£1,099.99 Cyclocross-influenced flat-bar bike for commuting and more…Weight 12.26kg (M) Frame Mjolnir steel Fork Chromoly steel Gears Shimano Sora 2x9 (46/30t, 11-34t) Brakes Shimano BR-MT200 hydraulic disc Wheels Jalco XCD23 rims, KT-K68 hubs Finishing kit Genesis alloy handlebar, stem and seatpost, Genesis saddle, WTB Nano 700x40c tyres
The Genesis Croix De Fer has been around in numerous guises – initially with drop bars and then with flat bars such as this model. The springy steel frame is a good basis for a commuter bike, and, while the knobbly 40mm tyres may slow you a tad, they deliver comfort in spades and open the door to off-road riding. Throw in good hydraulic brakes and wide-ranging gears, and the Croix De Fer represents a strong proposition.
Mounts galore
If you want a bike that’ll double up for touring or bikepacking trips, I don’t think I’ve ever seen more fittings and bosses. Starting with the frame, there are bento box bosses on the top-tube – the only bike here with them – supplemented by triple bosses on both down-tube and seat-tube. Another pair of bosses live under the down-tube for a third bottle cage, plus it has rear rack and mudguard fittings. In addition, the fork has its own mudguard fittings and bosses for ‘Anything Cages’. Despite so many mounts, and externally routed cables, the frame still looks neat. A classy touch is the pair of brass cable guides on the head-tube.
While the Croix De Fer’s geometry still delivers a fairly upright riding position, the geometry is just a little more aggressive than that of the other three bikes it’s up against. We’re still talking all-rounder and non-racy in overall design, but the wheelbase and chainstays are a little shorter and the head angle a touch steeper. This should bring about sharper handling versus its test mates, albeit eased by running such wide tyres.
Moving on to the component choices, the Genesis is the only one of our quartet featuring what would have been a given feature not that long ago: a 2x drivetrain. It’s well chosen to complement the bike’s off-road-riding aspirations, Genesis speccing a subcompact 46x30t chainset, which pairs well with an 11-34t cassette. The result is an excellent range of gears, though with only nine sprockets on the cassette there are some big jumps as you move up towards the easier gears. The Shimano Sora drivetrain is matched to Shimano’s MT200 hydraulic disc brakes, which are powerful, easy to control and have a light action, performing well regardless of the weath
