Genesis
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Genesis is a British cycling brand renowned for pioneering the adventure and gravel bike category.
Description
Genesis is a British cycling brand renowned for pioneering the adventure and gravel bike category. Born from a simple philosophy—that versatile bikes should be designed to handle any terrain without compromise—Genesis creates bicycles for riders who refuse to be limited by convention. Their bikes are equally at home on tarmac, gravel tracks, towpaths, and even singletrack, making them the choice for adventurous cyclists seeking genuine all-terrain capability.
Genesis designs only bikes they love themselves, prioritizing thoughtful engineering and practical innovation over trends. The brand is particularly celebrated for their steel frames, which offer durability, compliance, and character. Their commitment to versatility is encapsulated in their original philosophy: “Drop bars don’t always mean tarmac. ‘Normal riding’ shouldn’t be a definition of accepted limits.” This ethos has guided the brand since its inception and remains central to their approach today. Genesis produces a diverse lineup including adventure and gravel bikes, road bikes, urban and utility bikes, touring models, and e-bikes.
History
Genesis’s story began in 2001 when designer James Olsen created the Day One—a flat-bar road bike produced under the Ridgeback brand (a British manufacturer also owned by Madison). The Day One’s popularity caught the attention of Ridgeback’s leadership, who saw potential for an entirely new brand focused on versatile cycling. This vision led to Genesis’s official launch as an independent label in 2006.
The brand’s inaugural range comprised thirteen models: five flat-bar Day One variants, a singlespeed drop-bar bike called the Flyer, and seven hardtail mountain bikes. Genesis quickly gained recognition for innovative design, with their love affair with steel frames beginning with the Reynolds 853 Equilibrium. In 2008, the brand released the original Croix de Fer—a steel drop-bar bike capable of accommodating wide tires, mudguards, and disc brakes. Though unnamed at the time, this model essentially invented the modern gravel bike category, predating the widespread popularity of the genre by several years.
Genesis bikes have achieved notable recognition beyond the cycling community. In 2010, Vin Cox set a Guinness World Record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle, riding a Genesis throughout his record-breaking journey. This feat demonstrated the practical reliability and capability of Genesis bikes in the most demanding real-world conditions.
The brand has further expanded its reach through professional cycling. In 2013, Genesis became the title sponsor of Madison Genesis, a newly formed British professional cycling team established by Madison CEO Dominic Langan to develop UK road cycling talent. The team rode Genesis steel Volare bikes in 2013 and 2014, and achieved its strongest season in 2015 by winning the Pearl Izumi Tour Series. In 2018, Connor Swift claimed the team’s biggest victory as British national road race champion. The professional partnership concluded when Madison Genesis ceased racing at the end of 2019.
Today, Genesis stands as a cornerstone of British cycling innovation, defined by their unwavering commitment to creating bicycles that expand possibilities rather than limit them. The brand’s evolution from a single popular model to a comprehensive range reflects their enduring philosophy: bikes should inspire adventure, accommodate versatility, and never compromise on quality.
Sources:
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1 bikes from Genesis in our collection
