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Firmly aiming for the popular mid-level price range, the £1599 Cayo Ultegra offers a light and stiff carbon fibre frame and fork with a level of kit that is hard to find at this price point.There's no allowance for flex anywhere on the German-designed frame, with all the key areas beefed up with additional carbon layers and hugely oversized main tubes. Focus offers a wide range of sizes and it tailors the carbon lay-up of each size frame using a process dubbed SSPS.Internal rear brake cable routing though the top tube gives a cleaner look to the frame while neat cable guides are used where cables are anchored to the frame.Decals are an area where Focus has really worked hard on in the past few years, and the results are good. We liked the red and white over carbon look, which combined with the colour coded bar tape and saddle gives the bike a fast and racy look - we mostly seemed to get nods of approval when riding with other cyclists.Shimano's Ultegra SL groupset is one of the best currently available, combining a decent weight with an attractive price. The new Ice Grey finish confers a stylish look to any frame it's bolted to. Its shifting performance is top-drawer too, with swift, precise shifts carried out time and time again. Braking is equally reassuring.We put several hundred miles in and found no complaints from the Mavic Aksium wheels, which were fitted with Schwalbe Durano tyres. Like the Schwalbe tyres fitted to the BeOne also tested this week, they proved to be admirably tough and provided no roadside pit stops.You get a lot of bike for your money when buying from the Focus stable, and you might expect there to be some cutbacks somewhere to allow them to offer a full carbon frame and fork package with Ultegra SL bits, but the finishing kit offers nowhere for cheap bits to hide. FSA's very excellent Compact aluminium handlebars were an immediate hit, and while Concept's stem, seatpost and saddle don't carry much kudos for the brand conscious, they got on with their jobs without fuss. It's nice to see a healthy stack of spacers underneath the stem for dialling the position too.It's all stacking up well so far, but there are further revelations to be had when riding the Focus. Its ride is one of quiet confidence, with a stable footing that allows the wannabe racer or fast club rider to push hard and a light, stiff chassis that flatters those with intentions of fast riding. It's light, too, which along with the wide range of gears makes climbing something to be enjoyed. Lastly, the inherently stiff frame gives the bike a noticeable edge over other bikes at this price point.It really is hard to find fault with the Focus. It scores well on performance, value and looks, but it would be nice to see Focus offer a more sportive-focused bike, with a taller head tube and a carbon lay-up that provides a slightly less stiff ride quality. As it is, the Cayo is a top all-round choice.
The Focus offers a top-level ride for a mid-level price.
Focus may not be the most recognisable brand on the market, but its reputation for great builds and amazing value is creeping into the system and undercutting many of the world leaders efforts. Having just signed Olympic medallist Nicole Cooke, Focus has made a great forward leap into the racing world that could gain the brand extra exposure... and maybe a collection of medals in the 2012 Olympics.The Cayo Ultegra is a breath of fresh air when it comes to value. It's absolutely dripping with bank busting components that you'd never normally see on a bike in this price bracket. Full Shimano Ultegra levers, brakes, drivetrain and shifters, FSA components, super smooth Mavic Aksium wheels and a sexy decal/raw carbon finish covered in chromed gear cables and coordinating colour schemes build up an amazing bike that gets everyone double-taking as you ride by. To buy the components alone would cost over a grand, so how Focus have managed to include the frame is beyond me.Just looking at the bike you know it's going to be a smooth ride, and, once mounted, its more comfortable than it looks. The frame's 55in top tube feels more like a medium than a large, which was perfect for the test but worth bearing in mind if ordering online. The Concept saddle fits like its custom made and the Concept/FSA cockpit area suggests an understanding of quality.The bike allows you to naturally fit into position and everything instantly feels as it should you wouldn't change a thing. It's also great looking: the popular, black and white graphics finish boast great styling, with the bare carbon windows reflecting in the light to give it a marble look on the raw carbon weaving.On the move the carbon frame effortlessly smoothes out road surfaces that resemble coral more than tarmac, and the light steering allows for immediate reaction when swerving potholes seemingly created by heavy mortar. Out of the saddle the Cayo's very responsive: the chunky BB body with its thick protruding chain stays eliminate any chance of drive flex, and the ultegra groupset feels as good as any Dura Ace shift.Climbing feels positive as the stiff back end transfers every bit of effort into the real wheel, which is all balanced out beautiful as the main frame, cockpit and fork continue the bike's 'solid yet smooth' theme.At high and low speeds the Cayo feels manoeuvrable on the tops and the drops, and the round-profile carbon tubing limits turbulence and gusting from side winds. It has a feel-good factor that puts a smile on your face and plenty of energy in your tank.As far as races go, this would be a great all rounder. But is it simply a road bike? It has no triathlon specific qualities or geometries but this isn't to say it wouldn't look the part if you put on tri-bars and deep wheels.
Fantastic for both long or hilly events, the Cayo represents a wise use of £1,500 indeed.