The Bokeh 2 is made in Italy from triple-butted Dedacciai 7000 series aluminium. If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. The trends & findings from our big gravel bike group test 2022. Mason doesnt set fixed retail prices outside of the UK, leaving them to fluctuate with standard exchange rates. Farewell, little bike. Geometry-wise, the Bokeh is well in keeping with current trends in the gravel world, albeit with a slight bent toward the more sporting end of the spectrum. Paired with the high-quality Sinewave Cycles Beacon headlight and LED Supernova E3 Tail Light 2 on the rear, you can keep on riding long after sunset. You can read a review of it here. The frames relatively high stiffness ensures that its handling isnt affected by a heavy payload. Mudguard and rack eyelets carry over from the original, ensuring this is a bike that could easily serve as a slick-tyred winter training, commuting or touring bike with a change of tyres or wheels. Flare Orange. You have to look closely to spot the other changes because they're subtle. That toned-down geometry seems ideally suited in that scenario, too, with just enough wiggle room to shift your body weight around and keep things entertaining as you start drifting through loose corners, and enough maneuverability to easily flick the front end around obstacles that suddenly appear in your way at the exit of a corner. Tyre clearance has been increased by a useful amount, up from 41 to 45mm on a 700C wheel. I wouldn't rush to change anything on this build. With a good mixed-surface tires like the 35mm-wide Schwalbe G-One fitted, the Bokeh is still plenty capable on tarmac, but it really comes alive once you get to the good stuff which, in my case, is the bountiful expanses of dirt and gravel available here in Colorado. List the components used to build up the bike. The geometry remains unchanged from the original. Wide tyres at low pressures obviously help a lot when it comes to comfort. Mason hails from the UK, and so its no surprise to see that fender mounts are present and accounted for at both ends, while the rear is equipped with proper rack mounts as well. For more demanding endeavors, I swapped to the 650b set of Zipp 303 Firecrest carbon wheels, wrapped with 47mm-wide Specialized Pathfinder Pro tubeless clinchers. It feels fast there's a positive steering response and evident stiffness from the frame and fork to ensure it's responsive to your inputs, whether through the pedals thrashing up a climb or carving corners. The only visually mundane member of the frame is the seat tube: its basically a straight and round (but still butted) pipe that terminates in a 27.2mm-diameter seatpost up top to provide some welcome flex. Speed comes more easily when sprinting out of corners. The Bokeh 2 is more agile and easier to carve through tight corners with the 650B wheels. And as it turns out, thats likely where most of us are spending our time these days, anyway. All of that is joined with tidy TIG welds that arent quite sanded perfectly smooth, but are still visually tidy, especially when covered in one of the Bokehs three available paint hues. Would you recommend the bike to a friend? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike? VAT is included in the quoted UK prices, but international buyers arent subject to the same surcharge and effectively get up to a 20% discount, depending on local taxes and fees. The updated Bokeh 2 retains everything that I loved about the original, with excellent handling that works well across a variety of terrains. It even features internal cable routing for the lights. The overall score is not just Mason provides lots of choices when it comes to outfitting a Bokeh, from bare framesets to rolling chassis to complete builds, including a wide selection of groupsets and drivetrain configurations from Shimano and SRAM, your choice of 650b or 700c wheel-and-tire packages (featuring wheelsets from UK compatriot Hunt), and Dedacciai finishing kit. Your subscription will help us to do more. The shifting quality is flawless; each push of the gear lever results in a smooth, quiet and quick gear change. The frameset consists of triple butted Dedacciai aluminum tubing and the Mason Parallax2 carbon fork, available in a choice of three colours. The frame is very stiff with good power transfer. / CS800 11-34. To coin a phrase 'lock him up, lock him up'. It's more expensive than many other aluminium gravel bikes, as listed in the review body. The Bokeh bikes and framesets are AdventureSport machines for fast 'Continent Crushing' rides and they can use either 650b x 50mm or 700c, with up to 45mm tyres. The main issue is ensuring you don't run an overworn chain on a cassette - or chain rings. A 211 Shimano GRX RX810 groupset and Panaracer Gravelking SK tires complete the 4,400 package (stock builds start at 3,600). However, youll also get shaken up on rough terrain. Prices for the bare framesets start at 1,250 (including headset, thru-axles), while the current flagship build (with Shimano GRX Di2) tops out at 3,995. Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? The Bokeh underwent yet another transformation as winter approached here in Colorado, going back to the 700c Schwalbe G-Ones and gaining full-coverage fenders for use in less-than-ideal weather conditions. Fantasy Cycling: game [at] road.cc Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? But while a wider 650b setup gets you the air volume and footprint you want on looser ground, the smaller overall diameter also comes with quicker handling and a slightly lower bottom bracket. