Mason SLR SRAM Force

Mason has established a strong reputation for high-quality bikes over the years, and somehow with this SLR it has managed to push the boundaries even further yet again. The SLR is a truly impressive machine, beautifully created and finished, while offering a stunning blend of performance and ride quality. In my opinion it's faultless and it should be a shoo-in for our best steel road bikes buyer's guide.

> Buy now: Mason SLR SRAM Force for £5,200 from Mason Cycles

Ride

A steel all-road and touring bicycle is how Mason describes the new SLR and I think it encapsulates everything that's great about a modern metal bike, with a passing nod to past tradition. 

But there is nothing historic about the way Mason's SLR rides. The ride quality is downright excellent thanks to the custom tubeset, and even with this build, which includes an electronic groupset, hydraulic disc brakes and full mudguards, it still feels nimble, responsive and involving for its 9.9kg weight.

Breaking it down, the SLR is designed with big rides in mind whether loaded or loaded, and it's here that it really excels.

The geometry is backed off a touch from what you'd expect to find on an endurance road bike, which means it is a lovely bike to live with when you just want to sit back and enjoy the scenery.

A reassuring level of neutrality in the steering keeps things calm whether you are on unknown roads or when fatigue is kicking in. You'll get no surprises from the front end even on poor road surfaces or when straying away from the tarmac.

With tyre clearances as large as the SLR can accommodate you aren't restricted to the road either. It's a capable machine on other surfaces, and while due to the slick tyres fitted here, I didn't venture far away from hardpacked surfaces often, on light gravel sections or firm mud and grass the SLR tracks with confidence, allowing you to respond without overreacting.

The wheelbase length also adds to that planted feel, along with the fork rake and bottom bracket height. Basically, everything works very well together in unison.

That doesn't change with the bike loaded up either. With a large bar bag fitted, and a 12-litre saddle pack stuffed full of essentials, the way the SLR behaved didn't change much at all. The steering was a little heavier, but never lost any of its directness.

A lot of this comes down to the feedback afforded by the frameset which lets so much information pass through from the road thanks to the tubeset and full carbon fork.

Even with the tyres pumped up to my hard preference, that feedback isn't muted by endless vibration and road buzz.

The SLR has an extremely supple frame and fork, which really exploits the qualities of the latest steel alloys. The 'steel feel' is often bandied around, but just like any material, you can only exploit those qualities if you know what you are doing with it.

It's not just the responsiveness of the ride that is dictated by the tubing, it's also the comfort.

True, tyre width and pressure have a big bearing on comfort, but they can't mask a poor frame. Run the pressures too low to hide harshness then you lose the involvement of the bike, which you will want to maintain if you're a keen rider. Even on a bike like SLR with no racing aspirations, you'll still want to feel a part of the package, and you truly do.

Having no racing aspirations doesn't mean that the Mason isn't a quick bike. It'll still respond to a kick of the pedals especially when you are already rolling along, and it is no slouch on the climbs either.

Stiffness has also been considered with a tapered head tube and a beefy bottom bracket shell meaning that the SLR has some get-up-and-go when you are out of the saddle, not something that is true of all bikes of this ilk.

I also rode the Mason unladen with a set of 700c carbon wheels and 32mm tyres – this dropped a few grams and showed that the SLR has some get-up-and-go if you want it to.

Descending is also a joy. For the type of riding it is intended for, the SLR still feels relatively quick in the bends and the geometry helps you push on quicker than you'd expect thanks to a feeling of stability and poise.

This gives confidence in the wet too.

Overall, from a ride point of view the SLR is a massively versatile road machine that gives the comfort and confidence of a big-mile tourer, with the fun of something much quicker.

Frame and Fork

That excellent ride quality and refined comfort I've banged on about is achieved by a custom shaped and formed tubeset manufactured by Dedacciai, which has received a phosphate anti-corrosion coating and that is made exclusively for Mason.

All the various tube shapes and profiles are in place to provide the attributes needed for their position, whether that's for stiffness or comfort, or in some cases both.

Due to relatively narrow profiles of many steel tubes, oversized head tubes (the SLR has a 1 1/8in to 1.5in) and chunky carbon fork legs can often look out of place, but I don't think that that is the case here.

This frame's down tube changes profile along its length, and the ovalised top tube has a purposeful look, making it more akin to aluminium alloy tube profiles – a modern twist to a 'retro' material.

