Steel bikes: Genesis Equilibrium Disc 20 review

Genesis is chasing the sportive dollar with this steel stunner, claiming the Equilibrium Disc offers all-day comfort with a carbon fork that lets you eat up the miles.

On the face of it, these attributes, allied to a 105 groupset and decent tyres, are a recipe for success.

Frameset

The top tube features a pronounced slope, ensuring an easier fit for a wider leg-length of rider.

The frame itself is constructed with Reynolds 725 tubing – a 0.3% carbon-steel alloy that’s heat-treated and butted to create strength where it’s needed and save weight where it’s not.

We’re impressed with the standard of welding on this mass-produced machine, too. A carbon fork deals with vibrations from the front end, while slender chainstays and seatstays project from a 105 bottom bracket.

A slightly lazier head angle gives a predictable rate of turn-in, and contributes to a sensation of being utterly planted to the road at all times.

The hosing for the hydraulic stoppers is routed externally, as are the exposed cables for both the front and rear mechs.

They’re tweakable by way of brassy barrel adjusters at the head tube, but bear in mind that they’re directly in the line of fire of spray and other nonsense that gets flung from the road.

A standard 71mm bottom bracket drop makes for stable cornering.

Groupset

Yes, Shimano’s 105 groupset has almost become a cycling cliché. However, it bears repeating that the trickle-down effect of groupset technology has put this mid-range componentry on a par with the Japanese firm’s top-end gear of yesteryear.

The Equilibrium is wearing a 105 chainset with 52/36 chainrings, a 105 11-28 cassette, shifters, front and rear mechs (the former being band-on; you’ll struggle to find too many braze-on front derailleurs on steel bikes). Brakes are 105-equivalent hydraulic discs.

Finishing kit

Genesis has written the theme tune and sung the theme tune when it comes to the handlebars, stem and seatpost. All three are from the British brand’s in-house range of alloy bits and bobs.

The compact drop bars are a 420mm diameter arrangement, attached to the steerer by a 100mm stem.

A 27.2mm alloy seatpost should help to dial out vibes even further at the rear, and is topped by a (you guessed it) Genesis Road Comfort saddle, which lives up to its moniker 85% of the time.

Wheels

Genesis has even used its own disc-specific, 28-spoke alloy SR220 rims on this build, which ably accommodate the 28c Clement Strada LGG tyres fitted to them.

Aside from their very fetching appearance (when did you last say that about a tyre?), they’re grippy in both wet and dry conditions, and despite their light-cut, chevron-treaded nature, didn’t puncture once, even on some nasty local backroads. A very decent all-round set of tyres.

On the road

There’s only one word to sum up the Equilibrium as we roll it out on to the driveway for a lap of our test loop, and that’s ‘classy’.

Tan-wall tyres complement the powder-blue hue of the painted steel frameset in a way that reminds us of an old suicide-shifter-equipped Puch we once owned…

The Genesis is designed for long days in the saddle, and as such has its focus firmly set on comfort, with a smattering of adrenaline thrown in for free.

What you’ll find as soon as you’re a couple of miles into your maiden ride of the Genesis is that its composure shines through.

Those Clement tyres (we’ll forget how good the tan-walls look for now) perform well when it comes to ferrying you over rough tarmac, and the own-brand wheels rolling at either end of the Disc 20, while not the quickest to get going, do cope admirably with the task of propelling you along, up and down varying terrain.

They echo the Equilibrium ethos, in that everything in this package feels like it’s built to last – almost rugged in its durability.

Given the bike’s weight, it does lose out to other lighter rivals in the climbing department. Its brakes impress, however – you’re assured of consistent and predictable stopping in all conditions.

What you’re looking at here is a bike built for the long haul, and which does an admirable job of reminding you of the beauty and purity of road cycling.

A bike doesn’t need to be razor-sharp to offer decent handling performance. In truth, the majority of us would trade lean angle for sure-footedness, and the Genesis manages to supply you with a ride that spikes confidence.

Which should be no surprise, given its rangy wheelbase. Stability is enhanced, and therefore so is the assured way with which you can meter the hydraulic brakes on the run-up to a corner, tip the bike in and carve a confident arc through the turn.

As long as you make sure you’re giving the Genesis plenty of notice of your intentions, that is.

Mid-corner line adjustment is also nowhere near as slow as you might imagine, as we managed to tighten our line through a series of tight downhill twists with nothing more than a momentarily tightened sphincter for our troubles.

But the real benefit of Equilibrium ownership will be the way in which this bike powers over most road surfaces with little more than a shrug.

There are no jitters, no twitchiness; it performs the task of mainlining feedback and comfort to all the relevant contact points, for which it deserves to be commended.

No, we wouldn’t head to the Alps for a climbing holiday if all your mates have featherweight weapons, but for an enjoyable century ride with a few hills thrown in, this bike is a safe bet. 

RATINGS

Frame: Quality Reynolds 725 steel with smooth welds. 8/10 
Components: Solid 105 backed up with decent own-brand parts. 7/10 
Wheels: Reliable wheels, shod with excellent tyres. 7/10 
The ride: All-day comfort and confident handling. 8/10 

Verdict: An all-rounder with unquestioned panache, a rangy wheelbase gives the Equilibrium a sure-footed feel, inspiring confidence.  

Geometry

Spec

Genesis Equilibrium Disc 20 review (2017)

WordsJoseph Delves

21 November 2017

Genesis promises ‘all-day comfort’ from the Equilibrium Disc 20, thanks to its steel frame and carbon fork combination.

It’s certainly a versatile bike, coming as it does with 28c tyres on its Fulcrum wheels, along with Shimano’s hydraulic disc brake set-up and a dependable 105 groupset used for the lion’s share of the mechanical parts.