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. Adjustable fork rakes are slowly becoming more commonplace, from brands such as Rondo, Enve, Cervelo, and GT (and Canyon even toyed with it for a while on its first-generation Aeroad). However, the reality is that every bike still usually excels at a fairly well-defined usage range; its just that the performance of ones that are especially versatile dont fall off as much once you stray outside of those boundaries. As an N+1 gravel bike for those with deep pockets, yes, you can do better. The decals are up to Mason's usual impeccable standards and give the Bokeh 2 a sense of pedigree. The Sendero tyres are capable in loose gravel and deep slippery mud, finding traction when you're on the edge of toppling over. The mantra of the bokeh is FastFar. We started to see the Definitions and Resolutions being used in ways that we hadn't envisioned when they were designed, more and more riders were fitting lightweight packs in the frame and on the bars and behind the seat and heading off on huge adventures. How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size? Tech, reviews: tech [at] road.cc Like this site? > Buyer's Guide: 22 of the best gravel and adventure bikes. If that's not posh enough for you, switch to the Bokeh Ti and you can spend 6,195. I did a nice little 'battlefield' ride taking in Towton and Bramham Moor (a slightly earlier conflict). But as always, there are compromises associated with being so capable across such a wide range of usage scenarios, and doing so at a fairly reasonable cost. The 3,175 Bokeh GRX on test is the pick of the range in my opinion. I primarily rode the bike with the 650B Hunt wheels and 47mm WTB Sendero tyres it came with, a combination that proved excellent in the muddy conditions I had for testing. In fact, Mason doesnt actually refer to the Bokeh as a gravel bike, but rather calls it an AdventureSport machine designed to cover ground quickly a subtle distinction, perhaps, but one worth noting nonetheless. First review: SCOTT Foil RC Ultimate 2023 aero bike New star in the aero sky? Did you enjoy this article? The only downside to the smaller wheels is the impact it has on the bottom bracket height and a slightly increased risk of pedal strike. Both the seatstays and chainstays are made of fairly large-diameter tubing for rear-end stiffness theres not a whole lot of need for built-in frame compliance given the large-volume tire sizes typically used here and the bridgeless chainstays leave few places for mud to build up. As expected in that configuration, the Bokeh ate up rougher rocks and roots with aplomb, equally happy crawling over technical sections at low speed or blowing through sections of sharp-edged scree. New Ah, cool. I went the DIY route on this one, outfitting my 52cm test frameset with a SRAM Red eTap AXS 212 wireless electronic groupset (including a Quarq power meter), Zipp 303 Firecrest carbon clinchers (in both 650b and 700c variants), and a mix of Zipp, WTB, and Fizik. It hasn't lost any of its appeal. 2008present unless otherwise stated. But at the other end of the spectrum, the Bokeh starts to feel a little more out of its element, even with a wider 650b setup. Wheels are the Mason X Hunt 650B AdventureSport Discs, shod with those WTB Sendero tyres I mentioned earlier, but other tyres can be specced from Schwalbe, Panaracer and other models from WTB. Sections of trail that I normally deem soporifically tame for a proper mountain bike suddenly became new and entertaining again on the 650b-equipped Bokeh, almost as if I were re-discovering old stomping ground all over again. would you recommend any changes? Around 4x as many people are killed/head of population in road crashes in the US than in the UK. Tel 01225 588855. The Bokeh 2 has a sporty ride. Many customers specify 2 sets of wheels, a quick swap dials the Bokeh perfectly to your chosen terrain or adventure. We've had one of the wettest autumns in a long while and slick gravel tyres aren't much use if you want to go off-road here in the Cotswolds, I can tell you! Anyone whos been keeping up to date with the ultra-endurance bikepacking scene will have heard the name Josh Ibett and of a brand called Mason. Its handling is always predictable and extremely balanced through corners. Wheels HUNT Four Season Gravel Disc / Mason X HUNT 650B AdventureSport Disc. If that's not rich enough for you, switch to the Bokeh Ti and you can spend 6,195. All material FarrellyAtkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA11JB. All our bike designs require a spark, something that starts the fire smouldering and gets us enthused and caught up, the Bokeh bikes were no different. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. All bikes in test: Bombtrack Hook 2 (Click for review) | Canyon Grail AL 7.0 SL (Click for review) | Fern Chuck Explorer (Click for review) | Marin Headlands 2 (Click for review) | Mason Bokeh GRX | MERIDA SILEX+ 8000-E (Click for review) | RONDO BOGAN (Click for review) | ROSE BACKROAD AXS Mullet Build (Click for review) | Salsa Cutthroat GRX 600 (Click for review) | Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon (Click for review) | Specialized S-Works Epic HT AXS Custom (Click for review) | Trek Fuel EX 9.9 XTR Project One (Click for review). How was the bike in terms of height and reach? Was it lively neutral or unresponsive? Become a supporter now! David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Weve noticed youre using an ad blocker. If you dont want to subscribe, please turn your ad blocker off. Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork? The one exception is the largest 62cm size, which uses a 31.6mm seatpost. The carbon monocoque 'Parallax' fork has been developed in conjunction with our Italian frame builders, it uses a 12mm thru-axle, flat-mount and internally routed hose and weighs just 465g. Total weight in 700c trim with 35mm-wide Schwalbe G-One Allround tubeless tires was 8.53kg (18.80lb) without pedals. The 650B Hunt wheels are stiff and responsive and proved reliable during my test, and the tyres are grippy in the mud and not draggy on the road. This makes the bike quieter, reduces damage to the chainstay paint, and prevents the chain from falling off when you're bouncing across cobbles or rutted fields. There's sure-footed stability when careening down a rocky descent or pushing along a gravel track. Look elsewhere. Tell us some more about the handling. The Bokeh 2 frameset costs 1,250, a 100 increase since we tested the original in 2017. On tarmac, the chassis offers up an efficient feel under power and a superb riding position that I never found to be either overly upright or too aggressive; with the stem slammed atop the included Dedacciai headset cover, I felt right at home. It can certainly handle it, but it doesnt seem as much at home there. Trail figures range from 62 to 75mm, depending on size (with smaller sizes being more stable, and larger sizes being more agile). You could also get a carbon fibre bike in the shape of the Vitus Substance CRX, which costs 1,799 with a SRAM Rival 1 groupset and 650B wheels and tyres. Click here to learn more. Each Bokeh frame is made of triple-butted Dedacciai aluminum tubing that is custom-shaped to Masons specifications. Paired with that well-thought-out frame is Masons Parallax full-carbon fork, complete with 100x12mm thru-axle dropouts, a flat-mount caliper interface, and internal routing for the hydraulic hose. As a result, tuning the ride quality of an aluminum frame is primarily the result of tube shape. Filter Green. The same 50mm rake is used across the complete size range. The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site. Tell us how you felt about the ride quality. How did the bike feel overall? They've been canted forward for more clearance. As a subscriber you can read road.cc ad-free, from as little as 1.99. Its obviously not quite as sharp, light, or aerodynamically efficient as a full-blown racer nor does the aluminum frame provide as cushy a ride as a good carbon frame but riders that predominantly do their road riding solo wont find much to complain about. If you like road.cc, but you dont like ads, please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly. Claimed frame weights range from about 1,560g for the smallest 48cm size, up to 1,860g for the largest 62cm size. I dont need to point out that Ive ridden dedicated road bikes that are faster than the Bokeh on tarmac, nor that Ive ridden fat-tired adventure bikes that offer a more forgiving ride or more appropriate handling. A good winter pick. It's a sporty and engaging bike with decent stability at higher speeds. In photography, the term bokeh refers to how the background of an image is pleasantly blurry so as to highlight the subject and after riding the Mason Bokeh, I find it to be a somewhat curious moniker for a bike that is so clearly adept at a wide range of uses, not one that is keenly focused on a singular task. The bulge in the threaded bottom bracket shell has gotten larger so the internally routed cables can more easily clear 30mm-diameter spindles, some of the cable routing ports have been moved for better compatibility with frame bags, and the new Parallax 2 carbon fork now has so-called anything mounts on each leg and internal routing for the optional dynamo wire. Most of my previous observations still stand. And when the time comes to bash out some road miles, they're not all slow and ponderous in fact, they zip along quietly and happily. Tell us what the bike is for and who it's aimed at. Youll feel confident aboard the Mason the moment you swing your leg over the saddle. This makes for consistent handling but also a sore back on long rides. Bottom bracket drops range from 75mm on the smallest size, up to 70mm for the largest option, and the same 435mm chainstay length is used throughout. Bike companies often like to tout some of their newer drop-bar bikes as being equally adept at everything from tarmac to singletrack. A worn chain puts load on a single tooth and tends to Perhaps you should have stopped him and given him a nudge about it, I'm sure he'd be appreciative. Once there, it carries its momentum well on flat terrain and through corners. Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible? Canyon Grail gravel bike first-ride review, Trek Checkpoint dives headfirst into the red-hot gravel bike market, Specialized second-generation Diverge Comp review. In addition to the seven aluminium frame sizes, the Bokeh is also in titanium. Read on to find out whether this is the formula for the perfect bikepacking bike. I also tried the Bokeh 2 with some 40mm Panaracer Gravel King tyres on 700C wheels, and I still personally think bigger wheels are the outright faster choice. Colours Element Grey. Yes, tyres are the main source of suspension but the frame and fork still account for some of the difference you can clearly feel through the contact points. While the Mason is relatively comfortable for an aluminum frame, there are other bikes in the test field that offer significantly more compliance. The braking force and delivery of the power feel the same as Shimano's road bike groupsets; it provides easy one-finger braking, which gives you more control over the handlebar when the tyres are sliding around struggling for grip. The seatstays bow outward up top for tire clearance, before taking a downward arc toward