In collaboration with Focus Bikes, 9 different cyclists were selected from a mix of backgrounds and disciplines to ride and race some of the German bicycle brand's bikes. As a fan of Focus already this became too good of an opportunity to turn down. Each rider has been setting their own personal #focuschallenge which you can follow through that hashtag.
The Bike:
Get ahead of the disc brake revolution, and your opposition, with the Focus Izalco Max Disc Dura Ace Road Bike 2016. A race ready disc equipped road bike, rather than just disc brakes added to an existing model, this is a showcase of German engineering at its very best.
The phenomenal Izalco Max P2T 10 Disc Carbon fibre frame weighs just 790 grams, with the Izalco Max P2T 10 Carbon T4 fork adding a mere 325 grams. Thanks to their revolutionary Rapid Axle Technology (RAT), this slight weight increase over the calliper version also comes with a stiffness increase. RAT gives the excellent strength and lateral stiffness of thru axles with the fastest wheel-change system ever.
The carbon fibre fork comes from one seamless piece gives superb lateral stiffness for performance, with the necessary shock absorption to remove the vibrations coming from the road to boost comfort. The tapered headtube adds stiffness. The lengthened chainstays additionally contribute to the handling.
Having worked with the AG2R La Mondiale team, Focus now individually designs each frame size so that all of them offer the perfect balance of stiffness to weight that their engineers desire. The professional touch continues with the internalisation of cable routing, with all the necessary space for electronic groupsets.
Superb quality is continued with the Shimano Dura Ace 9000 eleven speed parts. More carbon fibre is added by the FSA SL-K crankset that allows efficient power transfer. Weight is also saved with the inclusion of a stylish Fizik Cryano handlebars and exceptional Antares R5 Manganese saddle that is comfortable and pressure relieving.
Finally the DT Swiss R23 tubeless ready wheels offer you the snappy response you would want from this bike that is undeniably ready to race. Thankfully, should you just want it to rack of some fast miles of recreational riding, then the carbon seatpost adds another level of comfort to that already provided by the saddle and excellent frame design.
