James Yaffa
Our publisher, James Yaffa, recently tested the Focus Izalco Max in Adelaide and found it a fast and impressive all-rounder.
A racier look and feel, combined with world-class German engineering and design, make the Focus Izalco Max an all-rounder bike with serious flair. My testing took place in Adelaide, which, in my mind, represents the best riding conditions across our vast country, with stunning scenery combined with brilliant roads and bike lane infrastructure. So, when the folks at PON Cycling allowed me to test the much-hyped Focus Izalco Max in December, I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by.
Focus is a much-loved German brand with a heritage in mountain biking, moving into road cycling in 2003. I’m not sure Focus makes enough noise about the fact that all Focus bikes are developed and designed in Stuttgart, Germany (the same city as Porsche and Mercedes). I could quickly see and feel the quality that comes from that experience of over 20 years of building road bikes backed by German engineering and design.
Over three amazing days of riding in Adelaide, the bike was tested on racing flats around the stunning beaches of Semaphore and amongst the challenging hills that dominate the views of Adelaide.
So, how does it look? (That does matter.) This new design is extremely sleek yet maintains the racing look and feel that gives it that edge, especially the bent-over hoods in the drop position—they are super aggressive!
The Focus team have always been innovators, true to the German heritage, and this bike makes no apologies for being a racing all-rounder! The clever engineers and designers at Focus have managed to reduce the weight, improve stiffness, which I really enjoyed, and, importantly, make it comfortable with a noticeably shorter seat stay.
The built-for-speed mantra that this bike is well known for certainly rang true for me. The stiffness of the frame makes it roll seriously, helped by the 34mm deep front and 37mm rear Reserve wheels. I have previously ridden the Cervelo S5 with Reserve wheels, and they roll like no other. They are extremely impressive and could well be the best value bike wheels for sheer quality and price in the Australian market.
The all-rounder bike tag seems to be where many brands are heading; in this case, Focus can rightly say it’s not only the all-rounder but also the racing all-rounder! Whilst it’s super responsive and stiff out of the saddle when giving it a nudge, it climbs incredibly well in the main due to its weight and firm headset. When getting out of the saddle on those punchy Adelaide Hills sections, it doesn’t rock side to side but simply stays firm and stiff, allowing your legs and power to do the talking.
The quality of the frame was offset by quality componentry, including the SRAM Red AXS electronic groupset, the Farsports F1S cockpit, and Pro Stealth Carbon.
The bike I rode was a custom-built version of the Izalco Max, based on the 9.9 frameset and built up. I suspect the standard Izalco Max 9.9, which comes as a complete bike, is equally impressive with a Shimano Dura Ace Di2 groupset and other components to match.
Whichever option you take, the value-for-money proposition that Focus is well known for is absolutely achieved here at a time when the pricing of road bikes worldwide has skyrocketed since the COVID era.
I expect to hear more about Izalco Max amongst the bunches and Gran Fondos this year.
Thumbs Up
- Weight
- Componentry
- Stiffness
- Design
Thumbs Down
- No NM numbering on some components.
Specs
RRP – $5,499 (frame only)
Colour – Black / Carbon
Frame – Izalco Max 9.9 – Max technology carbon, disc, BB86, 142x12mm thru axle, flat mount 160/140 mm, internal cable routing (865g)
Fork – MAX technology carbon, integrated cable routing, disc, 100x12mm, flat mount
Cockpit – Farsports F1S
Saddle – Pro Stealth Carbon
Seatpost – Focus Aero Carbon, D-shape
Groupset – SRAM Red AXS SRAM RED AXS E1 12 speed groupset, 48/35t x170mm crankset, 160mm rotors, 10-33t cassette
Wheels – Reserve 34/37 Carbon Wheels
Hubs – DT Swiss 240
Tyres – Vittoria Corsa N.EXT G2.0
Max Rider Weight – 110kg
Website – https://www.focus-bikes.com/au_en/
