Mason Boken

andyh01

Hi all, currently having to drive for work (previously used bike to commute) Long story but I lost my roadie Trek .21 and looking for a replacement. As I'm still in probationary period at work I'm not fully settled in yet and as work from home, I currently don't use bike to commute, but as I've experienced lately this could always change. Anyway because of these facts, my ideal bike, the Boken is outside my price range, I recognise it's value for money in terms of quality, craftmanship and spec and suspect it would stand the test of time. I originally started off looking at Titanum bikes but not convinced on the "cheaper" price range of their quality and craftmanship.

I guess my question is, is there a cheaper version of the boken eg premium quality frame (not cf) and similar spec mainly
Ulegra 2x
Hydruolic disk breaks
Threaded bottom bracket
mud/rack guards
space for wider tires with guards and option to run 700c or 650b
Adventure geometry not out right racer but not sit up and beg either
capable of on and off road.
Decent wheels tubular
want do it /all surfaces

I quite like the Diverge E5 at £1500 but only has mechanical disc breaks so by time upgraded to similar spec I might as well of gone for the Boken.
The boardman is press fit bb and heard issues with it creaking and is SRAM 1X
The Caad slate lower group set and not sure on the lauff fork and not as much wheel clearance

Thanks Andy

Moonbiker

Tubular or tubeless?

keef66

Rutland had a few remaining 2017 Genesis Datums. The 20 with 105 / hydraulics was going for £1300 if you're the right size.

It's full CF though, but it does have the clearances you crave and mudguard mounts.

The 2018 equivalent is north of 2 grand :shock:

andyh01

Ideally tubeless, I guess can always upgrade wheels at a later date.
I wasn't keen on the looks of Datum
I also looked at the Cube s too but again didn't tick all the boxes that the Boken does.
Think I'm just going have to wait six months see how probation goes prior to shelling out £3k on a bike but missing riding. I don't see point in getting a cheap stop gap for time being as will never be-able to justify replacement or n+1 unless lost/stolen/broke
From memory the other closest was either a J.ack or Enigma Escape I thought were similar price to the Boken but either I'm mistaken or prices have increased as now they're £4k

arlowood

What about the new On One Space Chicken recently offered by Planet X

https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikes/gra ... ce-chicken

Would seem to fit most of your needs - 700c or 650b wheels, threaded BB, mudguard and pannier mounts, hydraulic discs.
Only issues are that the frame is CF and the groupset options revolve around SRAM 1x choices either in Rival or Force guise.

Might be worth calling PX to ask if they would build a Shimano 2x version or as a last resort you could buy the frameset for £800 and build your own custom specification. Would certainly end up cheaper than the BOkeh

keef66

arlowood wrote:

What about the new On One Space Chicken recently offered by Planet X

https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikes/gra ... ce-chicken

Would seem to fit most of your needs - 700c or 650b wheels, threaded BB, mudguard and pannier mounts, hydraulic discs.
Only issues are that the frame is CF and the groupset options revolve around SRAM 1x choices either in Rival or Force guise.

Might be worth calling PX to ask if they would build a Shimano 2x version or as a last resort you could buy the frameset for £800 and build your own custom specification. Would certainly end up cheaper than the BOkeh

There's no FD mount and the seat tube goes a funny shape where you'd want to mount a band-on one, so I suspect a 2x version might be tricky without some warranty voiding bodge...

It's an interesting vehicle though; thanks for letting us know about it. (note to self; try reading the PX spam emails before deleting them...)

andyh01

For the time being I want/need be able to pull a kids trailer and want the ability to carry pannier which is why I ruled out cf. The boken frame-set is |£1150 so £350 more than px

keef66

I'd love a Mason bike of some description, mainly because they appear to be very well designed and specced, and only partly because I'd then have my name plastered all over the bike. That and the fact that Dom once sent me a tiny bottle of touch-up paint for my Kinesis back in the day.

