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.
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. Others have more of an endurance focus, better suited to long rides and have all the mounts you need for light cycle-touring. 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.
On our 16.5inch frame, which is a virtual 17.5inch, the effective top tube length is a shortish 578mm, chain stays are 425mm and the wheelbase is 1120mm. It looks like some Arabian prince would ride once in front of his mates then keep in gold plated toilet in a palace he never stays in. Plus, plus that headtube/stem/fork is just, well there are no words. We showed you 3T’s Strada ICR a couple of weeks ago, with a ‘nose’ extending forwards at the front of the head tube.
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. Ostensibly, this is a more budget-oriented version of the Vapour Carbon. The aluminium frame is cheaper, genesis mountain bike 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.
Just because a bike is designed for one specific purpose doesn’t mean it is limited to that purpose. Adventure bikes are very versatile and can be put to a multitude of uses. The model number can be found on the lower portion of the seat tube just above the crank on a black and silver decal.
The cockpit felt a little cramped and we found that our knees clashed with the bars round tight hairpins. Grip out back is reliable rather than amazing and a determined effort will see you up pretty much any hill. The rear triangle is a beefed up to deal with the hammering that this bike is intended for and the seat tube is shortened so that the lower top tube gives bags of standover room.
What they owned in “build quality” they lacked in brand connectivity. Genesis was hired to help create a brand visual language to help tie the products into a cohesive whole in the global marketplace. Finding the center of the brand design was based on our uncovering the “truth in materials” position.
This is, in part, why the brand has historically focused its energies solely on making the absolute best steel bikes across road, mountain, cyclocross and touring categories. This week though, Genesis has taken the long-anticipated leap into the world of carbon, introducing their first carbon fiber frame designs into the all-new Zero line. Former professional road and track rider Adam Blythe has a new Genesis road bike and it’s certainly provoking comment, not just because of the gold leaf finish but also thanks to the bulbous head tube. Almost the antithesis of the Day One, the Flyer is sublime in its simplicity.
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.