Mason Bokeh GRX

The gravel and adventure riding scene has come a long way since Mason Cycles first launched its Bokeh in 2016, and for 2019 the model has been updated, increasing its capability. In terms of performance and handling it's still top class and essentially unchanged from the original – it's still a bike that is very happy mixing up road and off-road riding – but you are paying a premium over aluminium alternatives.

• Pros: Handling, looks, lots of mounts, tyre clearance
• Cons: Pricey, not the smoothest ride

Ride and handling

I tested the original Bokeh when it first launched, and I've ridden a hell of a lot of gravel and adventure bikes in the intervening years, so I was keen to have a go on the updated Bokeh 2 and see if it still lived up to the plaudits I handed it in that original review.

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It hasn't lost any of its appeal. Most of my previous observations still stand. This is still a highly capable bike that's just as at home cruising along country lanes as it is splashing through hub-deep puddles, skidding around corners and dive-bombing down rutted descents.

The Bokeh 2 has a sporty ride. It feels fast – there's a positive steering response and evident stiffness from the frame and fork to ensure it's responsive to your inputs, whether through the pedals thrashing up a climb or carving corners.

Direction changes come quickly, too, when you're hurtling through the woods. And it feels quick on the road, the frame doing a good job of transferring power when you're gunning for the top of a climb. You can easily fit some fat slick tyres and, gearing aside, keep up with faster roadies on a club run or smash out the commute.

There's sure-footed stability when careening down a rocky descent or pushing along a gravel track. The slack head agile, longer fork trail and stretched wheelbase compared to a road bike, as is common with many gravel bikes, prevents the Bokeh 2 from feeling too edgy or nervous.

Comfort is good over rough terrain, the big tyres at low pressures obviously contributing a great deal. It doesn't smooth out the impacts quite as well as some rivals, namely the Specialized Diverge with its Future Shock or the GT Grade's bendy rear stays. Yes, tyres are the main source of suspension but the frame and fork still account for some of the difference you can clearly feel through the contact points.

I primarily rode the bike with the 650B Hunt wheels and 47mm WTB Sendero tyres it came with, a combination that proved excellent in the muddy conditions I had for testing. We've had one of the wettest autumns in a long while and slick gravel tyres aren't much use if you want to go off-road here in the Cotswolds, I can tell you!

The Sendero tyres are capable in loose gravel and deep slippery mud, finding traction when you're on the edge of toppling over. And when the time comes to bash out some road miles, they're not all slow and ponderous – in fact, they zip along quietly and happily.

Smaller wheels equal more fun too. The Bokeh 2 is more agile and easier to carve through tight corners with the 650B wheels. Speed comes more easily when sprinting out of corners. The only downside to the smaller wheels is the impact it has on the bottom bracket height and a slightly increased risk of pedal strike.

I also tried the Bokeh 2 with some 40mm Panaracer Gravel King tyres on 700C wheels, and I still personally think bigger wheels are the outright faster choice. If I was doing a long-distance gravel adventure that would be my preference. But for blatting around the woods, focusing on having fun and getting a faceful of mud, 650B with Sendero tyres get my vote.

Changes to the Bokeh 2

The Bokeh 2 is made in Italy from triple-butted Dedacciai 7000 series aluminium. It's packed with sensible details and there's a nice aesthetic balance to the bike, from the chunky carbon fork to the profiled down tube and curved stays. The decals are up to Mason's usual impeccable standards and give the Bokeh 2 a sense of pedigree.

The eye-catching green paint is new for the Bokeh 2 and an easy way to spot one in the wild, but the original orange and grey colour choices are still available too. There's an extra size as well: a 62cm frame, increasing the range to seven. The geometry remains unchanged from the original.

Tyre clearance has been increased by a useful amount, up from 41 to 45mm on a 700C wheel. There's also 650B compatibility with up to a 50mm tyre catered for. If you want wider, you'd be better served by Mason's ISO.

Those clearances are ample for many people buying gravel bikes who will want a bike that offers good speed on a wide variety of surfaces, from road to woodland tracks and pure gravel.

You have to look closely to spot the other changes because they're subtle. The carbon fork has been updated and now features internal dynamo routing and three rack mounts compatible with Anything accessories, so you could add extra bottles or load storage. They've been canted forward for more clearance.

Mudguard and rack eyelets carry over from the original, ensuring this is a bike that could easily serve as a slick-tyred winter training, commuting or touring bike with a change of tyres or wheels.

