This is Bokeh 10 – ten years of gravel adventure

THIS POST IS A WORK IN PROGRESS

LOOK AWAY! GO RIDE YOUR BIKE!

Every so often, a bicycle comes along that makes a real impact – one that makes its mark on the world of cycling and becomes a benchmark against which other bikes are compared.

In the realms of gravel, bikepacking and lightweight multi-surface adventure, the MASON Bokeh is one such bike.

When Mason Progressive Cycles launched in 2014, we arrived with two distance-focussed road bicycles: the steel Resolution and the aluminum Definition. These two Italian-built framesets brought real-world endurance and thoughtful metal design to a market saturated with carbon frames and racing lookalikes unsuited to long haul endurance riding.

An off-road focus

In 2015, once the Resolution and Definition were out in the wild racking up the miles, designer Dom Mason next turned his detail-focussed attention off-road, where his cycling roots had been laid down. Dom was eager to create a lightweight endurance-ready bicycle that would really open up a world of adventures. It was around this time that MASON-supported rider Josh Ibbett, who won the 2015 Transcontinental Race on a Definition, started asking Dom about the possibility of a MASON with off-road capabilities.

So Dom set himself a clear brief: to formulate an off-road design focused on ride quality above all else, full of thoughtful features and detailing, but free of needless gimmicks.

Dom explains:

“I had had the concept of a fast, lightweight, all-terrain traveller in my mind right from the start. I even had a firm idea of what the colour should be, and one of our first ever Definition samples was painted in the ‘FlareOrange’ that was to become synonymous with the upcoming images of Bokeh adventures all over the world. Inspired by events like the TCR, I decided that the ‘Four Season Endurance Road’ Definition and Resolution would be first, but I was very keen to release the off-road Bokeh shortly after.”

The timing of this decision was perfect. With the gravel bike movement arriving in the UK, this new MASON would be well-placed to meet a growing demand for a fast, light, exciting bicycle that would blend a lively sporty feel with the ability to travel across highly variable terrain.

“We launched the new Bokeh at EuroBike that year. Nick Larsen was very kind in hosting the new bike on his newly launched Fabric components stand at the show. I remember walking round the huge show and thinking ‘Wow, we are almost the only brand with an adventure sport [Gravel was yet to become the widely used term!] bike here! It was just us and OPEN, who had just released the carbon ‘UP’”

Handbuilt for the task

Aluminium was Dom’s material of choice for the Bokeh: engaging and lightweight, and ideal for his vision of a responsive and durable frameset. So his first task was to consult with his friends at Dedacciai in Italy, working together to create a custom aluminium tubeset ready to take on this new challenge. An Italian workshop was commissioned to bring these tubes to life, with experienced artisans beautifully welding them to Dom’s precise specification.

Dom says of this collaboration:

“Stefano and his team at Dedacciai were pivotal in helping to bring our small brand to life. His belief and passion for what we were doing in the very early days was a huge boost for me, and helped me to believe in myself too. We developed the iconic Bokeh ‘Dform’ down tube together, along with all the shapes and forms of all the other tubes, which give the Bokeh its incredible, lively, comfortable and efficient ride feel.”

Completing the picture

Wheel and tyre size were prime concerns for Dom. He quickly made the decision to offer a choice of wheel sizes on the Bokeh, with a frame equally matched to 700c or 650b wheels. This way, riders could configure their bike to match their appetite for adventure: from road to hardpack, from fast-rolling gravel to more challenging terrain.

“650b was just emerging, with WTB introducing the ‘Byway’ tyre. This really opened up the design advantages for a bike of this type and allowed us to develop a comfortable, fast, confidence-inspiring, multi-terrain bike for travel. 1x gearing was another innovation that closely followed, once again allowing us to open up clearances and make a really efficient ground-covering adventure machines.”

