Looking for a Cheap Do-It-All Bike To Tear Apart Countrysides? Genesis Cda 30 May Be It

Folks, the history of Genesis Bikes is a rather short one, but that doesn't mean that it's not a notable one. That said, Genesis has been active in this industry since around 2001 and, in time, has specialized their approach to cycling, building bikes with and for a particular purpose, that of going just about anywhere you want. As time progressed, they tampered with road bikes, MTBs, and, these days, gravel.

All this leads us to the Cda 30, a gravel-destined hunk of double-butted aluminum that's designed to keep as much money in your pocket while still giving you the entry-level gravel experience you're seeking. Before you go on, take a moment to scroll through the image gallery; it'll make everything I talk about that much easier to understand.

Now, the 30 takes inspiration from an already-acclaimed bicycle from Genesis, the Croix de Fer, a do-it-all two-wheeler, and those traits are spotted in the 30 as well. Heck, Genesis states that this beauty is "suited for commuting, utility, touring, road, and gravel." it can ever be used as a winter bike, able to be equipped with mudguards.

All this magic revolves around an aluminum frame with a rather mixed geometry, a feature very commonly seen on gravel bikes. After all, this is one of them. The only feature I'm not a big fan of is that chromoly front fork, and if you're like me, you'll probably want to swap that out.

More on the frame design, it's important to note the wheel size this puppy can handle. Why? Well, this aspect dictates the sort of terrain your two-wheeler can handle and is designed for. Overall, the 30 is equipped with 700x37c rubbers, but there's no mention if it can handle anything wider. With that in mind, you should stay away from trails with exposed roots and larger stones.

Furthermore, that frame and fork, too, are tattered with countless cargo or water bottle cage mounts. The top tube has a set of mounts, and so does the seat tube. The down tube is covered in these babies, and so is the fork. Go ahead, and unleash your bikepacking dreams with this one. Better yet, let me paint a picture for you as to what life with a Cda 30 may be like.

I want you to picture yourself on a Monday morning, opening the garage door and letting the sunlight in. Dressed for work, you toss your laptop case in one of the racks you have mounted on the rear and lunch in the other. Maybe some water will help. Hop on and ride off toward the daily grind. Why not grab some groceries on your way home? And things go on like this for the next five days.

However, come the weekend, the 30 is ready to show you what it's really good for. Again, Saturday morning has you opening that garage door once again, but this time, the destination is outside of town, on some ridgeline, or by a local lake. You check the cargo racks, making sure you've got food, water, clothes, a sleeping bag, and even a tent. Tools? Of course! You even have space to bring along a cooktop and gas canisters. Sure, all that is going to weigh you down, but you've been training all week for this moment. Off you go.

As you ride, you'll start to take in some of the other gear the 30 has on it. For example, braking is offered by a set of mechanical disc brakes, a feature I'd change for hydraulic ones considering you're riding a proverbial packed mule. But then again, the price tradeoff had to happen somewhere. The drivetrain could also use a tad of work; a 10-speed Shimano cassette offers an 11-34T range. But the derailleurs are part of the Tiagra class, so not that bad. Couple that with a GRX 2x crankset, and things are starting to look a bit better.

Now, once we start throwing on components like those dropbars, wires, seatpost, seat, cranks, and all that good stuff, we're only looking at a bike with a total weight of 11.6 kg, which isn't bad at all for a bike that costs £1,100 ($1,400 at current exchange rates). Starting to understand why I decided to bring this puppy to your attention?

The only trouble you might run into trying to get your hands on a Cda 30 is the fact that Genesis is a UK-based crew, and shipping outside of that country might cost you a bit. Still, if we consider this puppy's price tag, the gear it comes with, and what it can handle, dropping a couple extra hundred dollars on shipping might not be such a bad idea. Just something to consider if you're looking for an entry-level gravel bike that'll be able to keep up with the bigger kids, if only for a little while.