Which Genesis Croix de Fer Is Right for You? The Full Range Compared.

The Genesis Croix de Fer has been the default answer to "one bike for everything" in this country for well over a decade. The problem is that there are now eight complete bikes and three framesets in the range, the numbers run from 10 to 60, and Genesis doesn't make it especially obvious what you actually get for the extra money.

We build every Croix de Fer we sell, in our workshop in Bow. So we get to see what changes between them, not just what the spec sheet claims. This guide walks through the whole range, tells you where the meaningful jumps are, and where you'd be paying for something you'll never notice.

🔧 What Every Croix de Fer Has in Common

Before the differences, the things that don't change. Every bike in the range shares the same core recipe, and it's the reason the Croix de Fer has the reputation it does.

• A steel frame: Every complete bike in the range is steel, from the Genesis Mjolnir chromoly on the entry models up to Reynolds 725 from the 20 upwards. Steel flexes in a way that takes the sting out of bad tarmac, and a well looked after frame will outlast several sets of components.
• Rack and mudguard mounts: All of them. This is what separates the Croix de Fer from most gravel bikes, which look great and then can't carry a pannier or keep your back dry in November.
• Disc brakes, but not all hydraulic: Both flat bar models run hydraulic brakes, and so does everything from the 30 upwards. The drop bar Croix de Fer 10 and 20 use mechanical callipers. Mechanical brakes work perfectly well and are easy to service anywhere, but hydraulic gives you more power for less effort at the lever. Worth knowing before you pick a model.
• Room for wide tyres: 45mm across the current range. Enough for towpaths, bridleways and the state of most East London roads.
• The same geometry: Long, stable, comfortable. A Croix de Fer 10 and a Croix de Fer 50 put you in the same position. You are not buying a racier bike as you go up.

That last point matters more than people expect. Spending more does not get you a faster-handling bike. It gets you better tubing, better gears and less weight.

🚲 Drop Bar or Flat Bar? Answer This First

This is the fork in the road, and it decides more about how much you enjoy the bike than any component on it.

Flat bar gives you an upright position, better vision in traffic, and controls you already understand if you've only ridden hybrids or mountain bikes. For a daily commute across town, it's often the honest answer. We sell the Croix de Fer 10 Flat Bar in Bloodie Hues and Candy Warhols, the outgoing colourway, plus the Croix de Fer 20 Flat Bar.

There's a second reason the flat bar models suit commuters, and it's easy to miss on a spec sheet. Both of them come with hydraulic brakes, while the drop bar 10 and 20 use mechanical callipers. If your riding is mostly wet, dark and full of traffic, that's a real argument.

Drop bar gives you multiple hand positions, which is the thing that stops your hands and shoulders aching after three hours. If your rides regularly go past an hour, or you're planning tours and long weekends, drop bars earn their keep.

"If your longest ride is 40 minutes to the office, flat bar. If you're dreaming about the South Downs Way with a tent on the back, drop bar. Most people know which one they are."

If you're also weighing up the Croix de Fer against its sibling, we've written a separate guide on the Genesis CdA vs the Croix de Fer.

📊 The Full Range at a Glance

Current prices for every model are on the individual product pages, linked below.

🔢 Model by Model

Croix de Fer 10 Flat Bar

The way into the range, and quietly one of the best commuter bikes you can buy at this level. Genesis Mjolnir chromoly frame, Shimano CUES 1x9 gearing, Shimano MT200 hydraulic discs and tubeless ready wheels with 45mm Maxxis Reaver tyres. One chainring means one shifter and nothing to think about. Fit mudguards and a rack and it will do five days a week for years.

Available in two colourways: Bloodie Hues and Candy Warhols.

Croix de Fer 20 Flat Bar

Same frame, same upright position, same hydraulic brakes, but Shimano CUES 1x11 instead of 1x9. Two extra sprockets and a wider cassette give you a lower bottom gear, which you'll appreciate if you carry a heavy bag or ride anywhere with real hills. A modest step up for a noticeably better drivetrain, and worth it if you carry weight.

