2020 Genesis Croix de Fer 30 Review...

[wafter]

This thread is brought to you in association with OCD, anxiety and indecision. The road here has been shamefully long and tortured; although eased significantly by the input of those on Cycle Chat who have helped talk me through many of the issues, dilemmas and uncertainties that preceded the eventual purchase - thanks everyone

A new bike so not a build or mod as such; still a bit of a project though as I've already put some work in while tweaks and additions will be ongoing until it's as I want. Obviously if this is in the wrong place, mods please move it to somewhere more appropriate!


I've long-liked the jack-of-all-trades appeal of graveladventureroadplus bikes; spurred on by the fact that the roads aren't getting any better (current apocalypse notwithstanding), a love of nature and fan of the mental health benefits of being somewhere that no bugger else is.. I'd like to do a bit of touring, have a mistrust of composites and am a tight, skint, mostly-luddite so the perceived longevity of steel appealed significantly; which all served to boil down my potential choices further.

The Croix de Fer was an obvious choice; being relatively common, well-regarded, relatively "accessibly" priced compared to more custom steel builds and of a spec that ticks nearly all my boxes.


Over past months I've watched the usual used sources and done my homework on the Croix de Fer range (if anyone needs to know about the spec of a particular CdF I have a comprehensive spreadsheet and everything). I was originally gunning for a used CdF 20, but supply was slow and their prices were all silly compared to the grand I could pay for a new example of last year's model (which appears to be exactly the same as this year's model). Further, if I was paying that much for a new one, it was tempting to chuck more into the pot to get the higher spec. CdF 30..

I deliberated until the morning I woke up to find the 2020 CdF 30 out of stock; meaning I could no longer get one price-matched from a localish shop, as had been my fallback plan in case I couldn't find a sensibly priced used example. This forced my hand to go for the one remaining discounted 2019 CdF 30 I'd also been keeping an eye on. Through a convoluted and fortuitous chain of events I ended up getting a 2020 model for the same price

It wasn't all gravy though as the bike arrived with a paint issue and had to go back. It was replaced with an alternative; dropped off by the bike shop owner himself (at a suitable distance, thanks Maurice!) - which was very much appreciated as it saved the time and hassle of boxing it up and potentially two more days spent waiting inside for a courier.


The Croix de Fer 30 sits in the mid-higher end of the range; beneath the top-end Titanium model and above the lower-specced CdF 10 and 20 steel offerings. For your extra wedge over the semi-hydraulic Tiagra setup of the CdF 20 you get a (nearly) full hydraulic 105 groupset and GRX rear derailleur, centre-lock brakes and a trendy gumwall version of the WTB tyres. Another thing that really pushed me towards the 30 was its redesigned frame that takes flat-mount calipers and 12mm through-axles (over the 20's IS-mount and standard QRs); both of which appeal on their technical merits and appear to be the incoming standard for road bikes, so hopefully a nice bit of future-proofing.


The bike arrived on Wednesday and I spent all day messing about with it; mostly getting the SKS Longboard mudguards to fit as I'd like.. lots of other little bits were done as well.

To start with, just like the last example the bike's seatpost clamp had been forced onto the frame despite having a burr; so this had to be dragged off (with some effort), de-burred by hand with a round stone and the damaged paint beneath cleaned up as best as possible with a bit of ancient (and probably utterly useless) T-cut. Unseen and liveable with, but very poor considering how easy it would to prevent; especially considering the bike's price. I'll be harassing someone at Genesis over this.

The through-axles were adjusted to give a more acceptable opening / closing load on their cam levers; achieved by slackening off the socket csk bolt at their threaded ends, rotating the threaded collar (positioning aided by graduations) and re-tightening the bolt. After some trial and error they were much nicer to fit and remove when oriented correctly.

The camera was left alone once I got stuck into fitting the guards since it took so long; compounded by my desire to get everything perfect - the process involving the wheels going on and off many times and lots of manipulation to get the best fit. Once the decision was made the stainless stays were chopped off with a Dremel's cutting disc, ground square and de-burred manually with a stone.

I found the back of the rear guard was a little kinked to one side (storage damage perhaps?) but by this time I was on the home straight regarding fitting and there was no way I was going to pull it all off and send it back.. I heated the guard and bent it back as well as possible; it's now straight but still has a little ripple in one side; hard to notice unless you're looking but I know it's there.


I also re-aligned the handlebars, tightened the loose derailleur hanger bolt and waxed the frame amongst other jobs; leaving just enough daylight to go our for a quick spin and bring a smile to my face


Yesterday I took the bike to Bagley wood to see what it / I was capable of; more of that a bit later. It got somewhat dusty and acquired a few light rub marks on the frame from the local flora, as well as picking up a graze on one of the shifters

I'm very picky about my equipment and always try to "buy for life" so do my best to keep my gear minty; however one of the first (and most obvious) things to appreciate about riding off-road is that it's got to be harder on the kit. I'd considered fitting frame protection tape; however always baulk at the price, am unsure of my abilities to fit it to an acceptable standard and hope the mudguards will protect the frame from the worst of the stonechips. I do still need to add some protection at the cable rub points; which are currently covered by double-layers of Sellotape..

