Our review of the Focus Thron continues the series of e-bikes reviewed by members of the Pedelecs forum.
What the manufacturer says:
“With the E-MTBs from Focus you can experience all the fun of off-roading on difficult trails and breathtaking descents without being at the peak of fitness. And even if you are fighting fit, a Focus E-MTB will multiply the fun, thrills and speed beyond imagination.” The Focus Thron is distributed by 50cycles.
Our testers:
The Focus Thron was tested on Redbridge’s tarmac circuit by four members of the Pedelecs forum, who were:
D8veh, who described himself as “61 years old, not particularly fit, 102kg and a very experienced e-biker”.
Saneagle, a “45 year old of average fitness, weighing 105kg”.
Teejay, “aged 59, retired and uses his Kalkhoff e-bike as his main transport most days”.
And finally AJB9, “68 year old, retired police officer with two metal hips, slightly arthritic knees, fairly fit”.
We asked our testers to give you a flavour of who they are to enable prospective purchasers to draw any comparisons to themselves in terms of fitness, physique and how a tested bike handles in each case.
We also asked each person to judge the bike on a number of points, summing up with a star rating out of 5, with 5 being the highest possible score.
First impressions – how does the bike look?
D8veh: “It looks to me how an MTB should.”
Saneagle: “Very nice looking bike.”
Teejay: “Very mountainbike. No guards or rack, shapely downtube battery. Impractical for me, but beautifully finished.”
AJB9: “Looks very nice and well put together.”
Overall group star rating for aesthetics: 4.5/5
What do you think of the build quality?
D8veh: “First class.”
Saneagle: “Looks to be good.”
Teejay: “Excellent. It has an air of quality.”
AJB9: “Very well made; all the parts are expensive-looking.”
Overall group star rating for build quality: 4.75/5
How did it ride?
D8veh: “Everything was normal on the ride. Nothing stands out as exceptional nor unsatisfactory. The steering and handling were great, but when leaning right over the wide, knobbly tyres didn’t feel so secure. Hill-climbing ability of the bike was very good, as long as your legs are not tired. Acceleration – good. Crusing – smooth and comfortable. The braking was excellent. Changing gears I found generally good, however it delays the motor for a short time while changing to make it smoother, but still the occasional clonk. The controls are excellent with everything to hand. Best feature for me is the torque – when your legs are strong enough to get the most from it.
Saneagle: “General points – I was disappointed that there isn’t a throttle. There was a lot of noise from the tyres when riding. The gears changed without any issue however. I personally felt the hill-climbing could have been a little better (although it made it up the hill with some effort pedaling). There was only one 1 cog on the front which I feel would have been better with 2. Acceleration and cruising were both OK and therefore satisfactory with me. Braking I felt was very good, as was changing gears and ease of operating the controls also scores a very good from me. The bike’s best features are the 17ah battery and its looks.”
Teejay: “General points – Once I was shown how to change the power setting, easily the most powerful of the 3 I test rode that day. A true torque sensor made it the most natural to ride – but that’s what I prefer anyway. Steering and handling: fine, it just got on with what you asked it to do. I found the hill-climbing ability of the bike excellent. In high power – and giving it a bit of welly – it rocketed up the hill. Smooth and powerful acceleration; with cruising you have to pedal but for me I found it to be speedy and effortless.The braking is powerful and very controllable. With the gear changing – there was no sense of the power going through the transmission. All changes were spot on. The controls were fine once I got the hang of them. I did like the uncluttered handlebars and simple LCD display. However the handlebars were a bit wide for my taste. Its best feature is the torque sensor with a powerful, torquey motor.
AJB9: “The saddle was made for the Tour de France, not an e-bike. Smooth ride. Controls worked well. Handle bars I feel are a bit wide though. The handling was good, with a smooth, fast ride. The acceleration is very good if you pedal hard. The brakes were firm and very smooth, stopping the bike with ease. Changing gears is easy and I thought the controls are well laid out and easy to use too. The bike’s best feature are its ‘bad boy’ looks.”
Overall group star rating for the test ride: 4.25/5
Do you feel it is good value for money?
D8veh: “It costs double what some other bikes do, which are nearly as good.”
Saneagle: “No.”
Teejay: “Not really. A fabulous bike but way over-priced.”
AJB9: “Not at that price and with that saddle.”
What sort of person and lifestyle would this bike best suit?
D8veh: “Young professionals who are sports cycling minded.”
Saneagle: “Best for an average rider for weekends and capable of off road.”
Teejay: “Affluent sort who likes a bit of off-roading. I’d be surprised if it was someone’s first choice as pure transport.”
AJB9: “MTB users and young people like Eddie PJ (fellow Pedelecs forum member)”.
