Genesis Bikes reveal Volant and new 953 frame

Earlier this year we spotted the Volant, the newest road bike from Genesis Bikes. It was still a prototype then, but things have moved on a bit and the bike will soon be going into production very soon. We managed to get a few details out of them about it, and some info on a new Reynolds 953 frame too.

The new Volant then is a entry-level road bike aimed at those new to cycling and wanting a lightweight and involving ride, or equally someone keen to get into road racing but doesn't want to break the bank on a carbon fibre frame.

Prices look good too,with four models  available, starting with the Volant 00 Shimano 2300 specced bike at £649.99. That's a cracking price for such a competent looking bike. The Volant 10 gets upgraded to Sora for £799.99, the Volant 20 gets Tiagra at £999.99 and at the top is the Volant 30 with Shimano 105, costing £1249.99.

The frame uses 6069 triple butted tubes and conventional road race geometry. We don't have any  official numbers on the geometry at the moment. On a visual inspection (as much as you can tell from a photo) it  appears to be as nicely put together as every Genesis that has every passed through the Road.cc office, we were certainly impressed with the prototype.

It's really nice to see Genesis showing their faith in aluminium and producing such a classy looking bike at some great prices. For those looking to get into road racing, aluminium is still a very good material that can hold its head up high above many carbon offerings. Not only is aluminium’s stiffness and low weight ideal for racing, it's far more affordable and deals with crashes better.

With the Volant taking care of the entry-level, that leaves an opening for a new flagship model, and one that will be raced by the new Madison Genesis team announced this week. Using the same geometry as the Volant, the new model will be made from pricier Reynolds 953 stainless steel tubing. Should make for a fabulous combination.

Genesis have a good relationship with Reynolds and we've seen some dabbling in 953 on their mountain bike side of things in the past, so we're confident they've got the know-how to put together a great frame.

While details are few and far between, we do know that it will be adorned with all the current fixtures, including an oversized head tube and tapered fork steerer and press-fit bottom bracket. Genesis haven't released the geometry details but talking about weight, they're confident it will meet the UCI's minimum weight limit of 6.8kg.

More details on both bikes when we get them.

www.genesisbikes.co.uk