To complete the Bokeh frameset, Dom knew the Bokeh would need a carbon fibre fork to provide the precision and compliance that’s required on a high-performance gravel bicycle. But when he examined the available options, none of them satisfied him. So Dom set to work on designing MASON’s own adventure-ready fork: the Parallax. This custom carbon fork, built specifically for the task, completed the new frameset.

And how about that name? Dom chose ‘Bokeh’ to continue with the photographic theme he began with the Definition and Resolution. The Japanese term bokeh refers to those out-of-focus parts of an image that exist in the background. Sometimes, beauty exists in our periphery – away from the obvious focus – and this new bike was to follow this principle. Dom recalls how the concept of bokeh brought to his mind ideas of speed-blur and the heat haze of desert racing. Perfect.

And what of Dom’s componentry options for that initial batch of Bokehs?

“It’s difficult to believe looking back, but when we introduced the Bokeh, there were really NO ‘gravel’ components! We would use Ultegra and road bars to build the bikes, along with Panaracer Comet tyres, which was basically an MTB, 650b summer tread tyre. Even disc brakes were very new, and as with the disc-brake wheels for our road bikes, we developed our own 650b ‘AdventureSport’ wheels along with our friends at HUNT. Flare bars, 1x gearing, cargo cages, frame bags, carrying systems, and every brand developing a bicycle for ‘gravel adventure’ was yet to come…”

As soon as it launched in 2016, the Bokeh was a success. Rather than simply showing up as a chunky-tyred road bike, the Bokeh truly offered a purpose, a geometry, and a ride feel completely optimised for the kind of fast-moving off-road adventures that were growing in popularity at that time.

It was the riders themselves who really helped Dom to realise the versatility of his new creation. The Bokeh quickly became a firm favourite among the bikepacking crowd, carrying lightweight camping equipment for multi-day adventures. Ultra racers turned to the Bokeh for days-long comfort and reliability. Even tarmac tourers discovered this new bike, appreciating its carrying capacity and knowing that a surprise route change or poor quality road would be matched by the Bokeh’s gravel credentials.

Translation into titanium

Not long after the instant success of the aluminium Bokeh, Dom decided there was a logical next step to be taken: titanium. The Bokeh had quickly shown itself as a timely addition to the world of gravel cycling, with the right blend of pace and versatility – so why not extend this same ride-driven design philosophy into premium titanium manufacture: durable, smooth, light and well-regarded among cycling connoisseurs?

And so it was that Dom returned to Dedacciai to begin working on the exact tubeset, geometry and details that would make the BokehTi – MASON’s first titanium bicycle – something truly remarkable. While the aluminium Bokeh was being produced in small handbuilt batches, the BokehTi took specialist craft further still – made to order for each individual customer. This approach unlocked scope for personal touches that the BokehTi retains to this day: with details like routing, eyelets and head tubes tailored for each rider.

Launched in 2017, just a year after its aluminium sibling, the BokehTi quickly established itself among the most desirable gravel adventure bikes on the market.

Keep on improving…

Good design never stays still, and nor does Dom’s eye for details and refinements. A community was growing around the Bokeh, and every photo, social media post and thank-you email enabled Dom to keep gathering feedback and requests from owners.

"The MASON community is hugely important to me. I love seeing the adventures that unfold across the world on the Bokeh and on all our bikes. Actually, this is what it’s all about for me. It’s not always been easy and it’s the riders and their rides that inspire me and keep me doing what I do."

In 2019, the Bokeh2 was released, bringing more tyre clearance, a fork with additional mounting points, an enlarged bottom bracket and revised internal routing.

The Bokeh2 enabled a whole new wave of adventures, race results and experiences for riders wanting something a little different, a little special, built with rider experience as its absolute priority.

…and improving

In 2024, the Bokeh3 arrived – a further, more comprehensive, iteration generated by Dom’s belief in what he calls ‘ride-driven design’: constantly enhancing every rider’s experience by combining feedback from the trail with the latest developments in design and manufacture.

