There are, however, a number of points that make this a more versatile bike than the carbon alternative. Tyre clearance is increase to 38c, there are discrete mudguard and pannier mounts and an extra set of bottle bosses is present on the downtube. The angles are steep, the front end is low and there aren’t mudguard or pannier mounts.
This further increases mud clearance and also adds to the frame’s compliance, providing better control. Definitely not a versatile bike; this is designed with only CX racing in mind and genesis mountain bike makes no compromises – except for, perhaps, its two sets of bottle bosses. As the name suggests, these are bikes that are designed for the explicit purpose of riding on the road.
Although this bike can take on the commuting duties or a bit of cycle-touring, it is more suited to lively riding in the woods and on bridleways. A rim brake version is available in addition to the disc option and both come with Shimano Ultegra 2×11 groupsets. The maximum tyre size on bike is 28c, typical for rim brake set ups but relatively narrow for a bike with discs. But for races that are solely on roads, this should be more than adequate.
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. In this range there are also women’s specific models – in addition to the unisex ones. With these bikes, the saddles have been changed for a women specific model as well as shorter cranks and narrower handlebars being specced to better suit female proportions. Built to bridge the gap between a cyclocross bike and mountain bike, the Vagabond keeps the drop bars while inheriting wider… Product PresentationFrom free-ride, long-travel mountain models to fun city bikes, the presentation is a key attractor on the sales floor.
It is the combination of a vast array of mounts, a robust steel frame and wide tyre clearances that allow this bike to be such a jack of all trades. These bikes are designed for longer days out being able to handle heavier loads and rougher roads. Some bikes (such as the Fugio) are more oriented towards the rough stuff, whereas others (such as the Croix de Fer) are better suited to carrying loads. The aero features of more expensive bikes are present, with cables are routed internally and the leading edges of the frame are smoothly rounded.