So I thought it was about time I reviewed my Vagabond.
So I was very lucky to receive the first Vagabond frame released. Needless to say, I have been riding it for a good while now. I currently own a CX, road, hardtail, enduro and most recently the Genesis Vagabond bike.
People are always seeking 'the holy grail -do it all' of bicycles. I've never considered that a possibility, but damn the Vagabond is the closest thing to that I've ever owned! I initially played around with skinny cx tyres when building, but found BB height and ride comfort felt best when wearing 29er rubber.
She's been an ongoing project, I still have a number of things I'd like to upgrade, but hell, we all own bicycles here, that pain is shared!
Here's how it's currently set up:
Hubs: Hope proEVO4, 9mm front, 10mm rear conversions
Rims: Stans Grail
Tyres: Halo Twin Rail 2 SLR 29" Skinwall
Headset: Cane Creek
Handlebars: Giant Connect flared
Stem: Thomson Elite 75mm
Saddle: Brooks Cambium C15 (Got this super cheap. Maybe B17 soon?)
Bartape: Brooks Cambium
Seatpost: Norco, (Thomson Elite upgrade soon)
Chainset: Middleburn RS7 42/29
Cassette: Sram 10spd 11/28
Rear Deralleur: Shimano Deore 9sp Shadow
Front Deralleur: Shimano XT
Brakeset: Avid BB7
Rotors: 160 Avids (will upgrade)
Thru Axles: 9mm front and 10mm rear QR thru axles Superstar components - BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT TO RIDE QUALITY! THIS IS A MUST!
Shifters: 105 5700 Right hand, Ultegra left
Pedals: DMR Flats for leisure/cruising or XTR clips for everything else
Rack: Surly front rack
Bags: Restrap Carryeverything Large frame bag & Saddlebag Holster. Poler mega camera cooler front bag, also used with front panniers.
Bell: Crane Sakura Brass Stem bell
It was built up as my bikepacking rig, but became so much more! She's been a trusty steed on many mixed road/off road tours and over night excursions. It's hard to express how much I've grown to love this bike! For me, the tailored mix of components and versatility this bike offers often leads me to pick up the Vagabond over any other bike I own - from singletrack to commuting, it's been so much fun to ride.
Here's a couple more pictures for you:
