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It’s that time of the week again – Fast Bike Friday! Today we’re taking a look at the super-stylish Genesis Fugio 20, a split-personality utilitarian gravel adventure bike that’s not only capable of ferrying you and your camping gear over endless tracks and trails in remote locations but is also ready for fun-filled, playful trail riding when you’ve the left the luggage at home and are simply heading out for a quick blast at your local riding spot.
You may already be familiar with Genesis? They’re a UK bike brand with a reputation for producing modern road, mountain and gravel bikes with a romantic, nostalgic feel. Within each genre of cycling their ranges usually include beautifully crafted steel or titanium framesets (as well as more common aluminium or carbon options) and they’ve really gained quite a cult following over the past decade thanks to this sophisticated use of these frame materials which have been largely ignored by other global bike brands in recent years.
The Fugio 20 may be a functional, utilitarian adventure bike but Genesis haven’t missed the opportunity to give it some seriously stylish looks!…
Hang around with any group of gravel riders for a short length of time while onboard the Fugio 20 and you’ll no-doubt hear someone say ‘steel is real’ or talk about ‘the unique ride quality of steel’. If there’s any riders in your group who are over a certain age they’ll very quickly be looking off into the middle distance with misty eyes and begin enthusing over some steel bike or another that they had way back in the day; steel bikes do evoke a nostalgic mood, but let’s be clear these modern chromoly steel bikes are bang up to date and are certainly not all retro-style and no substance.
But what about that common ‘unique ride quality’ remark associated with steel bike frames? Well, there’s definitely something it; good carbon frames are known for being stiff and light but with some compliance cleverly engineered into them, aluminium frames are light and stiff too but are usually less forgiving than carbon frames. By comparison steel is a little heavier than alloy, but is renowned for giving a more comfortable ride, with a unique almost springy, responsive feel; it’s hard wearing too making it ideal for the rough-and-ready world of gravel riding and bike-packing. And it’s important to point out that these days modern steel frames aren’t THAT much heavier than frames made from other materials, thanks to very some sophisticated manufacturing techniques and clever engineering.
The Mjonlnir seamless double-butted chromoly frame gives a unique ride quality…
There’s a real mix of retro-styling and simple, traditional & functional elements within the frame, combined with more modern design features that will help to make your riding experience that more enjoyable. For example all gear and brake cables run externally along the frame making general servicing and emergency maintenance at the trail side that much easier – a key consideration if you’re heading out on a remote multi-day bike-packing adventure. There’s also a threaded bottom bracket and external headset bearings which are both more user-friendly in the long term when it comes to bearing replacements; for each traditional feature there’s a contrasting modern element – take the powerful hydraulic disc brakes, extra secure thru-axles and that lovely full carbon fork to provide you with a little extra comfort and compliance on the rough stuff.
Romantically retro looks but with all the perks of a contemporary gravel bike? Genesis have nailed it…
Scan your eyes over the frame and fork and you’ll quickly notice the copious amount of bolt-on-bosses that are ready for almost whatever you want to fit to your bike; frame bags, extra water bottles, top tube packs, mudguards or pannier racks are all legit options for this bike so if you do plan to head out on a bike-packing adventure then the Fugio 20 is more than ready.
Be prepared for regular ‘bike chat’ on your café stops, the Fugio garners a LOT of attention…
Pleasingly retro but with a contemporary twist – there’s a compliant carbon fibre fork with thru-axle to compliment the chromoly steel frame…
A rugged gravel bike that can handle multi-day adventures as well as playful sessions on your local trails needs a simple, reliable groupset that isn’t going to let you down, with crisp, predictable gear shifts that provide you with all the gear ratios you’ll need to negotiate tricky terrain and super-steep, loose gravel climbs. To meet the brief Genesis have spec’d the Fugio 20 with SRAM’s wonderfully simple but effective Apex 1 groupset; this 11-speed drivetrain consists of a single 42 tooth chainring upfront matched to a whopping 11-42 tooth cassette for a generous spread of gears that will help you cope with almost any gradient you encounter, even when the bike is heavily loaded with your bike-packing gear.