Speaking of gear longevity, after all of 40 miles the startlingly tacky grease on the KMC chain had all manner of crap attached to it; forming a tough, sticky composite with dust and plant matter that clung doggedly to the running gear. This was especially prevalent on the rear DR jockey wheels; which had to be scraped off with a matchstick as my brushes and copious amounts of degreaser wouldn't touch it.

The dust was also sticking convincingly to various other greasy bits; including some surfaces that had no right to be greasy - such as the exterior faces of the derailleurs and chainset; greasy hands during initial assembly perhaps?

Hence, today's job was to strip and clean the bike again. Wheels came off and were washed; the clag removed from the rear cassette with degreaser and a brush then towel-dried and the rims waxed. The chainset and rear DR were given a good dose of degreaser (which also took all Wednesday's carnauba wax off the frame beneath ) and scrubbed to remove all the sticky crap and abrasive buildup on their surfaces and chain contact points. The frame and mudguards were cleaned, the whole lot rinsed and dried off with a towel before being waxed again.

In the absence of any decent solvent degreaser the brake discs were cleaned with washing up liquid and water as the front irritatingly developed a judder yesterday; which by pushing it around the living room I'm not convinced is gone, so futher investigation is required. I'v got a horrible feeling I didn't bed them in sufficently (for the first few miles they were ridden lightly with no hard braking or complete stops) and problems didn't manifest themselves until maybe 30 miles of use, if this has any relevance.

I think I need to have the discs off, scuff the surfaces up with some abrasive on a block and thoroughly degrease them. Thoughtfully the centrelock discs use the same drive tool as the lockring on Shimano's HG cassettes (which I already have) however I'm sadly lacking either the 1/2" drive bar or 16mm spanner required to drive it.. while degreaser and abrasives are in short supply here too so it looks like this is going to have to wait for now

Finally after having been removed last night and soaking in paraffin since, the chain was cleaned up and given half an hour in the wax pan on the hob. I'd initially resisted the urge to wax the chain from the off, however wish I had now given the mess the drivetrain ended up in


Having now put a fair few hours into improving a few areas of the bike it's feeling a bit more like mine and less like a fresh, sterile purchase

The pics below show the bike as it currently stands (shot in the wilds of the garden as it was raining and any more miles today would have caused my legs to have fallen off):

This has been my first foray into fully-fledged 105 ownership; having worked my way up over the years like an obedient consumer from 8sp Sora to 10sp Tiagra and now 11sp 105. I like the 105's position in the market; unpretentions and close to the performance of the higher-end non-electronic groupsets but much cheaper so great value. So far I'm very impressed - no surprise to me really as I hold Shimano products in high regard (disintegrating cranks notwithstanding).

Compared to the excellent Tiagra I'm used to the 105 isn't worlds ahead but does feel a fair bit more refined. Lever ergonomics and aesthetics are a bit nicer while shifting is a little lighter and softer / more damped. Braking operation is very nice with a positive, light and longish travel on the levers until the brakes engage; giving a predictable, linear and easy to modulate pull. Overcooking it a bit in the woods yesterday I was impressed by how easy and instinctive it was to finely control force at front and rear when descending too fast on loose ground and having to brake suddenly.

I also like the fact that the down-shift lever action on the RH / rear STI allows shifting in blocks of three in one stroke (as opposed to two on the Tiagra). This makes it quicker and easier to maintain good cadence when shifting up on the front ring without having to make multiple lever strokes to "balance" the rear; especially useful given the relatively large gaps between rear sprockets on the 11-34 cassette.

The hoods are longer and larger than the Tiagra items so reach is a bit more comparatively; but perhaps not as much as suggested visually by their size. reach to the levers can be set nicely by virtue of (what I assume is) a cam system that allows the starting position of the lever to be reduced by up to around 5mm from its standard setting. I have relatively short fingers but am happy with it on the 2nd setting in from max

The bars are 420mm between hoods with a 12 degree flare at the drops, making them around 470mm wide c-c at this point. Drop is a standard-ish 125mm and reach to the drops is long at 90mm; more than the 70mm of last year's model I test rode some time ago. The current bar geometry felt excessive when just sitting on the bike while stationary, although seems less problematic when moving - however the jury's still out. The long reach is somewhat offset by the bike's relatively tall stack (to promote a more relaxed, upright position), and tbh I'd like to keep the existing bar reach if possible since it allows a greater range of body positions from pretty upright on the tops to near-my-road-bike low if I hunker down on the drops. Sticking with the existing bars would also save a few quid and a load of hassle and deliberation..

One of the issues I had with the mudguards was getting the front to sit lower; which as we can see from this pic I've struggled with. Really the bracket at the fork needed bending more, however I went as far as I dared and was mindful of damaging the riveted interface with the guard itself, so didn't overcook it. Perhaps clamping the riveted bit in a vice might help, although I don't currently have one handy and am in no hurry to remove the guard again..

(ctd. below)

 

[wafter]

The gloss black plastic SKS mudguards came with an arry of BZP mild steel socket cap bolts - perfectly adequate but could be nicer. The one pictured above on the fork is the only original bolt that made its way onto the bike as I didn't have a suitable length replacement (on the to-do list).