See it here: Croix de Fer 20 Flat Bar

Croix de Fer 10

The drop bar starting point. Mjolnir chromoly frame, Shimano CUES 2x9 gearing and the same tyre clearance as everything above it. Two chainrings give you a usable range for loaded riding, which is more than most bikes at this level offer. Note that this one runs mechanical disc brakes rather than hydraulic. They stop the bike and they are simple to adjust, but you pull harder at the lever.

Available in two colourways: Whitehouse Family and Bronze Jovi.

Croix de Fer 20

Here's the first jump that genuinely changes the bike. The 20 moves from Mjolnir chromoly to Reynolds 725, which is heat treated and drawn thinner. That means a frame that's lighter and, more importantly, more comfortable over a long day. Shimano CUES 2x10 gearing keeps things simple and affordable to service.

If your budget stretches past the 10, this is the one we'd point you at. The tubing upgrade is the single best value step in the whole range.

See it here: Croix de Fer 20

Croix de Fer 30

Reynolds 725 frame with the same Shimano CUES 2x10 gearing as the 20, so on paper the two look close. The two changes that matter are hydraulic disc brakes and thru axles front and rear. The brakes give you more stopping power for less effort at the lever, which counts when you're loaded or riding in the wet. Thru axles hold the wheel more precisely, and you notice it most braking hard on a heavy bike.

See it here: Croix de Fer 30

Croix de Fer 40

Same Reynolds 725 frame and thru axles as the 30, but this is where Shimano GRX arrives. GRX is Shimano's gravel specific groupset, and here it's 1x12 with an 11 to 51 tooth cassette. That is a huge spread from one chainring. You get an easier climbing gear than the 30 and a simpler front end, at the cost of slightly bigger jumps between gears.

Rambler tyres in 45mm and tubeless ready rims mean it's set up for rough stuff straight out of the box. If you're loading a bike for bikepacking and want the lowest possible gear, this is the pick.

See it here: Croix de Fer 40

Croix de Fer 50

The top of the standard range, and the one place where the money goes somewhere you can actually feel. Same Reynolds 725 frame as the 30 and the 40, but the Amplitude G200 carbon fork replaces the steel one and takes close to 900g off the front of the bike. That is the single biggest weight saving anywhere in the range, and it sits exactly where you notice it, in the steering. Shimano GRX RX820 2x12 is the current top gravel groupset.

This is the one for people doing long distance and audax style riding who still want steel and still want to fit a rack.

See it here: Croix de Fer 50

⚡ The Croix de Fer 60: The Electric One

The 60 takes the Reynolds 725 frame and adds a Mahle X20 motor with 55Nm of torque and a 171Wh eX1 battery hidden in the down tube. Shimano GRX 2x12 handles the gears.

The thing that matters here is weight. Most electric bikes are heavy enough that you feel it the moment the battery dies, and lifting one onto a train or up a flight of stairs is a two-person job. This is a lightweight assist system, so the 60 sits far closer to a normal Croix de Fer than to a typical e-bike. It still rides like a bike when the battery runs out. That is the whole point.

The trade off is range. 171Wh is a small battery, so it is designed to take the edge off, not to carry you 80 miles without pedalling. If you want assistance on hills and headwinds while keeping a normal bike, it's excellent. If you want to barely pedal, look elsewhere.

See it here: Croix de Fer 60

🛠️ The Framesets: 725, 931 and Titanium

If you already know what groupset and wheels you want, or you have a stack of good parts from an old bike, a frameset is often better value than a complete bike. All three come with a fork, headset and seat collar, so you're not hunting for odd parts. You'll find all of them on our frameset page.

• Croix de Fer 725 Frameset: Reynolds 725 steel frame with a matching Genesis chromoly fork, 12mm thru axles, EC34 headset and a 29.8mm collar. The sensible choice for a rebuild or a first custom build.
• Croix de Fer 931 Frameset: Reynolds 931 stainless steel with a full carbon fork. Stainless means it will not rust, which for a winter bike in this country is a genuine argument. Note that the T47 bottom bracket is sold separately.
• Croix de Fer Ti Frameset: 3AL-2.5v titanium with a full carbon fork, IS42/IS52 headset and thru axles included. This is the forever frame. It will outlast several sets of components and most of the bikes you own.

