Genesis bikes, and the Croix de Fer particularly, is a fairly well-established a part of the British gravel scene. It may be a stretch to say the story of gravel biking is the story of the Croix de Fer, however it’s a mannequin that has slowly and efficiently navigated the transition from ‘cross bike proto-grav, by way of the mid-phase years of one-bike to do all of it with street parts, to now the place it has been up to date to lean extra in the direction of gravel than anything. In my opinion, its success is partly because of its slower evolution. Given that, for a lot of prospects, it stuffed not solely gravel duties, however street, touring, and commuting, it couldn’t essentially comply with the most recent traits. In the fullness of time and lots of miles, it’s going to be simpler to see if it warrants a spot in our information to one of the best gravel bikes, or maybe extra relevantly one of the best funds gravel bikes.
For the total info and figures, there’s my information piece, bedecked with weight, specs, info, and figures, however right here I’m going to enter my first impressions of not simply the most recent Croix de Fer, but in addition the brand new Vagabond. I examined each on consecutive days within the very applicable setting of mid-Wales, taking in street, flowing gravel, and a few extra testing singletrack.
The Croix de Fer is a mannequin I’ve acquired a little bit of historical past with – we’ve had one within the household that I often borrowed on visits dwelling – however the Vagabond is a clear slate for me by way of expertise, and one I’m comfortable to report was an satisfying one.
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The bikes
I used to be blessed for this journey with probably the most premium Croix de Fer within the vary, the Croix de Fer Titanium, and one that’s now solely offered as a frameset with a Genesis-branded carbon fork. It was constructed up in a fancy, however not completely unattainable spec with carbon Pro seatpost and flared bars, plus a Pro alloy stem, GRX carbon wheels and a 1×12 Shimano GRX groupset.
All the fashions within the Croix de Fer vary can take a 47mm tyre, and as all the total builds include a 45mm Maxxis Rambler I used to be additionally given tubeless 45mm tyres, however in my case, it was the brand new Maxxis Reiver; a extra fast possibility with a low profile file centre and semi-aggressive shoulder lugs to get you out of bother.
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My Vagabond was a unique kettle of fish completely. The frameset is extra naturally attuned to getting a bit of rowdy, however my ‘20’ mannequin was kitted out with Amplitude wheels – Genesis’ new personal model of componentry – and whopping 2.35” Maxxis Icon tyres. Gearing was taken care of by the brand new SRAM Apex Eagle 12sp, with a 34t chainring and an 11-50t cassette. For these of you with out a background in mountain biking, it could be an eyebrow raiser, however the entrance rotor on the Vagabond is a 180mm unit, not solely to supply better-stopping energy but in addition to deal with heavy masses.
The body on this case was Genesis’ personal Mjolnir cromoly, and this bike is accessible as seen right here, although as this can be a pre-production mannequin the eyelets on the metal fork legs will likely be totally different, swapping to a easy inline sequence of three.
A closing notice on cabling is that the Croix de Fer, beforehand an externally cabled bike, is now inner inside the body for a cleaner aesthetic however with out compromising the power to mess about with bars and bearings with ease. The vagabond however is absolutely exterior, however in each instances every little thing is absolutely housed, eliminating the brass cable stops of the earlier fashions.
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The routes
For the Croix de Fer take a look at, we headed out for a experience that was completely devoid of flat floor, save for a small part alongside the shoreline of a lake. In 52 kilometres we racked up 1,300m or so of elevation, all delivered in gradients that fell between ‘punchy’ and ‘disgusting’. I used to be glad at instances that I used to be given the titanium privilege, it should be stated. Extended street climbs combined it up with forest tracks, double observe, and the occasional ripping steep street descent that brought on a collective expulsion of scorching brake scent. Just to combine it up a few sections of technical forest singletrack had been thrown in, simply to permit a little bit of testy, skittish time to evaluate whether or not the bike was sure-footed or nervy when issues get away from you.
Our Vagabond take a look at was, in probably the most affectionate approach doable, messing about within the woods. Steep hearth street climbs adopted by quick, free, shaly singletrack descents. Rinse and repeat. In a world the place press journey take a look at routes are sometimes the platonic ideally suited of a experience, it was a refreshing real-world take a look at and would have been simply as applicable on a mountain bike.
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First impressions
Croix de Fer
I haven’t spent an excessive amount of time with the previous Croix de Fer, however after I often pinched it from the household storage to experience to the pub it all the time felt like a gravel bike however with half a watch on the street. Not in a foul approach by any means, however in being such a do-everything machine it felt a bit compromised. Here, although, even with comparatively modest modifications, it seems like a contemporary gravel bike with much less of a watch on tarmac and I feel it’s higher for it.
The tyres make a giant distinction right here. A 45c tyre is genuinely worlds away by way of experience expertise to a 38c, and the Maxxis Reivers had been very a lot up my road. If you learn my information to one of the best gravel tyres you may know I like a quick, semi-slick centre and on the tarmac they actually didn’t really feel an awesome obstacle to ahead progress, and whereas they weren’t essentially ideally suited within the slop they had been fairly succesful over most different surfaces. I wouldn’t essentially say it was any worse on the street than the previous mannequin both. Bigger, however extra premium tyres are so good these days that I might fortunately fly alongside the sleek stuff at an honest lick, and whereas they felt a bit of extra wallowy, the enhancements when using off-road had been such that I might forgive a bit of bob on the street.
