Download Report

ROAD
TESTED
R I D D E N & R AT E D
Smooth shifting
105 provides
11-speed cadence
control
Though 25mm
tyres are fitted,
the Cayo can
take 28s
FOCUS CAYO 7.0
£1299 i With the same frame as its costlier brethren, what’s budget about the 7.0?
T he first generation Cayo
launched in 2005 and quickly
established itself as a
benchmark for affordable
carbon road bikes. For 2015,
Focus has released an all-new variant
that’s available with and without disc
brakes. The 7.0 has rim brakes and is the
cheapest model, and with a claimed
frame weight in the region of 860g (plus
just 350g for the fork), it’s an obvious
candidate for our test.
Although it sits at the bottom of the
range, the Cayo 7.0 shares its frameset
with its costlier brethren, and there’s
nothing budget about it. It has neat
internal cable routing, a full carbon
SPECIFICATION
WEIGHT 8.25kg (S)
FRAME Carbon
FORK Carbon
GEARS Shimano
105
BRAKES Concept
R540
WHEELS Fulcrum
WH-CEX 7.0
FINISHING KIT
Concept CX bar,
stem, saddle and
seatpost, 25mm
Schwalbe Lugano
tyres
It’s not a cobble eater, but the
frame does an admirable job of
absorbing road buzz
tapered fork and carbon dropouts.
Thanks to the interchangeable ‘Cable
Routing Plate’ head-tube insert, it’ll take
an electronic groupset without bodges, a
boon if you want to upgrade later.
The frame also sports an immense
PF30 bottom bracket shell (which
necessitates adapter cups for the
Shimano chainset) and a top-tube that
flares dramatically to sharp points,
before blending into the head-tube, all in
the interests of targeting stiffness where
it’s needed. We’re not sure that actually
makes sense from an engineering
perspective, but it certainly looks good.
Focus has been smart with its choice of
components. A non-series Shimano
chainset and off-brand brakes (which
work just fine) keep costs down, but you
get the parts of the latest 11-speed 105
groupset that matter – the shifters, the
mechs, and the fancy polymer-coated
cables that ensure buttery shifting.
The wheels are relatively chunky
Fulcrum offerings, but cartridge bearings
and brass spoke nipples mean they’re
UK-friendly, and it’s gratifying to see
25mm tyres fitted as standard. Speaking
of tyres, it’s worth mentioning that the
Cayo has clearance for at least 28mm of
rubber front and rear, which should also
make fitting mudguards easier, although
Focus has missed a trick by not providing
any mounts.
The finishing kit is from Focus’s
in-house Concept brand and while it’s
not flashy, it fits in well with the
aesthetic of the bike. We especially liked
the handlebar, which flares outwards
quite significantly at the comfortable,
ergo-shaped drops, inspiring a lot of
confidence on descents.
The Cayo is not a cobble eater, but the
frame does an admirable job of
absorbing road buzz, succeeding in
preserving a great sense of
CYCLING PLUS | January 2015 | 63
ROAD
TESTED
R I D D E N & R AT E D
The Focus Cayo is a
hell of a lot of bike
for your money
willingness when the urge to hurt oneself
strikes. Reasonably but not excessively
aggressive geometry lets you get low if
you want to, and the 52/36 chainrings
and 11-28 cassette offer a range of gears
that should satisfy most riders.
The Cayo is a hell of a lot of bike for
your money. If you’re desperate to shed
weight, there’s a fair saving to be made
in the wheels, but it’s nice enough in its
stock form that we wouldn’t bother.
VERDICT The Cayo is an
absolute joy to ride and
fantastic value for money
RATING
64 | January 2015 | CYCLING PLUS
WE SAY…
ALSO CONSIDER...
HIGHS An incredibly
pleasing frame for the
money that’s stiff yet
comfortable, with
great shifting from 105
and clearance for
28mm tyres
LOWS No mudguard
mounts despite ample
clearance, and the
wheels are quite heavy
BUY IF… You want a
quality frame that’s
specced for maximum
value
FOR A LITTLE MORE…
FOCUS CAYO 6.0
£1599
FOR A LITTLE LESS…
FOCUS CULEBRO 1.0
£1199
The Cayo 6.0’s frameset is the same as the
7.0’s bar the paint, but gets some Ultegra
bits in place of 105.
You don’t get the Cayo’s lovely carbon
frame, but the aluminium Culebro is still
ultra-light, and has a full Ultegra groupset.