Focus Crater Lake 3.8 (2019) - Review

The Focus Crater Lake 3.8 is built on a full Alloy frame. The unique slotted seat stays set the standard, then the oversized head tube, the big boxy rear dropouts and the extended reinforced bottom bracket shell. Interestingly, Focus actually adjusts the stiffness of the frame as you go up in sizes so that smaller sized bicycles are comfortable for lighter riders yet the larger frames are stiff enough to cope with the extra bulk of a taller rider.The suspension on the Crater Lake 3.8 is handled by Suntour NEX Suspension Fork with 6mm of travel. During the test ride the suspension did help make the ride comfortable on bumpy roads. The suspension lockout feature helped in faster rides and easier acceleration on smooth roads.

In an urban environment, where the Focus Crater Lake 3.8 (2019) is designed to be ridden, there is limited use for the full range of gears that the cassette ratio gives you. And if you regularly carry some luggage, and home is up any kind of hill, you will more than likely be going lower on gears often. The 3x9-Speed Shimano Deore drivetrain on this bicycle was smooth in shifting with a wide range. The Shimano Altus M2 27-Speed shifters were swift and comfortable to shift.

Focus has always had their strength in aesthetics with elegant designs. When it comes to the Crater Lake 3.8 (2019), Focus went for a minimalistic design. The Ice Blue with matte paint job looks simple yet neat. The graphics has all been done in Black with the brand name embossed very clearly on the down tube. The front suspension fork is also covered in Black with a little bit of Ice Blue graphics.

The Focus Crater Lake 3.8 is equipped with Shimano MT2 Hydraulic Disc brakes. These brakes were as powerful as it can get on a Hybrid bicycle and can be ridden confidently on rough and wet roads as well.The low raise handlebar from Focus was sleek and perfect in length. It might actually be a tad bit lengthier than usual Hybrid bicycles, which is a good thing as it helps open the rider's chest for a comfortable posture.

The Focus Crater Lake 3.8 rolls on a pair of Schwalbe Smart Sam 7x42C Hybrid tires. The bigger circumference helps in rolling faster and the treads helps while riding on bumpy roads. The Focus Sport saddle on the Crater Lake 3.8 was perfect in length and width with enough cushioning to keep the rider comfortable on longer rides.