Angus Young | Silk Road Mountain Race

Ahead of the 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race, we welcomed MASON rider Angus Young and his prototype Macro back to the Barn. It was a chance to chat to Angus about his forthcoming challenge, and to set up the Macro for another dose of what it's designed for: ultra-long distance mountain racing.

It's always good to welcome MASON riders to the Barn for a chat about their adventures, and to help them prep their bikes for the next race.

But when Angus Young popped in to see us before catching a flight to Kyrgyzstan, we had another reason to be excited: he is riding a prototype of the new MASON Macro: a bike Dom has designed for lightweight fast-moving adventures in extreme terrain. Servicing and race-prepping Angus's Macro gives us another chance to examine what is possibly the most thoroughly tested bike MASON has ever produced.

Gruelling challenges for an important new MASON bike

We issued the first Macro prototypes to MASON riders Angus Young and Josh Ibbett as a way to ensure this model receives the most extensive real-world testing available to any bike. Angus and Josh have certainly put the new Macro through its paces: Angus chose the Macro for a 'fastest known time' attempt on the Arizona Trail, and Josh used his for February's Atlas Mountain Race before taking a podium finish in the new Accursed Race in the Balkans. The adventure-ready Macro keeps coming back for more.

The next ultra race in the calendar is for Angus, taking on the 1,300km Silk Road Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan, and once again, he's selected the MASON Macro. The MASON workshop team has given Angus's machine a full check-over, renewed some drivetrain components and checked his RockShox SIDs are ready for the Kyrgyz trails. There wasn't much to do: his Macro has thrived in its adventures so far, and was looking better than ever.

The Silk Road Mountain Race is a serious undertaking – and it's exactly the kind of thing the Macro was made for. 

With its 1,300km distance and 21,140m of climbing, the SRMR pushes riders through wild, remote terrain demanding navigation along unmarked, rugged mountain routes. As with other endurance races, only minimal outside assistance is permitted, making it a true test of self-reliance and resilience in the untamed wilderness.

This will be Angus's second attempt at the Silk Road Mountain Race, and he's looking forward to more miles on his Macro.

Last year the Silk Road mountain race didn’t go as planned. After struggling with food poisoning for five days I pulled the plug. Now I’m back for redemption – this time aboard the MASON Macro. I’ve already put it through its paces along the Arizona Trail so it’s ready to go and dialled.

The MASON Macro has been designed to find the perfect balance between unpredictable off-road terrain and the need to keep moving fast. The Macro follows a flat-barred mountain bike format, but with a geometry optimised for nimble handling at racing speeds. With a choice of rigid fork or 100mm of travel, our racers go for the suspension option, enabling them to stay comfortable over days or weeks of fast riding.

Unlike the steel RAW, the Macro has an aluminium frame. Ultra races like the Silk Mountain often feature portage (or 'hike-a-bike') sections, where light weight becomes an in-demand characteristic of any bike, and the Macro has proved highly portable. Indeed, as part of his pre-race altitude acclimatisation, Angus has been taking his Macro for an overnight mountain hike, hitched on his back. These are extraordinary bikes for extraordinary riders.

Watch Angus's progress in the 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race.

And if you like the look of the MASON Macro, let us know if you want to be among the first to know when it becomes available later in 2024.