There are strengthening gussets where the down tube and top tube meet the tapered head tube and the seat stays are an old school wishbone style, the lack of a bridge gives ample mud genesis mountain bike clearance. The angles are steep, the front end is low and there aren’t mudguard or pannier mounts. 33c tyres are specced (the maximum permitted in UCI sanctioned cyclocross races), while the maximum tyre size recommend is 35c.
We have no official word when the expected rear-wheel-drive version will appear. For beginners, a bike saddle’s minimum height should be right at the top of the child’s inseam, so that they can get their feet flat on the ground. The genesis bike handlebars should be at a level where the child is comfortable—generally around belly button height—with the child standing flat on the ground straddling the bike. If the seat is set at the lowest height, the bars should be, too.
For those interested in dipping their toes into racing, or just want a sportier feeling bike, the Zeal range is Genesis’ entry level carbon option. Although the frame is steel, it’s relatively lightweight with a carbon fork and no excess components weighing it down. Due to being disc brake only, the bridge between the seatstays could be removed. This further increases mud clearance and also adds to the frame’s compliance, providing better control. Definitely not a versatile bike; this is designed with only CX racing in mind and makes no compromises – except for, perhaps, its two sets of bottle bosses. There aren’t mounting points for front or rear pannier racks; strap on bike-packing bags are the weapon of choice here.
Its 1×9 drivetrain keeps things simple, while the swept back riser bars give the rider a more upright position. The Tour de Fer is a steel touring-specific bike with a longer, stable wheelbase, and comes complete with mudguards and racks. Finally, for the bikepackers, the Longitude is a fully rigid, steel-framed mid-fat expedition adventure bike. Genesis produces bikes for all cycling disciplines, including road, mountain, cyclocross, gravel/adventure and commuting.
Yet a poorly assembled wheel with uneven spoke tension is far more likely to have issues. That’s why the majority of new owners reported that their Genesis V2100 was delivered with bent wheels, right out of the box. This may have been done on purpose, to match the out of true Promax disc brake rotor. The brake can be adjusted, and may offer a fair amount of braking power, but it’s difficult to locate replacement parts, as most brake shops don’t carry pads for the very bottom of the barrel components like this.
We love the sealed, mudproof front hub and the lightweight but very tough 20-spoke alloy rims. (Most bikes we tested feature 28 or even 32 spokes. Only the Woom 3 had a lower count at 16.) The fewer spokes, the lighter the wheel and the easier it is to pick up and ride. The Pello’s feathery but tough alloy fork bolts to the frame via a rugged headset manufactured by Cane Creek, a venerable name in the mountain biking world. We really dug the Pello’s 0.75-inch-diameter BMX-style handlebars. They enabled a more Woom-like beginner-friendly upright posture than other first off-road pedal bikes we tested while still enabling aggressive hammering. At $230, the Raleigh Rowdy 16″ is a lightweight aluminum mountain bike with kid-friendly geometry, a freewheel, front/rear linear-pull hand brakes, but the aggressive, 21-inch-wide flat handlebars are uncomfortable and make the bike slow to turn.
Pello opted not to equip the Revo with a front hand brake—their thinking being that especially in a beginner off-road bike, this could result in trips over the handlebars. Instead, the bike comes with an easy-to-squeeze and powerful Tektro rear brake as well as a coaster brake. The Woom 3 comes with 1.5-inch Schwalbe knobby tires, which provided a good blend of off-road grip and on-road speed. The fat, semi-knobby tires perform well on dirt or pavement, and the bike’s coaster brake engages without the need for much force. With over 1.5 inch of adjustability between spacers on the handlebar stem and a widely adjustable seatpost, this bike can fit a wide range of kids.
The BMX-style Schwinn Scorch and Iris are solid, coaster brake-equipped bikes that our testers genuinely enjoyed riding. However, they were 4 to 6 pounds heavier than similar bikes (without training wheels), making them tougher for our tykes to maneuver without help. All of the ball-bearing assemblies—pedals, wheels, headset, and bottom bracket—were buttery smooth in operation and had no back-and-forth play. Everywhere from genesis bicycles headset to wheels, you’ll find recessed Allen bolts to protect skin from protruding metal. It’s an uncomplicated bike that your kid will enjoy for whipping around the neighborhood and over mild dirt trails and whoop-de-doos. The Core range is based around a 6061 aluminium tube set that is butted where needed with some gentle manipulation to ovalise the down tube as it meets the seat tube at the bottom bracket shell.
A new-for-2024 option allows buyers to choose 19-inch wheels, which the EPA says increases the range of the GV60 Advanced to 264 miles. The entry-level Standard model with the rear-wheel-drive powertrain is the range leader though and is said to be good for up to 294 miles of driving per charge. Hooked up to a DC fast-charging station, the GV60’s battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent capacity in just 18 minutes, according to Genesis. On our 75-mph highway range test route, the GV60 Performance provided an observed driving range of 200 miles. While the Standard trim gets just one 225-hp electric motor driving the rear wheels, the Advanced and Performance trims come with two motors and all-wheel drive as standard.