Genesis Vagabond - anyone got one?

There was a hugely positive test in Cycling Plus a few months ago - along the lines of 'this is a bike that'd keep me happy for the rest of my life'.

Going for a sit on one before I order my Disc Trucker, wheel/toe overlap being a concern for me on a small frame.

Oh, knowing Genesis, they'll drop it next year because it doesn't fit in with some marketing person's 'brand image'.
See the drop bar Tour de Fer, Ridgeback Panorama Deluxe etc etc.......

Thanks. I'll try and get hold of the Cycling Plus review.

Looks interesting, and less hassle than bodging your own monstercross.

With 2 sets of wheels it could do most things, with not a huge amount of compromise anywhere, perfect for covering the miles if your local trails are a bit tame (and a road ride away).

Been looking at this recently also, have the High Latitude 20 but thinking of changing for something like this.

Any joy on finding the review?

I haven't got the magazine anymore.

I did go and have a look at one in Keep Pedalling in Manchester on Friday.

Stock, they seem great for offroad - they look like an MTB 29'er with drops on.

The frame looks very substantial - lots of gussets and thick tubes.
I believe it's quite a weighty frame, but looks bombproof.
Loads of tyre room too.

Most importantly, it's in the same shade of Blue as the first Grifters.
🙂

Would have cost too much to adapt it for my needs, but it looks like a great bike for the cash.

Thinking of getting the frameset and then porting over what I currently have.

Just that the MTB front fork is locked all the time and the geo might be better on the vagabond...

The frame looks very substantial - lots of gussets and thick tubes.
I believe it's quite a weighty frame, but looks bombproof.
Loads of tyre room too

Frame and fork 3.88kg

But still lighter than the 725 Tour de fer 3.90 kg

and nearly the same as Croix de Fer frame and forks 3.83kg

Sugesting that the tubes in the 725 bike aren't much thinner. Presumably the dropped top tube of the Vagabond has saved the odd gram

Still tempted buy this as well. Which is now inside the cycle to work scheme limit

[img] [/img]

Same concerns as the OP on toe overlap, not that i'm small, (6') but I'd like to be able to run 42c slicks and fenders ideally. Going to have a look at one in bike UK in a couple of weeks hopfully. Back up plan is to go with a 26" LHT and transfer over bits from my current daily ride, but this looks ;ike a more versatile if more expensive option (still looks damn good value to me).

Shame they dropped the segmented fork from the prototype, looks gorgeous.

[img] [/img]

Shame they dropped the segmented fork from the prototype, looks [s]gorgeous[/s] like it's been crashed into a wall already

FIFY.

I did look at a TdF20 as well.
A no brainer if the flat bar appeals.
It's a very dull colour though.
Practical, but it doesn't set the heart racing.

Just looked at the Spesh AWOL bikes again.... damn..

The Vagabond looks great. Steel, rigid, tons of tyre clearance, braze-ons for useful stuff. It's like a drop bar version of the first longitude, but without the longness.

FIFY

No accounting for taste, that's a Pacenti crown dontchaknow.

Just looked at the Spesh AWOL bikes again.... damn..

How do you reckon they compare? Seem pretty comparable with this year's spec of 10speed on the AWOL.

Got them in at work. They look great in the flesh and yes they are a little bit lardy but not overly so. Rides fine in the car park test. The AWOL is also a lovely looking bike in the flesh and again rides well. I've got a soft spot for Genesis though (I own 3 of them now).

IMHO the AWOL is a sort of touring bike with a nod to off road

Its tyres to 50mm. Good for a touring bike but not MTB territory

But for me the lowest ratio is crazy. For me riding off road with a loaded bike needs MTB ratios, The AWOL gets:

Base model 30x32 lowest ratio. That is poor for a triple but you can I believe get a 26 on that chainset, But you'll still have a 40 middle ring

The next one up (Elite) gets a compact chainset so it 34x34 with not much option to go lower

Then we get the COMP which is 1x11. Bottom gear is 38x42. The 110 BCD chainset will take a 34 chain ring but no lower.

The range toping evo gets 32x36 as the lowest ratio. So I'm wrong you can get a 32 tooth 110 BCD chainring

Any way to me that is an odd set of gearing for off road touting

The vagabond get 28x36 bottom gear but with an MTB chainset going lower will be easy

I have a mate with an AWOL, 2013/14 one. He's a hefty chap and the bike suits him well, whether winter road stuff, some quiet road highland touring with panniers, or some gentle off road. It's pretty chunky, but it doesn't pretend to be a lightweight gravel/adventure bike.