Mason has specced a T47 bottom bracket shell, which is a standard we are seeing take traction on many new frames. In a nutshell it brings the size benefits of a press-fit system, but with the longevity and reliability of threaded mounting rather relying on the tight tolerances required between frame and bearing cups needing to be pressed together. Any gaps here will relate to water/dirt ingress and creaking.

The large diameter bottom bracket shell allows for the SLR to run all its hoses and cables through the shell without restriction as they pass into the chainstays.

The cable and hose entry points can use various blanking plates so that the frameset can use mechanical and electronic groupsets both in a wired or wireless set up while still retaining a smooth, aesthetically pleasing finish.

The rear dropouts also deserve plenty of focus. Due to the small surface area of chainstay and seatstay tubes once heat is applied, and then removed, keeping things perfectly aligned can be a challenge. The SLR's frame builders describe it as: 'Steel bikes are alive when heating and cooling.'

Also, if you have ever met Dom Mason, you'll know also that precision is still too vague a concept, with finishing requiring a precision precision approach.

So, the solution: a TiltShift precision-aligned UK-made BEAR dropout design. The dropouts use a clockable stainless-steel insert that can be tweaked to enable absolute accuracy in alignment during fabrication, which means the frames don't require cold-setting after welding.

It's not just the frame that has seen Mason heavily involved in the tube design, as Mason has also completely designed the RangeFinder AR fork, which is full carbon fibre and comes with a tapered steerer.

Owning the moulds and designs means that Mason can manipulate the characteristics of the ride to suit the SLR's frame.

Both the frame and fork can accommodate 40mm tyres with mudguards fitted and 45mm without.

Exquisitely crafted and beautifully finished is a quick summary of the SLR's frameset, but as we've seen and ridden Mason's bikes in the past, we know that there is so much depth involved in achieving the finished product.

Mason uses different frame builders for different models, and for the SLR Mason has chosen to work with Cicli Barco in Italy.

This is a small family business that has built a large reputation for quality as shown by the TIG-welding on the pre-production SLR frame coated in a layer of Beeswax shown in the photo above.

This weld quality is continued throughout the entire frame, including all the tiniest details such as the cable ports, mounting points and dropouts.

Once coated in the luxurious paintjob and lacquer the tube junctions appear virtually seamless with the whole frameset representing a piece of art, one that would look just as stunning hanging on a wall as it does when built up with components.

Having a bike that looks the business is one thing but for a bike designed for covering big distances, versatility and attention to detail are key, and Mason definitely hasn't scrimped on the number of mounting options.

As you'd expect on a bike of this ilk there are mounting points for full mudguards. Mason hasn't positioned them in the traditional dropout position on either the frame or fork, so if you are fitting them yourself, you'll need to fettle the mudguard stays before fitting.

Their position works very well aesthetically, though, and it keeps the stays clear of the brake callipers or rotors.

Rack mounts are also included on the frame and fork, there are three bottle mounting positions, a chain pip for holding the chain while the rear wheel is out, internal dynamo routing through the top-tube for front and rear lighting, plus a pump peg for holding a full-size frame pump under the top tube.

When it comes to the geometry it's impressive to see a range of eight sizes, large for what is essentially a small production scale.

Across the 2XS to 3XL sizing you'll find effective top tube lengths of 516.5mm to 607.8mm when taking into account the sloping nature of the tube.

As you'd expect, the numbers are slightly more relaxed than those found on the more road-orientated Mason Definition that I reviewed, but not by a massive amount, which is why the SLR still has that fun and lively ride characteristic.

For the 54cm medium model tested here you are looking at a 550.3mm top tube, 165mm head tube and a seat tube length of 540mm.

The head angle is 70.5°, and 73.5° for the seat tube. The overall wheelbase is 1,033.5mm, while the bike has a stack and reach of 588mm and 374.3mm respectively.

Finishing Kit

At the time of writing the SLR is available as a frameset for £2,150, in a Campagnolo Ekar 1x build for £4,375 or this SRAM Force eTap AXS build for £5,200.

Force sits below SRAM's flagship Red groupset but shares much of its performance and quality albeit at a lower price point.

The biggest benefits over for me over Shimano or Campagnolo's road groupsets are the chainring sizes. Whereas the smallest offering from both of those (not including gravel groupsets) is 50/34T SRAM offers Force in the 48/35T set up seen here.

