Thinking of getting one of these on the ride to work scheme. Anyone got an opinion of the bike?
Never having owned a steel framed bike before I was wondering what the paint quality is like and is rust a problem due to stone chips?

Also, how do the frame sizes measure up? I’m 5’10’.

I can’t comment on the Latitude, but I have a 2 yr old Altitude.

I’m 5ft10″, 32″ inside leg and I’m happy on the 19″ frame – I like a longish top tube and the 17″ felt just a little too small. (My other MTB, to give you an idea, is a medium C’dale Rush.)

The paint on mine is fine. I bought it mainly as a winter/rainy day bike for those days when I didn’t want to ruin the FS, but it gets used all year because I enjoy riding it hugely. Given the choice of only one bike I’d be happy with the Altitude rather than the FS. Anyway, the point of that is that the bike gets used a lot, in all conditions and so far I haven’t found any problems with rust. I don’t tend to fuss about maintenance so it’s not exactly ridden, washed, dried and lubed before storage either. But having said all that I haven’t had rust problems with any of the steel bikes I’ve had over the years.

HTH.

Same geometry as the Cores, which is what our hire fleet is now. I really like them – nice natural riding bike, very easy to like.

Can’t comment on the Genesis but I test rode the similiar looking Enigma Ego Steel and it was amazing, very light and the build was superb, especially the fillet brazed version. Not sure of price difference though.

My post would be a mirror image of IdleJons. I have the “Altitude” 10 and its a superb bike – bought for training / winter work but I ride it all year, and I’ve even raced it.

No rust or paint chip issues (they have a lifetime warranty on failure anyway) and superbly compliant / comftable bike.

Get it you’ll love it.

I’m 5’11” & ride a 2010 Altitude 00 in 19″ flavour. My paintwork has chipped on the chainstays (chainslap – lizard skins solved this) and three big gouges on the TT from some big offs (helicopter tape has stopped any more happening), but I’ve not had any probs with rust where it has gone. The bike’s a pleasure to ride & it handles well with the 120mm rebas I put on there.

Brakes are rubbish, as are the tyres (unless they’re the new MKs, as I’ve not used them) and the saddle a little uncomfortable. The sealing on the FSA headset is crap too.

Genesis seem to dislike adding much grease on anything at the factory though, so I’d advise checking everything when you get it. My BB had seized in the frame and the stem bolts “cracked” when I stripped the bike over winter. My friend found the same with his Croix de Fer.

I’m 5ft10″, 32″ inside leg and I’m happy on the 19″ frame – I like a longish top tube and the 17″ felt just a little too small.

I am pretty much the same size but ride a 17.5″ as the 19″ is too long for me.

Mate at work has just brought one, on the quick spin i had it felt very good, and hes been raving about it for weeks

All sounds pretty positive so far. Just need to try one out for size.
My inside leg is 32″ so a 19″ is probably right but I’d like to try the 17.5″ too.

5′ 10.5″ here, I ride a 17.5. I could ride a 19″, but the extra standover and relatively long top tube anyway led me to go for the smaller size, and I’m glad I did.

The paint isn’t as bad as on On Ones say, but it can chip. First ride on my 853 steel one and a rock flung from my front wheel chipped some paint off the downtube. Other than that all ok though.

As far as rust is concerned, well, I hate to break it to you but all non stainless steel rusts! If it’s unpainted/unretreated it will corrode sooner or later. I just sprayed some shotgun oil in all the frame holes on mine, and down the seat tube, and 2 years on no rust issues still. You could go as far as waxoyling it if you were that way inclined! Or just leave it, it wil take 10 years or more even untreated for the rust to become a problem…

Or just leave it, it wil take 10 years or more even untreated for the rust to become a problem…

Exactly. Rust proofing is a lot of fuss for a bike that’s unlikely to be in use when it rusts through.

I’ve had 4 steel bikes over the years (well, more than that if I include 10sp ‘racers’ from childhood).

Never had a problem with rust, but never kept one for long enough perhaps?

Great bikes. I got the frame only and built it up. 6 foot and a 19inch here. IdelJon, my other bike’s a Rush too 🙂

Best set up with 120mm forks IMO. It’s my do it all, bike packing, comuting, winter, XC, AM bike….eh, so it does everything then!

I wasn’t too sure about it at first as i thought that it wasn’t very exiting to ride but after a few rides I discovered that it was because it was doing everything superbly well and had no vices. Previous bikes have all had “character” traits in some form or another but I find that the latitude just allows you to do what you want to do and doesn’t complain about it. It’s a keeper.

PaulGillespie – Member
Great bikes. I got the frame only and built it up. 6 foot and a 19inch here. IdelJon, my other bike’s a Rush too

An excellent combination, even if I do say so myself! 😉

The Rush is a seriously good bike, and highly rated by people like Dirt mag, so it shows how good the Genesis is when I often prefer riding that bike.

Thanks for all the advice. I’m looking forward to getting my new bike and blasting through the trails! 🙂