I'm not sure I could get used to the bar end shifters on the Vagabond, I've got too used to STI shifting on my road/off-road bike.

I'm tempted by the Cotic Escapade but the rear dropout arrangement puts me off.

DP sorry.

If there's clearance, you could chuck a triple on the Vagabond very cheaply.

AWOL is odd.
Lovely bikes with gearing that just doesn't suit it.
Brifters aren't cheap to replace, either.

Very cheap in the sales though, as are the Croix de Fers.

was just about to post similar to Ampthill, on the face of it the Vagabond looks very similar tot he AWOL, but with more off-road biased gearing and slightly more rubber clearance. To be fair though the granny ring can go down to 26/24 on the AWOL for ~£15 so it's not much of an issue, but I do think it probably should have been specced with a 26/36/46 or maybe even a 26/38/48 as stock.

EDIT - as Rusty says: "Lovely bikes with gearing that just doesn't suit it."

I can get 2-2.1 inch 29er tyres in my AWOL (sans-guards), you'd struggle to fit anything bigger, 42c with guards is easy though and as an all surface tourer it is brilliant.

Depends on your bias really, I think the Vagabond looks great, especially if you're intending to use it offroad a bit more, but I do love my AWOL... 🙂

Personally I like the STI's, but if you prefer bar-end shifters have a look at the Trek 920, it looks a bit quirky but it's actually a really really good bike with sensible spec, a proper 29er MTB with drops style bike (28x36 bottom gear too) and if you like the looks I think it's ace!

[b]beanum[/b] I'm tempted by the Cotic Escapade but the rear dropout arrangement puts me off.

I have a geared roadrat with the same dropouts have never felt they are a problem. The technique for removing the wheel is different but I wouldn't say it's any harder. On the rear mudguard stays I fitted some sks break-away mounts so it can be popped out to let the wheel out.

The cotic has much less tyre clearance (cotic say 1.75 but it's 1.4/40c with a bit of mud clearance), which is what draws me to the Genesis.

I was looking at these before getting my CX/Gravel bike and I came to the conclusion that it was a basically a cheaper alternative to the Salsa Fargo.

Not that is a bad thing at all.

The AWOL that Specialized did last year with Poler (pic below) I thought looked great. I think it's the Orange!

[img] [/img]

If you wanted a bike for disappearing off for a few months to dog knows where, then you could do a lot worse than the Fargo/Vagabond/AWOL.

Though I'm not sure how I feel bout Hydro disks on a bike that might go to the back of beyond, not so easily bodgeable as cable disks.

Not sure if it's my inner grumpy hermit but I find bikes like this much more exciting than the latest Carbon uber bike.

I'm not sure I could get used to the bar end shifters on the Vagabond, I've got too used to STI shifting on my road/off-road bike.

I very much thought this when building up my Tour de Fer. In the end I went for it and get on absolutely fine with the bar end shifters.

Thanks [b]busta[/b], that's good to know. I had the original RoadRat with the slide in dropout/hanger and that was a PITA to change a puncture.

It looks fantastic, really wanted to get a Fargo but Salsa just doubled the frameset prices, but this looks like a great option. Does anyone know what the maximum tyre clearance is? If only it could fit 29+....

It looks fantastic, really wanted to get a Fargo but Salsa just doubled the frameset prices, but this looks like a great option. Does anyone know what the maximum tyre clearance is? If only it could fit 29+....

Isn't 29+ quite big?

They do this for 650b+. But aimed designed for flat bars

[img] [/img]

But I can't see any rack mounts

Does anyone know what the maximum tyre clearance is?

On the Vagabond? I really wouldn't want more that the 2.1 it comes with in the rear. Lots more space on the front. I'll try and get some pics.

[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1659/24626178295_90aa1e962c_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1659/24626178295_90aa1e962c_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Dw8AQX ]Vagabond rear[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/simondbarnes/ ]Simon Barnes[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1593/24600040846_47e4ecea86_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1593/24600040846_47e4ecea86_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/DtPD6h ]Vagabond rear 2[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/simondbarnes/ ]Simon Barnes[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1579/24517875982_de6cae1bb2_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1579/24517875982_de6cae1bb2_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/DmywkG ]Vagabond front[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/simondbarnes/ ]Simon Barnes[/url], on Flickr

How's your Tour de Fer Simon?
Still loving it?

And ask your brother to start a thread on his new build will ya?
🙂

How's your Tour de Fer Simon?
Still loving it?