When paired with the 12-speed 10-33T cassette you get a huge spread of gears, and useable ones at that.

Even on a bike like the SLR I rarely dropped out of the large chainring, only calling on the smaller one when loaded up or on the steepest of climbs.

The 35x33 lowest gear still gives a low enough gear for hauling yourself up tough hills even on tired legs while the 48x10 top end allows you to still have a gear to push against when slipstreaming HGVs bouncing off their speed limiters – it's a win-win.

The eTap shifters have just one button on each, the right (usually, although you can customise your set up via an app) drops the chain from the largest to the smallest sprocket, while the left-hand shifter takes it back up. Push both together and the chain will move to the chainring that is currently sat neglected.

It's a simple setup to get your head around and I found the shifting quick and crisp across the range while the battery life on the front and rear mech isn't really something you need to religiously keep an eye on unless you are off on an adventure.

The hydraulic braking is very good too, with loads of power and huge amounts of modulation.

Whether loaded or unladen you won't be wishing for more stopping power, or control when on lose surfaces.

For the front-end Mason has specced Deda's Zero100 aluminium stem and handlebar, both of which match the frame's overall finish.

The Deda bar has a relatively shallow drop, which suits the SLR's geometry and allows you to use the drops without ending up in too low a position that would be comfortable over long rides.

The seatpost is Mason's own Penta, a carbon fibre post with an aluminium cradle that is easy to adjust to get that Fizik Tempo Argo R3 saddle in position.

Mason also provides its Macro alloy seatclamp.

Mason has had a strong partnership with Hunt Wheels right from the start, so it's no surprise to see a set of Hunt's Allroad Disc 650b wheels on our test bike.

They are a solid set of wheels that coped easily with transitions from riding on the road to hardpacked gravel tracks without any issues. Even on the rougher surfaces there were no issues with trueness or durability, and while tough they are also light enough that they didn't hamper acceleration or climbing on the SLR.

Wrapped around them is a set of 38mm René Herse's Barlow Pass tyres that Mike rated very highly. 

I found them to offer a supple and comfortable ride even when pumped up hard, giving great feedback and plenty of grip.

Ours were set up tubeless and the Barlows held onto their pressure well after a few miles of riding and spun the sealant enough to fully coat the inside of the tyres.

Rolling resistance felt minimal and I had no issues with their puncture protection even with the amount of hedge cutting going on around here.

It's worth noting that Mason offers a range of wheel and tyre options, so you can always spec this part of the SLR yourself.

Value

It's easy to judge value on a bike's specsheet by looking at frame material and components, but on a bike like the SLR that only takes into account half of the picture.

With a £2,150 frameset price I think the SLR is sensibly priced when you consider it's a frame that has been hand-welded to a very high level in a small-batch environment; it's basically what you'd expect from a custom-built frame, but with off-the-shelf geometry.

The Enigma Endeavour that Dave reviewed is a handbuilt steel version of its titanium Escape model, which is designed with bikepacking, touring and adventure riding in mind.

It has similar tyre clearances to the SLR and uses a combination of Columbus and Reynolds tubing. As beautiful as it is, and I'm a huge fan of Enigma's build quality, it doesn't go to the same level of finish and detail as the SLR.

The Enigma has a frameset price of £2,077, with custom geometry adding £300 to that.

If you want something steel that has big tyre clearances and that you can use for road and off-road adventures, and an off-the-shelf price, I was very impressed with the Condor Bivio.

It uses Columbus triple-butted tubing mated to a full-carbon fork and offered a great ride quality. It is a gravel bike, so the geometry is more aimed at that, and it doesn't have the mounting options available of the SLR.

It will still set you back £1,499.99 for the frameset though, which when I think you compare the extra attention of detail in build and design of the SLR shows the Mason's price isn't extortionate.

Conclusion

Most of us buy with either our head or our heart, and whichever category you fall into if you take delivery of a Mason SLR, you will be incredibly satisfied. Either way, you'll end up with a piece of engineering excellence that looks absolutely stunning in the flesh, and every time you throw a leg over the top tube you will be truly stunned by the ride quality and the way it behaves.

Verdict

Simply stunning from every aspect, thanks to exceptional ride quality and an attention to detail that sets it above the rest