Fortunately I had a load of fixings left over from my Ofo-de-tamperproofing, so used these stainless socket button cap bolts where I could, along with an array of stainless penny washers to protect the components and paint a little more. If I ever have the rear guard off again I'll be putting a decent rad on the rather crude corners of its bracket!

Deformation of the rear and silly-long fitting time notwithstanding I'm generally very impressed with the guards. IMO they look pretty smart in their gloss black with stainless fittings, fit pretty well (especially for universal items), are secure, reasonably stiff and appear well made. I'm yet to experience how good they are at keeping the water off (won't be in a hurry to find out given I've just cleaned the bike), but they give massive coverage and have a good rep, while they've already proven excellent at catching the grit flicked up by the tyres that might otherwise have damaged the bike's paint. Tbh for the £30 I paid I think they're great value

Another advantage of the 105 groupset over the Tiagra is that its front derailleur is a lot more compact, giving no clearance issues with these 45mm wide guards other than a small amount of contact with the cable end on the big ring; so no need to take the dremel to the mudguards!

I love the clean look of the slender, tapered steel fork with the lack of QR skewer assy and open dropout.. this smooth aesthetic aided by the low profile button bolts on the mudguard mount. It's all about the little things and detail

Weld quality appears neat and aesthetics are subtle with the majority of the fork and frame being finished in two shades of darkish green, with the Genesis text broadcast more obviously in white. I like the subtlety and while the green might not be my favourite colour, it's not too far down the list and not something that proved an obstacle to buying.

On a less positive note I recently noticed that the front badge is attached on the p*ss (rotated about the principal axis of the head tube so sits off to one side) - pretty inexcusible on a bike of this price IMO and I'll be bothering Genesis about sorting it out. I'm thinking some heat from a hairdryer and a probably replacement badge if they'll play ball.. the "wings" on the G also sit a little proud at their rear so having the badge off would also allow them to be formed a bit tighter around a smaller OD tube to better conform to the head tube when fitted.

It's nice that the subtle colour scheme extends to the Reynolds and Genesis branding on the frame. I'm not overly-sold on the unashamed yellowness of the supplier's sticker, however I do appreciate that they add a certain character to a bike and it's well applied so can stay for now.

I don't begrudge them a bit of free advertising either since they were good to deal with and the price was very keen. Also, easily-over-looked cracked paint on the first bike and one loose fixing on this one notwithstanding, the quality of the build was very good with decent grease everywhere it should be and no marks from slipped tools during hasty assembly, chewed screw heads, poorly-setup components etc.. which was all very much appreciated

IMO the 105's crankset fits nicely with the rest of the bike's aesthetic, although I do have impure thoughts about a GRX 800 replacement to drop the gearing a little (48/31 v. the current 50/34); since the bike is evidently a bit over-geared (at least for me) especially for off-road applications and I'd certainly take the 4% hit at the high end for the 9ish % extension in range at the low end offered by the GRX crank.

That said at around £200 for the crank and necessary matching front derailleur (to suit its wider chainline spacing) I'm not falling over myself to get one bought and am hoping that once this relatively new groupset has aged a little prices might come down a bit. There's also the 600-series GRX (apparently 105-level) 46/30T chainset for about £50 less than the 800-series item; potentially a better bet for for the modest capabilities of my legs with its 8% and 11ish % reductions at the high and low ends respectively, compared to what's currently fitted. Not sure my OCD would allow the mis-match between equipment levels though!

Of course GRX throughout would have been nice, however it's a good deal more expensive than the 105 (around 60%) and as such reserved in the Croix de Fer range for the top-end Ti model. Anyway, reservations about chainring sizes notwithstanding I have zero complaints or concerns so far about the groupset fitted.

I've fitted the caged pedals from my OCR while I decide on a set of (probably) SPD items and am currently looking at the double-sided, platformed XT M8120s..

While the chain was off I did a "spin test" on the crank, which didn't see it spinning for ages. I guess this could be down to bearing alignment or perhaps just viscous drag from internal grease. Depending on how long the bottom bracket lasts I might look at getting the BB shell re-faced to promote bearing alignment..

The rear dropout (or not really any more, I guess!) is different on the 2019 and 2020 CdF 30 models to accomodate the 12mm through-axle on these models. Note the black ally bush in the frame, into which the axle screws - nice to have a replaceable part in this area should it get damaged. The single retaining bolt screws into the derailleur hanger inside the dropout, which also acts as a location point for the rear hub.

This all appears to be a nice setup; although detracted from somewhat by the single-screw fixing (which allows the parts to pivot against the frame when the axle is removed - not the end of the world but a bit irritating). In addition the propriatory format of the rear derailleur hanger concerns me a bit from a future-spares perspective. Hopefully It'll never get bent with the RD's low-profile design, but I think it might be worth having a spare just incase.

Speaking of the derailleur, the 2020 model gets the Ultegra-level GRX item. While always nice, the trim-level-bragging-rights don't interest me too much, however the GRX item does bring some tangible advantages over the 105 alternative; namely acceptance of a larger range cassette (34T v. 32T) and a switcheable clutch to deter chain slap over rough ground. This, along with the through-axles and disk brakes illustrating the slow osmosis of MTB kit into road-esque bikes.

