But for races that are solely on roads, this should be more than adequate. The fork travel is 80mm, also made of aluminum, solid and reliable. In the actual use of mountain bikes, the stability of the fork determines the life of the bike. The Day One — its inaugural bike from 2001 — is still going strong as a low maintenance singlespeed with disc brakes and mounts for mudguards. The Vapour is Genesis’ CX race machine and there are three models available (10, 20 and 30).
genesis mountain bikeIf you’re looking for a fun bike that can also do the grunt-work when required, this is the one for you. But if you want a dedicated workhorse, the Croix de Fer or Equilibrium will probably suit you better. In addition, the relatively narrow tires of the Huffy Marker Women’s Mountain Bike 26×2.13″ performed better on flat trails, but were more difficult to control on wet, muddy terrain.
The Genesis Zeal 20 MGT has even stronger features than the Delta 30. It does compare, having the same type of tires, cassette, speeds, and brakes. However, the carbon fiber frameset, impressive height accommodations, and gender-neutral geometry put it on top. The level of efficiency offered by the bike begins to justify much higher prices.
genesis bicyclesHowever, the feel is very different, with a tire width of 45 millimeters. This bike’s tires will absorb bumps in the road much better than a road bike typically does, but it does so at the cost of top speeds. While you won’t be able to transfer as much of your leg power into raw speed, the comfortable feeling of smooth rides over gravel and bumps is a worthwhile tradeoff.
Twist shifters tend to be a quick and easy way to tell the quality of a bike. While aesthetically, the quality of the bike was fantastic, I did run into quality issues. The front shock squeaked when I went over bumps, and the front derailleur wouldn’t shift through all of the gears.