Focus have stormed on to the enduro scene with their impressively sorted, super-aggro SAM bikes, which are priced as aggressively as they ride.
The frame
The all-new SAM frame gets a radical 65-degree head
angle and correspondingly long front end, with a steeply sloped top tube and
braced seat tube for a low centre of gravity.A custom Magura shock is driven
through a stout linkage, there are chain guide mounts on the BB shell, the back
end is 142x12mm and it all looks really neat and ‘right’. The steep 75-degree
seat angle and low, flat bar can make the top tube feel shorter than it actually
is though, so you might want to size up.
The kit
The .2,249 SAM 3.0 is definitely the bargain of the range,
but picking the 2.0 gets you some quality gear. The SRAM double crankset is equipped
with a bashring and chain device and combines with the Shimano Deore XT gears
to keep your power locked down. The XT brakes are powerfully cost effective
too, while an internally routed KS LEV Integra dropper post gives easy weight shift
convenience.Wide rimmed yet light Reynolds wheels pep up acceleration and
Schwalbe Hans Dampf tyres underline the ride with unshakable durability and
grip.
The ride
The lightweight wheels and carbon cranks mean overall weight
is OK for a gravity focused bike, and while the sticky tyres mean upward progress
is still painful or patience stretching, there’s enough initial stability in
the shock that you can stomp the pedals if you need to. The SAM is obviously
focused on tearing downhill though, and the faster we flung it down the hills,
the more we liked it.
The Fox 34 fork has the company’s cheapest Evolution Series
internals, which deliver their usual arm jarring,
shorton-regularly-chieved-travel disappointment. But because it’s raked out to
a DH bike style 65 degrees and the steep seat angle lets you force more weight
over it, we could still ride the bike hard. The Magura rear shock is unproven
but does a perfectly good job of swallowing the serious drops and flat-out rock
garden batterings that this bike begs for too. The linear feel means it’s often
deeper in the stroke than a Fox or RockShox would be, and there’s noticeable rear
end frame twist too, but thankfully you don’t lose tyre feedback in a bouncy
mush.
That’s important, because the low, long front end and super-sticky
tyres of the Focus make it an absolute scythe when it comes to railing berms and
drifting around loose corners. The stubborn fork and softer rear mimic most pro
downhillers’ set-ups, and mean the bike actually gets slacker and lower the
harder you push, tucking you tighter into corners rather than spitting you off
the outside. There’s plenty of leverage in the 740mm bar too, and we had a
total blast taking the Focus to its impressively capable limits.
FRAME Alloy, 160mm (6.3in) travel
FORK Fox 34 TALAS CTD Evolution, 160mm (6.3in) travel
SHOCK Magura TS RC
DRIVETRAIN SRAM S2210 cranks, Shimano Deore XT shifters and derailleurs
WHEELSET Reynolds AMAL wheels, Schwalbe Hans Dampf TrailStar Evo 27.5x2.35in
tyres
BRAKES Shimano Deore XT
BAR/STEM Concept EX, 740mm/Concept EX,60mm
SEATPOST/SADDLE KS LEV Integra/Concept EX
WEIGHT 14.1kg/31.1lb (w/o pedals)
PRICE 4772$ (complete bike)
