Focus is probably one of the biggest brands that aren't on your radar, especially if you reside stateside. A brand that used to sit on the budget side of the equation has been re-inventing itself over recent years and started to turn heads in 2015 with the introduction of its 160mm travel carbon Sam, 120mm travel Spine trail bike and its unsprung XC whippet, the Raven. Founded in 1993 by a three-time World Champion, Mike Kluge, Focus bikes are still based in Stuttgart, Germany, close to the Black Forest and a few hours drive north of the Alps. For the 2017 range, Focus presents a new patented suspension design and two completely new bikes, the 140mm Jam, and the 100mm travel XC racer, which is currently being powered around the World Cup XC circuit between the legs of former European Champion, Florian Vogel.
www.focus-bikes.comF.O.L.D. Focus Optimised Linkage DesignPrevious suspension designs from Focus were fairly simple linkage driven single pivot bikes, while their new system is a little more interesting. The F.O.L.D. design uses a solid rear triangle which Focus say is the easiest way to save unsprung weight on a full suspension design as all bearings are centralized in the main frame. Another benefit of this design is that all of the moving hardware and shock is out of harm's way of anything that might be flung from the rear wheel.
The F.O.L.D. system's travel can be viewed as two phases. Along the first phase of travel, the system is regressive with the aim to make a super sensitive beginning stroke to absorb small bumps and increase traction towards the sag point
The second phase of the travel becomes progressive with the aim of absorbing impacts and ramping up to avoid harsh bottom outs in conjunction with custom tuned shocks.
Focus paid close attention to the Guidelink as it bears a close relationship to the bike's stiffness and after many prototypes have found the best balance between forgiveness and stiffness.
Focus Jam Jam Details• F.O.L.D suspension design
• 6 complete bikes with full carbon, full alloy or mix of materials
• Travel: 140mm
• 27.5" wheels
• Internal cable routing
• Boost front and rear hub spacing
• 'Burrito Bridge'
• Carbon frame weight: M - 2060 g
claimed• Four frame sizes S, M, L, XL
• Price: €2599 - €6999 / USD $3750 - $7500
The Jam frame is bang up to date with internal cable routing, Boost hub spacing front and rear, ISCG 05 chain guide tabs and an integrated chainstay protector. Another neat touch, although one I don't think was worth the hassle for the poor engineers that had to design it when they could have been out riding, is the 'Burrito Bridge.' This removable front derailleur mount is mounted on the swingarm and well out of the way of the bottom bracket area, allowing the chainstays to be squeezed down to a tight 425mm.
Focus say that their geometry is aimed towards aggressive trail riding with a 66.8º head angle based on a 140mm fork and a steep 74.5º seat angle for a good climbing position. Length wise, a medium frame has a 435mm reach and 425mm chainstays are found across the range.
| In my eyes the JAM is the perfect all-mountain bike. It combines first-rate handling with first-rate suspension. A guarantee for fun on every sort of adventure! - Fabian Scholz, German Enduro Champion and Focus engineer |
Focus O1E O1E Details• F.O.L.D Suspension design
• 3 complete bikes
• Identical, high-end carbon frames for each model
• Travel: 100mm
• 29" wheels
• Dropper post ready
• Boost front and rear hub spacing
• 'Burrito Bridge'
• Carbon frame weight: M - 1830 g
claimed• Three frame sizes S, M, L
• Price: €3999 - €7999 / USD $4000 - $7500
The O1E is the Sam's smaller brother travel-wise at 100mm, but boasts bigger wheel to take on the World Cup XC circuit, with the name suggesting only one goal. While the Jam offers a wide range of material and specification, the O1E has three models to choose from which all use the exact same carbon spec frame, as well as carbon linkages opposed to the alloy versions on the Jam.
As cross country courses get steeper and more aggressive, so does the O1E's geometry. 69.2º at the helm, the same 74.5º seat angle as the Jam and similar sizing with a 435mm reach on a medium frame. The chainstays are deliberately long at 448mm to aid climbing and keep the front wheel planted.
Attention to detail is similar to the Jam including internal cable routing, chainstay protection, space for a water bottle and internally routed dropper post ready - a rarity on the XC circuit but something that will be appearing more in the near future.
For more information head to
www.focus-bikes.com after checking out the video below:
Regarding your second statement, I think there is actually a difference between grip and traction, grip is friction between to two surfaces, i.e formula one slick tyres on a smooth track (lots of grip). Traction is when one object penterates another and relies on a resistance to shear forces i.e knobs penetrating nice loamy dirt, or spiked ice tyres.
linkage driven single pivot design too.
But it's not the first time we can read marketing BS in an article!
@justincs: here's your 160mm option www.focus-bikes.com/at/de/bikes/2016/mountainbike-trail/focus-sam/sam-c-team.html
Anytime praise is given to Transtion these days my gut reaction is to make some allusion to Specialized. But that was not warranted here. my bad!
How many bikes do these companies sell in the UK, Aussie, New Zealand, South Africa? It's not inconsiderable surely? All bikes should have the cable rotting optimised for both left and right side running.
Cable routing is a small detail, but when it comes to choosing between two similar bikes sometimes the small details are what swings the buyers opinion one way or the other, can't be that hard to make it work either way?
How the f*ck is €7999 equivalent to $7500, especially if the bike comes from EUROPE?! o_O
The US won't include any of the sales tax as pricing in North America is MSRP plus tax. Unlike most of the world where VAT or GST or some sort of Sales Tax is inclusive.
German VAT is what? 19%? Sales tax in some places in the US can be zero.
$4000US is €3500 toss a handy 19% VAT in there and it's over €4000, so really you guys are getting a better deal.
Really though, bike looks sweet, just confused about burrito bridge lol.
www.focus-bikes.com/uploads/tx_templavoila/FOCUS_O1E-PRO.jpg
2.62 to 2.66 come on! Thats 1.53%...and the progressive part is barely touching 10%, numbers that you can achieve with a linkage that looks a lot less spectacular..cuz thats what this one does best...looking good!
Way to go marketing!
.....im already thinking the 29er 01E with a 120mm fork would be an absolute blast as an xc/trail weapon!!
The bikes do look nice. Nothing to do with Santa Cruz though.
www.focus-bikes.com/gb/en/bikes/2016/mountainbike-trail/focus-sam.html
Not the same suspension setup but one hell of a Enduro race bike!