Any thoughts on Genesis Vapour frameset?

GGBiker
GGBiker Posts: 450
edited June 2014 in Cyclocross
Lot of these going cheap on eBay, would it be suitable for racing? Can't find a weight for the frame/fork anywhere, any owners out there care to comment?

Comments

  • mikpem
    mikpem Posts: 139
    I got mine last year and had a season of cross racing on it. It's not the most exotic or fancy looking frame but it will take anything you throw at it and do a great job.

    I've also used it for touring and find it a nice comfortable place to be.

    As for weight I'm afraid I can't give you any figures but I've never found it hugely heavy with Tiagra components and the original wheels and I have to carry it up two flights of stairs to my office every day with my weedy little arms ;)
  • GGBiker
    GGBiker Posts: 450
    Thanks, I took the plunge on it last week as it was 40% off RRP, it's a nice bike, stock bike weighs 9.5kg without pedals so not bad. Upgrading the tyres and a saddle change could get it down to a respectable 9kg, 8.5kg with road wheels and tyres.

    Should be a cheap way into cross racing.
  • mikpem
    mikpem Posts: 139
    Was that through Winstanley's? That's where I got mine from and I noticed the other day they had dropped in price again.

    One thing to take note of if using regularly and racing is to keep an eye on the headset and BB bearings, I've spent a year riding mine every day through all kinds of weather (and sand!!) and kept it very clean on the outside without thinking about what greasy goodness I was washing away. Then yesterday my headset bearings made a funny noise on the way home. I opened it all up to notice the bottom bearings had almost rusted away and were falling through the cage, luckily a pair of replacement bearings only cost £3 so a couple of trips to work on the OH's bike this week and a few mins replacing them should have me on my way and I will be checking them a bit more regularly in future.

    We live and learn eh :/
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    OP - did you buy the whole bike or just the frameset. It wasn't clear from your topic name.

    If you did buy just the F/S, did you weigh it? I don't know much about the Vapour but I liked it the moment I saw it b/c the construction looked racy and not over-built like the Marin or Whyte cross bikes- they're more like Monster-cross to me. The geometry chart appeared decent but I've never ridden one.

    I reckon it's the sleeper hit in the Genesis CX line up rather than the CdF which is heavy and not a race machine.

    Ugo has a nice new Genesis frame which is quite pretty - do a forum search.
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • GGBiker
    GGBiker Posts: 450
    Bought the whole bike from Winstanleys, great deal. The geometry is very much race bike but comfortable, took it out on some trails at the weekend and it handles nicely, feels very stable.

    The weight with road wheelset/no pedals on was about 8.7kg, my carbon road bike with same set up was 8.3kg so by deduction the combined weight of the genesis frame and fork is likely to be around 2kg which is not bad given it's purpose.

    Planning to use it for cross racing and winter training (with road wheels).

    The supplied tyres are wire head and heavy but think I'll keep them until they wear out then invest in some nice Challenge Limus open tubulars.

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