We were very excited about the first ride test with the Impulse Evo RS from Derbycycle, which is installed in the high-quality bikes of the Focus house brand. It is housed in the frame of a Focus throne. The bike has 120 millimetres of suspension travel and has a balanced touring character. You notice it as soon as you get on: The drive runs pleasantly quietly, only rarely drowning out the running noise of the tyres.
Expectations were high when it came to range: the Impulse drives achieved top values in our tests. The Thron Pro fulfilled them willingly and climbed up to almost 1900 metres in altitude without grumbling (at 130 watts of rider power and maximum support). The battery provides 612 watt hours. However, the cruising speed of 10 km/h is quite low, so if you want to go faster, you have to pedal harder.
The design of the system is optimised for long climbs and constant gliding. The control system did not always meet our expectations on uneven, changing terrain: if you stop pedalling for a short time, the drive runs on for quite a long time. If you apply pressure to the crank again, it often takes a long time for the assistance to kick in. Overall, this results in a somewhat uneven riding rhythm. Timing is particularly difficult when you want to lift the front wheel before a step or pull off for a little hop. The "Climb-Assist" menu setting has no influence on this, it merely smoothes out the rider's power fluctuations and enables a smoother pedalling rhythm. The gearshift interruption also takes a relatively long time. However, it can be deactivated - at the expense of chain wear.
The Rock Shox suspension delivers 120 millimetres of travel and perfectly matches the character of the Throne. The geometry emphasises the touring orientation of the bike: you sit relaxed and rather upright and stay in control at all times with the 710 mm wide, pleasantly flat handlebars. The 2.4-inch wide Conti X-King tyres offer plenty of grip, but loose ground and damp roots are not the bike's strong suit. The rest of the equipment is harmonious, but a dropper seatpost would round off the concept.
Drive
Motor/position Impuls Evo RS 250 watts/centre
Max. Torque 80 Nm
Battery Lithium-ion, 612 Wh
Switching/translation 36x10-speed Shimano Deore/XT (11x36)
Display/size Impulse LCD/3.5 inch
Software C66.1.067/M21.1.058 (25 km/h)
Equipment
Frame material/sizes Aluminium S/M/L/XL
Fork/damper Recon Silver TK/Monarch RT
Brake/disc fore/aft Shimano BR-M 396/180/180 mm
Impellers 27.5 inch Deore/Concept EX Rims
Tyres Continental X-King 2.4
Info www.focus-bikes.de
Model Focus Throne Pro
Weight 22.8 kg
Price 3599 Euro
