David puts two top British Gravel bikes head-to-head in a double review. Does the Mason Bokeh or Fairlight Secan come out on top? Check out our other channels; Instagram - @road.cc Twitter - @roadcc Facebook - / roadcc Online - road.cc
I was heavily tempted to buy a gravel bike as my first 'road' bike, but a good ( for me ) offer came up on a second hand Trek Madone 4.9 that I couldn't pass up. now to wait for nicer weather to ride it properly.
Mason Resolution 2 versus Fairlight Strael 2? I'm trying to pick a steel frame road bike up, but there's not a lot of information comparing these two. What do you think?
I'm going back and forth between these 2 bikes. I already own a Mason Definition and love it. Being 6'4" I like that Mason offers a 63cm option, but Fairlight has a higher stack option that I like for my aging back. I've been wanting a steel bike but I'm loyal to the crew at Mason because of the great support I've always gotten. Throw in the new Mason ISO and I just keep spinning in circles. It doesn't help that I'm in Los Angeles so test riding is out the window.
The review tends to spend a lot of time talking in general terms about what the bikes are capable of. I would ideally like to hear more detail on how they contrast each other. How does the geometry differ? How did this affect how the bikes feel in different conditions? What are some key details which are positive and negative to each. The review wouldn’t help someone much with a dilemma between the two.
I have an early Bokeh which I love to death. Compliance over lumps and bumps is fine and comes down to the tyres you choose and the pressures you run them at. All day mixed terrain rides (road/gravel/XC combinations) generally leave me with tired legs but my shoulders and back are fine. I am not sure the average rider would be able to tell the difference between a steel bike and the Bokeh on a blind test. In my experience, the Bokeh will cope with tight and slow trails ok....but you have to give it a lot of input...it is happier going fast! As far a 650b is concerned, I don't think that is the Bokeh's strong point. It is far more fun running 700x42. Whenever I have ridden it offroad with 650b, I get a lot of pedal strike, so much so that my 650bs are gathering dust in the shed.
i have the bokeh2 with sram force. can't say anything bad about this bike. its my commuter ( having Conti gp4000 32mm tires) and you ride it like a road bike. didn't try 650b wheels yet. but 42mm 700c which was nice as well. pretty versatile bike if you ask me. will use it for bikepacking next year and endurance ride (so, the plan...)
hard to say anything bad about either of these bikes really. 700x42mm is a solid setup, probably outright faster than 650b. Got any bikepacking trips planned?
I'd agree a few months ago. But having built and ridden a Norco Search XR Steel rig, I must say quality steel is, indeed, more compliant than aluminium and carbon. I am a carbon aficionado - I love the oblique shape of carbon and appreciate its low weight and immunity to elements (particularly, water). But a light steel frame is very flexible (some would say too much) and clearly more compliant.
@@LeoInterHyenaem it has nothing to do with the material itself. If Norco wanted, they could make an equally compliant bike out of aluminum, carbon, magnesium, titanium, rock, bananas, etc.
@@moto-rambler Explain then: how come my 1250gr Salsa WarBird carbon frame is stiffer / less flexy than the slightly smaller Reynolds 725 1900gr steel Search XR? Mind you, I'm a carbon aficionado first and foremost - and I'm yet to see a bike more beautiful than the 2019 / 2020 WarBird (although I know a few that do come close), and, while I've come to appreciate quality titanium and steel bikes, too, I'd need a huge lot of persuading to give up on carbon.
We did a whole interview with Dom from Fairlight on the Faran 2.0 so a review is in progress, I'm not sure if we are going to do a review video but I can check
@@roadcc Yeh i watched that interview, very informative. A proper test ride would be better if you can get hold of one that is. If its equal to the Secan and able to utilise a front basket then for me its a winner saving me importing a Surly MS.
Internally routed cables on the Mason are a very big plus for a gravelbike! Mason’s bike is thought trough a bit more concerning the terrain and weather it will be finding itself!
Actually, the fairlight manufacturers explain why they didn't do internal cable routing: "One of the things we ruled out was internal cable routing. It is so often a source of rattling and usually a pain to replace cables. Sure, it gives a clean aesthetic but I would always prioritize ease of maintenance over any visual benefits, especially on a bike that is going be ridden hard all year round". Source: fairlightcycles.com/strael-concept-design-notes/?v=79cba1185463
Not space for all the bikes in this list. Definitely a bike to take a look at in a future video - especially the fact it can be had in various frame materials
The UK market has a different attitude, or is that relationship, with mudguards than other countries around the world, and it's why some big brands don't include mudguard mounts when designing endurance bikes in particular
Mudguards are considered commuter gear in the States. Rarely see them on road bikes at group rides, sadly. Of course afterwards I'm dry and warmer while others are not, but I will also ride more outside in winter while others do not.
