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An introduction into mountain biking should be one of fun and enjoyment that gives you the itch' that only a trail can scratch. Hands up that's exactly what this bike did. An XC race bike, that I was determined to make fit all types of riding I encountered. The bike is not made for all this variation, and admittidly it showed.
What do Focus Say
The Raven is a fully-featured, race-ready bike. The custom alloy frame, Shimano LX groupset and Juicy 5 hydraulic disc brakes keep everything effortlessly under control at all times. Add to this a fully adjustable Fox 100 RLC fork and Mavic Crossride wheels and you have an awesome combination. The 2006 Raven was a What Mountain Bike 2006 'Best Hardtail under £1000' Award Winner, and the 2007 model has been improved further still.
So whats it like
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Well they're right. It is a fantastic bike. The components are excellent spec considering the price you're paying for the complete package. At £1000 delivered you expect some corners to be cut, but remembering this is under a grand they are few and far between.
It's fantastically light as you would expect I suppose. Only 24(ish) Ibs I sometimes had to check it was still under me, a dull ache and sore arse was the only reasurance it still was. This I found (being fairly new to MTB) was quite hard to get use to, it was the stiffness. The weight comes at a price - your arse. To the hardened XC pro and season guy this might not be a problem, but for the likes of me and you its hard work. Every single twig you crush slowly (on the uphill (the minibus driver was off)) sends vibrations through the frame. For 'feedback' terms this may be great - 4 hours in it's not.
That aside, the handling was great, so sharp and precise. The Fox forks delivered stunning performance when your at speed, smoothing out medium bumps and ruts easily! The XT/LX groupset provided quick shifting, I never suffered any little problems like gear tuning or little things like the chain jumping off. The Avid brakes are great although mine needed to be sanded down after they glazed after a touch of steep decent!
A great bike that I would recommend. The handbuilt in Germany wouldn't put me off either. Something to drag across the country for weekend races it may be, for the fireroad xc'ing and trails this bike may be a little to far developed and aimed at the 'pro' level for me.
I sold it after 5 months for a full sus by the way (your arse will thank you)!
Links:
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