Focale 44 now out in the UK

About the Focale; I work in a bicycle shop, and we have those bike in*.

while appearance wise, it look alright, under close inspection the frame is no different to a Mongoose Maurice for instance, so you're just paying a lots of money for a stylist bicycle with an integrated handlebar (which is their main selling point), it'll still does what it said on the tin unlike a Create/Unipack.

There are bicycle cost less than that are of better quality, the like of the Charge Plug, Specialized Langster alu, Giant Bowery etc.

*Focale 44 Noble.

I disagree. Have you checked the price Ed?

It costs £500. Actually less than the models you mention, but has cartridge hub bearings, unlike the Langster or Plug.

I'm shocked whenever I see basic cro-mo fixed bikes going for £600, but then I forget about the incredible price increases that have happened throught the industry in the last few years. I'm sure there's a hipster tax in there somewhere though - you can buy an alu frame/carbon fork road bike with Shimano parts for about the same price.

Hipsters is where economic recovery starts. Invented to ease the burden of us lay people in this tough financial climate. I'm all for that.