Genesis Croix de Fer 2014

road · 2013-11-15T16:57:17+00:00

Hi I am thinking of buying a Genesis Croix de Fer to replace my Charge Filter Mid 2011 as my winter bike. I would use it for commuting and winter club runs. I hate the groupset on the Charge (Shimano 2300) and the brakes (crappy cantilevers, despite various different brands of pads and endless tweaking of the cables when necessary) I've never ridden a bike with discs brakes before. I've seen contrasting articles as to whether mechanical disc brakes are any good. Cyclocross people seem to dislike them at the moment, but then I am very unlikely to get the bike as caked in mud as them to cause the problems some of them report (i.e. massive brake fade). General roadies/commuters seem to love the bike though. Am I best to wait until hydraulic disc brakes for road bikes have been around for a while? Other than that, the bike seems fantastic. I would probably take the knobblier tyres off for road use - what would be the narrowest road tyres I could put on those wheels?

This topic has 19 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 8 months ago by rouliane.

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November 15, 2013 at 4:57 pm #20211

road

Hi

I am thinking of buying a Genesis Croix de Fer to replace my Charge Filter Mid 2011 as my winter bike.

I would use it for commuting and winter club runs.

I hate the groupset on the Charge (Shimano 2300) and the brakes (crappy cantilevers, despite various different brands of pads and endless tweaking of the cables when necessary)

I’ve never ridden a bike with discs brakes before. I’ve seen contrasting articles as to whether mechanical disc brakes are any good. Cyclocross people seem to dislike them at the moment, but then I am very unlikely to get the bike as caked in mud as them to cause the problems some of them report (i.e. massive brake fade). General roadies/commuters seem to love the bike though.

Am I best to wait until hydraulic disc brakes for road bikes have been around for a while?

Other than that, the bike seems fantastic. I would probably take the knobblier tyres off for road use – what would be the narrowest road tyres I could put on those wheels?
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November 16, 2013 at 6:06 pm #762967
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Cyclist

@Bendertherobot… I can’t
@Bendertherobot… I can’t make out who built your wheels?

Thanks

November 16, 2013 at 4:25 pm #762965
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bendertherobot

Super bike.
But, why not
Super bike.

But, why not build it yourself?

Frame and forks, then SRAM Apex and some nice handbuilts.

Finishing kit should bring it bang on RRP of the normal bike but it will be so much better.

Here’s mine:

November 15, 2013 at 9:38 pm #762963
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carytb

Ditto
Ditto

November 15, 2013 at 8:29 pm #762961
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Gemianini

I have had a Croix de Fer
I have had a Croix de Fer 2013 since March 2013 and use it now predominantly for commuting. It arrived with CX tyres though, so to begin with I was out with my son on his mountain bike and it was fantastic; responsive, nice to handle, and the brakes were great. The tyres got too many punctures commuting though, so I’ve swapped them for Conti Touring plus which are much more robust – but obviously little good for anything rougher than forest trails etc. It’s loaded up now with full length mudguards and a disc-specific rear rack, and as a work horse it is equally fantastic. You can clip along at 18-20 mph quite well, but the handling is much less ‘skittish’ than a dedicated road bike – I presume highlighting its CX orientation. Can’t recommend it enough.
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