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 Genesis Day One was the name of the company’s first flat-bar genesis bicycles road bike, which was introduced in 2001. Bike manufacturers employ metal alloy to minimize weight while enhancing frame strength. Madison Genesis, a defunct UCI Continental team, used carbon bikes. The cables are routed inside for aerodynamics, and the down tube has a big section for torsional rigidity.
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. Due to being disc 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.
Most of these bikes are reported by users as comfortable and reliable, some of which are record-breakers (bicycle touring in particular). Our bikes are designed and built in Milton Keynes, but we’re willing to outsource production to Vietnam and Indonesia. Our frames are hand-assembled in small quantities before being stored. The Day One — its inaugural bike from 2001 — is still going strong as a low maintenance singlespeed with disc brakes and mounts for mudguards.
Genesis are a British brand that have been building decent bikes and a decent reputation so I was looking forward to a chance to see if the positive buzz about the company and their bikes was well earned. Genesis bikes became renowned for their use of steel tubing and ethos for function over form. The CDA on the other hand is less race and more sportive, with relaxed endurance geometry and massive tyre clearance for knobblies so you can truly take it anywhere. Finally, if you want to build your absolute dream machine, the Volare and Volare Disc framesets are available in both Reynolds 853 and 931 tubing options.
The Datum comes with 32c tyres, which is a bit closer to the ‘road’ end of the spectrum. But there is clearance for up to 38c, so if the conditions require it, this bike is able to handle the rougher stuff. Some adventures are about taking your time and drinking in your surroundings, others are about getting there fast. This bike is designed genesis bicycles for lightweight bike-packing, able to tackle ultra-distances on mixed terrain. 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.
There’s also a women’s-specific version of the Datum, as well as a frameset so you can build your own. 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. 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.