We’ll start with the Volare 00.

Why? Because at £1200 for a Reynolds 631 frame, dressed in a complete, and perfectly functional 10-speed Shimano Tiagra groupset (effectively the previous iteration of 105), it represents a genuine and highly-attractive alternative to budget carbon. Not only is the tubeset impeccably sourced, but Genesis have resolutely refused to cut corners with the specification: an object lesson to the mega brands who routinely deploy generic, non-series, and third party components to “achieve a price point”, in the jargon.

Genesis have also included some nice touches on the Volare 00: the M:Part cartridge bearing headset, for one. How about the Continental Grand Sport Race tyres in 25c for another? Bang on trend with the latest thinking that not only does wider rubber deliver a more comfortable ride, but also, thanks to a larger contact patch, more sustained contact with the road and so greater rolling efficiency.

The Volare 00, like the Team Issue (more of which on following pages) for which it could easily have been billed as a replica, is achingly pretty, finished in the livery of the Madison Genesis road team, itself an homage (as the French might have it) to the Porsche 917 sports cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

We beat the drum loudly last year for what we considered great value aluminium bikes (Cube’s Peloton Race, for example; the Kinesis Racelight TK3), and the Volare 00 gives every indication of bolstering the already impressive reputation achieved by Genesis’ Equilibrium range for considered and competitively-priced steel steeds.

It’s unlikely to outperform sophisticated carbon (the mutual admiration of RCUK staff and readers made the LOOK 695SR our bike of the year for 2012), or trouble its stainless steel sisters (more of whom below) in the performance stakes, but if your budget stretches to just a little beyond £1,000, and you’re not entirely sold on the idea that carbon is best, regardless of price, the Volare 00 offers food for thought.