The steel makes for a super comfortable ride, while the carbon reduces some of the weight. Ostensibly, this is a more budget-oriented version of the Vapour Carbon. The aluminium frame is cheaper, although the fork is still carbon. Disc brakes remain present, but they have been changed to mechanical rather than hydraulic. The drivetrain is still a performance oriented 1×11 set up and, in all, this is still a competitive racing machine. The angles are steep, the front end is low and there aren’t mudguard or pannier mounts.
Although the frame is steel, it’s relatively lightweight with a carbon fork and no excess components weighing it down. This is a bike that will zip around town without a second thought. 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 are more race oriented, meaning mudguard and pannier mounts are forgone and the geometry is longer and lower. Others have more of an endurance focus, better suited to long rides and have all the mounts you need for light cycle-touring. 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.
It’s a little bit bling but positivly understated compared to Blytheys.. Which lets be honest, would have been ‘pretty trick’ if he’d not let a pissed up Rob Hayes loose on it. As mentioned in the Tweet, the 24-carat gold leaf finish has been created by Fatcreations, genesis bike a Sussex-based company that has been responsible for countless stunning paintjobs over the years. Adam Blythe rode for the likes of BMC Racing Team, Orica-GreenEdge, Tinkoff and Lotto-Soudal in his cycling career before retiring from racing in 2019.
The bikes are available either with rim brakes or hydraulic discs, but there is only one spec level with these bikes. The rim brake version can take tyres up to 28c, whereas the disc version can handle 30c. The Croix de Fer is probably Genesis’ flagship bike, much loved by adventurers and commuters alike. It’s the ultimate all-round all-terrain machine, with a hardy steel frameset, disc brakes, relaxed geometry and mounts for all the additional fittings you might need. The Croix de Fer comes in three steel options (10, 20 and 30) as well as a titanium model. The Lotus Type 136 is equipped with top-notch components such as the Sram Red eTap AXS groupset, as well as the DT Swiss ARC 1100 wheels.
If you’re in the market for a more porteur-style bike, the Brixton is where Croix de Fer meets cargo. Its 1×9 drivetrain keeps things simple, while the swept back riser bars give the rider a more upright position. Next up is the endurance-focused Zeal, which is full carbon, so you can ride longer and faster with less effort. Create individual profiles so everyone in your household can access our complete library of classes under one membership. In line with the cutting-edge motor, the HPS system also features ANT+ connectivity, allowing users to pair the system with various bike computers to display the assist mode. The settings can also be calibrated to adjust pedal assist depending on your heart rate, so as to allow you to remain within certain training zones for longer.
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. 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. The aero features of more expensive bikes are present, with cables are routed internally and the leading edges of the frame are smoothly rounded.
There are three different spec levels, with 10 being the entry level, 20 the mid-range and 30 being the top of this range. For the entry level, you’ll get a Shimano Claris 2×8 drivetrain, an aluminium frame and carbon fork. Whilst the 30 model gets a Shimano 105 2×11 drivetrain, along with the aluminium frame and carbon fork. From a styling standpoint, the Type 136 is extremely sleek and streamlined, boasting contoured lines and a radical integrated cockpit design. While the design is unmistakably visually lightweight, so, too, is the actual build. There are, however, a number of points that make this a more versatile bike than the carbon alternative.
He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he’s riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions. 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 example, bikes like the Audi e-Tron electric mountain bike and the Ducati range of e-MTBs easily command close to $10,000. That being said, the bike we’re talking about today blows all those two wheelers out of the water. “Thank you @genesisbikesuk for letting me go wild with this bike!! And if any of you were wondering what the extra part on the head tube is… the genius @robhayles1 added a little bit of carbon to hide my cables. Genesis Bikes are a British cycling brand with a heritage of building the kind of bikes that they want to ride themselves.