Focus Variado Expert Compact 2010

activentures

Hi. The Focus Variado Expert Compact 2010 received pretty average reviews but it is now reduced to 599. This seems like a good deal to be based on the equipment in comparison to other bikes in this price bracket. Should I consider the average reviews it receives to be based largely on its original 950 price tag or is this one to avoid regardless? Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

Stellite

Ive not got that bike, but just bought a Focus Mares in the sales. Im impressed with the quality of the components and the construction. Very light, carbon fork, 105 groupset.
If you buy it from wiggle you can send it back after a week if its not up to your expectations, might be worth a punt.

I had a budget and found it difficult to buy a decent bike for the money. Just depends on what you can afford I suppose

cooper.michael1

It is a bargain at that price, if you are after a road bike there is no better deal around at the moment. Try finding another £600 bike which has Shimano 105 and a £150 chainset on it?!

Be wary of some magazine reviews, they are subjective (just one persons account) and sometimes they follow the advertising money not the reality.

bendertherobot

The review appears to be fixated on weight. Let's be clear. You will not find those components at that price. So the question is how good is the frame, wheels and fork. That's it really.

Fork is carbon, it will be fine.

So, frames and wheels. The frame weighs a little more than some other £1k bikes. But not awfully so. I have to say that the ride is slightly harsher than my carbon Lemond. Slightly. That's all.

So the wheels? Look fine. Hell you could spec some good £200 wheels and save some weight. Perhaps the Pro Lite ones?

You will simply not do better for £600 period. But hang on until my cycle to work order is processed to make sure I don't lose out eh?

Variado

Can't directly comment on the 2010, but i've just ticked past 11,000 miles on my 2006 Variado expert and it's been a cracking bike. Well made, very comfortable for longer rides, and pretty quick. Not the lightest, but not a heavyweight either. It's got Ultegra rather than 105, but otherwise the spec looks broadly similar.

Upgraded the wheels last year when I hit a pothole and broke one and it's had the usual replacement drivetrain components from usual wear, but it otherwise as it came out of the box.

edb999

Ordered one today (will be my fist Roadie) will let you know my thoughts when it arrives!

jones1328

EdB999 wrote:

Ordered one today (will be my fist Roadie) will let you know my thoughts when it arrives!

So.....how are you finding it?

bikedibley.com

The Focus Variado Expert Compact is a brilliant bike. I think at it's original price, it was a good bike but possibly a little heavier than it's main competitors like the Specialized Secteur/Allez or Trek 1.1.

But, I think at this price, it's unbeatable. That kind of group with a good frame and quite honestly, not bad weight...It's a show stopper.

£599 right now at Wiggle. Amazing!

Focus Variado Expert Compact at £599!

KingCustard

Ordered mine on the 23rd & it's not here yet! I want my new toy!

Can anyone explain why the small size sold out within 3 days, & yet none of the other sizes have sold any at all?! I'd have thought at that price they'd all have gone by now?

bendertherobot

I hope not! My cyclescheme order hasn't been processed yet!

IMO the bikes are in Germany and Wiggle are assisting with selling them off. They'll probably be shipped on specific order quantities hence the 5-9 working day thing.

rake

its probably priced about right to compete at £600.

bendertherobot

At that price there is no competition.

rake

they must have had a hard time shifting them

bendertherobot

rake wrote:

they must have had a hard time shifting them

They probably did. But at £599 there is no competition. I'm shocked there are any left.

Of course Bike Radar's weight obsessed review does the bike little favours.

edb999

jones1328 wrote:

EdB999 wrote:

Ordered one today (will be my fist Roadie) will let you know my thoughts when it arrives!

So.....how are you finding it?

Arrived today had it delivered to my parents address as they were more likely to be in.
Waited very impatiently all day at work then went around to collect it. Un-boxed it and bolted on the pedals/bars adjust the seat etc.... then it started raining
Managed to get about 6 miles in, before it started to rain again (would be nice to keep it shinny for more than 1/2 hour!).
Haven't had a road bike before, so haven't got much to compare it to but you defiantly get the sense is a quality bit of kit. Came well set up straight from wiggle, with all the gears dropping in just fine. Certainty a much broader range of gearing than on my old mountain bike!
Hopefully I will be able to skive of work early tomorrow and give it a proper test!

