The perfect commuting weapon?

[Fab Foodie]

Pal of mine has just bought what seems to me to be the perfect commuting bike...

Genesis Vapour 'cross-bike'
Mudguards
Rack
Pasela/marathon tyres

The Genesis Vapour is immensly light including its chunky wheels, drop-bar, big brakes, secondary brakes on the tops, comfy big-tyre clearance and rack facility would make it my ideal choice. Fast enough on roads, comfrotable and the muddy canal path/track is well within its stride...

Should sell like hot cakes if sold as such... looks good too!


See that Genesis also have a reasonably priced an specced Cromoly tubed race bike. Most excellent! I'm liking the Genesis Brand.

 

[Tynan]

'fast enough'?

 

[Matty]

Not perfect no. Get a Roadrat.

 

[mcshroom]

I was expecting this thread to be about a bike with war chariot wheel spikes and a handlebar-mounted lance

Sounds like a good bike though

 

[Fab Foodie]

'fast enough'?

Certainly for me and I'd imagine quite a few others, tizz like a slightly sturdier road bike, seems good to me.

 

[bauldbairn]

Never heard of Genesis(till now) - but just had a look at their full range on CRC, it includes single speed fixies too!

Aparantly designed in the UK - looks like your mates got himself a nice bike.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Not perfect no. Get a Roadrat.

Close but no cigar

 

[bauldbairn]

I was expecting this thread to be about a bike with war chariot wheel spikes and a handlebar-mounted lance

 

[Fab Foodie]

Never heard of Genesis(till now) - but just had a look at their full range on CRC, it includes single speed fixies too!

Aparantly designed in the UK - looks like your mates got himself a nice bike.

Damn-him, that's what I thought too!
Can't really fault-it as a decent all-rounder... and the fact that it's not a Tricross is a mild benefit...

 

[Keith Oates]

I've never looked at their range before FB, so thanks for the intro. For me the Croix De Fer looks like being a good commuter machine especially with the advantage of being able to fit mudguards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cyberknight]

They got a review in the CTC mag this month.

Looked a nice bike

The other bike whose name i forget ( left mag at work ) was a reynolds tubing if i remember right and was cheaper as it had shimano 2200 shifters .

Down to your price point between the two i thought.

 

[Cubist]

Our LBS has them in . Lovely, seriously lovely, and well priced.

Next time you're near a Genesis, have a look at the faux "laundry instructions" above the BB. One of the MTBs in the shop has "Cycle at 45 degrees" on it, and the Croix had I think, "handwash only"

 

[thegrumpybiker]

Thinking of going for a Croix de Fer myself. I contacted Genesis to ask if they plan on selling frame and forks separately as they do with certain other models in their range. Apparently they plan to later this year.

 

[gouldina]

I have bought a similar bike for commuting - a Voodoo Limba (£400 reduced from £900 in Jan sales - bloody bargain). I've changed the rather thin knobbly tyres for slick 32 Schwalbe Marathon+ for speed and puncture-proofing. I love everything about it bar the cantilever brakes which are a bit underwhelming. I'm going to try replacing the pads and if that doesn't help I might stick a road disk on the front like the Genesis linked above. Opinion seems divided on these bikes though it would seem. Some people think that they're the perfect commuter/do everything and others seem to think they are a ridiculous combination of parts and an abomination. Having used one for a daily commute for a month though I'm firmly in the former camp.

 

[John the Monkey]

I love everything about it bar the cantilever brakes which are a bit underwhelming.

Canti's take more set up and faff than other sorts of brakes, because you have so much control over the level of mechanical advantage the lever applies to the brake.

If you're changing pads, Kool Stop are a good bet (either Salmon or Dual compound up front) and do read up a bit about cantilever brake set up, you could be surprised.