Reviews

Genesis Zero Disc 3 road bike

Race DNA meets disc brake versatility in Genesis' latest carbon bike

Genesis have seen their road bike range evolve significantly in recent years, with the Zero Disc the latest carbon fibre machine to roll off the production brand from the British-based brand.

In the not so distant past, Genesis worked exclusively with metal, equipping the Madison-Genesis road team with the steel Volare – a frame which featured in the first RCUK 100 in 2015. But then Genesis launched their first carbon fibre machine, the Zero, in 2014.

Three years on and the Zero – developed originally for Madison-Genesis to race on during longer stage races, saving the Volare for criteriums – has had a disc brake makeover. It’s fair to say Genesis have moved with the times.

While disc brakes are still banned at race-level locally, and the debate continues to rage on as to their merits in the pro peloton, there’s more to the Zero Disc than a disc-equipped race machine.

Our time on the Zero Disc has revealed it to be an extremely adept all-round machine. The addition of discs ensures the Zero offers assured and predictable braking regardless of the weather, while there’s stacks of tyre clearance to fit wider rubber. That gives you the option to increase the comfort served up by the Zero Disc but the frame – at the heart of the bike – does a very good job of that on its own. Crucially, however, the Zero Disc retains the sharp handling of the original Zero.

Still, it’s not an exact replica as far as the geometry is concerned. The Zero Disc sports a re-engineered chassis, built to cope with the additional stress caused by disc brakes, but with a geometry tweaked to ensure the original Zero’s lively handling has been lost.

RCUK 100 2017 - Genesis Zero Disc road bike

The chainstays have been lengthened (up to 410mm across all sizes) to accommodate disc brakes, but Genesis have countered that by reducing stack and reach and sticking with a compact wheelbase. The result is a bike which remains a lot of fun to ride, whether going uphill or downhill. It’s not the lightest bike out there – more than 8kg in this Shimano Ultegra build, in fact – so there are more natural climbers, but it’s certainly rewarding when you put pressure on the pedals.

Ultimately, the Zero Disc may be a race-bred machine, but one which brings confidence and encourages you to attack the road before you, regardless of any twists and turns, or how the terrain is unfolding.

Genesis offer the Zero Disc in four builds, while it’s also available as a frameset only £1,799.99 if you want to put together your own build.

We’ve chosen the Ultegra-equipped Zero Disc 3 for the RCUK 100. At £2,899.99, it remains competitively priced and Ultegra is the privateer racer’s groupset, making it a good match for a bike in the mould of the Zero Disc.

As well as an Ultegra groupset, you get the same BR-RS805 flat-mount hydraulic disc brakes which feature in the RCUK 100 in their own right. 12mm thru-axles, which have have just about become the industry standard for disc-equipped road bikes, keep things secure at both ends.

Genesis Zero Disc 3

Otherwise, Fulcrum Racing 5 DB wheels keep the Zero Disc 3 rolling – they’re solid wheels but ripe for an upgrade if you want to get more out of the Zero Disc – and Genesis own-brand finishing kit completes the spec sheet.

Elsewhere in the range, there’s the range-topping Zero Disc i with Shimano Ultegra Di2 for £3,299.99, as well as the Zero Disc 2 and 1, with Shimano 105 and Tiagra for £2,199.99 and £2,399.99 respectively..

Whatever bike you choose, the frame remains the same. While the Genesis Zero Disc is a race bike at heart, there’s more to it than that. It’s a rewarding and versatile machine, now with the added bonus of disc brakes.