A word of honesty on the framesets. By the time you've bought a groupset, wheels, bars, stem, seatpost and saddle for the 931 or the titanium, you're comfortably past what a complete Croix de Fer 50 costs. Framesets make sense when you want something specific, not when you want to save money. If that's the route you're taking, our workshop builds custom bikes from the frame up.

💷 Buying One Through Cycle to Work

Worth knowing before you decide on a model. Every Croix de Fer in this guide is available through Cycle to Work, and it typically saves you between 32 and 42 percent depending on your tax band. That often moves people up a model, because the 20 on a salary sacrifice scheme can cost you less each month than the 10 bought outright.

We accept Cyclescheme, Green Commute Initiative, Halfords, Bike2Work and Vivup. Green Commute Initiative in particular has no upper limit, which matters if you're looking at the 50, the 60 or a custom frameset build.

🎯 So Which One Should You Buy?

• Daily commute, want to keep it simple: Croix de Fer 10 Flat Bar. Add mudguards and a rack and stop thinking about it.
• Commute plus hills or a heavy load: Croix de Fer 20 Flat Bar for the wider gear range.
• Longer weekend rides, first drop bar bike: Croix de Fer 10 if the budget is tight, Croix de Fer 20 if it isn't. The 20 is the better bike and the Reynolds 725 frame is the reason. If hydraulic brakes matter to you, skip to the 30.
• Serious gravel and off road: Croix de Fer 30 for hydraulic brakes and thru axles on a two chainring setup, Croix de Fer 40 if you want Shimano GRX, the lowest gear and the simplest drivetrain.
• Long distance, audax, one nice bike for everything: Croix de Fer 50.
• You want help on hills without a heavy e-bike: Croix de Fer 60.
• You already know exactly what you want: one of the three framesets, and let's talk about the build.

You can see the whole range alongside the rest of what we stock on our touring and gravel bikes page.

📏 Getting the Size Right

The Croix de Fer runs from X-Small to X-Large, and Genesis sizing is fairly generous. Most people who are between two sizes are better off on the smaller one with a longer stem, because you can always add reach and you can rarely take it away.

Rather than guessing from a chart, message us your height, your inside leg and what you currently ride. We do this every week and it takes two minutes. Getting the size wrong is the single most expensive mistake you can make when buying a bike online.

❓ Common Questions

What is the difference between the Croix de Fer 20 and the 30?

Less than the numbers suggest. Both use the Reynolds 725 frame and both run Shimano CUES 2x10 gearing. The 30 adds hydraulic disc brakes in place of mechanical callipers, and thru axles front and rear. If you stay mostly on tarmac and towpaths, the 20 is plenty of bike. If you ride loaded, in the wet, or off road regularly, the hydraulic brakes alone make the 30 worth it.

Is the Croix de Fer a good commuter bike?

It's one of the best, and that's because of the mounts. Every model takes a rack and full mudguards, which most gravel bikes can't. Add wide tyres and a steel frame that shrugs off potholes, and you have a bike that handles a London winter without complaint. If your commute is your main use, look at the flat bar models first. They give you an upright position in traffic and hydraulic brakes as standard.

Which Croix de Fer models have hydraulic brakes?

Both flat bar models, the Croix de Fer 10 Flat Bar and the 20 Flat Bar, and then everything from the 30 upwards. The drop bar Croix de Fer 10 and 20 run mechanical callipers instead. If you want drop bars and hydraulic brakes, the 30 is the first model in the range that gives you both.

Can I buy a Croix de Fer through Cycle to Work?

Yes, every model in the range. We accept Cyclescheme, Green Commute Initiative, Halfords, Bike2Work and Vivup, and most riders save between 32 and 42 percent depending on their tax band. Green Commute Initiative has no upper limit, so it works for the higher end of the range and for custom frameset builds.

Visit Us in Bow

Every Croix de Fer we sell is built and safety checked by our own mechanics before it goes out. We were named Independent Bike Dealer of the Year 2025, and over 770 riders have rated us five stars. If you're weighing up two models, or you're not sure about sizing, talk to us first. We'd rather spend ten minutes getting it right than sell you the wrong bike.

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Visit Aztecs Bikes in London today and ride home with confidence.