All-New Focus VICE

In what is surely the raddest press release we’ve seen in 2016, German brand Focus has just delivered their tubular new trail bike called the ‘VICE’. And we think you’ll agree that the riding photos are priceless! In the spirit of Miami Vice and 1980’s extreme sports, Focus is channeling its inner fluoro speed demon with the new 120mm travel VICE trail bike. And from the looks of things, the VICE will be an interesting addition to their existing full suspension lineup that already includes the 120mm-travel Spine and the 160mm-travel SAM.

Let’s take a look at the new bike and the glorious moustache within this press release from Focus…

Ok, so the bike. In a nutshell, the VICE is a 27.5in trail bike with a 130mm travel fork and 120mm of rear suspension travel. In their press release, Focus describe the VICE as an “entry-level trail bike” that has “aggressive and playful trail-orientated geometry and a robust single-pivot suspension design”.

By entry-level, Focus is referring to the price points that its new bike covers, with the base-level VICE Pro kicking off at £1399. When you factor in that the VICE Pro comes with a dropper post, air-adjustable suspension, a 1×11 drivetrain and decent hydraulic disc brakes, that is quite an impressive feat indeed.

In terms of intent, the Focus VICE sits somewhere between the lightweight Spine and the long-travel SAM. In terms of travel, the Focus VICE does rub shoulders with the existing Spine, which also has 120mm of rear suspension travel. But whereas the Spine is a higher-end trail bike designed for long distance XC/trail riding, the VICE trades up the linkage-driven shock in favour of a simpler single-pivot design to keep the cost down. It also uses more, like, totally rad geometry that has clearly been derived from the long-travel SAM, with short 420mm chainstays and a slack 67-degree head angle.

We were initially a little confused as to where the VICE fits into the existing lineup, and especially when we considered that Focus recently announced the new O1E and JAM with the F.O.L.D suspension design. Ignoring those existing and impending models however, it does look like the VICE could be a fun starting point for riders wanting a fun full suspension bike without blowing wads of cashola. If you’re not into XC or enduro racing and just need a capable bike for tooling around on the trails, the Focus VICE looks like a worthy option on paper.

The VICE will be available in three models; the Factory, the SL and the Pro. Each model is built with an aluminium frame, which features a sizeable reach (440mm in medium) as well as short 50mm stem.

VICE Factory

The Factory model, featuring RockShox Yari RC forks and a RockShox Super Deluxe R rear shock. It has a 10-42t SRAM XG-1150 cassette and SRAM NX 30t cranks. Full specs below:

• Frame: VICE AL, 6066 alloy, BSA BB, 148mm dropouts, external cable routing, PM 160 rear brake
• Fork: RockShox Yari RC, Boost, 110x15mm QR, 130mm travel
• Rear Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe R, 190/45, custom tune
• Rear Derailleur: SRAM NX, 11-speed
• Shifter: SRAM NX
• Cranks/BB: SRAM NX, Boost 148, 30t
• Cassette: SRAM XG-1150, 10-42t
• Seatpost: Concept Drop SL, 31,6mm, 120mm travel
• Saddle: fi’zi:k Tundra M5
• Brakes: SRAM Guide R, 180/160mm
• Wheelset: Concept EX, 584-27, Concept XD, 148x12mm / 110x15mm
• Tires: Continental Mountain King 2, 2.4 Protection SL, foldable
• Colour: Brown / Fluo Yellow matt

Price: £2199

VICE SL

The SL has RockShox suspension too, but with Sektor Silver RL forks and a Deluxe R shock. Full specs below:

• Frame: VICE AL, 6066 alloy, BSA BB, 148mm dropouts, external cable routing, PM 160 rear brake
• Fork: RockShox Sektor Silver RL, 110x15mm QR, 130mm travel
• Rear Shock: RockShox Deluxe R, 190/45, custom tune
• Rear Derailleur: SRAM NX, 11-speed
• Shifter: SRAM NX
• Cranks/BB: SRAM NX, Boost 148, 30t
• Cassette: SRAM PG-1130, 11-42t
• Seatpost: Concept Drop SL, 31,6mm, 120mm travel
• Saddle: Concept EX
• Brakes: Shimano BR-M615, 180/160mm
• Wheelset: Concept EX, 584-27, Concept, 148x12mm / 110x15mm
• Tires: Continental Mountain King 2, 2.4 Performance, foldable
• Colour: Aquablue / Black matt

Price: £1699

VICE Pro

The Pro model in a slick black colour. Full specs below:

• Frame: VICE AL, 6066 alloy, BSA BB, 148mm dropouts, external cable routing, PM 160 rear brake
• Fork: RockShox Sektor Silver RL, 110x15mm QR, 130mm travel
• Rear Shock: RockShox Deluxe R, 190/45, custom tune
• Rear Derailleur: SRAM NX, 11-speed
• Shifter: SRAM NX
• Cranks/BB: SRAM NX, Boost 148, 30t
• Cassette: SRAM PG-1130, 11-42t
• Seatpost: Concept Drop SL, 31,6mm, 120mm travel
• Saddle: Concept EX
• Brakes: Shimano BR-M396, 180/160mm
• Wheelset: Concept EX, 548-27, Concept, 148x12mm / 110×15 mm
• Tires: Continental Mountain King 2, 2.4 SL
• Colour: White/Black / Nimbusgrey/White matt

Price: £1399

It’s a little reminiscent of Hans Rey in his Pacific Blue cameo. You can decide for yourself:

All the info can be found on the Focus Bikes website.

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