The Volare is Genesis' all-out steel racer, the machine that the Madison-Genesis Pro Team thrashes around criteriums up and down the UK. The bike is produced in four different tubesets that are, in descending order of price: Reynolds 953 stainless, 853, 725 and the 'Mjölnir' (the name of Thor's hammer) chromoly used for the Volare 10, the cheapest model in the line-up.
- Highs: Looks, rounded performance, smartly specced wheels
- Lows: Weight; ugly chainset, cheaper groupset compared with other bikes at this price
- Buy if: You want a charming, racy steel machine and don't mind a little extra heft
Head down to your nearest purveyor of hipster-approved bicycles and artisanally-concocted coffee and you may overhear someone posit that 'steel is real', without a hint of irony. The thinking goes that carbon frames are mere disposable novelties; that aluminium is but a young pretender; and that steel is above all the connoisseur's choice, the timeless tipple of the gentleman with a taste for authenticity.
This is, of course, nonsense â broadbrush generalisations about the qualities of frame materials are as useless and ill-conceived as the national stereotypes some would project onto their bikes, for example that those built in Europe are inherently superior to those forged in the Far East. They aren't. Having said that, the Volare 10 is a pretty decent match for our preconceived notions about steel frames. The positive ones, that is...
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The entry-level Volare strikes an appealing balance between stiffness and compliance
Despite the brutal moniker, this ride isn't made out of pig iron â the tubes are double butted and the overall appearance of the frame is one of quiet quality, complemented by a pitch-perfect matt blue and black paint job with yellow highlights. Alongside fat-tubed alloy and carbon bikes it looks positively dainty, but there's no mistaking it for a vintage steel frame thanks to the oversized head tube and the immense external cup that houses the 1.5in lower headset bearing.
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