New Genesis Croix de Fer 60 e-gravel bike featuring Mahle XS

Should an ebike make it unmistakably clear that it is an ebike and not simply a bicycle without electric assistance? And does this need to be noticeable at all times whilst riding? These two questions are well worth some debate. British manufacturer Genesis answers with a resounding ‘no’. To underline its point, it has fitted its new e-gravel bike, the Croix de Fer 60, with one of the most minimalist ebike drives currently available on the market.

1. Steel frames and ebikes: it’s complicated
2. Mahle XS the key for Genesis
3. Genesis Croix de Fer 60 utilises the agility of the Mahle X20 rear-hub motor
4. Battery allows for seamless switching between ebike and regular bike
5. Steel makes the Genesis Croix de Fer 60 the ebike for (almost) every occasion

1. Steel frames and ebikes: it’s complicated

The mere fact that a manufacturer like Genesis is venturing into the ebike market can already be seen as a surprise. The brand, based in Newbury in southern England, actually did launch two urban models in 2022 – the Smithfield and the Columbia Road – featuring Shimano drivetrains. However, they gave the impression that the company hadn’t yet put its full heart and soul into them. Perhaps this is one reason why no further ebikes have followed them so far.

Instead, Genesis has continued to focus on conventional steel-framed bikes, as it has generally done since its foundation in 2001. And integrating an ebike battery into the frame tubes seems rather impractical. Essentially, the only option left is to mount the battery on the outside of the frame. Its large size, in turn, inevitably alters the unique appearance of a steel-framed bike, which is defined by its slim frame tubes with their small diameters.

Genesis Croix de Fer 60 e-gravel bike featuring Mahle XS drive system

2. Mahle XS the key for Genesis

To a certain extent, therefore, the design of a steel bike and the integration of an ebike system in as unobtrusive a way as possible are mutually exclusive. Unless, that is, the ebike system looks like components and parts that are standard features of such a bicycle. This appears to be precisely the solution Genesis considered. After what the company says was a development period of almost eight years, it is now up and running – the Genesis Croix de Fer with the Mahle XS.

As with many complex problems, the solution is surprisingly simple. The motor, a Mahle X20, is effectively the rear wheel hub. This is required anyway and, in this case, simply looks a little more substantial than a hub that does not house an ebike motor. The Mahle eX1 battery mimics the shape of a conventional water bottle. As a result, it too is quickly perceived by the eye as a natural part of the bike. The rest consists of an additional cable routed along the chainstay on the non-drive side of the frame, as well as the buttons positioned on the drops of the road handlebars, which allow you to select the assistance levels. The system can be switched on and off via the ebike battery. That’s it.

Mahle X20 rear hub motor on the Genesis Croix de Fer 60 e-gravel bike — Thanks to its small diameter, the Mahle X20 motor looks, at first glance, like a slightly larger rear hub.

3. Genesis Croix de Fer 60 utilises the agility of the Mahle X20 rear-hub motor

To some of you, that might not sound like much. For Genesis, it’s exactly the right balance. According to the manufacturer, the Croix de Fer 60 has been designed to feel, first and foremost, like a model without an electric motor. The light electric assistance is merely intended to offer a little something extra. In fact, the concept has its technical limitations. As far as the motor is concerned, these are a torque of 27 newton-metres and a peak power output of 275 watts. Don’t be confused: Both Genesis and Mahle themselves quote a torque figure of 65 Newton-metres. However, this is merely a calculated value intended to correspond to the equivalent of a mid-drive motor. In reality, only the aforementioned 27 Newton-metres are applied to the rear wheel.

Mahle eShifters control units on the drop bars of the Genesis Croix de Fer 60 e-gravel bike — Genesis positions both control units directly on the drops of the handlebars.

