Review from MBUK

Designed and built in Germany, sold by mail order giant Wiggle and delivered direct to your door in a very big box, the Expert sits in the middle of the three-bike Black Forest range. A race-bred emphasis used to dominate the Focus brand, but this has been tamed slightly by the addition of riser bars and bigger profile tyres. But this can't restrain the racey Expert, with its fork lockout for climbs and sprints, and a 11.5kg (25.4lb) heft that makes the other bikes here look like heavyweights.

At first glance the Black Forest frame seems like a standard 6061 alu offering, but there are plenty of subtle tweaks here to create an even lighter, stronger structure. The top-tube and down tube morph from round to oval in order to create big weld areas and a laterally stiff centre where they join the seat tube and bottom bracket shell. A ring-reinforced head tube is gusseted into the underside of the down tube and a 1in spacer stack offers good stem height adjustment. The seat and chainstays offers lots of room for big tyres and heel clearance, but the generally tidy lines are not flattered by cantilever brake bosses on a bike that has disc-only rims. It's rounded off by two pairs of bottle cage bosses and a quick realise seat clamp.

The Manitou R7 Super fork offers 100mm (3.94in) of well controlled travel, with decent rebound damping and a leg top lockout lever that's great if you flick it all the way round, but causes an irritating knocking sound if you only turn it part way.

Shimano's new SLX drivetrain parts provide manufactures with a worthy low cost alternative on bikes around this price. They're put to good use here, and sensible crankset trimming has allowed Focus to fit a pair of XT gear mechs. Our test bike had LX shifters, but spec lists say Deore should be fitted. Either way, shifting was slick throughout the test period.

The wheels weren't the lightest on test (the Genesis Altitude has that honour) but the fitted Shimano hubs are a much better option than the anonymous hubs that often crop up as a cost-cutting measure in this price category, and the Expert's Alex X0 rims seem tougher than many other lightweight variants. The rims are well protected too, with big profile 2.2in Race King treads for Continental – their low profile knobs are not the best ground grabbers in the mud, but they roll fast and offer plenty of comfort, which is a bonus on a stiff frame like this. Avid Elixir brakes are stoppers, and the finishing kit is good quality from Focus's house brand Concept.

The Expert accelerates and climbs noticeably faster than the other three bikes on test here. This is all down to the combination of its low weight and fast rolling treads. The Continental Race Kings provide comfort and shock absorption because of their big air chambers, but the low profile knobs are designed to be ridden fast. The downside is they're not all that great in slippery mud and overzealous hard cornering soon finds the limits of their traction.

The Expert is a racey bike thats ideal if you're looking for pure XC speed over hardcore performance on gnarlier trails. But a pair of meatier treads are all that's need to turn it into something with a lot more attitude. The 24in riser bar and comfortable neutral ride position ensure that handling is good on almost any type of trail and the fork can handle pretty much anything you ride on.

Unfortunately, the forks linear compression feel combines with the steep head angle to make things a little nervous on quick descents with drops, so you get used to spending a lot of time of the back of the saddle. A parts run down suggests that its superb value for money, which is no surprise as its sold straight from the importer. If you don't mind web-buying over testing it at your local dealer, you'll be pleased to know that the ride backs up the parts package. Its great option if spend is your priority.

In conclusion...

An untamed speed-demon of a cross country bike, that's superbly equipped and far lighter than most of its price rivals. It's fantastic steed if speed is more important than gnarly trail ability.

Rating: 8/10