A Genesis Croix De Fer Thread

[wafter]

I'm after one of these and am torn between the extremes of a cheaper, lower-spec, used example and a new higher-end model. I've whinged about this enough in other threads however, so no need to go over it again in this one too..

At first what's out there can be pretty confusing due to all the different variants made over the years, however I've now done a fair bit of research on this bike and have a pretty good handle on its evolution since its 2009 inception; in which time the bike has changed a lot in terms of frame material, geometry and component spec.

If anyone's bothered I'd welcome discussion of these changes with those in a similar boat to me and would also love to hear the thoughts and experiences of the bike from anyone lucky enough to already own one

 

[steveindenmark]

I rode my CDF 30 in Tuscany Road. 550km in 2 days. Its a good touring bike with plenty of gears. Very comfortable mile after mile. Its only downside is that it is a heavy bike.

View: https://youtu.be/4RPxG49KX2M

 

[flake99please]

I own a 2016 CdF Ti. Currently looking to upgrade the disc calipers as they’ve been the biggest disappointment.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Its a good touring bike with plenty of gears. Very comfortable mile after mile. Its only downside is that it is a heavy bike.

What do you define as "heavy"?

 

[Saluki]

I have the Croix de Fer 10, Sora drivetrain and I love it to bits. Yep, it’s 12kg but it’s my go to bike. It’s so comfortable to ride that I ride further on it than any of my other bikes.
I can upgrade later if I want but I have no issues with it whatsoever. I love it so much.

 

[newfhouse]

Stop piddling about, just buy one and ride it. You’re not marrying the bike, if you don’t like it you won’t be harshly judged if you sell it on.

 

[Pale Rider]

Stop piddling about, just buy one and ride it. You’re not marrying the bike, if you don’t like it you won’t be harshly judged if you sell it on.

Most unlike me to agree with the elitist lefty, but there's something in this.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Maybe the elitist lefty is willing to take a large depreciation hit if he makes a bad choice and ends up reselling it, whereas @wafter either can't afford the hit or just doesn't want to take it? Buying new bikes at full retail on a whim, just to see if you like them, is an expensive way to enjoy cycling. If you find one that fits you like a glove and keep it for the next 25 years, the cost won't matter, but reading a lot of bike buying threads on here suggests that most owners don't buy and keep bikes long term like this. A lot of them seem to change bikes more often than @Drago replaces his Y-fronts.

 

[newfhouse]

Maybe the elitist lefty is willing to take a large depreciation hit if he makes a bad choice and ends up reselling it, whereas @wafter either can't afford the hit or just doesn't want to take it? Buying new bikes at full retail on a whim, just to see if you like them, is an expensive way to enjoy cycling.

I’ve read a few of the OP’s posts about the CdF, so in this case I don’t get the impression it’s just a passing fancy. Further, he has said he’s considering buying a good used bike, so depreciation shouldn’t be a major worry. Indeed, earlier threads confirmed that they hold their value pretty well.

@wafter My post was intended to be gently encouraging, not critical. I’m one of many very happy owners, but a point comes where you have to get on a bike yourself and ride it to see if it suits.

 

[wafter]

Cheers guys

I rode my CDF 30 in Tuscany Road. 550km in 2 days. Its a good touring bike with plenty of gears. Very comfortable mile after mile. Its only downside is that it is a heavy bike.

View: https://youtu.be/4RPxG49KX2M

Thanks - that looks like a fantastic ride; although one that would have killed me by a quarter of the way in or so

I own a 2016 CdF Ti. Currently looking to upgrade the disc calipers as they’ve been the biggest disappointment.

Ta - please excuse me if I'm telling you what you already know, but ensure you're looking at post mount calipers as the earlier bikes took these (MTB standard) brakes while the later / current (2019 & 2020) bikes take the (now road standard) flat mount brakes.

How do you find the shifters on yours? They were also used on the earlier CdF 30s but I've read criticism of their shifting performance.. would be interested to hear your thoughts

I have the Croix de Fer 10, Sora drivetrain and I love it to bits. Yep, it’s 12kg but it’s my go to bike. It’s so comfortable to ride that I ride further on it than any of my other bikes.
I can upgrade later if I want but I have no issues with it whatsoever. I love it so much.

Thanks - glad you're pleased with yours and I doubt I'll find better than such a wonderfully glowing endorsement

Stop piddling about, just buy one and ride it. You’re not marrying the bike, if you don’t like it you won’t be harshly judged if you sell it on.

Thanks for the "gentle encourgement" - the decision has certainly been made to buy one; my reasons for not having done so yet are nicely summarised by John's points below.

