What is it? Its a Genesis Croix de Fer 2014 What sort of bike is that? Reynolds 725 steel adventure bike How old is it? It’s a 2014 model, I got it in November 2014 and have commuted on it since. How much does it cost? About £1050 pounds, although the specs have changed since, there is more choice Why did you choose it? I like the feeling of a steel frame, I like that I can crash it in the dark winter nights without worrying that it might break, and I think it is a great looking bike. At the time it was the best choice for a steel disc brake adventure bike under about £2000. What is the best thing about it? It rolls beautifully, it’s not the lightest bike but when you get it up to speed it is great. What is the worst thing about it? I don’t know that I can think of anything that is ‘worst’ about it. The cable disc brake at the rear can ice up in the worst weather, that’s not great when it first happens, but that’s not the bike’s fault - I probably don’t look after the cables well enough. What have you changed? I changed the saddle to a nice leather Bill Amberg studio model from Charge, and I changed the big chainwheel when it wore out. I put an older model Tiagra one on, one that looks less like a dinner plate. I have gone through plenty of tyres, currently it has huge heavy 37mm Vittoria tractor tyres on, great for the commute. What would you change if you could? If I was going to spend any money on it I would go to hydraulic discs to prevent the one or two times a year that the cables freeze up. If I was going to spend lots of money I’d be tempted to go to Di2. Spec: Frame: Reynolds 725, disc-specific, w/ rack & mudguard eyelets Fork: Double Butted Cr-Mo Unicrown w/ double eyelets & lowrider bosses Front Derailleur: Shimano Tiagra 4600 10sp Rear Derailleur: Shimano Tiagra 4601 10sp Number of Gears: 20 Shifters: Shimano Tiagra 4600 10sp Chainset: Shimano Tiagra FC-4650 Chainrings: 50/34T Bottom Bracket: Shimano HollowTech II Cassette: Shimano CS-4600 12-30T 10sp Chain: Shimano CN-4601 10sp Pedals: VP-363S w/ Toeclip Brakeset: Hayes CX Expert w/ L1 160mm Lightweight Rotor Brake Levers: Shimano Tiagra 4600 Handlebars: Genesis Road 0.3 Compact, 125mm drop x 70mm reach Stem: Genesis Road 0.2, 31.8mm, +/-7 degrees Rise Headset: M:Part Elite 1-1/8” Sealed Cartridge Grips: Microfiber Anti-Slip w/ Silicon Gel Rims: Alex XD-Lite, Disc, 32H Front Hub: Shimano Deore M525, 6-Bolt, 32H Rear Hub: Shimano Deore M525, 6-Bolt, 32H Spokes: Double Butted Stainless Silver w/ Brass Nipples Front Tyre: Continental Cyclocross Speed 700 × 35c Rear Tyre: Continental Cyclocross Speed 700 × 35c Saddle: Madison Prime Seatpost: Genesis Road 0.2, 27.2 × 350mm Weight: Not Supplied