With UK brand Genesis having recently lifted the lid on its 2017 bikes, we take a closer look at its expanded and refined line of Tarn hardtails below.
Tarn 29er
Genesis knew that many of its customers were buying Tarns and running regular 29in wheels within the frames. The demand for a serious 29er was clearly there, and so last year’s High Latitude model makes way for this, the Tarn 29er. Its £1,599 price places it directly between the Tarn 10 and Tarn 20 plus bikes.
You get the same boost axle double-butted chromoly frame as the other bikes in the range, but with a slightly different paint scheme. Gladly, that also means you get the same long, low and slack geometry that these bikes are already known for.
In contrast to the 1x transmissions used on the plus-sized Tarns, the 29er gets a 2x11 version of the latest Shimano SLX drivetrain. Up front there’s a 120mm Reba Solo Air fork, and the Tarn 29 rolls on Alex MD25 rims with Shimano hubs and 2.25in Maxxis Ardent rubber.
You don’t get a dropper, but then one squeezed in at this budget would likely not be worth having anyway. The brakes are non-series Shimano parts. Like all of the other Tarns, the 29er gets a 760mm handlebar and 60mm stem.
Genesis claims a total weight of 13.42kg/29.58lbs for the Tarn 29er. S-XL sizes will be stocked.
Tarn 10
Genesis knew it was onto a winner with the Tarn series, we loved last year’s Tarn 20, and so it’s hardly surprising that the 2017 bikes are more refinements than reworks.
The 10 is the cheapest way to get your leg over a Tarn at £1,199. This year’s bike gets a new carbon fork that’s a far cry from the weird alloy part that came on last year’s bike. Without suspension it makes perfect sense to go for bigger tyres, and that’s exactly what Genesis has done — using 3in CST BFT tyres on its 40mm Fat Lab 27.5 wheel — oh, and those are tubeless-ready, too.
The transmission uses a mix of Shimano XT and Deore in combination with a Samox chainset, 11-42t wide-range cassette from Sunrace. The brakes are non-series Shimano parts.
Tarn 20
Top of the Tarn collection is the Tarn 20 at £1,799. A 120mm version of the Rockshox Yari fork features an SLX 1x11 drivetrain and the same non-series Shimano brakes as the other bikes in the range.
With a bit of bounce up front, Genesis has chosen to spec 2.8in WTB Ranger tyres on this model, and those are wrapped on the same Fatlab 40mm rims as the lesser model. At 13.96kg it’s the heaviest of the Tarns by a slither — but it’s also the burliest by a long way. Another bonus is its KS DropZone dropper post.
A Tarn frameset, complete with the new rigid carbon fork is also available and will retail for £600.
The 2017 Genesis Tarn range will be available soon from Genesis stockists.
