The way UK based Genesis Bikes puts it, they have so many new bikes for model year 2017 that they don’t know where to begin. Well, we have a good idea where to start, and that’s with carbon and disc brakes. While Genesis has been a longtime supporter of disc brakes on every type of bike from road to trail, carbon is still a fairly new direction for them. Having introduced the Zero, a carbon road racer a couple of years ago, and the carbon all-road Datum last summer, they’ve come back now with two more all-new carbon bikes. The new Zero Disc is meant to be a top-level disc brake carbon road bike developed to support their road race team, while the new Vapour Carbon CX is a cyclocross bike to suit their own cross racing needs.
Moving on from there Genesis is also adding a dedicated women’s road line for next season, including a version of the Zero Disc and its predecessor Zero, plus the Datum and another alloy endurance bike. For smashing around town, they’ve adapted an alloy mountain bike design into the all purpose Skyline commuter. And then finally for proper trail riding they’ve stretched their steel Tarn line-up out to include 29″ wheels and at the same time widened up another version for 27.5+. Check out the details on all of it after the break…
Zero Disc carbon
Genesis’ road race line gets an all-new disc brake carbon bike building on four seasons of development feedback with their race team. For a UK-based team (and brand) the all-weather performance of disc brakes always made a lot of sense. The bike gets the same fast handling geometry of their first carbon bike the Zero, and a layup building on the same experience.
The 40/30T monocoque carbon frame gets a tapered headtube, full internal cable routing, a PressFit BB86 bottom bracket, 12mm thru-axles, and flat mount disc brakes (spec’d with 160mm rotors). It comes in five sizes from XS-XL, a number of different paint jobs, and sticks with a traditional 27.2mm seatpost.
The Zero Disc will come in four builds and two framesets, with the £3330 Zero Disc Z.i Di2 topping it out with an electronic Ultegra drivetrain and Fulcrum Racing 5 DB wheels, and claims a weight of 8.2kg. Next down the line, the mechanical Ultegra Zero Disc Z.3 will sell for £2900 and weigh in just 100g more. The Zero Disc Z.2 retails for £2400 with 105 at just 8.5kg, and the Zero Disc Z.1 for £2200 with Tiagra 10 speed at an even 9kg.
The standard white/gray Zero Disc frameset and Madison Genesis Replica team edition will both sell for the same £1800, with a claimed weight of 1440g for a large frameset, including frame & fork, both axles, a seat collar, and headset (a reduction of over 100g off the rim brake Zero.)
Zero carbon
The Zero carbon carries over unchanged for next season, but does get some updated graphics and build kits. Generally the new look uses less flashy paint jobs (except for the team replica), and starts out with the top Zero Z.3 at £2300 with mechanical Ultegra to the £1500 framesets.
Volare steel
The Reynolds 931 stainless steel Volare carries over in an updated team paint job for £1700, as does the Reynolds 853 heat-treated version for £900.
Vapour Carbon CX
Genesis is separating cross bikes out as a new category for next season. Their bread and butter has been the type of multi-surface bikes that cross over from adventure riding to cyclocross for many years, but with the addition of a dedicated carbon cross bike, they saw fit to distinguish CX racing from all around riding.
The top of the new category is their second new disc brake, carbon of the year. The Vapour Carbon CX is built of the same durable 30/24T carbon fiber mix that they developed on the gravel riding Datum, and is said to lend a similar ride feel.
The new frame gets tweaked for more mud clearance (it drops the seatstay bridge), plus it lengthens the bike’s trail for improved stability on choppy courses. It also gets a lot of the same tech as the Zero Disc: tapered headtube, full internal cable routing, a PressFit BB86 bottom bracket, 12mm thru-axles, 160mm flat mount disc brakes, and a 27.2mm seatpost. It even comes in the same five size range.
The Vapor Carbon CX30 is available for £2800 with mechanical Ultegra at 8.6kg, for £2300 as the Carbon CX20 with 105 at 8.84kg, and for £2100 for the Carbon CX10 with 10 speed Tiagra at 9.02kg.
A £1600 Vapor Carbon CX frameset is also on offer claiming a 1720g weight, including frame & fork, thru-axles, a seat collar, and headset.
Vapour CX alloy
The alloy Vapour CX gets updated with a new double-butted aluminum tubeset, and a small geometry tweak that brings it away from its all-purpose character and closer to that of a dedicated race bike. It does stick with post mount brakes and quick release axles, though. It offers lower cost of entry at just £1000 for the CX20 Tiagra bike, or £900 for the CX10 9 speed Sora build.
Zero Disc Women’s carbon
For next year Genesis has decided to add a women-specific lineup of their race and adventure road bikes. With their fairly universal stack+reach geometry and already small sizes, Genesis didn’t feel the need to shrink or otherwise rework their geometry for women. Instead they decided to offer a few high value bikes with narrower bars, shorter stems and women-specific saddles.
The bikes also get unique paint jobs (with a decidedly welcome lack of pink anywhere to be found.) There is some purple, and it’s not clear how they plan to solve the women-specific cockpit concept for three carbon frame sets they are offering? Well anyway, for anyone (man or woman) wanting the new carbon disc brake road bike in a more striking color, the Zero Disc Women’s comes in an eggplant purple look for the same £1800 as the white and black versions. All the tech and geometry are the same, but this color will only come in the smaller XS-M size range.
Zeal Women’s carbon & Women’s Delta alloy
Genesis also has a women’s version of the standard Zero carbon, that gets renamed the Zeal for the ladies. Again no tech updates, just an aqua blue for the £1400 Tiagra 10 speed complete, or £1200 for the white frameset. The rim brake carbon road racer does add one smaller size than the men’s version, coming in a 4 size XXS-M range.
For a more affordable alloy sportive bike both under 10kg, Genesis will offer their double-butted aluminum Delta for women as well. Sold as the £850 Women’s Delta 20 with Tiagra 10 speed, or £650 Delta 10 with 8 speed Claris, they are meant to offer a really low threshold to get new women onto a road bike.
Datum Women’s carbon
Back to a more performance offering for the all-road and gravel crowd, the carbon Datum also gets a women’s version. The £1900 complete sticks with Tiagra, but should offer a more comfortable ride in the 9.5kg purple package. A £1500 frameset is also available in the same reduced XS-M size range and a nice white and aqua paint job.
Skyline alloy
To keep commuting fun, Genesis has introduced a new alloy Skyline taking frame design and geometry cues from their mountain bikes.
The Skyline is built for year round, all-weather commuting, so comes built up with fenders on each of the three complete bikes. The £800 top-end build even gets integrated lighting. Disc brakes across the line bring the aggressive townies to a stop.
Tarn 29er steel
Lastly, Genesis has added a new trail riding hardtail to its steel mountain bike line.
They’re embracing more wheel and tire sizes, so the double-butted chromoly Tarn gets a new 29” big brother. The complete Tarn 29er will sell for £1600 with a Reba RL fork and and SLX drivetrain, available in S-XL sizes. The complete bike without pedals claims 13.4kg weight.
Tarn 27.5+ steel
The standard 27.5” Tarns get updated tire-sizes too. Here they go Plus-sized, spec’ed with 2.8” WTB Rangers.
The £1800 Tarn 20 27.5+ gets a Yari RL 120mm fork and SLX 1x to weigh in at a shade under 14kg. Then the Tarn 10 Rigid 27.5+ swaps in a full carbon rigid fork and Deore 1x drivetrain to come to £1200 and trim the weight back to 13.28kg.
The rigid Tarn 27.5+ frameset is also available separately, weighing in at 3980g with frame, fork, axles, seat collar, and headset.