Personally I couldn't care less about what people think of my choices, what I do care about is buying something that's an appropriate spec and a financially sound choice. I've considered all options, read a lot of info, heard a lot of opinions and have become a lot more comfortable with the direction I want to take as a result. I was 95% sold on a new CdF 30, but this was always a hard sell on the cost and the idea has now been potentially fatally holed by yet another bout of financial "misfortune".

If I could find a decent used CdF 20 (or 30, but they're a lot less common and the older specs less appealing) locally for sensible money I'd snap it up, but so far I've not. I've seen some nice examples for good money but they're all bloody miles away.. Comparing the sold and listed prices of such bikes on ebay shows a massive spread in their "value" (anything up to £300-400 or a factor of around two) - money I can't personally afford to chuck away and that I'm not going to risk wasting on an ill-researched impulse buy.

Also as John suggests I tend to make purchases with a "buy for life" mentality; so want to ensure that I'm getting what I really want. It takes me forever to make a decision on anything, but the up-side is that it's usually well-researched, informed and rarely regretted as a result.

Thanks to the input of a few members I've found some better sources than ebay so am just biding my time until the right bike comes up used or my fortunes / attitude change and I feel I can justify a new CdF 30.

I already feel a lot more comfortable in my thoughts for the hours so far spent in my research hat and am far more confident and resolute about which way I'll likely go. I just hope something turns up soon as the gradually improving weather and opportunities for off-road adventures spotted while out on the road bike are really making me itch to get stuck in. Life's not so hot currently and the only real escape I enjoy is provided by getting out on the bike and walking out in the wilds.. I'm eager to experience a combination of the two.

Anyway, this really wasn't intended / doesn't need to be about the intricacies of my purchase specifically (I think the forum has suffered enough in that regard already!). It's an invitation to free discussion on the bike itself - hopefully in the interest of my further learning and the hope that the homework I've done might help others

Maybe the elitist lefty is willing to take a large depreciation hit if he makes a bad choice and ends up reselling it, whereas @wafter either can't afford the hit or just doesn't want to take it? Buying new bikes at full retail on a whim, just to see if you like them, is an expensive way to enjoy cycling. If you find one that fits you like a glove and keep it for the next 25 years, the cost won't matter, but reading a lot of bike buying threads on here suggests that most owners don't buy and keep bikes long term like this. A lot of them seem to change bikes more often than @Drago replaces his Y-fronts.

Thanks - nail pretty much on the head!

 

[Pale Rider]

I think we tend to judge others by our own standards.

Anyone who does more research than me into buying a bike is over thinking it.

Anyone who does less is not taking the appropriate time and trouble to achieve the best result.

 

[wafter]

I think we tend to judge others by our own standards.

Anyone who does more research than me into buying a bike is over thinking it.

Anyone who does less is not taking the appropriate time and trouble to achieve the best result.

Absolutely.

Should you ever be interested in a CdF consider that I've probably over-thought it so you don't have

 

[Pale Rider]

Absolutely.

Should you ever be interested in a CdFconsider that I've probably over-thought it so you don't have

I'm not currently a buyer for such a bicycle.

But I did see a two grand Croix de Fer linked to on here that looked very expensive for the on paper spec.

As the resident Croix de Fer expert, have you come across such a model?

Or is the Crox de Fer generally a bit pricey?

 

[Nibor]

I have recently built up a Croix de Fer 725 2020 frameset as a flat bar bike an it is lovely to ride. The frameset came with I.S. disc mounts so with the correct adapters you could use any disc brakes.

 

[wafter]

I'm not currently a buyer for such a bicycle.

But I did see a two grand Croix de Fer linked to on here that looked very expensive for the on paper spec.

As the resident Croix de Fer expert, have you come across such a model?

Or is the Crox de Fer generally a bit pricey?

Was that my thread perchance? The CdF 30 is the most expensive steel model at £2k RRP but this year's model can be had for £1600. On RRP it's around 50% / £650 more than the CdF 20; the difference getting you a full hydro R7000 groupset (with a bit of GRX), flat-mount-compatable frame, thru-axles and a few other nice bits versus the Tiagra / TRP semi-mech IS / post mount brakes and QR wheels.

All of the CdF's are arguably a bit pricey (the 30 perhaps disproportionately so) however steel's niche / lower volume so you pay for it. In terms of street price they're probably broadly-comparable to what you'd pay for a similarly-equipped CFRP bike... so not the end of the world should you have a preference for a ferrous frame

I have recently built up a Croix de Fer 725 2020 frameset as a flat bar bike an it is lovely to ride. The frameset came with I.S. disc mounts so with the correct adapters you could use any disc brakes.

Thanks - nice work and I'm suitably envious

I believe the IS mount will fit post-mount calipers with an adaptor, but won't accomodate flat-mount (which appears set to be the de-facto road standard now Shimano have cemented their range) - one of the things drawing me towards the current CdF 30 is that it has a flat mount frame..