23rd November 2017
Déjà Stu
April 29, 2015. Stu Kerton rides the original Mason Definition and Resolution models 200km from Brighton back to Bath and back again, sparking immense debate on the road.cc forums, to this day still standing as one of the most engaging and thought provoking articles ever posted on their website.
Since then: Mason has moved HQ to a 300y.o. barn that we restored; quadrupled our devoted staff; launched two new models; won group-tests and annual awards. We're seeing our bikes ridden thousands of miles across the world, over all surfaces on the most incredible journeys and it's amazing.
Today, Stu visited the Barn to see where we have come and to repeat the original landmark test campaign on our evolved Definition Ultegra Hydro with the latest R8000 groupset and ThruAxle/FlatMount dropouts.
One of the things that has been bubbling away in our barn was the development of a ThruAxle/FlatMount (TA/FM) dropout for our Definition road bike that was truly worthy of retaining the HUNT rear wheels that our bikes roll so fast on.
We hadn’t jumped onto the TA/FM bandwagon a year ago because we’d rather turn up late than do something average.
Over the last 2 years we've had the pleasure of developing strong relationships with the master frame builders that craft every Mason frame in Italy.
Working together with the maker of our Alu. frames we have designed our own proprietary dropout that is beautiful, stiff, and maintains the BoatTail shape that gives the Definition its superb ride quality and psychic feedback.
We’re now very happy to take on board the total repeatability of wheel location that ThruAxle affords a disc brake road bike, and the latest Flat-Mount brake callipers make for a very tidy brake packaging.
One of Stu’s headlining remarks from his original review:
"Sorted geometry equals sublime handling"
And this time we’re not changing anything. We did consider shortening the c’stays but this would compromise the tyre clearance and practicality which is what the bike is all about!
Especially as we’re now seeing riders regularly using 30-32mm tyres rather than the original 28mm that we had envisaged.
Mason Cycles are #madeformiles. In this most appropriate test, Stu is visiting our new barn and repeating his original groundbreaking test and riding the latest Definition.
He’s not been on a MASON for at least a year now so it’s going to be fascinating to see the results of this.