Human Powered Health and Ma Petite Entreprise will race Factor Ones featuring graphics inspired by SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star.
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| (Image credit: Factor) |
Factor has revealed two custom Factor One aero race bikes for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift decked out in graphics inspired by Nickelodeon's beloved animated series,
SpongeBob SquarePants.
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| The SpongeBob SquarePants bike in all its glory (Image credit: HumanPoweredHealth) |
Human Powered Health will ride the yellow-and-blue One XXRAY Plus SpongeBob SquarePants Edition, featuring the hit show's eponymous sea sponge on the radical aero bike's deep fork leg. Ma Petite Entreprise will race the One XXRAY PLUS Patrick Star Edition in pink and purple. A graphic of SpongeBob's best friend Patrick, a starfish, runs down the fork.
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| The Patrick Star version of the bike (Image credit: Factor) |
Nods to the animated series' setting in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom, such as starfish symbols, cover the vibrant colourways of both bikes. Factor wanted to liven up the looks of its bikes ahead of the fifth Tour de France Femmes, which starts on Saturday 1 August in Lausanne, Switzerland.
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| A SpongeBob SquarePants logo adorns the seattube (Image credit: HumanPoweredHealth) |
David Millar, Factor's chief brand officer, said: "The reason for doing it was to create an unexpected meeting of two worlds. The One is Factor’s most advanced aero race platform, developed for performance at the highest level, while SpongeBob, Patrick and the XXRAY concept bring optimism, personality and playfulness.
"Putting them together shows that a cutting-edge race bike can be technically serious without being visually predictable, and that elite cycling still has room for creativity, culture and fun."
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| Human Powered Health will ride the bikes at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (Image credit: HumanPoweredHealth) |
The graphics are the artwork of Jason Freeny, who designs the XXRAY pop culture collection. The former professional cyclist said the One's large surface area helped Factor's global creative director Jay Gundzik translate Freeny's artwork onto the bikes.
"The One's broad, sculpted aerodynamic surfaces gave him an unusually large canvas, allowing the characters to appear at a scale and with an impact that would not be possible on a more conventional frame," added Millar. "Rather than simply adding small graphics, Jay was able to make the artwork part of the bike’s overall visual presence."
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| Spongey handlebars for the win (Image credit: HumanPoweredHealth) |
Human Powered Health, a WorldTour team based in the United States, and Ma Petite Entreprise, a French ProTeam outfit, are both sponsored by SRAM, so will ride the brand's Red AXS groupset and Black Inc 62 wheels from Factor's in-house component brand.
As unlikely as the partnership may seem, it's not the first time we've seen SpongeBob in cycling. Fashion brand Supreme
released a SpongeBob range of jerseys and bib shorts with Castelli in 2025.
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| (Image credit: Factor) |
Factor has a history of collaborations, too. It launched an exclusive version of its aero bike called the Bugatti Factor One, which features an even deeper, vented fork harnessing Bugatti's motorsport know-how. At this year's Paris-Roubaix, some riders from Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, an American UCI Pro Team, and Human Powered Health raced a Factor Monza with graphics designed by Belgian artist Vexx.
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| (Image credit: Factor) |
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| The limited range is made up of two paint jobs (Image credit: Factor) |
Factor says it will sell a limited run of both SpongeBob SquarePants bike designs online and through official dealers.
From the official Factor Newsroom:
JUL 31, 2026
Factor & SpongeBob SquarePants go racing at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift
The playful side of performance
Something that bike racing fans have always appreciated about their sport is the easy access to their heroes they’ve historically enjoyed. Whether watching roadside as the riders fly past in the race, or wandering through the pre-stage or finish line paddock, cycling fans have uniquely had direct access to the biggest names in the sport. At least, that’s how it used to be. More and more among the professional men’s races and the Tour de France in particular, access is being cut back team buses and rider areas are put far behind gated areas, where even accredited reporters sometimes have difficulty reaching, let alone a family taking a day out to enjoy the ambiance of a big cycling race coming through their town.
That is part of what makes the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift feel distinctive. The racing is uncompromising: the pressure, speed, risk, and physical demands that belong to the highest level of the sport. Yet around the race, the atmosphere feels remarkably open.
Families gather close to the action. Teams and riders feel visible. There is curiosity as well as intensity, and a sense that the event is still inviting new people to discover what makes professional cycling compelling. It retains something fundamental about the sport: the idea that the world’s best racing can pass through a town and briefly belong to everyone standing beside the road.
