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Mason bikes as good as we are told?

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  • January 17, 2017 at 9:44 pm #26674
    steady lad

    Hopefully somebody who has a Mason bike will be able to say whether they are as exceptional as the reviews suggest.

     

    The situation is that I like them and would buy one if it weren’t for the fact that we have a cycle to work scheme with Evans cycles that due to my tax circumstances amounts to a discount of around £650 and on top of that we have a discount scheme which would get me a further 10% off the balance at Evans.  So I’m finding it hard to justify not going to Evans which is pushing me to a Specialized Roubaix or a BMC Road Machine or a Trek Domane.

     

    This would make a Mason bike relatively even more expensive for me so I can’t decide if they are sufficiently better than the Evans options to justify foregoing the savings.  Can anybody offer an opinion?

     

    Cheers

     

     

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Viewing 15 replies - 16 through 30 (of 35 total)
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  • January 19, 2017 at 5:29 pm #885405
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    peted76
    Duncann wrote:
    Just buy one that’s a nice colour.

    THIS… then polish it a lot.

    January 19, 2017 at 5:16 pm #885403
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    Simon E

    Carton wrote:

    Carton wrote:
    I know a few musicians and sound techs, and I’ve never heard someone insist that any vintage electric guitar was significantly better than a modern copy (I’ve heard some griping about materials on newer lower-end guitars, though).
    Ah, but sound technicians aren’t the ones paying for the instrument and playing it every day. Also, some musicians are more hung up on very specific aspects of build and sound than others.

    I’m sure there are many people that appreciate a vintage guitar purely for the kudos but there’s more to a fine instrument than appearance. A friend of mine does repair and machining work for classical woodwind musicians and the range of tiny tweaks and modifications they request is quite amazing. Violin players don’t put themselves in debt for a Stradivarius simply because it’s old.

    January 19, 2017 at 5:09 pm #885401
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    Dnnnnnn

    Just buy one that’s a nice

    Just buy one that’s a nice colour.

    January 19, 2017 at 3:34 pm #885399
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    Carton
    Simon E wrote:
    drosco wrote:
    The original question was whether they were significantly better, not significantly more desirable.

    This is like asking a disparate group of guitar players whether a vintage Les Paul is “significantly better” than an inexpensive copy. Some will think not, others will say it’s apparent but not worth the money and a few will insist that, not only is there a significant difference, but that they’ll willingly spend a big wodge of money to be able to use it.

    I know a few musicians and sound techs, and I’ve never heard someone insist that any vintage electric guitar was significantly better than a modern copy (I’ve heard some griping about materials on newer lower-end guitars, though).  More desirable, sure. But I remember a couple of conversations about it being mostly a along the lines of “this guy brough this really cool vintage guitar that was a PITA to set up” and even “we ended up not using it”.

    For my money MadCarew in his usual rambling way made several good points, as did Scrapples, Swiss, and Graham. I’d personally go probably go with the BMC if it agreed with me. But why not check out the Mason in person if you’re really tickled about it.

    January 19, 2017 at 2:36 pm #885397
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    kamoshika

    Why not get in touch with

    Why not get in touch with them, see if you can take one for a test ride, and decide for yourself?

    January 19, 2017 at 1:52 pm #885395
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    Simon E

    drosco wrote:

    drosco wrote:
    The original question was whether they were significantly better, not significantly more desirable.

    This is like asking a disparate group of guitar players whether a vintage Les Paul is “significantly better” than an inexpensive copy. Some will think not, others will say it’s apparent but not worth the money and a few will insist that, not only is there a significant difference, but that they’ll willingly spend a big wodge of money to be able to use it.

    Each of those opinions is equally valid and the product of the individual’s experience and expectations.

    I’m not suggesting a Mason bike is like a ’59 Les Paul or that other brands are copies or inferior, it’s merely to illustrate the different perceptions have when comparing outwardly similar products.

    January 19, 2017 at 1:24 pm #885393
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    drosco

    I think madcarew’s point was

    I think madcarew’s point was that looks and prestige aside, there’s not a lot to distinguish any reasonably priced frame with similar groupset and wheels. Would a Mason be better to ride than a Cannondale CAAD12 for instance, then probably not. The original question was whether they were significantly better, not significantly more desirable.

    January 19, 2017 at 1:13 pm #885391
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    Kendalred

    Johnnystorm wrote:

    Johnnystorm wrote:
    Buy a nicely spec’d bike from Evans that you can swap the bits from to a Mason if you decide you can’t live without one.

    This. If you end up getting an Evans deal on something then love it so much you loose interest in the Mason, then great – if you still think to yourself ‘wish I’d have got the Mason, even though it cost more’, then swap components and flog the old frame. I’ve seen some of the Masons in an LBS near Windermere in Cumbria, and they look awesome! Had I not bought a custom Rourke steel frame 18 months ago, I’d be severley tempted!

