Focus Atlas 6.8 gravel bike on test: Tidy bikepacking

Test: The first Gravelbike from Focus is immediately convincing. The bikepacking specialist's well-made frame is particularly appealing.

Off-road with a racing bike? This is the starting point of the Focus brand, which was once founded by cyclo-cross world champion Mike Kluge and was mainly present in cross-sport for years. In the meantime, Focus has also committed itself to the e-bike boom and manufactures attractive e-mountain bikes; the legendary cross bikes of the Mares series, on the other hand, are no longer being developed - perhaps because they have been largely perfected. But friends of racing handlebars are by no means empty-handed at Focus: With the Atlas, the brand recently – finally – presented an interesting Gravel model.

Lots of mounting points

The differences to the Crosser are then also large: With the Atlas, the clearly sloping top tube is immediately noticeable, as are the low seat stays and the massive fork with the three characteristic holes for carrier systems - this means that three kilos of luggage can be transported per fork leg. The top tube bag is also typical Gravel, and mudguards and a luggage rack can be mounted on the solid aluminum frame.

With a tire width of up to officially 47 mm, the bike is quite suitable for off-road use; the 45 mounted on the test bike leave plenty of room all around. 650B wheels are also permitted, but only up to a tire width of 47 mm; if you want to convert, you should note that the smaller wheels allow the bottom bracket to drop. In any case, not all wheels can be installed, because Focus relies on the "Road Boost" standard with a 6 mm wider rear end. This should make the wheels more stable and resilient, and more tire clearance can be achieved on the chainstay.

Upper class train routing

What's really worth seeing on the aluminum frame is the cable routing, which you wouldn't expect with a bike in this price range. Brake lines and shifter cables run from above into the head tube; the front hydraulic line reappears at the bottom of the fork leg. Everything comes out of the tunnel of the down tube under the bottom bracket (which makes assembly easier), but only briefly: the brake hose and rear derailleur cable are then routed through the chainstays, which looks very tidy. Focus even gives its gravel bike a direct-mount derailleur hanger; you almost get cocky and want the RAT thru-axles of the Focus Mares to top it off, with which wheel removal and installation are faster than with any other system.

The completion with Alexrims wheel set, WTB tires and a GRX mix of 600 parts plus 810 rear derailleur is solid and valuable; 46/30 teeth at the front and 11-34 at the rear result in a large gear ratio optimized for gravel. As far as seat geometry is concerned, the Atlas roughly corresponds to the aluminum versions of the Focus Mares, which are clearly more comfortable than the racing carbon versions. With the 90 mm stem in size L, you sit compactly but not crowded - a good compromise between comfort and sportiness.

The Atlas weighs 10,65 kilos plus pedals, which one believes immediately given its massive appearance - and immediately forgets again when you step on the pedals. Despite the slack steering angle, the bike is quite manoeuvrable, with the wide tubeless tires it rolls softly and snugly over any terrain. The Atlas is 100% suitable for bikepacking, but brisk trail laps also promise to be a lot of fun.

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