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Focus celebrates 25 years w/ one-off 24k gold MARES CX bike

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There are a lot of ways you could celebrate your 25th anniversary. Traditionally, 25 years is usually celebrated with something made from silver. However, Focus skipped the silver step and went straight for the gold. A gold leaf Focus MARES CX bike that is.

Focus celebrates 25 years w/ one off 24k gold MARES CX bike

Focus celebrates 25 years w/ one off 24k gold MARES CX bike Focus celebrates 25 years w/ one off 24k gold MARES CX bike

Inspired by Mike Kluge’s 1992 world CX title, as the founder of Focus bikes, Mike was presented with the opportunity to build a MARES exactly how he would prefer. The icing on the proverbial cake would be a custom paint job by ETOE/Martin Grey which would feature real 24k gold leaf.

The carbon frame was hand painted and plenty of gold leaf was applied to ensure that the bike stands out.

Focus celebrates 25 years w/ one off 24k gold MARES CX bike Focus celebrates 25 years w/ one off 24k gold MARES CX bike Focus celebrates 25 years w/ one off 24k gold MARES CX bike

As you would expect for the 25th anniversary bike for the founder and former World Champion, the build on this MARES is nothing short of spectacular. A full Shimano Di2 11 speed drivetrain with Dura Ace hydraulic brakes and Trickstuff rotors kicks things off. Of course a golden chain and gold accented Crankbrothers pedals provide some matching accents. The MARES rolls on Tune Schwarzbrenner wheels (and Dugast Rhino tires) with Princess Skyline & Prince hubs along with a Tune Geiles Teil 110mm stem with Tune Cap and an Easton E100 48cm bar. Finishing touches include a Tune Starkes Stuck seat post with custom SQlab carbon 611 saddle with gold rails, and the World Championship stripes in the headset spacers.

focus-bikes.com

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Kayce
Kayce
5 years ago

I’m glad that Focus can do projects like this while fully pulling out of the US market, and leaving a ton of dealers hanging with prebooked “carry over” bikes that was really just selling out Focus’s inventory.

Heffe
Heffe
5 years ago

Their head of marketing claimed last year that they would be mostly out of the bicycle market within 5 years and would just sell e-bikes. So that move doesn’t surprise me. At least Pon Holdings haven’t indicated that they will totally sacrifice any of their other bicycle brands, such as Santa Cruz or Cervelo.

James Fryer
5 years ago

All that detail and then they go and wrap the bar tape backwards. That’s embarrassing.

Gregory Thomas
Gregory Thomas
5 years ago
Reply to  James Fryer

Some people don’t like visible finishing tape. I’d glue the end down in that case, but it’s technically not “wrong”, just different.

blahblahblah
blahblahblah
5 years ago
Reply to  Gregory Thomas

yeah no its wrong, try it

Mike
Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Gregory Thomas

It’s not about which side You begin from, but the direction You turn it around the bar – they made it backwards.

Cyclemaker
Cyclemaker
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

It’s about both the starting end and the direction. Start at the bottom of the drops and wrap in the direction of hand pull movement. So simple yet so many boutique builds still get it wrong.

Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward
5 years ago
Reply to  James Fryer

It works just fine wrapped “backwards”. If you wrap them loose the edges will start getting messed up eventually, but if you wrap them tight the tape will last just as long as normal tape and a lot longer than you should leave tape on a bike because it’ll be disgusting. I’ve done this at least the last 10,000 miles and I quite like it. Looks way better. It does have to be done with tape with glue on the back or the tape will shift on the bars.

Turdfurgison
Turdfurgison
5 years ago

Easton 48cm bar? Typo?

Trenton
Trenton
5 years ago

So I guess they decided their 2018 CX pro team to create this one off bike? SHAME

me
me
5 years ago

James F, you must have bumped your head man! Who wants to use 70 cent electrical tape to finish a 10 k plus bike? Focus wrapped them just fine! Someone actually cared! Dont knock it until you try it!

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