Genesis Croix de Fer review: No longer all things to all people, and all the better for it

The new Genesis Croix de Fer has perhaps the longest lineage of any gravel bike, tracing its roots back to when gravel was simply messing about on a cyclocross bike in the woods. For that alone it’s probably worthy of a place in our list of the best gravel bikes, provided the latest model is actually good. 

Gravel has evolved, and with the 20:20 glasses of hindsight, the Croix de Fer of yesteryear had never been one really to push the boundaries of the genre, instead offering consumers a safe haven; a sorted platform that could turn its hand to any number of different tasks.