The dealing with was extraordinarily impartial. Again, this appears like a criticism as a result of it’s not ‘rad’ or ‘racy’, however the angles and setup are such that it felt neither floppy nor slack on smoother surfaces (as I discovered with bikes just like the YT Szepter), and neither did it really feel so pitched ahead on steep singletrack that you just begin to really feel out of your depth. Neutral isn’t dangerous, and for a motorbike that does nonetheless purport to do many issues, it’s positively a optimistic on this case.
Neutrality apart, it is also comfortably secure. I feel I topped out off-road at about 65km/h and with a fairly free, shaly substrate I by no means needed to again off because of it getting squirrely as is commonly the case with extra racy dealing with bikes, particularly with narrower tyres. On the steeper, extra techy singletrack it did really feel a bit of sketchy, particularly compared to the Vagabond it should be stated, however that is extra a operate of the tyres than the bike, and with a extra aggressive sequence of facet lugs particularly it will have been fairly succesful. I wouldn’t essentially need to spend so much of time on techy singletrack on it – that basically is the job of the Vagabond – but it surely handled it properly sufficient that it didn’t really feel like an Achilles heel.
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I don’t actually maintain a lot sway with with the ability to really feel the totally different materials properties of titanium vs stainless vs chromoly. You can definitely really feel the load, however solely actually when testing a motorbike completely product of titanium, from the forks to the cockpit, did I begin to discover a distinction. With a lot potential for deformation in a 45mm tyre, it didn’t essentially really feel extra ‘zingy’, however by way of weight it definitely didn’t maintain me again. The carbon fork is a 900g saving over the metal fork, so even simply in that there’s a good differential, and on steep climbs, it didn’t have fairly the identical slog issue as a extra hefty chromoly body.
The prime tube has now been ovalised, in the same approach to my long-term gravel bike the Fairlight Secan, although the seat and down tubes are each nonetheless spherical. I can think about that with a pannier rack on it ought to assist it resist some torsion, however our take a look at loop was devoid of a shock commute part, so my musings on this must stay musings.
It has a full 19-bottle bosses, which is barely overkill for basic using, however particularly within the titanium model which is extra more likely to be a ‘endlessly bike’ it’s good to have all bases coated. In the grand scheme of issues, they add little by way of weight, and if you happen to can stand the aesthetics they’re there if you happen to want them and don’t have any drawbacks if you happen to don’t. Again, it performs into the do-anything ambitions of the body which you can fortunately strap a tonne of water onto it and head into the wilderness.
Vagabond
My time with the Vagabond was shorter, however extra intense. My old flame in bikes was messing about within the woods and it was nice to have the ability to indulge myself on this endeavour once more. My high-level takeaway is that is about as rad as a gravel bike ought to get. I feel they will get extra progressive, however past this, you actually need to contemplate whether or not you’d be higher off with a hardtail.
Again, our route was just about both up hearth roads, or down shaly, moist, and rutted singletrack, with little or no in the way in which of trundling. The little trundling we did do was fairly nice. It’s under no circumstances going to combine it with the Croix de Fer on this entrance, but it surely has a stable, stolid momentum to it and might hum alongside, supplied your tyres are sufficiently aired, at a cushty lick.
Climbing was comfy, although I definitely seen the load differential between it and the lithe, sprightly titanium mannequin of the day earlier than. A 50-tooth sprocket on the again is a fairly efficient emollient to the load penalty, and being life like if you happen to’re shopping for this it’s to not set KOM/QOM’s. Ergonomics and performance of Apex Eagle apart, one factor I did discover annoying was each time I attempted to shift into a neater gear whereas I used to be already within the best gear, it places you right into a more durable gear. Thanks to the double-tap system whereby one click on will get more durable and two clicks will get simpler you can’t hopefully seek for a neater gear (as I’m wont to do on most climbs). It’s a bit of element, however annoying nonetheless.
Downhill the distinction between it and the Croix de Fer was important. The large tyres monster over and thru issues a 45mm can’t with out scrubbing off pace, and whereas I’m definitely no MTB rad lad it did depart me feeling like a extra succesful rider than after I began.
None of the total builds include a dropper, although that is maybe the gravel bike I’ve ridden that would most profit from one. With the proper tyre stress the descending was definitely MTB-lite, however with the ability to get the saddle out of the way in which and reap the benefits of the low-slung prime tube could be an enchancment and a simple improve to make. The body is dropper suitable, so it’s clearly been thought-about within the design.
Initial verdict
My time on the Croix de Fer was nearly completely optimistic. My construct, although not commercially out there, was proof to me that the frameset can combine it with much more premium manufacturers, and in case you are on the lookout for a titanium gravel bike it’s definitely worthy of consideration. In erring extra in the direction of the gravelly finish of the spectrum barely it’s extra enjoyable and extra succesful with none actual drawbacks because of enhancements in fashionable tyre tech. It’s really actually impressed me {that a} single mannequin might fairly fortunately and efficiently cater to each the entry-level and the actually fairly premium.
The Vagabond tugged at my foolish heartstrings in some ways. If your gravel using is awash with chunk and slop and you actually need a drop bar then I do suppose it’s a precious and succesful machine, however it’s definitely within the harmful overlap the place it’s beginning to eat the hardtail’s dinner. Perhaps for bikepacking and hitting heavier mileage, it’d be a better option than an MTB but when your using is predominantly messing about within the woods then it’s a more durable determination to make.