The 11-34t cassette is a welcome addition on this bike, giving me around 13% more range at the low end than the 12-28t setup on my road bike which is certainly both noticeable and welcome on hills. While the gaps between each gear are obviously greater than on a lower-range cassette I've not noticed the bike wanting in this regard on the road on my (so-far) gentle journeys, while off-road when speeds and cadences change rapidly it's certainly a non-issue; perhaps even a bonus since it allows a greater change in the ratios for fewer lever actuations so a faster response.

(Ctd. below)

 

[wafter]

The not-dropout on the other side of the bike also differs from that of the CdF 20, being redesigned to take the now-road-standard flat mount calipers. All in all it's a pretty complex part compared to the CdF 20 item, which appears to be a single-thickness piece of material profile-cut into shape. I'm guessing this is likely metal-injection-molded as it'd be pricey to machine.. nicely executed anyway and goes some way towards justifying the 30's greater cost I suppose. Note the quick release cam lever for the axle and nice stainless fixings on the mudguard stays

At the front we have the same 160mm laminated stainless / ally Shimano SLX-M7000 "Ice-Tec" disks - nice that the manufacturer hasn't scrimped on branded items on less "central" parts. The flat mount caliper makes the front end a lot cleaner, with the added bonus that its lower profile clears the mudguard stays nicely; avoiding the need to space them out to miss the IS / post mount calipers on the CdF 10 and 20 models.

There are still plenty of bits that need sorting. For now I've lashed my original Polar mount to the stem while I sort out a much preferable "out front" alternative. I've also pilfered a slightly tatty bottle cage from my old road bike again while I sort out more presentable alternatives. I'm somewhat torn on the cages as I usually use (and would certainly want) two, however the rear one would block the area occupied by one's arm inside the main triangle when lifting the bike over stuff, so I'm not sure I want to fill up this space as it'll make manouvering it over objects potentially a lot more problematic.

I like the relief-map graphics on the headset cap and bar

The saddle feels reasonably comfortable, however I'm concerned that I might need a bit more layback, so another post might be on the cards. It's currently setup to accomodate use with the flat pedals (and their lower stack height) so is maybe 10mm lower than it might be. I think upping the saddle height once the SPDs are fitted might make for a bit less confidence over technical stuff due to the greater distance to the floor.. will probably chuck on the SPD pedals from the road bike at some point and give it a try.


I've been out twice on the bike; encompassing a good range of terrain including road, smooth-ish but undulating hard pack mud, barely-defined single track, potholed gravel paths, rutted muddy tracks and gravelled forest roads (I guess what the yanks would call "fire roads") of varying gravellyness.

Initial impressions are pretty much what one would expect. On-road the bike feels like a road bike with the edge taken off; a bit more rolling resistance from the fatter, treaded tyres (especially if the pressure has been dropped to promote off-road comfort), a bit more comfortable in terms of posture / over the bumps and a bit more drag due to the more upright position. The geometry is slower than a typical road bike (longer wheelbase and shallower head angle IIRC) but it doesn't feel any worse for it; perhaps a bit more stable but not sluggish in terms of handling. I've not tackled any significant hills yet..

On hard-pack mud and across shallow, fine, scattered gravel the bike really comes into its own and feels like a proper weapon - far more capable than a road bike would feel under the same circumstances and in my mind far faster over this sort of terrain than anything has any business to be Really in this capacity it feels like a far more capable road bike; its ability on this sort of surface arguably out-weighing its shortcomings on the road; but I guess ths depends on which terrain it's likely to see most use on.

On fairly open, hard-pack single track the bike was fine; although care has to be taken around sudden patches of deep, wet mud that can't be easily avoided as the (relatively) skinny tyres have a tendency to bog down.. as is also the case to a lesser extent on loose, dry brush - perhaps something that could be negated to an extent by a more skilled rider.

Likewise, while the big rims do a good job of rolling over fairly large obstacles, the limited give in the tyres and lack of suspension compared to an MTB make the ride over ridged, dry mud (such as tractor tracks) and large (say 40mm+), irregularly-laid stones a fairly jarring, nervous and unpleasant experience (again, at least in my off-road novice hands).

Having been spoilt somewhat by the comfort of the 47mm semi-slicks on my ofo, tyre size is one area I feel the CdF is may be somewhat lacking as the max. stated width is 38c IIRC; significant when the bike came out 10+yrs ago, but now nowt special amongst its contempories. Looking at the frame you could probably push it 40c or maybe ever 42c, but it would be getting tight; especially with the guards in place. I've considered 650b to gain more tyre volume but this would potentially place the fattest part of the tyre inboard of the areas of maximum relief in the frame, so might not help. A moot point currently anyway as I'm not throwing any more money at it than I have to!


Really the bike behaves as you'd expect from the format and spec; compared to a road bike a bit worse on-road but far more capable on light(ish) off-road terrain; while unsurprisingly being clearly inferior to a decent MTB over really rough / uneven / muddy ground.


A few thoughts on a personal level, FWIW. My technical skills are poor; my aversion to offs, pain and kit damage significant so I'll be sticking to lightish open off-road trails - well-maintained forest tracks, tow paths, bridleways and the like.