KingCustard

Grrr, where's mine?! :evil:

Looks great though, can't wait for mine to arrive & get out on it - been bike-less for 10 days now!

bendertherobot

Looks far nicer than the photograph. Bonus!

ajmooseman

bendertherobot wrote:

Looks far nicer than the photograph. Bonus!

I'll second that

still trying to decided where to put my money, but looking at that pic it's hard to justify spending any more money.

bendertherobot

This will be my "spare" or "winter" bike as I've told the Mrs. My other bike is a Carbon Lemond with full SRAM Force.

Why do I get the feeling I won't want to get this one wet or dirty?

NaapjusuN1

KingCustard wrote:

Ordered mine on the 23rd & it's not here yet! I want my new toy!

Can anyone explain why the small size sold out within 3 days, & yet none of the other sizes have sold any at all?! I'd have thought at that price they'd all have gone by now?

I am sure that other sizes have been sold, even more than the small size. They just probably had a lot fewer small sizes than the others. It does not show how many they have in stock if it's over 10 they just put it as 10+. So, you can't really know how many they have sold.

jones1328

Judging by the picture posted by EdB999, it appears the bike comes with different tyres and a different handlebar compared to the model shown on the Wiggle website. Is this correct?

bendertherobot

Tyres do seem to be Conti.

But those are the correct wheels.

zebulon

What kind of tyres is this? 23 or 25?

redvision

bendertherobot wrote:

This will be my "spare" or "winter" bike as I've told the Mrs. My other bike is a Carbon Lemond with full SRAM Force.

Why do I get the feeling I won't want to get this one wet or dirty?

ok, will start a debate now i know but...
is this bike too good for a winter bike?

ive been thinking of getting this for the winter, but havent yet as im not sure its worth spending £600 on a bike which is gonna face the worst time of year.

what do you think?

i think if i were to get it i wouldnt want to take it out on crap days, even though it would be the winter bike!

jones1328

bendertherobot wrote:

Tyres do seem to be Conti.

But those are the correct wheels.

different handlebar by the looks of it though.

bendertherobot

redvision wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

This will be my "spare" or "winter" bike as I've told the Mrs. My other bike is a Carbon Lemond with full SRAM Force.

Why do I get the feeling I won't want to get this one wet or dirty?

ok, will start a debate now i know but...
is this bike too good for a winter bike?

ive been thinking of getting this for the winter, but havent yet as im not sure its worth spending £600 on a bike which is gonna face the worst time of year.

what do you think?

i think if i were to get it i wouldnt want to take it out on crap days, even though it would be the winter bike!

Depends what else you've got. My proper bike is a Lemond Zurich Carbon Triomphe, SRAM Force, Mavic Ksyrium etc. Flawlessly clean always.

Yes the Focus is, to an extent, too nice but that's just my mental approach. If I tell myself it's the hack bike it's all good.

redvision

sorry mate, wasnt having a dig at you. just wanted some opinions.
my best bike is a focus cayo (i love the focus range) and have been trying to decide if i should get this for the winter.

havent been cycling for long, but i remember what the winter did to my old roadie last year.

saying that, if you clean it after each ride it should be fine right?
and i guess its defo worth paying for the comfort. at that time of year the last thing you want is an uncomfy bike!

bendertherobot

redvision wrote:

sorry mate, wasnt having a dig at you. just wanted some opinions.
my best bike is a focus cayo (i love the focus range) and have been trying to decide if i should get this for the winter.

havent been cycling for long, but i remember what the winter did to my old roadie last year.

saying that, if you clean it after each ride it should be fine right?
and i guess its defo worth paying for the comfort. at that time of year the last thing you want is an uncomfy bike!

didn't think you were having a go!

I weighed up everything. Ribble, Tifosi even up to Racelight. Then was going for a Trek 1.2 with guards etc.

But that spec is awesome. Stick raceguards on there and it's almsot perfect. If it had been any other colour it would have been perfect!

redvision

it is a brilliant price!

im so torn! i want to buy it, yet i know i will be too reluctant to ride in in crap weather.

rake

its nothing special. dont worry.

bendertherobot

rake wrote:

its nothing special. dont worry.