“Drop bars don’t always mean tarmac. ‘Normal riding’ shouldn’t be a definition of accepted limits.”

 

That’s the description we gave our original Croix de Fer back in 2009 and it’s a philosophy we’ve followed ever since.

 

At the time, we weren't sure if people would get it, so we hedged slightly, labelling it as a 'cross bike in the truest sense of the word.

 

Capable on and off road, it was a gentle step away from our original Vapour and towards a bike that was intended to go further… but we never imagined quite how much further.

 

In 2010 Vin Cox rode the bike into the history books with his round the world record and since then our little experiment has never looked back. 

 

Ten years on and a few tweaks to the geometry later, it's still our original adventure bike.

 

We thought it would be fun to take a look at how the cornerstone of our range has changed over the years.

 

2009




The original! A pioneer of its time, the first generation was very much a cyclo-cross bike with added versatility. 

Listed at £1100 for the full build, the Reynolds 725 tubing featured mudguard and rack mounts, with the accompanying steel fork for durability.

Cable disc brakes were a risk on a drop-bar setup, as were 35mm-wide tyres in an era when 23mm slicks ruled the road. 


2014



It took five years for the original Croix de Fer to establish itself, but by 2014 a posher model could emerge. Launched alongside the original, the new variant featured Reynolds 931 tubing to reduce weight and improve the ride. Not forgetting its roots, the build remained very much practical, with a steel fork, cable disc brakes and the same gearing and tyre setup as the launch. 

 

2015



The modernisation of the Croix de Fer could commence! A range of bikes was launched with the range-topping stainless steel model featuring a carbon fork, bigger clearances and a 32-tooth cassette. 

But perhaps the biggest development was Shimano’s new hydraulic disc brake STI lever, allowing drop handlebar riders the chance to experience what mountain bikers had been enjoying for years!

2016



It was time to indulge ourselves with a titanium variant of the Croix de Fer! The ultimate all-road machine was capably supported by steel builds, all at more affordable prices. 

It was perhaps the decade edition of the Croix de Fer that was the more important bike. Created to celebrate 10-years of Genesis bikes, its core was the dependable Reynolds 725 frameset, finished with hydraulic disc brakes and file tread tyres. 



 

The drivetrain was a single chainring setup, with a wide-range 10-42 cassette and hinted toward the direction of the incoming gravel bike phenomenon. 

 

2020



With gravel bikes everywhere, disc brakes as standard, tyres widths ballooning and gearing setups not far behind, the environment inhabited by the Croix de Fer has changed beyond recognition. 

However, the latest Croix de Fer’s still remain relevant, while holding plenty in common with the original. 


The fantasy of having one bike, forever, that can do it all still enchants us here at Genesis, and that’s why each year we fall in love again with the original go anywhere, do anything bike.

What’s next? You’ll have to look elsewhere in our range for the answer to that question, where our Datum and Fugio have taken inspiration from the granddaddy of gravel. 

 

The old statesman will go on doing what it has always done, carrying on, without fanfare keeping riders happy wherever they may be.

Apr 30 2020
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