Again all pretty obvious but I've so far found riding off road more physically and mentally demanding than on-road; due to the greater need to identify and react to hazards and changing terrain in front of you at speed, as well as getting out of the saddle regularly to lessen the harshness of the ride over rough stuff, power up a short, steep transitions or shift your weight around to placate the media moving about under the tyres.

Off-road stuff is more physically and mentally engaging and hence more tiring, while on any surface "worse" than a well-maintained fine gravel track you can't just mosy alone with your mind on other stuff as you can on a quiet road; instead you have to be on it all the time.

When riding off the beaten track there are many more un-rideable obstacles; so far the bike having been carried over the shoulder over two or three styles and swung in one fluid motion over a couple of gates and fences. While building the bike up I weighed it at 11.30kg without pedals, which is a little lighter than the quoted factory value of 11.5ish kg. I'm guessing with pedals, mudguards, bottles, cages, GPS etc it'll probably be knocking on the door of 14kg. Not the end of the world but I'd not want it to be any heavier!


So there we go. I hope some find this of interest - especially since I couldn't find a lot on the 2019+ CdF 30 on the net; all the reviews (for what they're worth) being of the pre-2019 models which have earlier 105 5800 bits with non-series RS505 shifters, BR505 brakes and lack the through-axle / flat mount frame frame of the later models. Not a bad spec by any stretch but a bit of a mishmash and it feels that the current model are more refined, mature, cohesive and contemporary.

I've got a load more bits to do on the bike and will be out on it again once the weather's improved so will keep this thread updated

 

[Spiderweb]

What a great review, you are to put it mildly... very meticulous
I’ve never know such attention to detail.

Your bike looks fabulous, great choice, enjoy!

 

[newfhouse]

A very thorough write up. It just needs some more battle scars now so you can relax, stop worrying, and treat it as the working tool it wants to be.

 

[Cycleops]

Well, what a comprehensive and exhaustive review, the phrase ‘fine tooth comb’ comes to mind .
Useful for anyone thinking of buying a C d F, a bike I’ve always considered due to its steel frame.
Thanks for posting such an interesting read.

 

[fossala]

I would love a review like this when I’m looking at buying a bike. Well done!

 

[Slick]

Yeah, great review that should prove invaluable to some.

I knew it was De Ver as soon as you mentioned Maurice as I've had some dealings with him and he is just as good at problem solving from the other side of the country. 👍

 

[cheys03]

Stunning work. I own a 2016 model and enjoyed comparing the differences however subtle, through your review. You’ve gone in to a great amount of detail and it reminded me so much of my own week-long build process as I tweaked the bike to my own preferences, mudguards etc. Happy memories. Such a well written report - I wanted to know all about the GRX rear mech as it’s unfamiliar to me so made a mental note to Google it afterwards, but you answer all the questions I had a little later in the review! Brill!
You seem to love the bike so great decision and much happiness and smiles to come.

 

[Pale Rider]

Top job on the mudguards, few things look better on a bike than well fitted mudguards.

The front one is also long enough to do the job, which few are.

I ran out of steam after you got to the chain, but I agree about that.

The few new bikes I've had have all come with very sticky chains.

Takes a few clean and lubes to knock them into shape.

By the way, your last pic is spoiled by the presence of the bidon.

One of the rules of bike pic taking is no bidons.

The pic is good in other respects, pedal at about 3 o'clock and a medium gear.

Valves should be at 6 o'clock, but they are barely visible.

 

[wafter]

Thanks guys - glad some of you found it of interest

What a great review, you are to put it mildly... very meticulous
I’ve never know such attention to detail.

Your bike looks fabulous, great choice, enjoy!

Thanks(!) - as you might expect the sort of mindset that fosters this sort of approach can be a blessing and a curse; small(ish) things usually get done well, big things don't get done

A very thorough write up. It just needs some more battle scars now so you can relax, stop worrying, and treat it as the working tool it wants to be.

Ta - you'll be pleased to know yesterday's escapade saw one of the crank arms dinged traversing a concrete fixture

I know I'm p*ssing into the wind to an extent but I'm determined to keep it in as-good-a-condition as possible as it really pains me when stuff gets damaged..

Well, what a comprehensive and exhaustive review, the phrase ‘fine tooth comb’ comes to mind .
Useful for anyone thinking of buying a C d F, a bike I’ve always considered due to its steel frame.
Thanks for posting such an interesting read.

Thanks and no worries - glad you enjoyed it. IMO you could certainly do a lot worse than a CdF if you're after something of that format

I would love a review like this when I’m looking at buying a bike. Well done!

Thanks! So would I have liked to have read something like this before I took the plunge; as per my other post there were no reviews of the current model that I could find and in any case you never know how much credance to give to "official" product reviews..

Maybe this might help out a few people in future. I'll be interested to see what next year's CdF 30 looks like, but tbh I reckon the spec will remain the same other than the colour and probably the tyres (as they appear to be discontinued). The R&D budget has probably long gone on wages for furloughed staff and once Genesis hit on a decent formula they seem to stick with it until outside forces (such as new groupsets or discontinued products) dictate the need to change. So... hopefully this thread (FWIW) might remain relevant for a while

Yeah, great review that should prove invaluable to some.

