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While we give a lot of coverage to big, burly dropbar touring bikes, there’s something freeing about riding a lightweight and zippy gravel bike at a faster pace. Mason Cycles’ Bokeh 3 offered up this exact riding experience for John as he fled the frigid lands of Northern New Mexico in winter for a romp in the grasslands of Patagonia, Arizona. Let’s check it out…
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
It’s always great to get a chance to cross paths with internet acquaintances on the road and there are very few places like the Boyacá region of Colombia that enable that, thanks to Dean and Dang’s classic “Oh Boyacá!” route. I was heading north along the track while most are aimed southbound, which found me crossing with long and short-distance tourers on a daily basis while grinding up these infamous Colombian mountain passes. I spent some miles with two UK riders and, of course, we talked gear. Read on for a recap of our overnighter around the El Cocuy National Park and a closer look at Joe’s Mason Cycles RAW Andean Tourer.
Featuring custom shaped Dedacciai Zero/Zero Uno tubing, mixed with Reynolds, a 66º (sagged) head angle, clearance for a 29×2.6″ tire and a 34t chainring, 73mm stainless BSA threaded bottom bracket shell, the Mason Cycles RAW is a made in the UK expedition-ready hardtail that’s available as a frame, frame+fork, or two build kits, SLX or Deore XT.
The RAW takes touring and long-distance rides seriously, with 15 discrete integrated bottle/bag/accessory mounts, including semi-custom options such as male threaded/standard bottle bosses or top tube pack mounting points. It also has rack mounts and is designed for a 120mm travel fork.
There’s so much to unpack with this one, so hop on over to Mason to see the RAW in its full glory!
Many framebuilders and bike companies approach cargo capacity by relying on third-party racks, which is fine and all but when a company designs specific cargo solutions, it causes pause. Trek did it with their 1120+ touring bike and now Mason Cycles turns it up a notch with their new InSearchOf steel touring bike model, featuring the Condensor Rack. Yet the most clever innovation here is this beautiful load-bearing front mudguard/fender. Not every ride requires cargo bags but plenty of rides, especially this time of year, require the constant shedding and switching of layers. This fender can hold a jacket (or a hoagie, burrito, muffin, etc), with the addition of ski straps.
You can read all about the Condensor Rack at Mason Cycles and see the new ISO models there too!
