Some adventures are about taking your time and drinking in your surroundings, others are about getting there fast. This bike is designed for lightweight bike-packing, able to tackle ultra-distances on mixed terrain. Given the versatility of this frame, it is perhaps to be expected that there is a large number of different builds on offer. It is available with flat bars and genesis mountain bike drop bars, carbon forks and steel forks, there’s even a titanium frame option. For each of the builds, there are different spec levels donated by a ‘10’ for the entry level and ’30’ for the top line. Other bikes might have the specificity to perform better in a single one of these uses, but very few bikes would be able to perform as well as the Croix de Fer in all of them.
The Freewheel catalogue was sold throughout the UK in all newsagents and fast became the go to publication for everything cycling in the UK. The basics are there in full length mudguards, a rear pannier rack, and puncture resistant tyres. With clearance for tyres up to 38c and a steel frame that will be robust and help deaden the road chatter, this is a bike with the stamina to match your own. Prefitted mudguards and more puncture resistant city tyres are such examples. There aren’t mounting points for front or rear pannier racks; strap on bike-packing bags are the weapon of choice here.
Essentially an aluminium version of the Croix de Fer, the CDA features a similar plethora of mounts and wide clearances but comes in at a significantly lower price. Part of this is down to the different frame material, but cheaper components are also a factor. For those interested in dipping their toes into racing, or just want a sportier feeling bike, the Zeal range is Genesis’ entry level carbon option. The geometry is more aggressive than the endurance-oriented Equilibrium, but not quite as ‘head-down bum-up’ as the dedicated racers that are the Zeros. Unstable due to steep long travel shock angle and high battery pack position. Relatively low price but tough to test ride as it’s primarily available only online…
The Core range is based around a 6061 aluminium tube set that is butted where needed with some gentle manipulation to ovalise the down tube as it meets the seat tube at the bottom bracket shell. There are strengthening gussets where the down tube and top tube meet the tapered head tube and the seat stays are an old school wishbone style, the lack of a bridge gives ample mud clearance. Well priced hardtail mountain bike with light weight titanium frame and larger 29″ wheels. Excellent balance and aesthetic appeal with grip drive front hub motor and bottle style battery……
The frame has internally routed cables for better aerodynamics and a wide section down tube for better torsional stiffness. The greatest restriction on how fast you can go when pinning singletrack is the tyres, yes they are fast rolling but they lack bite, something with greater cornering grip would certainly show off bikes handling better. The wheelset is lightweight with an internal rim width of 19mm that will take good sized rubber which means you could add some float to the ride with some high volume tyres. The Core 26.4 came fitted with 2.2 Mountain Kings, the originals not the much improved Mountain King II. 500 watt direct drive motor is quiet and capable but offers less torque and weighs more, no regen modes.
Genesis was hired to help create a brand visual language to help tie the products into a cohesive whole in the global marketplace. Finding the center of the brand design was based on our uncovering the “truth in materials” position. Genesis created the personalities and graphics for bikes built for the world’s diverse cultures. You can see our work for Giant in the grueling Tour de France, on Tokyo commuter streets, and in a garage much like your own.
When full, these same concentric rings park bikes safely and securely. The Genesis™ offers two contact points, at front and rear, for locking. The unique concentric genesis mountain bike design of the Genesis™ bike rack helps guide bikes into proper parking position while providing double the parking space of typical serpentine racks.