I knew it was De Ver as soon as you mentioned Maurice as I've had some dealings with him and he is just as good at problem solving from the other side of the country. 👍

Thanks - I hope so!

Aye - from my dealings with Maurice he's a top bloke - just waiting to ensure there are no more nasty surprises I need to bother him about before sending him an email of thanks

Stunning work. I own a 2016 model and enjoyed comparing the differences however subtle, through your review. You’ve gone in to a great amount of detail and it reminded me so much of my own week-long build process as I tweaked the bike to my own preferences, mudguards etc. Happy memories. Such a well written report - I wanted to know all about the GRX rear mech as it’s unfamiliar to me so made a mental note to Google it afterwards, but you answer all the questions I had a little later in the review! Brill!
You seem to love the bike so great decision and much happiness and smiles to come.

Thanks - you sound like a man after my own heart

Have you had yours since new? How have you found it in the long(ish) term? I'm hoping to get many years of solid service from mine.

Sounds like you're planning an upgrade; hopefully it proves as enjoyable as sorting the bike the first time around

Top job on the mudguards, few things look better on a bike than well fitted mudguards.

The front one is also long enough to do the job, which few are.

I ran out of steam after you got to the chain, but I agree about that.

The few new bikes I've had have all come with very sticky chains.

Takes a few clean and lubes to knock them into shape.

By the way, your last pic is spoiled by the presence of the bidon.

One of the rules of bike pic taking is no bidons.

The pic is good in other respects, pedal at about 3 o'clock and a medium gear.

Valves should be at 6 o'clock, but they are barely visible.

Thanks - I wasn't sure about the aesthetic of the mudguards tbh but I was already sold on functional grounds. As it happens I do like the way they make the bike look - IMO a bit more classic and refined - especially those that follow a lot of the wheels' cirumference like the longboards.

I think the situation with the chains is perhaps that they're fitted without their preservative / transit grease being removed first. Aside from the contamination issue it must cause quite a lot of internal drag too.

Sorry - I scoff in the face of bike photography convention - there'd be two bottles on there if I had my way and the valves usually get left where they fall; although I confess to having stuck them at 12 O'clock for some of the pics



Yesterday saw more time with the bike. First job was to try to sort out the juddering front brake with my near-zero resources. Pushing the bike with the brake partially engaged revealed around 8 "loose" spots during one disc rotation. I've been careful about contamination and tbh think the issue is probably the result of my inadiquate bedding.. the rear is fine but of course that gets lighter use so probably more likely to bed in correctly under normal use.

Having read a few bedding articles I tried spraying the disc with rain water (to avoid getting water marks on everything) and dragging it down the hill I live on numerous times. This appeared to work to some extent; with successive runs resulting in lower speeds at the bottom as I could apply more braking force on each run before the onset of squealing and / or juddering. Repeating the "push test" I can only really feel 6 "loose" spots and they feel shorter in duration than before the hill treatment.

Ultimately I gave up as I got sick of riding back up the hill; but maybe I'll give it another go today. In use the brakes still don't feel smooth like the rear, but they stop well enough and I don't think the juddering feels as bad as it did, so while not perfect the bike is rideable so I can continue to use it until I can clean the disc up.


Having crawled out of the house to play with the brakes I decided to go for a sedate ride in the gloom and continue to explore what surfaces the bike could handle. I floated down into town on the tops of the bars, the short reach and high stack making for a comfortable and relaxed position. I followed the tow path to Port Meadow; whimsically rising and falling over its smooth, grassy peaks and troughs en-route to Burgess field nature reserve for a lap and a bit on its undulating hard pack earth. This yielded one hairy moment where the front wheel smacked the edge of a partially-buried brick and I thought it was game over for the tyre, but it was all good

Out of the nature reserve, I crossed the river and headed out to Wolvercote on the tracks across the grass, then onward on the Thames path out toward Eynsham; the expansive route by the river spoiled by the uncomfortably rough none-too-well-trodden paths across the grass and a lot of bloody gates. The most pleasant bit was a stretch of path before the Eynsham toll bridge, which was flat and surrounded by lush greenery

At this point I stopped to add half a turn to the RD's cable adjustor as the inevitable cable stretch meant it had become indecisive as to which of the cassette's sprockets it preferred in any given position. I continued under the bridge and in a small loop before emerging onto the road at a boatyard just outside of Eynsham; cold, tired and a bit irritated by the crap ride quality, need to negotiate a totally non-bike-friendly kissing gate and the fact that I'd smacked one of my cranks crossing some concrete structure by the river.

I headed back towards Eynsham in the hope that I could cheek my way through Wytham woods (Which would have been fantastic on this bike) however it was closed so I continued into the village then east to Bladon with the wind in my face. Hanging a right through Yarnton, I got raced by a kid on the cycle path on the other side of the dual carriageway while he was out for a ride with his family - great to see some enthusiasm for cycling in the young; hopefully the beginning of a lifetime of riding

I cut across to Kidlington to avoid having to cross the Peartree roundabout and back along the tow path (mostly) into town. The last time I rode this stretch it was deep, wet mud and I was sliding all over the place on my totally inappropriate old road bike. This time the mud was a lot drier and well-packed / smoothed by the passage of a many feet and wheels in the interim; making light work for the Genesis. I took a signed detour over the canal and away from self-isolating boat-dwellers; down a stretch of otherwise unknown national cycle route (possibly the first bit I've actually been on!) and popped out in Wolvercote; as one would logically expect but it was still a surprise!

