5th June 2024
Welcoming Luca Montoya To The Mason Rider Family
Welcoming Luca to the Mason Cycles Rider Family.
We are super excited to introduce the newest member of the Mason Cycles rider family – Luca Montoya.
For some time, we’ve been following Luca’s entertaining and inspiring content as he travels the world on two wheels. And it turns out Luca has long been a fan of Mason, seeing our bikes on the start lines of various ultra-races. So when he got in touch to tell us about his ambition to step up a gear, we knew this could be a brilliant opportunity for us both. Mason creates bikes for adventures, and Luca creates stories of adventures. We had to meet.
We’re so glad we did. Luca Montoya loves so much of what we love. Not just bikes, but skating, music and so many of the influences that sit behind the way we design and produce our bikes.
Initially, we thought a hardtail like our RAW or Macro would be the ideal fit for Luca, given his history of bikepacking on a mountain bike. But as he told us more about his gravel racing ambitions, it became clear that a Mason Bokeh would be the right machine: it’s lively, it’s fun, but it’s fast – perfectly suited to Luca.
While the Bokeh will help Luca cover miles quickly, we know he won’t lose his unique angle on long-distance cycling: soaking in the views and building connections along the way.
Luca's engaging stories and videos make his travels so relatable and accessible, and we can't wait to see where his journey with his Bokeh takes him as he explores new countries and landscapes, meeting new people and getting stuck into the adventure.
How did you hear about Mason?
It's been a little over 2 years since I started watching a few events in the bike-packing scene and there were always some pretty good riders in the top 10 on a Mason bike.
Why did you choose the Mason Bokeh and what features are you excited about?
For the next 4 months I'll be riding mostly on pavement and some gravel. So I'm very happy to have such a lightweight all-rounder to go fast and far with the Bokeh!
What gear system will you use and why?
I will be using the 1X Shimano GRX 800 groupset with 40T up front and with a 11-45 cassette on the back. There were other options available? No, just kidding. I always ride 1X drive train set-ups to keep things simple, so there's no reason to change or wish for something else.
What are your rough plans for the coming year on the bike and why?
I'm currently on my way to Spain to participate in my first bike-packing event. After that I'm going to ride to Turkey and catch a plane to Indonesia to participate in the Bentang Java, which is another great event. This year it's mainly for the experience, if I enjoy riding against myself on time I will definitely do more events and races in the future. If I don't try something new, I'll never know if I like it or not.
Tell us more about your background in cycling and describe the type of rider you are.
All terrain mountain biker with lots of influence from skating. When I was growing up, my dad used to take me to the bike parks in Germany and Austria. I participated in some downhill events and later even worked as a bike patrol in a bike park. When I was 21 years old, I cycled from my home in Spain to Germany for the first time. I fell in love with the feeling of freedom and exploring the unknown on a bike. Immediately after that trip I knew right away that a “normal” touring setup with front and rear panniers was not for me. It wasn't fun to ride. It was just a means of transportation.
So I went back to Spain, worked a bit longer and built a solid hardtail mountain bike with some 29 x 3.0 tires to have fun on trails and other terrain. I love it when a bike just feels right and you can do some "tricks" and have fun even when it’s fully packed with my belongings.
With the hardtail MTB I started my world trip in March 2023, from Singapore to Alaska. I have covered 15,000km so far and I have cycled in many countries like Argentina, Australia, Cambodia and many more. It was once a pretty well-planned route, but after 3 months on the bike I changed the route and went to Australia instead of following the line to India.
From there it is just a zig zag and going there what feels right at the moment. Especially on my last trip through Taiwan I felt the need for a change and here I am. I will be riding a much lighter setup for the next few months to cover more miles and participate in events and group rides.
Is this the right bike for me? I can't tell yet, but the first 500km felt great! Light, fast, great stability and its looks sick.
Where are you currently based and what makes it special for you?
I'm not based at all. I've been a full-time bike packer for over a year now. Barcelona is the city that I call home. I spent almost 5 years there and it's still my favourite city in the world. You literally get everything. Mountains, beautiful architecture, the sea and an amazing bike and skate scene.
Your favourite song at the moment?
น้ำตาแม่ สุภาพ ดาวดวงเด่น and thanks for having me guys!