It's hibernating. Out again in Spring 🙂

And ask your brother to start a thread on his new build will ya?

I'll struggle to do that, I haven't got a brother 🙂

Ah, sorry, I haven't got my hearing aid in.
🙂

looks very similar to the fargo........good to use with drops, no good with any other bar combo's imho.
fargo was ace apart from that problem for me.

Just put in an order for a frameset, shop said it should arrive at the end of Febuary. I'm mainly looking for massive tyre clearance, gonna put 41c knards on with full guards, perfect for horrible potholed wet roads. It'll likely spend the majority of it's time on the road, but the attraction of being able to ride almost anywhere is very appealing.

Wow, that front clearance is good! I'll forgo the fancy fork crown for that! 2.1 will be plenty at the rear anyway.

29+ is larger than 29er diameter, so that'd screw the geo up. If you must have plus sized tyres and drops, Rawland Ulv will be coming out later this year, very spendy though, also Salsa Deadwood, same applies though.

AWOL could be a good alternative, but as someone has pointed out, more road orientated and no cheaper.

for those doubting the bar end shifters, you could always try the Genevalle GX shifters, like a thumbie on the front of the brake lever. If I get one of these I'll probably try some on it.

If anyone's looking for a vagabond , highlandbikes.com have 15% off L or XL in stock . That looks pretty good discount for a 2016 bike . They're showing pretty good stock of Genesis and other brands at 15% off 2016 stock in January . I'm nothing to do with them, just noticed while looking at something else. Also if anyone's looking cyclewise.co.uk are showing a 56cm 2015 Tour de Fer in stock for £764 .

Could some one educate me a little I need to understand if its possible to put my tiagra sti's on to this frame as i don,t care for the barend shifters.

It's got a 10 speed MTB mech and cassette.
Any type of Shim 10 speed road shifter should work fine with the cassette.
You'd have to change the rear mech for a 9 speed though.

Your front shifter should be fine with a
road front mech which should work OK with an MTB or road style double chainset, but I have no idea if the frame is designed for clearance for a triple front chainset.

I am not a mechanic BTW.
🙂

If you do buy one, can I have first refusal on your bar end shifters?
😀

Those vagabond shifters BS-M10s - they're the ones designed to work with a 10 speed MTB mech in index mode aren't they? (Compared with the BS-A10 ones, which are road bar ends and would need a 9s MTB rear mech to work in index mode - i fink).

Yes.
Can't find a pair aftermarket at the mo.

Just out of interest, does anyone know if 11 speed MTB cassettes will index with 11 speed road shifters?
If so, a 9 speed mech would still work.

Rusty - try Charlie the Bikemonger for the MS BS-M10s. They are on his website but say out of stock, but I got an email the other day that said they were back in.

Thank you!

Are there any happy owners of the Large or XLarge Vagabonds here? Any chance of confirmation of the ETT, please?

Cheers,
T

Cupra, I've found the magazine if you still want it.

It's been down the back of the workbench in the garage, but as long as you're okay with mouse piss it's yours.
Don't lick your finger to turn the pages, okay?
🙂

Alternatively, I'm prepared to read it out over the phone.
Usual Equity fees apply.

Dp.

If anyone wants one of these, I'd get one now.
Small and medium stocks very low indeed and there won't be any more.

Frames now due middle of March apparently.

Rusty Spanner what do you mean there won't be anymore?? These look like a salsa fargo at £500 less, £350 for the frameset is a bargain! I have an ECR else I would get one already! But I really want a 650b+ bike after riding one, doubt they'd fit in this though! 🙁

Anyone got one of these yet?

Anyone? Getting quite interested in the frameset, potentially built up with Schwalbe Big Ones if they will fit.

I'm really quite tempted by one of these, anyone know if you can fit a road triple chainset on it though?

These guys were selling Singular Gryphon frames for £399.

http://edsigns-yorkshire.wix.com/edsbikes

I've a triple on front of my 6 year old Fargo, 9 speed with 11-25 cassette, gives large range but without the large jumps in rear ratios as i use it to commute on road.

Fargo is a fantastic bike, so adaptable, funny how Genesis are dropping Vagabond and Singular are dropping the Gryphon (despite trying to sell you the Swift as being drop bar compatible)?

Rusty Spanner - I think you're thinking about my brother (Peterpoddy). 🙂

I texted him a few days ago and he said he hasn't got his frame yet, the date keeps being put back constantly by Genesis.