As is often the case my intended gentle ride had degenerated into a bit of a thrash (in my defence the bike does seem to encourage this) and by the time I was on the Woodstock road heading back into town I was hunched over the bars draining the tank. I continued through town as speed and caned it through the desolate Westgate centre for the novelty; which I think needs its own Strava segment

The ride ended up be around 28 miles at around 12.5mph and 131bpm averages; split broadly into two between slow, low-HR travelling across rough fields with lots of obstacles and faster, higher-exertion efforts on smoother hard-pack, trails and roads.


So, what have I learnt from yesterday's escapade? More reinforcement of the greater "commitment" required by riding off-road; less comfort, less speed, greater mental and physical demands, more obstacles that require dis-mounting, more muck, more potential for damage.. the up-sides being a wider choice of routes, nicer scenery, a more engaging ride and no bloody cars. These routes should also offer more solitude when they're not swarming with people keen to claim their sanctioned daily exercise.

I've now covered maybe 75 miles on the bike and really it keeps getting better. I'm becoming more comfortable with its size and to a lesser extent weight, which sometimes makes itself known (usually when having to negotiate obstacles off the bike) but isn't the end of the world and a tradeoff I'm still happy to take for the virtues of steel.

I'm still not 100% sure on the saddle position but it seems fairly forgiving - I think this is less critical due to the bike's more relaxed geometry. Also, I'm moving around / out of the saddle a lot more so the perpetual sore spot on my arse isn't subjected to the same consistant grief as on the road bike; where it's rubbing in the same position all the time (something probably exacerbated significatly by the recently-discovered fact that the saddle on the Boardman sits low on one side ).

I'm glad I went for the medium frame since as discussed in a previous thread, its greater stack is intended to suit the bike's application and artificially minimising it by going for a smaller frame would have detracted from the bike's versatility and comfort IMO. I can always drop the stem on the steerer if I feel the need, however my neck's already taken a hammering while riding fast over rough stuff; which I think is minimised by a more upright position.

Likewise I continue to warm to the bars; yesterday illustrated their versatility nicely through the wide range of positions they offer; more relaxed than my road bike on the tops to comparable when hunched over the hoods or drops with arms bent, forearms flat and elbows tucked in. I also discovered an additional benefit to the relatively long reach to the hoods; this allowing me to grip the fat hood tops with my wrists bending inward and resting inside the bar curve between the bars and hoods... offering a bit more support and a position that shouldn't have too much of an aero penalty over a similar position on the road bike.

So all those who suggested I was over-thinking the bar situation were probably right; however in my defence I think the CdF's geometry is a lot more forgiving than my road bike; which took ages to tweak to prevent back / neck / foot pain.

I'd like to do more of a comparison between the Boardman and Genesis on the road; the only current data I have (or more correctly can be bothered to analyse) is for a single, straight mile-long stretch of road; covered at 16.1mph and 129bpm on the Boardman and 15.1mph and 139bpm on the Genesis. Drawing conclusions from his one example is hardly scientificly valid and I can't account for what the wind was doing on both days, but the numbers do seem broadly in-keeping with the "10% slower" figure I've read banded about regarding gravel v. road bikes. This was running fairly low pressures in the Genesis' tyres too; so the ride was more comfortable but could have been made a bit quicker with higher tyre pressures.


I recently read it suggested that "a 50/34 tooth chainset has no place on a gravel bike" and my experiences so far corroborate this. I'm not a strong rider (I'd say average-ish from accounts on here and Strava leaderboard positions) and only ever use the 50/12 gearing on my road bike when I feel the need to pull out the stops downhill. As such the 50/11 top end offered on the Genesis is unlikely to see any use since it's higher-geared still, coupled with a bike that gives a less aero posture and has fatter, higher-rolling-resistance tyres that are likely to get a bit squirrely at high speeds.

One of the smaller GRX crankesets is looking ever-more appealing, however I certainly can't justify the cost currently and I was disappointed to find that the GRX front derailleur is only available in a braze-on format; meaning a clamp-on adaptor is required to fit it to a steel frame. Not the end of the world but offensive to my OCD and something @cheys03 might want to keep in mind if considering an upgrade!


I was pretty impressed by the performance of the mudguards on their first outing with actual mud content. Off-road terrain yesterday consisted mostly of damp claggy mud and a few puddles. I stayed completely clean and dry, the guards kept the wet off the bike and the mud on the frame was mostly restricted to a few chunks from the edges of the tyres sticking to the rear faces of the seatsays, upper faces of the chainstays and rear of the fork:

Obviously I guess this would be more messy if the mud was more sloppy, but in yesterday's case the mud barely stuck to the waxed frame and can just be brushed off dry without the need to resort to washing the whole bike - happy days

The guards do lose a point for their loose / wonky trim on the leading edge of the front guard; which I'll have to try and secure somehow.