Cable routing has been revised, still using the same modular system that ensures compatibility with all groupsets and 1x or 2x, but the rear gear cable port has been repositioned to reduce top tube pack interference.

Another change to provide easier internal routing of the rear brake hose and electronic shift cable is an oversized 56mm diameter shell around a 68mm threaded bottom bracket. The bigger shell not only provides space for the hose and wires to pass around the bottom bracket, it also provides more real estate for welding the chainstays lower, for better cable routing and more tyre clearance. It's a little slab-sided ugly but it's at least functional and serves a purpose.

Frame weight is a claimed 1,730g for a 56cm frame, with the Parallax 2 carbon fork adding 465g.

Equipment

The £3,175 Bokeh GRX on test is the pick of the range in my opinion. You get Shimano's brand new GRX 800 mechanical groupset in a 1x configuration, pairing an 11-42t cassette with a 42t chainring.

If you prefer 2x, that can be specced for an extra £20, and you get an 11-34 cassette and 48/31 chainset.

I've spent quite a bit of time on Shimano's new GRX groupset, on several test bikes, but this Bokeh 2 was my first with the 1x version. The ergonomics of the hoods are excellent and increase control in tricky situations, with the brake levers easier and nicer to operate.

The shifting quality is flawless; each push of the gear lever results in a smooth, quiet and quick gear change. It works reliably in all conditions too – even when the entire bike is caked with mud, there's no reluctance from the rear mech.

The clutch mechanism in the rear derailleur eliminates chain slap. This makes the bike quieter, reduces damage to the chainstay paint, and prevents the chain from falling off when you're bouncing across cobbles or rutted fields.

Braking performance is first class too. The braking force and delivery of the power feel the same as Shimano's road bike groupsets; it provides easy one-finger braking, which gives you more control over the handlebar when the tyres are sliding around struggling for grip.

Wheels are the Mason X Hunt 650B AdventureSport Discs, shod with those WTB Sendero tyres I mentioned earlier, but other tyres can be specced from Schwalbe, Panaracer and other models from WTB. The 650B Hunt wheels are stiff and responsive and proved reliable during my test, and the tyres are grippy in the mud and not draggy on the road. A good winter pick.

Finishing kit is a combination of Mason branded carbon seatpost and seat clamp, a Deda Gravel100 handlebar and Superzero stem, and Fabric Scoop Shallow saddle with matching Hex bar tape.

The aluminium handlebar has a nice amount of flare to the drops, 12-degree flare to be precise, without being excessive, enabling more control over the direction that the bike takes on the descents, while the top section is slightly ovalised, lending more comfort when cruising.

Value

The Bokeh 2 frameset costs £1,250, a £100 increase since we tested the original in 2017. You can buy a 'rolling chassis' for £1,598, which includes Hunt wheels in a choice of 650B or 700C size, and a carbon fibre seatpost.

Our test bike with Shimano GRX 800 costs £3,175, but complete builds start from £2,795 with SRAM Rival 1 or Shimano 105, rising to £3,995 with Shimano GRX Di2. If that's not posh enough for you, switch to the Bokeh Ti and you can spend £6,195.

It's certainly a pricey proposition for an aluminium frame, but not all aluminium frames are designed with as much care and attention to detail as the Mason clearly is. Take into account subjective things like the Italian manufacturing, the design, finish and attention to detail and the price becomes more acceptable – but you are paying more for the frame when comparing complete bikes to some rivals in this category.

Ribble's CGR AL, for example, costs £1,839 for a complete bike when custom specced with Shimano GRX 800 and WTB Nano tyres. You can read a review of it here.

There's also the excellent Canyon Grail AL 7.0, which offers very good value for money, though the finish of the frame clearly isn't on the same level as the Bokeh 2.

> Buyer's Guide: 22 of the best gravel and adventure bikes

You could also get a carbon fibre bike in the shape of the Vitus Substance CRX, which costs £1,799 with a SRAM Rival 1 groupset and 650B wheels and tyres.

If you want a British designed and British made gravel bike, your choices are limited. One that springs to mind is the new Enigma Endeavour which costs £2,001.98 for the frameset.

Verdict

The updated Bokeh 2 retains everything that I loved about the original, with excellent handling that works well across a variety of terrains. It's fast, sporty and involving. The extra tyre clearance will be welcomed, as will the increased capability with extra mounts, and the small changes to cable routing show the company's attention to detail.

Verdict

Top performance, looks and capability from Mason's updated gravel bike