Finally got first short demo ride in today. Immediate impressions: v comfortable/natural/planted/confidence inspiring. Quicker off the block than I anticipated, ie not as hefty as envisaged, feels almost flickable. It rides exactly as it looks - a nice steel MTB with drops. Never had so much fun hopping a drop-bar bike off kerbs. Brake levers are nice, flattish, good modulation and the cabled Spyres not at all grabby. Haven't noticed toe-overlap as yet but only did a few miles up surfaced path. Will be hitting some challenging bridleways and rocky trails over the weekend, weather permitting. The Vagabond instantly feels like it wants to go fast and dirty all day long on all-terrain. I like it. Will see how the honeymoon period continues....may load it up if I have the time to see how it handles some camping gear although it feels plenty stiff with my 16st bearing down hard on it. Did someone say it's being discontinued? Grrr ... may well be wanting one...and it's the same colour as my first 'proper' bike (a custom-built Carlton Cyclone circa 1982). Dusty eyes...jumpers for goalposts. Look fwd to playing more on this. A classy, eager little Frankenbike.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Day 2 demo:

I want this bike.

It just makes me grin and it makes me want to keep going.

All I changed was the nasty stock arse-axe for my Spesh BG saddle - and so Friday night's short,curious delight became Sunday morning's 'don't want to ever go home' revelation.

In answer to OP - 'what do you use it for?' I would happily use it for everything I do. I don't race, I use bikes for exploring/adventure, touring, camping, utility, work (photography/painting), social rides and going solo/dickingabout on long or short singletrack trails just for the hell of it.

The only niggles I can find are small and not incurable, ie gearing is sub-par for long road tours - spinning out on long downhills. Also the gusseting at the headtube seems to be a moisture trap (see pic). Lastly I don't favour indexed bar-end shifters - but I can live with them or change them.

This is the kind of bike I've been attempting to cobble together for years. It just fits everything that I do. Solid but not a lead weight, forgiving but not noodly, pretty but not poncey, stable but not boring. Haven't had a chance to load it up but I would love the chance to disappear for months on end with a Vagabond, camera and bivvy kit. I bloody love it.

[IMG] [/IMG]

The wait is killing me.

Anyone else bought one of these yet? I (finally) found a short review online. Oddly enough from the same place I demoed/ordered one. Best bike-purchase experience I've ever had, and top blokes to boot. Could have written the very same review myself as it echoes my story/first impressions almost to the letter:

[url] http://www.carbcycles.co.uk/drop-it/ [/url]

I've had one of these for about a month now. Let's get the bad out of the way first. I found the brake lever hoods quite uncomfortable, they seem to be very narrow compared to others that I have used. However, this is a matter of personal preference. I've since swapped these for TRP RRL levers, which are much better. Then there's the TRP Spyre-C disc brakes. In the dry they provide well-modulated and progressive braking without trying to launch you over the bars at the touch of the lever. Today I went out for a 3 hour ride on fire tracks. It rained very heavily and it was obvious that the discs/pads were getting a lot of grit, etc. on them. After about an hour of this the brake levers were almost back to the handlebars with almost no braking. I had adjusted the cable tension earlier in the ride, so either the pads were wearing out very quickly or there is another issue. The only other disc brakes that I had an identical problem with were a set of Formula hydraulics. This does not instill confidence, especially if doing fully-loaded off-road tour.
On to the good. The frame is excellent. It is a joy to ride and accelerates well despite its weight. The high front end makes it a pleasure riding on the drops without adopting a foetal position. It tracks well both on and off road. The WTB Nano tyres are an excellent non-touring choice. They roll and accelerate well. Grip is good on all surfaces except for thick mud. It is easy to fit racks. I have fitted a Tubus Logo on the rear. It will take the 700c version as well as the 29" version. The gears work smoothly and the range of gearing will suit most applications. It is rare for me to have to use the small chainring, even when carrying a load.
When carrying a load in the rear panniers I hardly notice the extra weight and the bike remains well-balanced and handles perfectly.
For the price it is an excellent bike, a real pleasure to ride and I would rank it as probably the best bike that I have owned. It is fun to ride, comfortable and versatile. I might even sell all of my other bikes...

Just got myself the purple frameset of ebay for a bargain £175 😀 Planning on building it with alfine 11 if i can decide on the best bar & shifter combo.
Saw the blue one in a LBS yesterday, lovely looking bike. Very excited.

