U.K. bike maker Mason Cycles has given their original alloy disc brake road bike a thorough update, shifting standards and building in even more practicality. The Definition2 features updated dropouts, new brake mounts, improved mudguard setups, and even updated drivetrain options…
Mason Definition, alloy disc brake road bike
What’s new?
The biggest updates to the popular & affordable alloy Definition are the new drop outs & rear end. Not surprisingly Mason Cycles has transitioned to the now accepted 12mm thru-axle and flat mount disc brake standard.
While the industry generally settled in on the road disc setup, Mason went back to the drawing board to totally redevelop their dropouts so as to not add weight or deteriorate ride quality. Re-optimizing the rear triangle was a big task for the brand, and it seems they are still working on a similar solution for the Definition’s Columbus steel sibling the Resolution.
Framesets
The new aluminum Definition framesets sell for £1150, including the newest full carbon, tapered steerer Aperture2 fork introduced last fall. It continues with the same top-level shaped & butted Dedacciai alloy tubeset that Mason says provides an excellent balance of low weight and efficient power transmission. We’ve ridden the first gen frameset while previewing some Hunt wheels and were pleasantly surprised with the level of comfort the alloy bike delivered even over rough roads.
Ultegra R8000 & R8050 complete bikes
Complete bikes also get good updates with their newest builds as well. Since Mason figures you can mix & match your own budget build if you choose, they go for complete groupsets for complete bikes to get the best performance. And with that the newest Shimano Ultegra R8000 series are their standouts for a high performance, do-it-all, ride-any-surface road bike build.
A mechanical shift/hydraulic disc Ultegra build will set you back £3130…
While Di2 hydro Ultegra sells for £3995.
With the tagline of achieving ‘4Season Dominance’ all complete bikes come with the collaboratively developed Mason x Hunt 4Season alloy, tubeless disc wheels, now with even wider 30mm Schwalbe G-One tires standard. They come stock setup with tubes, but Mason is also happy to ship them setup tubeless if you want, for no extra charge. They’ll also swap in a set of Pro-One tubeless slicks if you prefer as well.
Improved fender integration
The Definition has always been a road bike for all seasons, and the latest version carries over its versatility as well. Mason have switched to offering the newest version of SKS’s classic Bluemels mudguards that pair well with the bike. And using the new SKS fender support strut layout, the 35mm fenders work with the updated Definition2 frames to provide a lighter, stiffer setup with improved ground clearance and no need to trim to fit.
The first batch of the new Definition2 framesets & bikes are now in stock with Mason. Most of that first run had actually been preordered, but there are still some available. They come in a six size range (50-60cm) and in three colors – ElementGrey, LensBlue & ShutterBlack.
