Comfort Improving Areas (C.I.A.)

Greater comfort means less fatigue

Comfort Improving Areas (C.I.A.)

Greater comfort means less fatigue

Comfort Improving Areas (C.I.A.)

We are continuously developing new solutions for the perfect riding experience. In order to optimise that comfort, the FOCUS engineers have developed C.I.A. technology. Thanks to years of frame analyses, we have been able to identify and optimise key comfort points of the frameset, the so-called Comfort Improving Areas (C.I.A.).

Out and about on your bike, particularly on rough terrain, your bike and subsequently your body are subjected to constant vertical forces. Compensating these vertical forces takes energy and depletes reserves you may need later during your ride.

Our FOCUS engineers carried out finite element analyses (FEA) in order to find out how, and exactly where, these forces affect the frame and how the design of the frame could be adapted to increase comfort. This saw the development of not only comfort-enhancing tube cross-sections and forms, but also special frame designs capable of deflecting those forces and ensuring a smooth ride even on uneven ground.

The following images show the three areas and their unique tube cross-sections

Key factor – tube cross-sections

The forces caused by the terrain need to be absorbed by the rear triangle of the bike frame, which means the rear triangle needs to offer greater vertical flexibility. The three key areas are located at the seat stay, the chainstay and the seat tube. In the course of these analyses, it became clear that the optimum cross-section of the tubes in all three areas need to be as flat and as elliptical as possible.

Cross-sections 1 & 2

The cross-sections of the chainstay become increasingly flatter towards the dropouts. This enables optimum absorption by the frame of any vertical forces from uneven surfaces.

Cross-section 3

Because vertical forces from uneven surfaces affect the rider too, your movements also need to be offset by the frame set, as otherwise your body's attempts to compensate these forces would similarly speed up the onset of fatigue. The central flattening of the seat stay absorbs these movements. The frame absorbs the forces, thus keeping you fresh and strong for longer.

As well as the seat stay offsetting these movements, your movement is also absorbed by the special design of the seat tube. At the same time, the butted tube shape in the transition to the bottom bracket increases the stiffness of the bracket, thus ensuring optimum power transmission.

Thanks to the interaction of these key areas, the frame absorbs the acting forces and offers significantly enhanced comfort. But we haven't just optimised the tube cross-section – we have designed the seat stay and chainstay so that they are concavely braced towards the rear triangle, which further enhances absorption of the vertically acting forces.