The Bokeh3 brought a host of refinements and updates. Key frame tubes were made size-specific. All mounting points were reassessed and improved for strength and positioning. Extra equipment eyelets were added, taking into account the new ways riders were using their bikes – particularly bikepackers and ultra-racers.

To match an updated frame, the Bokeh’s Rangefinder AS carbon fork was also improved, with internal routing, an integral crown race, increased clearance and every detail optimised, from dropouts and brake mounts to triple-bolt equipment eyelets.

The Bokeh3 subtly evolved into the Bokeh3.5: an internal classification used at the Barn to denote the Bokeh’s move to Universal Derailleur Hanger compatibility. And of course, any update gives Dom the chance to further optimise routing and tyre clearance. The iteration and refinement never stop.

Evolution brought refinement too for the BokehTi, with MASON’s own entirely redeveloped 3D-printed, UDH-compliant dropouts, along with new deeper and more tapered chainstays and slimmer reprofiled seatstays. Again, iterative boosts in tyre clearance broadened choices for adventurous riders. Today, the updated BokehTi remains a stunning headturner, in either its 700c or 650b guise.

Ten years in, and the Bokeh keeps rolling

Since its initial creation in 2016, the Bokeh has enabled countless adventures across the globe – on trails, roads, plains and mountains. It’s become more than a bicycle. The Bokeh is now a kind of symbol for what can be achieved when you put your mind to it. Whatever your location, whatever your speed, whatever your load, Bokehs embody the adaptability and appetite of those who choose to ride them.

What the reviewers have said about the Bokeh

We love the Bokeh. And riders love the Bokeh. But it’s always good to seek the opinions of reviewers and journalists, who test dozens of bikes a year. Since its birth, the Bokeh has won admiration, excitement, and even awards, from industry experts eager to sample its performance, comfort and endurance credentials.

The whole bike has been extremely well thought out and is sensational to ride. the Bokeh presents an incredible ride that feels light enough to tackle the biggest hills and mountains around.

Adventure Bike of the Year 2017, Bikes Etc.

The Bokeh is a frame that is worthy of sharp focus and when you really zoom into its details, the background visual noise just seems to fade away.

John Watson, The Radavist

The Bokeh3 has been tweaked, refined and enhanced to make this iteration even more capable and versatile on gravel tracks, or tackling a challenging adventure than ever before. It still has that lightweight, fun-ride nature to it, but with a bit more attitude.

Mat Brett, Road.cc

“Mason’s latest Bokeh[3] is the same brilliantly balanced, effortlessly fast, entertaining and surprisingly smooth multi surface joy ride as before, but now with cleaner aesthetics and more cargo options.”

Guy Kesteven, BikePerfect

Will the Bokeh ever be finished?

When a bicycle has inspired so many people and enabled so many adventures, it’s hard to predict what its future will hold.

One of Dom’s promises to riders is that his design decisions remain primarily motivated by rider experience and informed by rider feedback. This is the core of MASON's ‘ride-driven design’ mantra. Nevertheless, the cycling industry brings constant change and innovation, whether in metallurgy, wheel technology or componentry. Dom appraises each new development and decides whether or not it brings real benefit to the riders who will spend thousands and thousands of miles reaping the benefits of his work.

"I like to stay very closely in touch with riders and riding. Our full name is ‘Mason Progressive Cycles’, so progression is very important to us, whether it stems from the types of riding that we watch emerge or from progression in materials and componentry."

But we will never be driven by fashion. ‘Ride-driven design’ will not let us do that. There always has to be an advantage to the rider, something that makes their riding life easier and better. So I like to watch closely, seeing how things develop and emerge, not jumping in too fast. Then I make considered changes, or develop new designs and models when the technology presents real advantages for our riders, their riding styles and their bicycle riding lives.”

So when the time comes for its 15th or 20th anniversary, the MASON Bokeh is likely to have evolved further still, with as-yet unknown features we can only dream of today. But of some things we can be certain: the Bokeh has made an impact on adventure cycling that will continue to resonate around the world for many, many miles to come.