After experiencing that atmosphere over recent editions, Factor wanted to contribute to it - and help carry it beyond cycling’s established audience.
The Factor ONE represents the outer edge of UCI-legal road performance. Its engineering is exacting, its appearance purposeful, and its capabilities designed for the most demanding racing in the world. For some, a machine of that level can also feel distant or intimidating.
SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star create an unexpected point of entry. Their familiarity, optimism, and humour do not diminish the seriousness of the bike or the race. They make both easier to approach. They give someone who may know nothing about aerodynamics, geometry, or WorldTour racing a reason to stop, look, and begin a conversation.
That is the purpose of this collaboration: to bring precision and playfulness together at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, attract attention from beyond the traditional cycling world, and show that the pinnacle of performance can still feel open, expressive, and full of joy.
Reflecting that vibe and wanting to amplify the effect, Factor has joined forces with XXRAY from the Mighty Jaxx design studio to create two designs for the Factor ONE that will be raced by two Factor-sponsored teams at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Human Powered Health and Ma Petite Entreprise. In addition to that, Factor will also have the pleasure of the company of
Team Amani’s
Xaverine Nirere and
Mary Aleper, who will spend the last few stages with us and Human Powered Health. They have also entered l’Étape du Tour, to give them a firsthand experience of racing over some of the most historic French cols and have the incredible experience of the French fans supporting every pedal stroke.
Engineered for the Deep End
The Factor collaboration with Mighty Jaxx XXRAY has resulted in two distinctive graphic designs for the ONE. The Factor ONE XXRAY PLUS SpongeBob SquarePants Edition and the Factor ONE XXRAY PLUS Patrick Star Edition. XXRAY has become famous for a series of dissected or anatomical figurine lines that use famous characters to give a below -the-skin internal view. The SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick designs offer a playful look into two of the most famous pop culture characters in the world.
Blending elite-level engineering with unmistakable characters and creativity, the ONE XXRAY PLUS SpongeBob SquarePants Edition and the ONE XXRAY PLUS Patrick Star Edition are where performance meets play. The collaboration combines Factor’s engineering-first ethos with the optimism, energy, and undeniable personality of XXRAY’s playful look beneath the surface of SpongeBob and Patrick.
The custom graphics for the Factor ONE transform the brand’s elite, race-proven chassis into a rolling piece of pop culture. Vibrant SpongeBob-inspired artwork brings energy and personality to the peloton while preserving the control, aerodynamic efficiency, and handling demanded at the highest level of competition.
Welcoming intro to the WorldTour
The special editions will race at cycling’s most prestigious Women’s WorldTour event, bringing a bold visual statement to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and reflecting the growing influence of creativity, craftsmanship, and self-expression within the sport.
The Factor ONE is the most advanced aero racing bike in the professional peloton. For these unique editions, Factor paired cutting-edge engineering with a visual identity inspired by SpongeBob’s iconic underwater world, a celebration of the craftsmanship of the two brands, which are known for pushing creative and technical boundaries.
Factor ONE XXRAY PLUS SpongeBob SquarePants Edition DS45 - Studio Shot, no background
Racing aboard these very special editions, Human Powered Health, and Ma Petite Entreprise highlight a shared belief that modern cycling can embrace both elite performance and cultural relevance. By bringing the imagery of Bikini Bottom to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the project aims to connect with new audiences and celebrate the sport by connecting to these familiar characters in a new and vibrant way.
See you roadside
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift takes place from Saturday, August 1st to Sunday, August 9th. With a Grand Départ taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland, the 2026 stages promise to be as breathtakingly beautiful as they will be difficult. This edition marks the first time that the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will scale Mont Ventoux, perhaps the most revered climb in France.
The route will also include an individual time trial for the first time as well as a showpiece final stage in Nice, France, which will feature four ascents of the Col d'Èze. As the longest Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift to date, with the most elevation gain, this promises to be a key event on the women’s WorldTour calendar and Factor is proud to be supporting our teams while highlighting the welcoming inclusivity of the women’s peloton.
If you plan on being roadside along the route, be sure to find the Factor team since we will have some cool swag and freebies to give away each day.
Follow us for the latest updates from all our athletes.
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SpongeBob Meets Superbike: Factor Debuts a Unique Aero Frame at the Tour de France Femmes
The brand returns to the professional peloton with an unexpected Mighty Jaxx collaboration, pairing its most advanced aero chassis with an anatomical cartoon livery.
