A lighter, more aerodynamic Focus Izalco Max for 2019

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30 Nov 2018 23:45

This article first appeared on BikeRadar.

The Focus Izalco Max has been a big favourite of ours in the past, with its traditional round tubes and straight top tube design making it the main rival to Cannondale’s SuperSix Evo. And, with the Max's frame tipping the scales at a scant 750g (for a 56cm), it was also one of the lightest bikes of its generation.

Andrew James, head of product at Focus Bikes, says of the newly revamped Izalco Max: "We’re proud of the original Max for so many things, the advances we made in carbon fibre, especially in regards stiffness to weight and ride quality, but in the intervening years design focus has shifted more towards aerodynamics and integration. The previous Max with its round tubes and external cable routing was a real exercise in weight saving, for the new bike its more about watt saving."

If that makes you think the new Izalco Max is going down the same route as bikes such as the Venge, SystemSix, Madone and TimeMachine then you’ll be surprised. Yes, the Max does use Kammtail profile tubes and lots and lots of integration, but it hasn’t lost any of the original's lightweight principles; so you won’t find a deep seat tube wrapping around the rear wheel or massive aerofoils on the forks or seatpost.

In fact, the new Max looks somewhat svelte compared to the latest generation of aero road machines. That’s not to say CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and the wind tunnel haven’t played a large part in the new design.

Removable stem design

Focus Izalco Max weight and watt saving

2019 Focus Izalco Max range

Focus Izalco Max 9.9

£7,899 / $TBC / AU$TBC

Focus Izalco Max 9.8

£6,999 / $TBC / AU$TBC

Focus Izalco Max 9.7

£5,299 / $TBC / AU$TBC

Focus Izalco Max 8.9

£4,499 / $TBC / AU$TBC

Focus Izalco Max 8.8

£3,439 / $TBC / AU$TBC

Focus Izalco Max 8.7

£2,649 / $TBC / AU$TBC

Focus Izalco Max Di2 FS in red (1) or black (2): £2.699 / $TBC / AU$TBC
Focus Izalco Max Disc 9 FS in black (1), silver (2) and white (3): £3.349 / $TBC / AU$TBC
Focus Izalco Max Disc 8 FS in white: £2.449 / $TBC / AU$TBC

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com