Bike test: Genesis Longitude rigid mountain bike

The Genesis Longitude is a no-suspension steel mountain bike with 27.5in wheels, plus-sized tyres and a host of luggage mounting points.

It was launched in 2014 amid a flurry of excitement in the industry for ‘mid fat’ tyres, and it’s one of the few remaining such bikes on the market; most brands have reverted to thinner-tyre 29in wheels – which the Longitude is also designed to handle.

The current iteration is specced with sensible, dependable components – mainly Shimano Deore. It has a 2×10-speed drivetrain for a wider range of gears and cheaper maintenance than a more fashionable 1×setup, and the low gear will be similar.

I took it on singletrack and local gravel for general mountain biking fun, and then loaded it up with bivvying kit for three days of mud, moors and slate on the Trans Cambrian Way. It was a pleasing companion for both.

On wooded singletrack it held an unflustered line, smoothing out roots and stones. The main thing to get used to was being pitched forward more easily on bumps and drops than on a bike with front suspension.

For bikepacking, it provided a comfortable, relaxed ride, with an upright-enough position and stable handling. With an 18-inch bottom gear and wide tyres it could be winched up pretty much anything.

The gears kept shifting even when filthy, and the hydraulic brakes performed as well as the more expensive SLX brakes on my own hardtail (perhaps helped by the tyres). At over 14kg, it wasn’t fast up hills or quick to accelerate but kept rolling imperturbably.

Getting the right tyre pressure off road seemed to be key. When it was just right, the tyres moulded over stones and bumps so you didn’t even feel them.

Too soft and it would squirm on corners; too firm and you’d get bucked about. I found 7-8 psi about right. In some greasy mud the tyres weren’t great, where thinner ones with deeper knobbles might have cut through to find purchase.

The one thing I didn’t like – apart from the firm grips – was the soft tyres’ tendency to self steer on road, especially on cambers and corners. For a less off-road-orientated trip I’d use 29-inch wheels with narrower tyres.

Verdict

If your appetite for exploration leans off road and you like to keep things simple, the Genesis Longitude would suit you well.

It’s a characterful bike that can be adapted, upgraded and cherished. An off-road bike with a steel fork and big tyres is never going to be light, but it encourages a can-do, go-anywhere attitude.

Other options

Sonder Frontier SX Eagle Rigid £949

Lighter but lower-specced aluminium rigid adventure bike that can be built with 27.5 or 29in wheels and upgraded to a suspension fork.

Marin Pine Mountain 1 £1,385

Classic steel bikepacking favourite with front suspension, 29×2.6 tyres, and a similar quality spec to the Longitude.

First published in Cycle magazine, December 23/January 24 issue. All information correct at time of publishing.