Great write-up rob, thanks for sharing. Any pics loaded? To echo yr experience with brakes - yesterday after only the fourth decent descent (dry, road) of the day the front brake lever was nudging against the bars. I (again) had to wind in the inside pad approx 1.5mm - 2mm having done same only three short rides ago. Looks set to be expensive unless can spec pads that don't wear as if made from hard cheese!

Back to the bike as a whole - I Love It. Have gone from forcing self to get out on the old mtb, to now finding any excuse or none to rag the Vagabond about for an hour or so daily, more on weekends. Climbs like a champ, even catching me out. The Nanos deliver surprising traction in a variety of situations wet or dry. Just as my instinct instructs me to dismount/bail on a steep/muddy/rooty or dusty climb - an extra squirt of torque shows me that the bike is easily going up there if I just learn to trust it. Beautiful. Vagabond (from standing) gets up to speed surprisingly quickly. Feels balanced and inspiring. Every day brings big bikey grins for three weeks now. Great initial impressions. Honeymoon period is drawing to a close and the only gripe really is the brake pads. My lady-hands suit the lever hoods well so no probs there except for them (hands) feeling weak as a kitten after now daily riding on drops/the hoods for the first time since 1989. Haven't fitted luggage as yet but plan to soon enough when I can be arsed to find and spec the correct Freeload rack fittings.

Spider-senses tell me that should be a little worried about what those shifters might do to top-tube if I stack. May try flipping the stem (higher) to see if that helps. But I love the posture exactly as it is, the medium fits my 5'10 frame 31 inseam like a glove. Pics:
[IMG] [/IMG]
[IMG] [/IMG]

correct Freeload rack fittings

Gah. First real compatibility issue. I splashed out on two (Sport deck and Tour deck) pre-Thule 'Freeload' racks and have for a few yrs succesfully used them without issue on all my bikes so planned to use them on the Vagabond. They do not fit in such a way that either deck is remotely is horizontal. Neither front forks or rear stays. Not at all.

Bolx. 160 quid! Plus the touring extras put it over 200...

Anyone want some Freeloads? Looks like going the Tubus route...

I'm planning to get a vagabond frame to build a bikepacking rig, since Fargo got too expensive and sold out anyway.

Do you think I will be able to squeeze a 2.25" in the rear on i24 mm rims?

Maybe I have to give up the front derailleur and go 1x?

^

Im not knowledgeable re yr rims but here are some clearance pics I took to show how a Nano 2.1 sits on the stock Alex Volar 2.1 rim (medium frame)

re front mech on the 2x10 setup - the arm is not a problem but the mech/bracket behind the seat-tube sits just 4-5mm from the nobblies and they aren't big nobblies :|. I'm sure there is a clear answer out there re 2.25s but tyre profiles baffle me as some 2.1s look a 1/3 narrower than others. These Nanos seem ballooon-ish for 2.1s, I like them a lot they fit the bill and are well-specced IME for a wide-variety of riding/surfaces, also providing decent shock absorption

I can just squeeze a finger between the chainstays and tyre wall. Just.
[IMG] [/IMG]
[IMG] [/IMG]

Forgot to say - forks won't be a problem for 2.25, 2.35, 2.4(?)

[IMG] [/IMG]
[IMG] [/IMG]

thanks Malvert

I'd like to go 2.25 rear and 2.35 front but didn't consider the chainstay clearance, that looks really narrow

why everybody falls short doing a Fargo mock-up?

By my (in the field) impromptu measurements with only the tools to hand - chainstay width at the widest point of my tyres is approx 70mm. So the purpose of chainstay clearance a max tyre width of 60mm depending on knobblies?
[IMG] [/IMG]
Best thing to do is find a demo and try yr wheel/tyre combo on for size? Yr welcome to try mine if in the SW. Tho it would appear to be designed for 2.1 (optimal) - lucky for me these seem perfect for the terrain, although for road tours am finding it difficult to choose a narrower 90% tarmac/winter/full-mudguard tyre set

Thanks Malvern, extremely helpful.

Impossibile for me to get a demo, I live in Italy and here Genesis is not popular at all.

I'm afraid I have to wait next season to get a Fargo available at twice the price (or probably more :()

What 2.25 tyre you thinking of? I've got some conti speed kings in 2.1, a conti mk2 in a 2.1 (which blows up big), a der Baron 2.4 and a onza Ibex 2.4 I can try. I'll report back once I've had a go ( will try for decent pics to show clearance as well)

spev that would be very useful thank you!

i am talking about schwalbe racing ralph in 2.25 (a 2.35 version would be available for the front)

Ah right I think I might have a schwalbe of some kind there as well, it's gonna be like kwikfit later

Well today i have sold my Vaya, now I'm one step closer to pull the trigger on this frameset.
I think I'm going 1x with 38t front and 11-42 rear, I just have to figure out what rims/tyres I may get.
What is the rear spacing btw?

