The eleventh Transcontinental Race (TCR) ultra-distance cycling race is happening right now, so let’s look back at the Mason Definition bike that Josh Ibbett rode to become the first British winner back in 2015.
This year’s TCR began in northern Spain on 27th July and will finish in Constanta, Romania, on the edge of the Black Sea. Riders must be self-supported throughout. All food and accommodation must come from commercial sources, and drafting isn’t allowed.
Riders must pass through several control points, but apart from that, they’re free to make up their own route. The other key point is that the clock doesn’t stop at any point until each rider reaches the finish. Time spent eating, sleeping, repairing the bike, and whatever else needs doing… That’s all included.
> British ultra cyclist Josh Ibbett wins 3rd Transcontinental Race
Back in 2015, the third TCR began in Belgium – at the top of the Muur van Geraardsbergen climb, formerly an iconic feature of the Tour of Flanders – and finished in Montenegro, so the race distance was about 4,000km (2,500 miles). One of the Control Points was at the top of Mont Ventoux. That gives you an idea of the type of fun these guys get up to. Josh Ibbett finished in just under 10 days.
> Ventoux Three: Riding up Mont Ventoux three times in a day
What sort of bike do you need for what is essentially an unsupported time trial across a continent?
Josh rode the alloy Mason Definition, a bike that has been updated since then, but remains in the range.
> Check out our review of the Mason Definition 3.0 from 2024
The Definition is a four-season bike that’s designed for long-distance riding, so it’s a good fit for something like TCR. The Definition was a little lighter than the steel Mason Resolution (which is also still in the range) and Josh found it to be more comfortable, and that’s a very high priority
Josh told us at the time, “I could have gone for a lighter bike, but I need something that’s strong and resilient enough to get me there. That’s the key, especially given some of the roads we ride where tarmac is optional.”
Josh had ridden the second TCR in 2014, finishing second to Kristof Allegaert, and had used rim brakes that time, but found that the wheel rims got gritty in the rain and the brake pads wore out fast. For 2015, he was keen to run disc brakes, especially as there were a number of gravel sections that year. Plus, a mountain biker at heart, he was pretty sold on the idea of disc brakes. Very few TCR riders are using rim brakes in 2025.
The Shimano BR-R785 brakes were hydraulic and remained smooth throughout. They were easy to pull, even when fatigue had set in.
Josh used a stock Mason x Hunt 4Season Disc wheelset fitted with Schwalbe One tyres. He had used 25mm tyres in 2014, but moved up to 28mm for 2015 in search of more comfort. These tyres were set up tubeless to avoid punctures, especially across the gravel.
Josh used a Shimano Ultegra Di2 (electronic) groupset, having run a Campagnolo Chorus mechanical setup the previous year and snapped two cables.
“You can’t get Campag cables in the middle of Croatia, so I managed to find some Shimano ones in Montenegro and filed the top to get one in,” Josh told us at the time. “It eventually snapped, so I singlespeeded from Albania to Turkey.”
Josh’s fingers had also got sore from the mechanical shifting in 2014, so Di2 made things easier. That’s probably not something you think about on shorter rides, but it becomes an issue after a few days in the saddle.
Josh went for a 52/36-tooth chainset and a 12-25-tooth cassette. He thought that smaller gears would have slowed him down, saying he had a strategy of drinking coffee and eating croissants at the bottom of the climbs.
Up front, Josh used clip-on aero bars attached to a standard drop handlebar.
“I set up the whole bike to a time trial position, first and foremost,” Josh told us. “The idea is that if I’m comfortable enough in that position, I’ll stay there and be faster. Sitting in a normal road position, holding yourself up for 18hrs a day, kills you. And my position is aero with a pretty flat back.”
Josh added cheap bungees bought from eBay between the aerobars to hold food so that he could eat on the move – simple but effective – and used a Prologo Zero time trial-specific saddle pushed right the way forward on the rails in a time trial position.
The computer was a Garmin eTrek 30x Hiking GPS, chosen because it took easily replaceable AA batteries, held in place via an unconventional mounting method: electrical tape. Not pretty, perhaps, but it did the job. Josh also took a little speedo.
In terms of storage, Josh used a frame bag, saddle pack, and top tube bag for carrying essentials – tools, waterproof jacket, bivvy bag, ProPlus, Sudocrem… that kind of stuff. There’s no room for luxuries when you’re going for the win; it’s all about taking the bare minimum.
“Cycling shoes make an amazing pillow,” Josh told us.
We know what you’re thinking. Objectively, they don’t, do they? But let’s not quibble because Josh won the third Transcontinental Race by about 400km (250 miles) and you can’t argue with that.
You can follow Josh’s daily updates on the Transcontinental Race 2025 on YouTube.
We caught up with him to find out what else he’s up to at the moment.
“I’m still riding and racing,” Josh said. “I’ll be heading out to Kyrgyzstan for the Silk Road Mountain Race next week. I’m aiming to finish all three of the Mountain Races this year. I’ve already finished Atlas in Morocco (12th) and the Hellenic Race in Greece (4th), so I’m aiming to complete the set.
“I’m still training hard and trying to be as competitive as I can, but the sport has evolved a lot since 2015 and the level of competition has risen, so results are harder to come by nowadays. I’m putting a lot of energy into my YouTube channel with the race coverage, a podcast, and videos around the events and gear that I do/use. Oh, and I also still do a bit with Hunt.”
Find out more about TCR and follow this year’s riders on a constantly updated map.
2 thoughts on “Check out the Mason Definition that Josh Ibbett rode to Transcontinental Race victory in 2015”
Great article, thank you. Big
Great article, thank you. Big fan of Josh’s ultra coverage, he makes it really accessible and gives you such a good understanding of the terrain/course the riders take on. And he seems like a good egg 🙂
Thank you for the article. I
Thank you for the article. I bought Josh’s 2014 rim brake wheels from him second hand. They are still in service now as winter wheels as they had a dynamo fitted. The wheels also returned to Flanders in May after an issue with my regular wheels just before I set off.