JAMES’S FOCUS JAM 6.9

MONTH 11: With a fresh set of suspension bearings the Jam is transformed for James

£3,199 • 29in • focus-bikes.com

If there’s one thing any full-sus owner knows, it’s the pain of having to replace frame bearings. It’s easy to forget these are consumable parts like the drivetrain and continue to ride on oblivious to the issue. Eventually, creaks and groans remind you that you probably should have checked your bearings months ago. This happened to me.

Now, bear in mind that while I ride the Focus Jam a lot, I also ride a few other bikes, so a daily driver it is not. It’s why I thought this burden wouldn’t fall on me within the first 12 months of use. Sadly, when switching out shocks, I noticed the F.O.L.D. linkage was practically indexed in its movement.

Bearings wear out, but it was still a bit of a shock that these should go so quickly. I also appreciate it’s been pretty wet in recent months, but I have stripped and greased the linkages twice since having the bike, slathering the outside faces of the bearings in weatherproof grease – something I’m not sure many riders would do as part of their regular maintenance routine.

I put a call into my local Focus dealer, EC Cycles in Merthyr Tydfil, and they booked it in for a full bearing service. Despite there being a lot of bearings, the complete kit from Focus is pretty reasonably priced at £60-£70 (model dependent). Good thing too, as they are not covered under warranty. Labour was £80 and I can’t fault the professional job and rapid turnaround EC Cycles provided. They even re-routed the cabling outside the stem, so I can now use any stem and bar combo I like. The good news – I think I’ve fallen back in love with the Jam I first met.

WHY IT’S HERE The new Jam promises to connect you with your inner child