8th October 2026
Taurus Mountain Race
Taurus Mountain Race begins 14th October. The MASON Macro will be there in force!
This is the inaugural edition of the fourth of the 'Mountain Races' - a series of remote, beautiful, but challenging ultra distance bikepacking races organised by Nelson Trees. All races in the series take riders well off the beaten tracks, testing the limits of their resolve and their equipment. Taurus promises to be no different.
This enigmatic first edition has so far been shrouded in some mystery - deliberately so, to keep as level a playing field as possible. We know some incomplete info about resupplies, towns passed through, expected terrain and elevation...but have no experienced riders from past editions, no tried and tested setups, an no certainty about what lies ahead.
Two MASON riders are heading into the unknown, both aboard the trusty Macro.
Josh Ibbett - Macro32 Prototype
ProcessWhite Frame. Shimano XT Di2 build.
Prototype 32" suspension fork by DT Swiss.
HUNT 32" Proven Carbon Wheels - development set.
Tailfin Bags, Exposure lights, Albion kit.
Angus Young - Macro29
Tiltshift frame. SRAM GX build.
HUNT Proven Carbon Dynamo wheelset.
Restrap bags, Exposure lights, Albion kit.
A first of its kind
Josh's 32" prototype is 1 of 1, the first MASON frame to exist for this wheel size. We believe it is also the first bike of this kind in the world, and Taurus will be the first time this kind of bike has been raced.
We are right at the forefront of development of 32" technology with this bike: it features one of the few DT Swiss development forks in existence, as well as HUNT's development carbon Proven wheelset, which no other rider has access to at this stage.
We are very excited to hear feedback from Josh during this race, as it will be the first real-world test of much of this equipment in this kind of riding environment, where we hope the advantages of 32" wheels will come into their own. Good luck Josh!
From Tour to Taurus
Meanwhile, Angus will be riding his extremely well used Macro 29er. This has carried him across thousands and thousands of miles - most recently to an extraordinary podium place at the 2026 Tour Divide. A ride of 13d 18h 03m saw him complete the fifth fastest ride on the Tour Divide in history - and the fastest ever on a metal bike.
Tried and tested, then, we're excited to see what Angus can accomplish on this rig in Turkey, at the end of a big year for him. Best of luck Angus!