The Fugio’s SRAM Apex 1×11 speed drivetrain features a massive 11-42T cassette to help you climb efficiently even when you’re carrying luggage…
The SRAM Apex rear derailleur with clutch mechanism keeps your chain securely located on the chainring and cassette…
The Fugio’s alloy drop handlebars are flared and differ in width depending on which size of bike you’re on…
Genesis have gone with a 650B diameter wheel rather than a 700c; this allows them to spec a slightly fatter tyre (45c) to give more volume and as a result more cushioning from rough trail surfaces. The combination of the smaller 650B rim circumference and the fatter tyre gives an overall diameter that is very similar to a 700c wheel and slimmer tyre combination, this means you get the same amount of rolling-efficiency as a 700c – it’s basically a fast-rolling wheel that accelerates and holds its speed on tarmac but also cushions you on the rough stuff.
Fast-rolling WTB Venture tyres provide plenty of grip off-road without slowing you down on tarmac portions of your ride…
The Fugio 20 features a pair of WTB ST125 TCS 2.0 wheels with a nice wide rim profile that helps give a slightly squarer profile to the tyre meaning the sidewall of they tyre is not so dramatically pinched in towards the rim as would be on narrower rims. This square profile helps to increase the contact patch of the tyre with the ground and also helps to prevent pinch flats too. These gravel-specific wheels are shod with a pair of 650B x 45c Kenda Flintridge Pro GCT tyres; with a smooth centreline tread pattern and grippy shoulder knobs they roll really fast on the smooth stuff but when surfaces become more unpredictable off-road that more aggressive tread pattern really digs in and keeps you in control. The tyres feature GCT casing making the Flintridges ready to be set up tubeless while also providing a healthy amount of sidewall protection from sharp rocks and the like.
WTB ST i25 TCS 2.0 rims feature a 25mm internal rim width to give the tyre a nice square profile for a larger contact patch with the ground…
Even with wide 45C wide 650B tyres there’s plenty of clearance between tyre and frame / fork…
The Genesis Fugio 20 ticks a lot boxes – super-stylish with cool retro looks, utilitarian & ready to carry a substantial amount of bike-packing equipment, practical & user friendly – perfect for the home mechanic or for fixing your way out of a mid-adventure breakdown AND probably most importantly to a lot of you, it’s bags of fun out on the trails thanks to its trail-ready geometry, forgiving ‘steel is real’ feel, compliant carbon forks and those fatter tyres on 650B diameter wheels. If you’re looking for a modern classic with stunning looks and practical capability and don’t mind spending time explaining your bike to enthusiastic strangers at every café stop then the Genesis Fugio 20 may be the gravel bike for you!
Stylish but super-functional too, the Fugio is an adventure gravel bike that is bound to catch the eye of riders, ramblers and sheep!…
Full Specification:
- Frame: Genesis Mjolnir seamless double-butted chromoly
- Fork: Genesis full carbon Gravel Disk fork
- Headset: F17A Taper 1 1/8″ – 1 1/5″
- Shift Levers: SRAM APEX Hydrualic 11spd
- Rear Derailleur: SRAM APEX 1 Long Cage 11spd
- Cassette: SRAM CS PG-1130 11/42T 11spd
- Chainset : SRAM APEX 1 42T, XS/S = 170MM, M/L = 172.5MM, XL = 175MM
- Brakes: SRAM APEX Hydrualic disc
- Wheels: WTB ST I25 TCS 2.0
- Front Tyre: Kenda Flintridge Pro GCT 650B X 45C
- Rear Tyre: Kenda Flintridge Pro GCT 650B X 45C
- Stem: Genesis Alloy, 31.8mm, -6 deg, 100mm
- Handle Bars: Genesis Alloy, 16deg flare, XS = 420MM, SM/MED = 440MM, L=460MM, XL = 480MM
- Seat Post: Genesis Alloy 27.2 x 350mm
- Saddle: Genesis
The Genesis Fugio 20 might just be the ultimate freedom machine…
The Genesis Fugio 20 2021 is available in-store and online now.
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Studio photos by James Vincent
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