Starting today, you can make the Factor One stand out even more. A SpongeBob SquarePants version of the bike is now available for sale on the Factor website. You will also be able to see two versions of the bike race at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
As the Femmes starts, you will see a Mighty Jaxx XXRAY Plus interpretation of the yellow and blue SpongeBob SquarePants character ridden by Human Powered Health. You will also see a Patrick Star variation featuring a purple, red, and pink fade ridden by Ma Petite Entreprise.
It is a big departure from the men’s Tour de France, where Factor was without a sponsored team this season. That absence left the brand without an opportunity to validate what it describes as its most advanced aero racing bike in the professional peloton. Now, that validation is set to play out in the women’s race, though some might question the choice to decorate the bikes of the fastest women in the world with cartoon characters. According to Factor, “The reason for doing it was to create an unexpected meeting of two worlds,” while David Millar, Factor Chief Brand Officer, stated, “Super bikes don’t have to be monochrome to be fast.”
The design itself comes from Mighty Jaxx, and the XXRAY Plus concept translates clearly onto the bikes. Mighty Jaxx is the brainchild of Jackson Aw, an entrepreneur and avid toy collector who launched his own line of collectibles in 2012. Today, the brand works with official licenses from major global companies and collaborates with artists like Jason Freeny. It is Freeny’s signature anatomical style that drives the XXRAY Plus design, imagining SpongeBob and Patrick Star as if partially seen without skin. Both bikes utilize the extensive surface area of the aero-optimized Factor One to display each side of the character on a single fork leg.
It’s clever, and the result is a bike that was already likely to stop people in their tracks becoming even more unique. Sadly for fans of Patrick Star, it appears that only the yellow and blue SpongeBob edition is currently available for sale.
Pricing and Availability
There is a small upcharge for this special edition. An extra $300 on a bike that starts at $7,599 provides a highly unique finish. Buyers can start with a chassis (frameset including cockpit and seatpost) or select from any of the standard build options Factor offers for the Factor One. For more details and to purchase, visit the Factor website.
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Factor Bikes unveils two new Xxray SpongeBob SquarePants designs
Human Powered Health and Ma Petite Entreprise will race on these SpongeBob-themed bikes at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
Factor Bikes has unveiled two Factor One special editions featuring characters from SpongeBob SquarePants that will debut at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, raced by riders from Human Powered Health and Ma Petite Entreprise.
Blending elite-level engineering with unmistakable characters and creativity, the One Xxray Plus SpongeBob SquarePants Edition and the One Xxray Plus Patrick Star Edition are where performance meets play. The collaboration combines Factor’s engineering-first ethos with the optimism, energy and undeniable personality of Xxray’s playful look beneath the surface of SpongeBob and Patrick.
The custom graphics for the Factor One transform the brand’s elite, race-proven chassis into a rolling piece of pop culture. Vibrant SpongeBob-inspired artwork brings energy and personality to the peloton while preserving the control, aerodynamic efficiency and handling demanded at the highest level of competition.
The special editions will race at cycling’s most prestigious Women’s WorldTour event, bringing a bold visual statement to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and reflecting the growing influence of creativity, craftsmanship and self-expression within the sport.
“Super bikes don’t have to be monochrome to be fast,” said David Millar, Factor’s Chief Brand Officer. “This project is about bringing joy and personality into elite racing without compromising performance in any way. The One Xxray Plus SpongeBob SquarePants Edition and the One Xxray Plus Patrick Star Edition are built to compete at the very highest level. It just happens to do it with a smile.”
The Factor One is one of the most advanced aero racing bikes in the professional peloton. For these unique editions, Factor paired cutting-edge engineering with a visual identity inspired by SpongeBob’s iconic underwater world of Bikini Bottom, a celebration of the craftsmanship of the two brands, which are known for pushing creative and technical boundaries.
Racing aboard these very special editions, Human Powered Health and Ma Petite Entreprise highlight a shared belief that modern cycling can embrace both elite performance and cultural relevance. By bringing the imagery of Bikini Bottom to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the project aims to connect with new audiences and celebrate the sport through a fresh, unexpected lens.
“For the fourth anniversary of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, we wanted to celebrate by creating something special and unique, something that would invite new interest in the event,” David explained. “We hope that this vibrant collaboration helps to get more people excited about women’s cycling and appreciate its inclusive energy.”
The Factor One Xxray Plus SpongeBob SquarePants Edition and Factor One Xxray Plus Patrick Star Edition are available for sale in very limited editions on the Factor website or through an official Factor dealer.
For more information, please visit factorbikes.com.
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SpongeBob Big Guy Pants Okay.
