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. Over ten years the range expanded beyond commuter bikes to include road, mountain, cyclo-cross, gravel, kids and fat bikes. If you’re genesis bike 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. The Mantle is the brand’s XC and endurance bike, and is a full carbon 29er hardtail with 100mm travel.
Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. 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. “Thank you @genesisbikesuk for letting me go wild with this bike!!
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 drop bars, carbon forks genesis bike 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.
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. With a 2×9 Shimano Sora groupset and mechanical disc brakes, there are notable differences to the higher end Croix de Fer.
Genesis cycles are perfect for anyone looking for a hybrid of on and off-road that is comfortable on all day journeys on tarmac or gravel. Visit us in our genesis bike stores in Edinburgh (Bruntsfield or Canonmills), Leeds, Newcastle and Aberdeen. Also available for sale online with UK delivery or collect in store.