@spev
i googled that kwikfit thing (never heard of it) and it made me laugh a lot 😀

Hey Malvern Rider,

Got my purple vagabond frameset, and although it looks cool just sat there in the living room, im starting to get bits together to build her up. Got a silver 29er wheelset on the way with Alfine 8 hub on the back and dynamo hub on the front, new FSA headset (cos its green!), some mechanical disc brakes and a jtek bar end shifter. Pending bits: possibly a sturmey archer crankset, silver seatpost & stem and a brooks B17 saddle. Now this is where i could do with your feeback/advice, im undecided on whether to go down the drop bar/far bar (dirtdrop) route or butterfly bars. Also thinking schwalbe big apple tyres (2.15) as although i might well go offroading its mainly for gravel track and road. I already have road bikes so want the ride to be a bit more upright and comfortable. Interested to know your thoughts on the riding position and whether drops is really the only viable solution for the frame.

Im from Malvern myself but now up in the Wirral so will keep an eye out for a roaming Vagabond next time im down visiting family 😯

In addition to fitting a Tubus logo rear rack, I've also fitted Tubus Duo lowriders (best price Rutland Cycles). They took about 10 minutes to fit. I've changed the standard handlebars for On-One Midge bars. They raise the drops by about 1 1/2 inches, and are very comfortable, especially on the drops. The angle of the brake levers is easy to get used to and they provide a wider bar for better control off-road. They're not cheap at just over £30, but I've found a company called Alpkit(.com) that do their own version (the Bomber) for just under £19.
When it comes to replacing brake pads, Uberbike do four pairs of sintered pads for £22.99. I've fitted a pair on the front calipers and they work very well.

I've also fitted a pair of Schwalbe Big Apple tyres (2.0", I think). Difficult to fit (have a supply of zip ties handy), but easy to remove. They're good on tarmac, although surprisingly harsh at medium pressures. I've gone back to the original tyres for the moment as they're good for commuting and most of my non-commuting rides are off-road.

So has any one loaded their panniers up and toured on their Vagabond yet if so how did it ride loaded?

I loaded mine with front and rear panniers, probably 10-15 kg, and it handled fine both on and off road. The extra weight was hardly noticeable.

Pictures

[img] https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/75507452@N02/28624288505/ [/img]

[img] https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/75507452@N02/28339384840/ [/img]

Right, sorry for the massive delay, work has been crazy busy,
here's the rear with a Conti Speedking 29x2.0, 50mm at its widest on Halo 29er (23mm internal) rims
[img] [/img]
loads of room there

this is an Onza Ibex 2.4 (its huge) 58mm wide on the same rim
[img] [/img]

fits ok, bit tight down at the chainstays
[img] [/img]

the only other tyre I had to try was a Conti Mountain King 2.2 (56mm on the same rim) but its much smaller than the Onza

Thankyou spev, really helpful!!

Didn't expect it could fit 2.4" on 23mm rims (well, didn't expect a 2.4" on 23mm would be just 58mm)

In the meanwhile my size went sold out and I found a great deal on a Fargo2 second hand so...
but I will keep am eye on next year frame, it's not hard to sell a Fargo... 😉

By the way: when Genesis is expected to show off 2017 vagabond?!?

Has anyone with a Vagabond got a comparison with a Surly LHT. Thinking of moving to the Genesis for the discs, but I love my LHT so its a difficult call 😥

I've built mine up and have been commuting on it this week - 10/12 miles each way of road, towpath with a few singletrack diversions thrown in. It's been great - a sturdy but nimble bike.

I'm pleased with the spec - TRP Hylex brakes, Alpkit flared drops, Arch EX/superstar wheels with 2.0 Big Apples and 2x10 gearing (38/24, 11-36) with dia-compe bar end friction shifters as I couldn't get hold of the indexed Microshift ones...

Hoping to use it for a mix of commuting/touring when not riding fat/full suss/road.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Looks a great build stato. Just finished phase one of my build. Gone for something a bit different with alfine 8. Think im gonna change the cables to black though as bit of overkill on the green. Also 2.35 big apples still on trial. [img] https://flic.kr/p/L2DF77 [/img]