Personally, I would not buy a used department store bike. Their functionality is tenuous at best when new, let alone used. An old Schwinn/Trek/Cannondale/Fuji/ will likely serve you better. Capable on and off road, it was a gentle step away from our original Vapour and towards a bike that was intended to go further… but we never imagined quite how much further. At the time, we weren’t sure if people would get it, so we hedged slightly, labelling it as a cross bike in the truest sense of the word.
These are Genesis’ entry-level road bikes and are the cheapest in their range. The geometry is a little more upright, making for a more comfortable and less twitchy ride. There are mounts for mudguards and a pannier rack, which expands the range of use from just road riding to commuting and even lightweight cycle touring. Warren Rossiter is BikeRadar and Cycling Plus magazine’s senior technical editor for road and gravel. Having been testing bikes for more than 20 years, Warren has an encyclopedic knowledge of road cycling and has been the mastermind behind our Road Bike of the Year test for more than a decade.
This is a that will zip around town without a second thought. The Venerable Croix de Fer frameset has been a mainstay of the Genesis range since 2009. The frameset is incredible versatile and lends itself to a multitude of different builds. You could put 38c tyres on it and go bike-packing on some gravel, or you could put front and rear pannier racks on, throw in some mudguards, and take it on an around the world tour. You could even commute, go on road rides, use it as a utility shopper.
Due to being genesis bike brake only, the bridge between the seatstays could be removed. 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 makes no compromises – except for, perhaps, its two sets of bottle bosses. The Fugio is a rowdier bike than the Croix de Fer, more suited to playing around on the trails and using the bumps as a platform to get some air.
There aren’t mounting points for front or rear pannier racks; strap on bike-packing bags are the weapon of choice here. Some practically remains, with downtube bottle bosses and discrete mudguard mounts. The frame is fully carbon and the cables are integrated into the frame for a cleaner look and better aerodynamics. With a 2×9 Shimano Sora groupset and mechanical disc brakes, there are notable differences to the higher end Croix de Fer. But these won’t present an impediment to getting out and using the frame for the huge variety of applications it has the capability for. Gravel riding, endurance road riding, cycle-touring, commuting, these are all still possible on this bike – it’s just a more accessible platform to get started with.
Some may find the 3× drivetrain more complicated to shift, but genesis bike a better learning curve for newbies. It’s a much better learning curve for the novice, because afterward, whether the bike is replaced with a 2× or a 1×, you’ll be able to master it more quickly. This custom fit and water-proof cargo bag is designed to sit between the wings of any 4-bike carrier brand model in VRack™ family of bicycle transport products. 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.
In low gears, you can ride leisurely and watch the scenery along the way. With an all-aluminum body, the bike weighs only 45 lbs / 20 kg, which is just the right weight for an entry-level mountain bike, with suspension at the front and rear wheels, and an independent suspension at the body. Some people think there is more suspension, and there is some redundancy, but when riding with more suspension can be better damping.