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ENDURO Readers’ Survey: The Winner of the Focus JAM Factory

08.12.2016
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We have all received those junk emails that clutter up our inboxes. “Wow, you have won a prize, all you have to do is fill in your bank details and we will post it out to you” – yeah right! But for one lucky man in Scotland, the email was real! Out of the 16,000 + respondents to our ENDURO 2016 Readers’ Survey, John Stewart was the man who scooped one of the top prizes, a 140 mm JAM C Factory model from the awesome guys at Focus Bikes.

John Stewart is the lucky winner of the Focus JAM Factory, not bad!
John Stewart is the lucky winner of the Focus JAM Factory, not a bad day!

John is a lucky man, little did he imagine while filling out our Reader’s Survey that his entry would result in such an awesome prize. When he posted on Facebook that he had won, all his mates joked that he was making it up! We arranged to meet the lucky 38-year-old winner at Glentress Trail Centre to hand over the prize. It’s not every day you win a £4000 bike, and John was understandably still in disbelief, but then he spied the brand new Focus JAM Factory sitting in the corner of the cafe, waiting for it’s new owner. It was our pleasure to hand it over and listening to John talk, it will see some action! John is even considering entering some races next year.

As we chat, it’s clear John wants me to shut up so we can go riding!
As we chat, it’s clear John wants me to shut up so we can go riding!
John is a keen rider so we are sure he will show the Focus JAM many local trails.
John is a keen rider so we are sure he will show the Focus JAM many local trails.
John was not sure if it was really going to happen - but with his hands on the grips of his new bike he was convinced!
John was not sure if it was really going to happen – but with his hands on the grips of his new bike he was convinced!

The Focus JAM C Factory

With 140 mm of travel, 27.5-inch wheels and the new F.O.L.D suspension system, the new Focus JAM looks like the definitive trail bike. F.O.L.D. stands for FOCUS OPTIMIZED LINKAGE DESIGN and the dual rocker design features a digressive initial 30% for maximum bump absorption and grip, while the remainder of the travel gets increasingly progressive to stop you blowing to the end stop. If that sounds overly complicated, it basically means that you can enjoy loads of grip, while still having reserves in case you want to get a little wild!

The Focus JAM C Factory look mean and ready to rock and roll. 140 mm of travel should make it a real weapon on UK trails.
The Focus JAM C Factory look mean and ready to rock and roll. 140 mm of travel should make it a real weapon on UK trails.

The JAM C Factory model retails for € 4,999 and comes fitted with great components for hardcore abuse. The RockShox Yari RC fork is both accurate and sensitive and we were impressed with the damping quality. The 1×11 SRAM GX drivetrain is perfect for UK shredding and should require minimal maintenance, as too for the SRAM Guide R brakes which have proven reliable for our test team. We really like 30 mm rims, so were pleased to see that the Focus JAM C Factory model comes with the DT Swiss XM 1501 rims. John’s a lucky chap!

The F.O.L.D rear linkage really impressed our testers, aggressive and supportive it's perfect for the rider who likes to ride hard.
The F.O.L.D rear linkage really impressed our testers, aggressive and supportive it’s perfect for the rider who likes to ride hard.
30 mm rims and a SRAM GX Drivetrain completes the aggressive build.
30 mm rims and a SRAM GX Drivetrain completes the aggressive build.
An obligatory RockShox Reverb Stealth completes the build.
An obligatory RockShox Reverb Stealth completes the build.
The cable routing is super neat, an engineering tour de force.
The cable routing is super neat, an engineering tour de force.

The Focus JAM C Factory is as aggressive as it looks, with a 66.8-degree head angle, roomy top tube and short 425 mm chainstays, it’s a bike designed for nimbly diving round switchbacks and snapping through fast corners. We hope John enjoys many happy kilometres on the bike!

John, getting to grips with the Focus JAM’s agile handling, thank heavens we remembered to switch the brakes to UK style.
John, getting to grips with the Focus JAM’s agile handling, thank heavens we remembered to switch the brakes to UK style.
Now that’s the face of a man who has just won a free bike!
Now that’s the face of a man who has just won a free bike!
With many great trails in his area, John is sure to have a ball on the JAM.
With many great trails in his area, John is sure to have a ball on the JAM.
And off he goes! Have a great one John and enjoy the bike.
And off he goes! Have a great one John and enjoy the bike.

Congratulations John and thank you to Focus Bikes for the amazing prize. If you want to be in with a chance of winning an amazing bike, keep your eyes on our website as we have regular competitions. You too could be a winner like John!

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