The chain wax is doing its job nicely; keeping the drivetrain clean, slick and contamination-free - although to be fair it'd rained since the previous time I'd taken the bike out so there was a lot less dust in the air when I rode with the sticky chain.

Finally I'd like to cover the wheels and tyres. The rims are Jalco SR240D 700c21c (IIRC) and the tyres 37mm WTB Riddlers. The rims seem to get a bit of a slagging on the net, while the tyres don't have particularly favourable reviews either.

In my experiences so far I can't really fault either - just like most other builds the wheels aren't particularly high end and are built for strength with fairly deep section rims and 34 spokes (neither of which probably help with comfort). I weighed the front wheel assy (complete with disc) at 1.5kg; which while no featherweight didn't seem like the end of the world considering the fat tyre and spoke count.

The tyres have been great so far too; offering acceptable rolling resistance and good manners on the road, along with decent, predictable grip on the dense, plastic mud found in many of the areas this bike's intended to be used in. I'm tempted to go tubeless (and probably will in time) however for now am put off by the cost and hassle so will stick with the tubes for the time being.


So there we go; another tedious wall of text tot ake as you will. In summary I'm gelling well with the bike and enjoying my time spent on it; if a little disillusioned by some of the drawbacks of riding off-road although I think a lot can be dispelled by realistic route selection. Other than the few niggling quality issues, the bike has so far proven to be everything I'd expected; the only things I don't really like being the weight and relatively high gearing but neither are deal-breakers and the latter can potentially be sorted with a new chainset.

Moving forward I still need to sort the brake disc out, as well as whinging to Genesis about the small but irritating quality issues I've encountered. I think I'm going to fit my SPD pedal for the next ride on the CdF and based on the outcome might order some XT items; which will open the door to sorting a better mount for my head unit as well as some bottle cages as they'll probably all come from the same supplier.

Anyway, ta for reading - you must have been really bored if you made it all the way to the end

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Very thorough review Wafter, well done.

Of course I'm at the other end of the scale to this level of protecting my bike, I actively want mine to look less new as quickly as possible. It's still just too shiny and pristine for my liking... I don't want it *damaged* per se, I just prefer my bikes to look well used, I worry about it less then. It takes all sorts!

I might be strange but I really like a dealer sticker on a bike, it sort of gives the machine a bit of an identity, somewhere it's "from". Silly I know, but i like a crafty look at the seat tube of other bikes and the delight in seeing "Carr's Cycles, Harrogate" or whatever.

 

[cheys03]

I have the Ti model, a rare treat to myself after lusting for a 30 for many months. Bought new before the Ti price went absolutely ridiculous and in the end of season sale. I would not have bought it at the current nearly £4k rrp I can tell you! Initially I was disappointed with some of the small details and I was shocked to see through your review that Genesis haven’t changed some of their habits. Mine arrived with a wonky head badge too for example! The original forks did not have eyes for mudguards, a fault with all the bikes that year. Cue lots of chasing and a 10 week wait for replacements that required a different headset which wasn’t included with the replacements, a further unforgivable oversight by Genesis. At least the sale of the original forks netted a small return for the trouble but I’d have rather it be right from the start. The frame that year is mostly unpolished with a bead blasted finish. Inferior in my eyes and conveniently (for Genesis) cheaper than a proper polish present in the years previous.
But enough moaning! The bike is still going strong, I love to ride it. Only done approximately 12k and just chains and brake pads replaced through wear and tear. Oh, and a rear gear cable which snapped in the usual place, inside the shifter. I went for the non-heatsinked/vented/finned pads when replacing for about half the cost and no noticeable difference in use (commuting, day rides etc on lumpy but not very steep terrain).
I agree on the gearing and also find it too high. I’m planning to reduce the front ring sizes when they need replacing. Size-wise I went for XL with 60cm reach but may have been better with an L, even though I’m 6’2” the additional reach when on the hydro shifter hoods made it a bit uncomfortable. Have since fitted a shorter stem which seems to help.
For future upgrades I’ve a second-hand Ti-railed Brooks B17 ready to replace the current Brooks Flyer (and save 400g!) and am looking at the wheels too, once I lose about 5KG of belly it’ll be easier to justify
@wafter We must have similar traits. For protecting the frame..... I’ll shamefully admit I wrapped it entirely in non-adhesive black loom tape. This protects it completely and keeps it low-key in the work bike shed but sadly hides any beauty it had. I’ve also experimented with many chain lubes and will probably try your wax method next!

 

[Gunk]

Lovely Bike @wafter and a really interesting and detailed review on your first few weeks of ownership.

 

[uphillstruggler]

@wafter, good write up.

i was looking at De Vers for the same bike but i happened across the 2019 CDF 30 for a ridiculous price so bought that instead - it may have been me who bought the one you were looking at.

your review has given me some food for thought and made me realise how technical these bikes are - im the sort who buys and rides tbh.

mine is fantastic, it is so capable and is used for trail, bridleway, tow path and cycle path riding. its opening tracks around where i live that i wouldnt have been able to ride before.

it will be used for bike packing nights out once we get the clearance to move a little more freely. the only issue i have is the frame bag i have means small bottles although the third set of mounts on the underside of the downtube will compensate.

i hope you enjoy yours as much as i am already