    January 19, 2017 at 12:53 pm #885389
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    peted76

    I’ve never ridden a Mason,

    I’ve never ridden a Mason, however having read Stu’s review and subsequest blog posts on the bikes was quite taken with the idea of them.  Following that I met Stu (he’s a well grounded fella) and saw his Mason in real life. It truly is/was a thing of beauty. 

     

    Worth a revisit ….

    http://road.cc/content/news/143527-exclusive-first-ride-mason-progressive-cycles-resolution

    http://road.cc/content/blog/154029-building-definition

     

    I’d class the Mason bike range to be bikes for life, not just for Christmas. 

    January 19, 2017 at 12:43 pm #885387
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    Stef Marazzi

    I have a GT Grade Tiagra, its

    I have a GT Grade Tiagra, its a very nice bike – I bought it last September for £564 from Chain Reaction. Upgraded the Crank so it was all Tiagra, and planning on getting some hand built wheels for about £300 as the ones it comes with are a bit crap and the spokes have broken on the back wheel.

    My brother in law just finished building up a “rolling Chassis” Mason Bokeh. It is stunningly well finished. Dom Mason himself communicates with you on how your frame is being delivered from Italy. He fitted it with Ritchey flared bars, and a 105 groupset with Hydraulic brakes, Schwalbe g-ones, and Hunt wheels, Fabric saddle.

    The finish of the frame is flawless, one of the nicest frames I have ever seen, iit comes fitted with a bolt in every hole, so you know the holes are not full of paint overspray.

    It does ride very, very nicely, stops on a sixpence. He asked Masons advice on fitting SKS longboards, and Dom himself again gave him lot of advice.

    His build cost about £2500, mine will be about £1000.

    His is probably half a kilo lighter than mine.

    They are both really nice bikes, but his is a lot more “special”. Although I’m sure you would be more than happy with a GT Grade, but if I had the money, i’d have had a Mason. Maybe for my 40th I might get a Resolution.

    January 19, 2017 at 12:41 pm #885385
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    Rapha Nadal

    As you wish.

    As you wish.

    “They’re only as good as their marketing.” – Utter tripe and anybody knows this to be completely untrue.  Argonaut, as an example, do very little marketing yet produce bloody fantastic bikes (I don’t own one before it’s brought up!).

    “So far as performance goes, there is almost nothing they can do to make them as comfortable to ride as a carbon frame, however, if their design and manufacturing is top notch, they will still be very comfortable and pleasant to ride.” – Again, aluminium & steel has come a very long way and both are now extremely comfortable to ride.  With the ability to fit wider tires at lower presssures these day, comfort is improved tenfold.  Alu frames are not the harsh old gates they used to be.

    “Be definition they are trying to cover a lot of ground and so their performance and handling is going to be compromised to some extent compared to the best in any particular niche they are being compared against.” – They’re not sold as a bike with a sole purpose but as a bike for all seasons and have been desgined as such.  The performance & handling won’t be compromised as such as it’s been designed & engineered with the 4 seasons use in mind.

    “Their wheels are by Hunt wheels and so will perform as well as any other bike with hunt wheels.” – Please. The impression given here is that you can put Hunt wheels on a Halfords special and it’ll ride identical to a Mason as a result.

    “Personally I feel that anything north of 2 grand is ego money, or for those after the last tiny percent of performance in their particular area (personally I ride a Cannondale Supersix retail 5 grand, but I race it well and often).” – I’m not entirely sure what to make of this – £2k is ego money but I ride a £5k Cannondale.  What’s your point?  You like spending more as it fuels your ego? One-up-manship?

    “Don’t kill yourself to get a Mason because it says it’s brilliant, because it won’t be any better than any other bike of similar cost.” – Then why spend £5k on a bike which performs no better than a £2k bike as per the post above?  Consistently good reviews and user feedback go a long way to showing how good the Masons actually are. 

     

    January 19, 2017 at 12:06 pm #885383
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    turboprannet
    Rapha Nadal wrote:
    madcarew literally has no idea what’s he banging on about.  Disregard everything he’s said. .

    I’m not defending madcarew’s view but if you’re going to say people should disregard their views you ought to give a reason why.

    January 18, 2017 at 9:14 pm #885381
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    Rapha Nadal

    madcarew literally has no

    madcarew literally has no idea what’s he banging on about.  Disregard everything he’s said. .

    January 18, 2017 at 9:10 pm #885379
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    Johnnystorm

    Buy a nicely spec’d bike from
    Buy a nicely spec’d bike from Evans that you can swap the bits from to a Mason if you decide you can’t live without one.

    January 18, 2017 at 8:39 pm #885377
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    steady lad

    Thanks everyone.  I think you

    Thanks everyone.  I think you are all right and i’ll get something from Evans, not in a massive rush so I think I’ll wait and see which of those bikes goes on sale first and combined with the other savings get a bargain hopefully.

    Just remembered that Evans allow you to return the bike for up to 30 days apparently, not for refund but for exchange for an alternative.

    Cheers

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