@@davidarthur I would call it British attitude to any production - less quality, more revenue. My friend is going through third set of Hunt wheels (same Mason brand) cracks on rims appear after half season... Another buddy had it's brand new Mason bike loosing bottom bracket bearings somewhere on top of Col d'Izoard in Alps :D One club mate used to work on Wiggle bike assembly line in Portsmouth (Boardman, Mekk, Verenti, VItus and many other brands) and told tales how they assemble them with completely random parts (wrong length bbrackets for example) because right parts are never in stock :)))
The bottom half of the Bokeh's chain stays is rather ugly. The Secan's looks much better (almost as good as the Norco Search XR S'). I'd compare the Secan to the likes of: - Norco Search XR Steel (I like the raw aluminium colour most. Would prefer a threaded BB shell and internal cable routing, incl. for a dynamo. But look at that rear triangle!) - Evans Cycles Pinnacle Arkose 2020 (the earlier models have the same ugly chain stay design there the Bokeh has, but not so the 2020 model. Proper weld smoothing would do the frame a favour) - The current iteration Koga Calmaro (just look at the major welds - smooth as carbon! Wish the top tube sloped and all the welds were smoothed?) I'd add the beautiful Trek Emonda ALR Disc (the delightful purple one) to the mix, but a full rack and mudguard, as well as wider tyre incompatibility is an issue.
Bit one sided this when the guy reviewing it has one of the bikes! Ignore the steel over aliminium argument because they are both made from top end materials. Both very capable but having a bokeh I'm obviously only going to go one way.
Yes they are both made from top-end materials but when you use the same wheels and tyres, you can certainly feel the difference in frame material. It might be small, but it's there
@@roadcc my point was theres a lot of the steel is real crowd going to automatically assume steel will feel better (I disagree). Plus the other point is dont get the review to announce the one they are picking is the one they own 🙄
Whew! You had me worried there Dave. I can still look forward to my Secan in the spring. I'm all about comfort. One nod to the Bokeh that you didn't mention and that's front fork mounts for racks/anything cages in addition to the mudguard attachments. They are both beautiful machines and potential quiver killers depending on one's riding style, location, and preferences. 👍
Good observation on the accessory mounting points, A Mc. Did you know there's internal routing for dynamo lights in the fork and top tube (for rear light) too?
@@walcottav We've not yet ISO tested the front fork with a small rando style rack. Most of these fit the fork crown using a bolt-through attachment at the crown boss, so not many fit anyway (nor most carbon forks) but we are working towards ISO testing for the Parallax2.
So Secan supposed to be adventure bike - let's do it without removable derailleur hanger, oh wait, lets put on useless removable brake mount instead. It supposed to be ridden in mud right - lets make a seat tube cutout facing to the back, so that more wet mud could get into your frame and start rust :D
You have misunderstood the dropout. It is an aluminium brake mount that is mechanically fixed (i.e. screwed on) to the steel plate. It is lightweight and is one of many design solutions/features on the frame that results in a 9.2kg steel gravel bike. The fact it is removable is only because of the mechanical fixing (steel and aluminium can’t be joined by welding), it is not a specific design feature.
I perfectly understand it is removable, but why overengineer things like that and leave essential stuff... Riding disc brake bikes for nearly ten years, never needed removable brake mount, while had multiple hangers broken by airport douchebags...
@@mototarka Try removing the hanger before flying - only takes a few minutes with a hex wrench, and mitigates airport douchebags immediately. However it's not really the bikes fault, or Mason's design choices, that your hanger keeps breaking.
@@KiwiNick Mototarka is talking about the Secan, not the Mason. The steel Secan does not have a removable hanger, the alu Mason does. I dont think I have ever seen a steel frame with replaceable hanger.. Because if they bend, you bend them back. Simples.. I seriously considered both the Secan and Bokeh last year. I went Bokeh because of 1: I dont like rust 2: it was orange 3: Mason threw in a free t-shirt. My Bokeh is pretty darn fine and the only thing I would change it for is the Ti version.
