29″ Genesis GS29 Mountain Bike 800 mile performance review by Marvin McKenzie Fitness After Fifty

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. 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. A solid steel range and a smattering of aluminium and carbon genesis bike models brings the brand bang up to date. Some adventures are about taking your time and drinking in your surroundings, others are about getting there fast. This bike is designed for lightweight bike-packing, able to tackle ultra-distances on mixed terrain. Just because a bike is designed for one specific purpose doesn’t mean it is limited to that purpose.

If you want more control over exactly what components your bikes is built with, both of these are available to buy as just the frameset. Despite being already expansive, the genesis mountain bikes brand continues to grow, with the British company striking out even further to the gravel/adventure cross market. Packaging SystemThe packaging system had to accommodate everything from small replacement parts to complete bikes. Singletrack uses affiliate services called Skimlinks and which means we may earn revenue if you buy a product after clicking a link to a retailer on our site.

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. Specialising in gravel, road, touring and mountain bikes made from steel, titanium and aluminium, these are bikes that encourage you to explore the paths and trails less travelled. 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.

Pannier and mudguard mounts are also present on these frames, adding to their versatility. The external cable routing and threaded bottom brackets are also features that will be well apricated by home mechanics. As the name suggests, these are bikes that are designed for the explicit purpose of riding on the road.

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.