Genesis Equilibrium 2021

The Equilibrium has been part of Genesis' line up for many years now, and this latest version – with its Reynolds 725 frame and fork – is an absolute corker, thanks to a smooth ride and plenty of tyre clearance. The brakes could probably do with an upgrade, mind.

I reviewed the original Equilibrium when it was launched back in 2010, and it quickly became one of my favourite bikes. It's good to see that, all these years later, this 2021 model still has the same characteristics.

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Whereas that original bike used a Reynolds 520 tubeset and carbon fibre fork, the Equilibrium now has a Reynolds 725 steel frame with a Genesis steel fork – and the ride quality is beautiful.

As you no doubt know from reading my other reviews, I like my tyres pumped up hard; if the frameset is any good, it'll deal with the vibrations. And this one does. Taking to the back lanes sees it float across broken road surfaces. It just seems to dampen everything out and feels so composed.

It's not the lightest bike at 10.13kg on our scales, but it actually seems to benefit from it. It makes it feel a little more planted and stable without being a handful up the climbs.

These comfort levels mean you can ride this bike for hours without feeling battered or broken. That makes a big difference on something like an audax, riding a challenging sportive, or if you're out touring.

The Equilibrium achieves all of this while retaining plenty of feedback through its frame and fork, making it a bike you can feel and listen too. The geometry is slightly slacker than a race bike and that brings neutrality to the handling, helped by the longer wheelbase too.

This makes it perfect as a winter trainer, commuter or light tourer; anywhere you are likely to be riding in bad weather or poor road conditions.

As temperatures drop near to freezing and the roads get damp and cold, the WTB tyres struggle for grip. I could feel the traction go at the front straight away and correct it before the front tyre slid out on a roundabout.

Because the handling is so smooth and controllable, it won't really let you get flustered or overcompensate. It's a very easy bike to live with, and one that gives the rider confidence.

When it comes to descending, the Equilibrium isn't the sharpest handling machine out there, but it feels more lively and precise than many so-called endurance bikes on the market.

On my favourite descents, the Genesis tracks well and while there's a little bit of flex in the fork under heavy steering loads, that never detracts from the enjoyment or control.

It's the same at the bottom bracket area, where hard sprints or out-of-the-saddle climbing brings on a bit of sway around the chainset. I only really noticed because I was looking for it, though – for 99% of the riding this bike is designed for, it's never going to be an issue.

Frame and Fork

Reynolds 725 is a chromoly steel based on the industry-standard 4130 steel alloy, although unlike the cold-drawn 525 often found on cheaper bikes, 725 is heat treated. This increases the strength so the tube walls can be made thinner if you want to drop weight.

It's a nicely made frame, well finished at the joints, and I'm a big fan of white and blue paint job. It just looks a bit different against a lot of colour schemes out there.

Even with a steel frame, many brands will opt for a carbon fibre fork. It keeps the weight down for a start, although I'm glad Genesis has gone with the steel option here. It really helps the front-end ride quality, while giving the Equilibrium a bit of a classic look without going too retro.

Tyre clearance is good for both frame and fork at 30mm, thanks to the deep section, dual-pivot calipers which also allow you run full mudguards.

The mudguard mounts are all in a traditional position, so fitting is pretty straight forward without too much faffing and bending the stays. There are also rack mounts on the seatstays and the standard twin bottle cage mounting points.

Five sizes are available, ranging from XS to XL, and we have the medium that sits smack bang in the middle. The top tube is 561mm long, the head tube is 160mm and overall wheelbase is 1,016mm. The reach is 385mm and the stack, 579mm.

For the other sizes you can find a full geometry table on Genesis' website.

Finishing kit

Primarily the Equilibrium uses a Shimano 105 groupset, the only deviation being the deep-drop Promax RC-477 brake calipers and a KMC chain.

There isn't much that hasn't been said about the performance of 105. It's a brilliant groupset that delivers much of the shifting quality of Ultegra and Dura-Ace, but without their price tags.

The Genesis is using the latest R7000 iteration, and if you want the full ins and outs then head over to Dave's review to get the full details.

Here Genesis has gone for a 50/34t compact chainset paired to an 11-34t cassette. The majority of road bikes using 105 come with an 11-28t, so it's good to see the Equilibrium packing a couple of lower ratios to help offset the weight on the climbs.

As I mentioned, you aren't getting 105 brakes here as they limit tyre clearance to 28mm, and you won't squeeze mudguards through them either – at least not with a safe amount of clearance between guard and tyre.

The Promax RC-477 isn't the worst deep-section brake I've used, and they are at least decently stiff, which cuts down on flex when you brake hard. They can't compete with the TRP RG957s I run on my T2 though.

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The Promaxes don't quite have the punch, and in traffic I have to sit back a bit further from the car if front because I just didn't have the confidence they'd scrub off speed quick enough.

The finishing kit is all Genesis branded and decent quality stuff. The bar, stem and seatpost are all pretty generic, but plenty stiff and are easy to set up.

The Genesis Road saddle has a slender shape which is ideal for fast riding, while the firm padding offers comfort without creating too much bounce on rough sections.

Wheels and tyres

The wheels use Jalco MRS24 rims, which are relatively shallow at 24mm, but their width works well with the 30mm tyres.

The 32-spoke build front and rear adds to the weight, but it's certainly a strong set of wheels and to be perfectly honest I don't think I'd really upgrade unless shedding grams is the main priority.

Running smoothly throughout testing too were the KT hubs. The weather has been really changeable over the test period, and they've seen plenty of water and grit, but there hasn't been any grumbling from them.

Price and competition

A couple of months back I was thinking of updating my Kinesis T2 to something new, and a quick scan around the internet showed that the traditional rim-braked, mudguard-shod winter trainer/commuter isn't really available anymore, especially from the big brands. If you want steel that list gets even shorter.

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Ribble offers the Endurance 725 Sport for £1,399 with a Reynolds 725 frame, carbon fork, Mavic Aksiums and a 105 groupset. It's not a bike we've managed to get in for review yet, but I'd be really interested to see how it rides, especially as it does look a good deal.

The problem is that a lot of riders want carbon fibre, and when you can get something like the Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon for a grand, it looks very appealing. It's a lot lighter at 8.8kg, but with guards on you're limited to 25mm tyres. It's a great bike – I was certainly impressed when I reviewed it – but it's a completely different machine to the Equilibrium.

This is going to make me sound old, but the Boardman is almost like a winter trainer for the young 'uns. The Equilibrium may not be the lightest, but it has a beautiful ride and looks the part in my eyes.

Forget about weight – it's kind of irrelevant for this type of bike. If you want a comfortable, relaxing ride, from a bike that can deliver the speed when you want it, the Equilibrium is a very good choice.

Verdict

Classic winter trainer cum mile-muncher with a stunning ride quality, thanks to its Reynolds 725 frameset