Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
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Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby macca33 » Tue Oct 28, 2014 9:38 pm
Build pics:-
Upon completion:-
I rode it for a few miles, then decided that it would be better with Ultegra6800, so purchased a 'mini-group' from Chain Reaction:-
Very happy with the rig - it is a great frameset and goes fairly quick, even on the CX tyres. I'm looking forward to some summertime exploration around West Gippy:-
cheers
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Re: Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby find_bruce » Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:08 am
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Re: Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby Cmm » Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:34 am
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Re: Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby macca33 » Wed Oct 29, 2014 10:08 am
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Re: Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby Cmm » Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:32 pm
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Re: Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby cyclotaur » Wed Oct 29, 2014 8:55 pm
Welcome to the club !!Cmm wrote:Nice i am coming to realise for an avergae joe like me a cx with road tyres is as good as a road bike lol keep an eye out for my new frame macca
My old blog - A bit of fun
"Riding, not racing...completing, not competing"
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Re: Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby macca33 » Wed Oct 29, 2014 9:48 pm
Cmm wrote:Nice i am coming to realise for an avergae joe like me a cx with road tyres is as good as a road bike lol keep an eye out for my new frame macca
Shall do mate!
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Re: Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby Dirty32 » Thu Oct 30, 2014 11:29 am
Iv been thinking about and looking at (for a couple of months now) a Focus Mares AX1 as a commuter and winter / wet weather bike for next winter.
Most likely the AX1 (Hyd. Disks), or the AX3 if I can't get hold of a 1. Obviously Alloy framed where yours is carbon. Im still trying to get the missus on board, but havent managed to pull the pin on one yet.
There aren't too many reviews out there and where there are, they tend to be on the CX range (carbon) and not alloy... Any comments?
I doubt id get out for any CX at all, if I do it will be extremely minimal. More so to run some nice 28's on it as an urban attacker!
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Re: Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby macca33 » Thu Oct 30, 2014 12:53 pm
It rides very smoothly - absorbs more road shock than the CAADs, it transfers the power well (BB is stiff enough) and handling/steering is slightly slower than my CAAD10s - due to a longer wheelbase - but is sharp enough.
I rode it in the bunch yesterday and got a few PRs on a climb (as stated above) and it also rolls fine at bunch pace - 30-40kph without a problem, which shows that it can be fairly dynamic.
I'd be so bold to say that if I was ONLY commuting, doing bunch rides (even quicker ones) and riding around, this one bike would do it all fairly well - CX tyres for the gravel and road tyres for the tarmac.
cheers
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Re: Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby mitchy_ » Thu Oct 30, 2014 12:59 pm
i'd agree. my road bike has been traded in on another CX bike... i'm a poofteenth slower, but it is so much more versatile and comfortable, for me at least.macca33 wrote:I'd be so bold to say that if I was ONLY commuting, doing bunch rides (even quicker ones) and riding around, this one bike would do it all fairly well - CX tyres for the gravel and road tyres for the tarmac.
cheers
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Re: Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby cancan64 » Thu Oct 30, 2014 1:19 pm
I am selling the road bikes and will only have CX bikes with multiple wheelsets ....so far I have not found a situation where I wish I was on the roadie or where I was at a disadvantage by being on the CX bikemacca33 wrote:I'd be so bold to say that if I was ONLY commuting, doing bunch rides (even quicker ones) and riding around, this one bike would do it all fairly well - CX tyres for the gravel and road tyres for the tarmac.
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Re: Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby Dirty32 » Thu Oct 30, 2014 2:54 pm
I guess that the one thing that has been holding me back has maybe been the release of roadies with disk brakes, ala the new Defy and the Cannondale Synapse et al.
I was leaning toward the CX's as a commuter, winter / do it all kinda bike that I could throw around and not worry about getting it dirty (and still keep the roadie for group rides etc), but I kinda thought that it'd be a bit of overkill if I was only ever going to ride road and never use it for CX. When disk roadies started coming out, I figured that they'd be more fit for that purpose, would be lighter for similar money and would need less spent on (eg - CX bike would likely need lighter wheels, road tyres, possibly a road crankset at some point etc.).
Maybe I am wrong. CX bikes look so great, but I have never ridden one to know the difference. I like the TCX like yours, too Mitchy. If I go with a CX, it's likely to be the Focus Mares AX or the Giant TCX SLR perhaps.
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Re: Focus Mares CX - The Ranga!!!
Postby mitchy_ » Thu Oct 30, 2014 3:09 pm
hard to go wrong with those. Norco Threshold and Speccy Crux disc are worthy contenders as well.Dirty32 wrote:Well, they are some pretty massive endorsements... thanks guys!
I guess that the one thing that has been holding me back has maybe been the release of roadies with disk brakes, ala the new Defy and the Cannondale Synapse et al.
I was leaning toward the CX's as a commuter, winter / do it all kinda bike that I could throw around and not worry about getting it dirty (and still keep the roadie for group rides etc), but I kinda thought that it'd be a bit of overkill if I was only ever going to ride road and never use it for CX. When disk roadies started coming out, I figured that they'd be more fit for that purpose, would be lighter for similar money and would need less spent on (eg - CX bike would likely need lighter wheels, road tyres, possibly a road crankset at some point etc.).
Maybe I am wrong. CX bikes look so great, but I have never ridden one to know the difference. I like the TCX like yours, too Mitchy. If I go with a CX, it's likely to be the Focus Mares AX or the Giant TCX SLR perhaps.
i've got a disc roadie, and it all comes down to personal preference.. my disc roadie is 6.8kg, TCX ~7.7kg and Threshold is about 9.5kg.. still prefer the CX's.
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