In practice, though, it still feels really sporty. Thanks to its interaction with the torque sensor integrated into the bottom bracket, the motor responds briskly to every turn of the crankset and modulates the assistance depending on how much force you’re currently applying to the pedals. In Off mode – that is, when the motor is switched off – the hub generates almost no resistance. If you wish, you can switch back and forth between ebike and regular bike with ease. Sam Lawson, product manager at Genesis, puts it this way: “We stopped thinking about it [the Mahle X20, editor’s note] as a motor and started thinking about it as another gear. It’s there when the climb steepens, when the headwind arrives or when your legs begin to tire. The rest of the time, you’re simply riding a Croix de Fer.”

Frame triangle on the Genesis Croix de Fer 60 e-gravel bike with Mahle eX1 battery and a water bottle — Even with an additional water bottle, there is still enough space in the frame triangle to attach a frame bag to the top tube, for example.

4. Battery allows for seamless switching between ebike and regular bike

With the 171 watt-hours of the water-bottle battery, you have a limited amount of energy available for the electric drive, which naturally cannot be compared to the capacity of a standard intube battery, which boasts at least 400 watt-hours or significantly more. As mentioned, however, this is a deliberate part of the manufacturer’s approach. Firstly, it means that the entire ebike drive system adds no more than 2.6 kilograms of extra weight to the bike. Secondly, you can simply leave the battery at home and, from that moment on, you have a ‘normal’ Croix de Fer. As Genesis has opted for a derailleur system with two chainrings, you’ll also have a wide range of gear ratios at your disposal, with correspondingly small step sizes between gears. This means you’re fully equipped in this respect. Especially as both the derailleur and brakes come from Shimano’s gravel-specific GRX range.

Shimano GRX RX820 derailleur on the Genesis Croix de Fer 60 e-gravel bike — With twelve sprockets and two chainrings, the fitted Shimano derailleur provides fine-grained gear changes when searching for the optimum gear ratio.

Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that the battery fitted here is a model which, in other Mahle ebike systems, functions solely as a range extender. As a result, the range will be noticeably shorter than you might expect from other ebikes. Under optimal conditions, you might achieve a range of 50 kilometres or slightly more.

Mahle eX1 battery for the Genesis Croix de Fer 60 e-gravel bike — With the Mahle XS drive system, the Mahle eX1 is the only battery in the system.

5. Steel makes the Genesis Croix de Fer 60 the ebike for (almost) every occasion

In return, with the Genesis Croix de Fer 60, you get to enjoy riding an ebike with a heat-treated Reynolds 725 steel frame. This is still crafted entirely by hand using traditional methods. For the ebike version of the model, the manufacturer has redesigned all the tube profiles, particularly the seat stays. This is intended to enhance riding comfort. If there’s anything to criticise here, it’s at most the frame’s tyre clearance. This is limited to just 47 millimetres. However, with an adventure bike – as Genesis itself describes the Croix de Fer 60 – you’ll soon find yourself riding in terrain where tyre widths of 50 millimetres, or better still 55 millimetres, can be very useful. In our view, there was still room for improvement here.

Frame detail of the Genesis Croix de Fer 60 e-gravel bike — For ebikes with steel frames, such as the Genesis Croix de Fer 60, the Mahle XS offers the opportunity to integrate an ebike system with minimal installation effort, whilst retaining the look of a regular bike.

The carbon fork from Amplitude – a brand owned by the major British retailer Madison – seems a good choice. It features the usual mounting points for luggage and bikepacking accessories. It also reduces the bike’s overall weight by a few grams. 😉

Genesis produces the Croix de Fer 60 in five frame sizes. These range from XS to XL, covering rider heights from 156 centimetres to 193 centimetres.

What you ultimately choose to do with the bike is entirely up to you. Given a frame that combines the attributes of indestructibility, comfort, eco-friendly manufacturing, sustainability and, last but not least, timeless elegance, almost anything is conceivable. From a sports bike for an afternoon ride, to a reliable everyday bike, right through to a companion on long tours, this e-gravel bike can fulfil numerous roles. The electrified riding fun starts with the Mahle XS drive at 4,499 British pounds.