Just need to sort out the tiny matter of the finance...

arthur_scrimshaw

keef66 wrote:

arlowood wrote:

What about the new On One Space Chicken recently offered by Planet X

https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikes/gra ... ce-chicken

Would seem to fit most of your needs - 700c or 650b wheels, threaded BB, mudguard and pannier mounts, hydraulic discs.
Only issues are that the frame is CF and the groupset options revolve around SRAM 1x choices either in Rival or Force guise.

Might be worth calling PX to ask if they would build a Shimano 2x version or as a last resort you could buy the frameset for £800 and build your own custom specification. Would certainly end up cheaper than the BOkeh

There's no FD mount and the seat tube goes a funny shape where you'd want to mount a band-on one, so I suspect a 2x version might be tricky without some warranty voiding bodge...

It's an interesting vehicle though; thanks for letting us know about it. (note to self; try reading the PX spam emails before deleting them...)

Space Chicken frame available to buy from China with FD mount http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=13081156

keef66

Ooh, that is handsome....

andyh01

Just need to sort out the tiny matter of the finance...Indeed!
As I say to me they do appear quality value for money on second looks and when compared to similar quality/speec, if I was still commuting by bike as main form of transport be even easier to justify. Following a smidsy I have the money in the bank but not the right time yet to splash out... plus eventually will need a new kitchen too

The new Kenesis AT(alloy not Ti) could be an option, similar to the px and again the alloy frameset is £800 so not an awful lot in it

tangerineowl

Alan (Italy) do a couple of alu/scandium 'gravel' framesets/bikes. Threaded BB.
One or two have guard and rack mounts.

The site only mentions 700x42, so not sure if a 650b wheel/48mm? tyre would fit.

Look through the site. Download the 2018 catalog also (more frame geo details at the back).

Custom frame is an option.

Their Outlet lists some framesets/bikes on special e.g. a large Super Gravel Scandium frameset for 850eu:
http://alanbike.it/en/super-gravel-scandium-misura-l/

arlowood

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

Space Chicken frame available to buy from China with FD mount http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=13081156

Close but there are minor differences that suggest PX might have demanded their own specific design.

In the above thread JoostG gave a link to the actual frame he sourced from Velobuild

http://www.velobuild.com/2017-velobuild ... p0095.html

That particular frame has a 386 BB rather than the threaded BB in the Space Chicken. Also the geometry specifics for a Large frame differ slightly in Seat Tube dimensions and other parameters like Stack and Reach.

However I agree that they are close enough to consider going with a $399 outlay to Velobuild (against £800 for the Space Chicken frameset) and building up your own "Bokeh Lite" albeit in CF rather than Alu

andyh01

That alanbike looks interesting works out to £750 plus shipping will have a closer look and see what a full build cost would work out to at similar spec to the boken. I would prefer to buy full bike rather than build own and would be concerned of after sales support if there was an issue.
I guess I'd always be thinking I wish I'd gone for that one, the only slight niggle is not being able to test ride it prior to such a big outlay or being able to compare them.

keef66

Can I just point out that it's BOKEH, not BOKEN

davesnothere

keef66 wrote:

Can I just point out that it's BOKEH, not BOKEN

I think we should focus on the OP's original question keef

alan_sherman

Look at the planet x full Monty. Alloy.

The cube nuroad pro looks interesting, awaiting confirmation on spec of the bottom bracket.

Pinnacle arkose
Merida cyclocross

stavgold

I currently have a Genesis croix de fer which is a great do it all bike but heavy. I’ve been looking at a Bokeh for quite a while but can’t justify the cost. The other bike that’s caught my eye is the Kinesis Tripster AT
http://epic-cycles.co.uk/kinesis-tripst ... gJIavD_BwE

svetty

keef66 wrote:

I'd love a Mason bike of some description, mainly because they appear to be very well designed and specced, and only partly because I'd then have my name plastered all over the bike. That and the fact that Dom once sent me a tiny bottle of touch-up paint for my Kinesis back in the day.

Just need to sort out the tiny matter of the finance...

Funnily enough I had one of those little paint pots from Dom too

mikeeye

DavesNotHere wrote:

keef66 wrote:

Can I just point out that it's BOKEH, not BOKEN

I think we should focus on the OP's original question keef

Brilliant! :-)