The Focus Cayo 3.0 Disc Breaks Down Categories
The water covering the submerged trail wasn't quite up to the disc rotors—yet. I wasn't sure how much deeper it might get, but I wasn't keen to turn around. And the Focus Cayo 3.0 Disc didn't seem all that troubled either.
During the time I was testing the Cayo, Colorado's Front Range got rained on for so many consecutive days that we started out joking that we might forget what the sun looked like, then nearly forgot it was a joke. When the sun did finally peek out one morning, I took the Cayo on a meandering loop I've constructed that attempts to take in as much dirt as possible in one, 90-minute wander. The spontaneous pond fording was the first sign that this wasn't going to be a normal spin.
But not once did it cross my mind whether the Cayo was capable or even appropriate for the waterlogged and potholed route, or whether it was overbuilt for any of the paved sections. Nor did these questions pop up with the Cayo on any other ride—a steep, dirt climb slick with wet runoff, a gravel-strewn switchback descent, or fast-and-flat farm roads.
This excellent evolution of the long-running Cayo frame boasts efficient power transfer and a smooth ride that evens out dirt washboards and shattered pavement alike. If we're pigeonholing here, we'd call it an endurance road bike. But the Cayo stretches the constricting boundaries of labels like that.
It all starts with the disc brakes, Shimano's smooth and powerful RS685 hydraulics. The rest of the bike seems to sprout from those. Because of the discs, Focus borrows its Rapid Axle Technology (RAT) thru-axle system from its Mares cyclocross line. RAT uses a T-shaped pin instead of threads to lock the axle in place, combining the speedy removal of a quick-release with the security of a thru-axle. It makes the bike plenty stiff: Under acceleration or hard cornering, there's none of the ting-ting-ting of rotors kissing brake pads, as can happen with conventional open dropouts.
Without rim brakes, there's extra tire clearance, so Focus can spec 25mm Schwalbe Duranos that measure out more like 26mm (and you can fit up to 30mm). Since going downhill on all that rubber is so much fun, you'll also be climbing a fair bit; hence the 52/36 chainrings and 11-28 cassette. With full Ultegra, the Cayo 3.0 Disc is a remarkable value at $3,500.
On one end of the continuum of potential answers to the question, "How many bikes should I own?" is n+1, n being the number you already own. On the other end is the quiver-killer—the one mythical bike that can do it all. The Cayo 3.0 Disc comes pretty close to the myth.
What You Need to Know
? Super comfortable, super versatile, all-road machine
? Proprietary thru-axles secure disc wheels to frame and increase stiffness, but are specific to Focus
? Hydraulic disc brakes
? Outstanding value
Price: $3,500
Weight: 18.5 lb. (54cm)
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