. Whether you need the Standard or Wide version comes down to Measurement D, but in either case the cockpit remains fitted and ready to ride when you reach your destination.
Factor OSTRO VAM images courtesy of Factor Bikes.