Frameset

The Equilibrium’s frame stands out from the norm these days by eschewing carbon (save for the 0.3% content in its frame tubes) for steel.

The Reynolds 725 tubing used for the frameset is heat-treated and butted to allow thinner metal to save weight and to create stronger junctions which increase stiffness.

Rounded profiles abound, in the best classic cycling tradition, with neat welds at the head tube and junction of the top tube, seatstays and seat tube.

A tapered head tube meets a carbon fork at the front end, which provides added stiffness.

The cabling for front and rear derailleurs and the rear brake is externally routed along the underside and top of the down tube, with the mech cables gaining a brassy barrel adjuster for fine-tuning of the set-up on the fly.

The cable for the front brake is routed through the left-hand fork leg, contributing to the classy look of the package.

For the medium-sized frameset we rode, a measured head angle of 73.2° is fairly laid back, while a seat angle of 74.1° promotes a comfortable riding position.

Mudguard and pannier mounts add to the versatility of this machine, making it suitable not only for sportives, but also for everyday commuting or even light touring duties.

Groupset

Genesis has equipped the bike with Shimano 105, which is an ideal compromise between performance, durability and affordability.

There’s 105 used for the 52/36 mid-compact chainset, plus the front and rear mechs, while the brake levers and hoods (which contain the hydraulics for the brake discs) are 105-equivalent RS505 units.

The brakes have a 160mm rotor up front and a 140mm at the rear. There’s an 11-28 CS5800, 105 cassette out the back, with a KMC 11-speed chain holding the drivetrain together.

Finishing kit

This is supplied entirely by Genesis’s in-house alloy components. A set of compact drop bars at the front have a 420mm diameter, while a 100mm alloy stem makes this set-up a comfortable reach.

The basic but functional approach continues at the rear, where an alloy 27.2mm seatpost wears a very supportive, yet comfortable, Genesis Road Comfort saddle.

Wheels

The Equilibrium runs Fulcrum Racing Sports wheels, identical to the wheels fitted to the Equilibrium 10 we tested last year.

They’re actually a cyclocross wheelset, but what they lack in sheer get-up-and-go they make up for in maintenance-free durability.

They’re weighty, but they’ll last as long as you want them to. As ever upgrading them would add more zip to the performance, though a set of Mavic Ksyrium Disc hoops – a typical upgrade purchase – would take the overall price of the bike beyond £2,000.

Clement’s 28c Strada LGG tyres feature a smoother centre for fast upright riding, with a cut shoulder for grip on varied terrain.

On the road

Steel, regardless of what anyone says, is a compromise in the 21st century. It will always be heavier than an equivalent carbon frame, even if its ride quality can outperform carbon.

So, what we notice immediately is the 10kg-plus bulk. However, this becomes an advantage to a degree on the first downhill stretch of our test loop, as the extra stability it affords the Genesis is much appreciated.

What the Equilibrium offers above and beyond carbon-framed rivals is an almost unshakeable determination to plough on through any terrain with the utmost composure and a healthy dose of comfort.

The 28c Clement rubber wrapped around semi-aero Fulcrum Sport rim allow the bike to glide over most tarmac.

Yes, those wheels really aren’t the quickest to get rolling, but once they’re up to speed they’re fine. Beyond this, they’re also a robust choice for a bike that’s built to last, built to go the distance, and to do so in such a way as to belie its bulk.

The steel construction does help to eliminate ripples in the road, and the relaxed riding position we employed with headset spacers evenly distributed afforded stress-free progress.

That progress, however, is necessarily at a lesser average speed than we’d normally demand.

The Equilibrium 20 is a bike that won’t respond as well to a good thrashing as lighter alternatives here, which might leave you feeling somewhat less rewarded for your input.

However, the 52-36 chainset and 11-28 cassette combine to at least allow some fairly big gears, which gives you some payback on rolling roads for giving it the big licks.

The hydraulic stoppers offer easy power modulation, and stacks of confidence, too. In all, the Genesis is a bike that will suit the rider who’s not so much concerned with smashing out a 100-mile PB as with enjoying the ride. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

The rangier wheelbase of the Disc 20 is accounted for in some part by long chainstays, which adds the expected level of stability.

Add to the mix a 170mm head tube with a measured head angle of 73.2° and what you end up with is a bike that approaches cornering with the solidity and predictability you’d naturally demand of a bike designed for big group rides.

The carbon fork and virtually bombproof Fulcrum wheels lend a touch of stiffness to the set-up, which does equip the bike with a surprising amount of manoeuvrability, even when it comes to fast changes in direction to avoid potholes or suicidal pheasants.

Where this bike excels isn’t in its lightning-fast downhill cornering ability, but when it’s spiriting you over rough roads and rippled corners.

It does this with a directness and predictability that will cosset newer riders and allow anyone to concentrate on the joy of cycling.

It’s not what we’d call a thrilling ride – although those fat tyres and unbreakable wheels do let you get away with more adventurous, looser terrain if you fancy it – rather it’s one which leaves you content, and almost at one with the world again.

Lose the bike computer, revel in the smooth ride, and buy this bike to fall in love with the simple pleasure of pedalling.

It’s almost guaranteed you’ll finish your sportive in higher spirits and somewhat more refreshed than your riding companions.

Ratings

Frame: Stiff and strong, well built and neatly finished. 8/10
Components: Dependable 105 parts with excellent hydraulic brakes. 7/10 
Wheels: Heavy but sturdy and dependable. 8/10 
The Ride: Not what we'd call lively but fast and fun enough. 8/10

Verdict

Delivers remarkable performance for the money. If you’re looking for a first bike for long rides that won't break the bank, or are a strong rider looking to upgrade, this is a belter of a bike

Geometry

Spec