What's new from Focus Bikes in 2013? We travelled to their base in Cloppenburg, Germany to look at the range. Here's what's on offer in the road, urban and cyclo-cross areas.
Focus Izalco Team SL
Focus had huge success with the Izalco winning Cycling Plus’s bike of the year this year, and numerous other awards worldwide. They haven’t rested on their laurels though, and with the imminent announcement of a return to the ProTour front line with a new team sponsorship they felt the need to further improve the existing Izalco Team platform.
This has resulted in taking the Izalco back to the drawing board. The frame has been optimised with regards to its carbon lay-up, a new BB shell (which switches to the PF30 standard) is now all carbon, and the weight of the all carbon drop-outs reduced. The frame now also comes in two guises, one specific to electronic transmissions, one for mechanical. Even small touches like the seat collar have been looked at with the new carbon collar tipping the scales at a svelte 14g. The frame weight has dropped below the magical kilo to a claimed 934g too.
The Izalco team range starts with the SL 4.0 equipped with new Sram Red and Fulcrum's new CPX2.5 wheelset at £3699, the SL 3.0 with Campagnolo Record EPS, and Fulcrum Racing Zero’s for £5999, SL 2.0 with new 11 speed Dura Ace Di2 and DT Swiss Dicut RR21 wheels at the same price, and topped by the SL1.0 with new Sram Red and Zipp 404 Firecrest wheels for £6499.
The remaining models under the Izalco banner use the existing frame from this year, with one significant change. Gone is the 3T fork, replaced with a new fork designed by the team at Focus for a better integration into the frame and an all-carbon construction helping to keep the weight down.
The Campag Record EPS equipped Sl 3.0 contunues its Italian flavour with Fulcrum Racing Zeros
Focus Izalco Ergoride
The Ergoride platform takes the lightweight construction and handling characteristics of the Izalco and adapts it to a lower slung compact frame shape and a rear end designed to offer improved comfort over rougher road surfaces.
The range topping 1.0 (£2999) comes with a Shimano Dura Ace 11-speed group, and Rotor cranks and running on Fulcrum's new CPX1700 wheels. Aftermarket these will be known as the Racing Quattro’s and offer a true aero shape, including Fulcrum's new hub flange design - all in a tough package (the 1700 in the name denotes the wheel weight for the pair). The Ergoride comes in three models with an additional three women's specific models.
The Ergoride 3.0 is available with standard or triple Shimano Ultegra with Fulcrum wheels and a smattering of FSA parts for £1999
Focus Cayo Evo
The Cayo Evo was a brand new design for 2012, so for 2013 nothing much has changed, though thankfully the range has expanded to more finish options and a much wider price range. We’ve tested the Focus Cayo Evo recently and been hugely impressed with its sharp handling and nicely balanced ride. That it can now be had for a little as £1375 (6.0 Shimano 105 model) is a real bonus.
At the top of the Evo range is the 1.0, equipped with Campagnolo Chorus carbon and Vision T42 carbon aero wheels it’ll set you back £2899.
Focus Culebro SL
By Focus’s own admission the previous aluminium platform was getting a little long in the tooth so they’ve had the new Culerbro in development for the last couple of years. The all-new frame is now completely triple butted, with the main top and downtubes having a little more shaping in the form of hydrofromed touches. This has added up to an all-in frame weight of around 1400g, and that’s good for what is essentially an entry level road frame.
The slender seat stays are designed to offer plenty more compliance over the previous aluminium model. Focus’s new aluminium road bike the Culebro has a five model range from the £649 5.0 Sora equipped model to an Ultegra equipped version at £1399.
The Culebro is offered in two versions with Ultegra, the range topping 1.0 or in our opinion this more interesting 2.0 with Ultegra mechs and shifters, and FSA chainset and Concept brakes for £999
Focus Planet
The new Planet range from Focus is a series of Cannondale Bad Boy style tough commuter bikes with the range topped by the very interesting Planet Carbon. Looking at the all-carbon frame and fork complete with disc mounts front and rear, built with massive clearances for big volume tyres (or plenty of mud clearance) and you’ve got what we think is Focus’s trial run for an all-carbon cyclocross bike. Talking it over with Focus’s head of road bike development and it turns out we weren’t far from the truth.
The Planet Carbon comes with Sram’s Apex group, fully hydraulic brakes in the form of Magura’s MT2’s and a disc specific wheels and all-new Continental Urban tyre (35c) designed in conjunction with Focus for the Planet range, all for £1459. The rest of the Planet range features aluminium frames and a price range between £649 and £999.
All carbon frame, hydraulic brakes, massive tyre clearances, the new Planet Carbon would be a great basis for a cyclocross bike. As it stands for £1459 it’s a lightweight and tough urban commuter.
Cyclocross
Focus have expanded the Mares line-up with four carbon models, and four aluminium. The carbon line-up is topped with a team replica model based on the Focus-Rapha bike, as ridden by Jeremy Powers to US national champ status. The aluminium line-up includes two disc equipped bikes, the racing focussed AX2.0 and the commuter ready AX4.0.
The Team Focus-Rapha matches the spec of the pro bike as closely as possible, mixing Easton EC90sl tubular wheels, Sram Red, and Easton carbon finishing kit. Making for a lightweight (for cross) 7kg race rig. The Mares CX1.0 Rapha to give it its full name will retail for £3999, and in limited numbers.
Bold paint, chromed cables and massive clearances for the CX4.0