the custom forged 142x12mm thru-axle dropouts to provide more space for the chainstay-mounted flat-mount disc-brake caliper. Wasn't aware of the battle of Ferrybridge Coburn was also a friend of Bruce and studied martial arts - he was one of Bruce's pallbearers, as was Steve McQueen (also a one-time student of AKA "Fuck it let's drive to a gym and lock ourselves in a windowless room with some bellend screaming at us over thumping techno music and preen Unbelievable. The slack head agile, longer fork trail and stretched wheelbase compared to a road bike, as is common with many gravel bikes, prevents the Bokeh 2 from feeling too edgy or nervous. Josh Ibbetts incredible Transcontinental 2015 win, riding a virtually standard Mason Definition really inspired me and helped strengthen my resolve to design a bike that was a 'continent crusher', capable of being ridden fast on many surfaces and varied terrain, for a long way in as much comfort as possible. There are also three standard bottle mounts on the frame, with two inside the main triangle and the third on the underside of the down tube. With the Bokeh GRX, Mason have kept their promise, having designed and built a thoroughbred adventure machine. The comfortable, fast, long-distance nature of the bikes really worked for this type of riding and larger volume tyres and disc brakes gave comfort, confidence and predictable handling and braking in all conditionsour mantra 'FastFar' was born. Digital & free: First review: New Cervlo S5 Ultegra Di2 2023 The greatest aero bike of all First review: Vittoria Corsa N.EXT TLR The next level of tire technology? There, the semi-aggressive position and efficient feel still encourage you to push hard, but the larger-volume tires add in a ride comfort element thats occasionally missing when the Bokeh is wearing narrower rubber. There's an extra size as well: a 62cm frame, increasing the range to seven. Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork? With the Mason Bokeh GRX, the UK bike brand sent us a race-proven machine to take part in our bikepacking group test. In terms of performance and handling it's still top class and essentially unchanged from the original it's still a bike that is very happy mixing up road and off-road riding but you are paying a premium over aluminium alternatives. Other models available. Advertising, commercial: sales [at] road.cc If youve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as 1.99. Seatpost MASON Penta carbon, microadjust. The wheelbase is longer and angles a little slacker, with the fork using a 50mm offset to keep the trail dimension under control. Sizes are 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62cm, see individual bike pages for full geometry. It's expensive for aluminium, but it's an extremely lovely looking bike that packs a great ride and loads of capability and versatility that shines on all terrain. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. And if you go through the trouble of fitting more purpose-built tires 28mm Schwalbe Pro One tubeless clinchers, as I ran here for a while the Bokeh is more than happy ticking off scores of fast road miles. The eye-catching green paint is new for the Bokeh 2 and an easy way to spot one in the wild, but the original orange and grey colour choices are still available too. The US has a very poor record for road safety. Despite its premium pricing, the Bokeh has earned a bit of a cult following, and after several months of riding one on- and off-road, I can see why. If you want a British designed and British made gravel bike, your choices are limited. Without batting an eyelid, the Mason quickly gets up to cruising speed and turns out to be one of the most efficient bikes on test. It's a response to this move in cycling towards venturing off road and using bigger tyres, disc brakes and lightweight packs and having adventures, but not necessarily on bikes with masses of luggage. Excellent quality, up with the best you'll see on a bike. Subtle suspension sytem doesn't detract from the ride feel, but the high weight does, A bike of two halves, comfortable at the rear, but a touch muted at the front, Very good versatile bike whose tyre clearance and geometry mean it isn't just limited to the road, A Capable, comfortable and fast gravel machine with huge tyre clearances and competitive pricing, Editorial, general: info [at] road.cc It's certainly a pricey proposition for an aluminium frame, but not all aluminium frames are designed with as much care and attention to detail as the Mason clearly is. try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. It's fast, sporty and involving. I've been riding for: 10-20 yearsI ride: Every dayI would class myself as: Expert, I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, mountain biking. Frame Dedacciai custom-shaped performance Aluminium. It's packed with sensible details and there's a nice aesthetic balance to the bike, from the chunky carbon fork to the profiled down tube and curved stays. Braking performance is first class too. We don't intentionally On the surface, the Mason Bokeh comes across as a fairly straightforward aluminum gravel frame; its only when looking closer that you notice how much thought has actually gone into it. That change plays well when using a narrower 700c setup on the road, when you want that additional agility, but its less ideal with a high-volume 650b configuration when youd presumably want more stability. Was the bike comfortable to ride? You can buy a 'rolling chassis' for 1,598, which includes Hunt wheels in a choice of 650B or 700C size, and a carbon fibre seatpost. And once again, the Bokeh took it all in its stride.