This top-down forest road singletrack trail is lined with intermingling trees and has many turns. At first, I was a little concerned about whether it would cause a sightline obstruction, but as soon as the tires started rolling, I knew it wouldn’t be a problem. Secondly, I needed more torque for this bike and I should have swapped the front cassette for a bigger one on the climb.
genesis bikeBut for races that are solely on roads, this should be more than adequate. The fork travel is 80mm, also made of aluminum, solid and reliable. In the actual use of mountain bikes, the stability of the fork determines the life of the bike. The Day One — its inaugural bike from 2001 — is still going strong as a low maintenance singlespeed with disc brakes and mounts for mudguards. The Vapour is Genesis’ CX race machine and there are three models available (10, 20 and 30).
The frame is fully carbon and the cables are integrated into the frame for a cleaner look and better aerodynamics. 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. As the name suggests, these are bikes that are designed for the explicit purpose of riding on the road. Some are more race oriented, meaning mudguard and pannier mounts are forgone and the geometry is longer and lower.
genesis bicyclesIf you’re looking for a fun bike that can also do the grunt-work when required, this is the one for you. But if you want a dedicated workhorse, the Croix de Fer or Equilibrium will probably suit you better. In addition, the relatively narrow tires of the Huffy Marker Women’s Mountain Bike 26×2.13″ performed better on flat trails, but were more difficult to control on wet, muddy terrain.
Not too long and well balanced with none of the ‘too much weight on the wrists’ feeling that sometimes comes on trail hardtails. Kit wise the Genesis is sensibly specced, Shimano Deore takes care of transmission duties with a SLX rear derailleur, brakes are Deore too. 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. Specialized also launched a Peter Sagan collection with a largely gold frameset a few years ago.
genesis bicyclesAdorned with a myriad of mounts for ‘guards, racks, bottles, framebags and Anything cages, this bike can go as far as your legs can carry you and your kit. All orders over $200 shipping within Australia will get free shipping! Bikes not included in this offer, but only cost $39 to ship Aus wide.