Steel and Some Beeswax Make the Monstrous SLR Bicycle Ready for "All-Road" Domination

This seems to be the case for the new Mason SLR (Super Long Range) bicycle, a machine built out of steel. Yes, steel. But, before you turn away from this article just because steel is the material being used, don't; technology has come a long way since you and I were children, and the things that can be done with it today are just mind-blowing.

If you're wondering why steel is making such a comeback in the cycling industry, it has a lot to do with its mechanical properties. One simple notion to remember is that steel, unlike aluminum and carbon fiber, first bends and flexes at a molecular level before breaking. Aluminum and carbon fiber first break before a bend is visible. Starting to get the idea?

Well, Mason Cycles, the crew behind the SLR, is celebrating their new cycle with a set of ten "Launch Edition" bikes meant to showcase just what this line is all about. Best of all, as I researched the bicycle, I got a feeling that it's been built to cover as much ground as possible. Sure, you won't be rocking down mountain trails with it, but roads, gravel, and even lighter single-tracks shouldn't be an issue for this beast.

Now, what you see in the gallery may make you feel like you've just run across some bicycle in a junkyard. Well, that's only because Mason has released images of an unpainted SLR coated with beeswax just so you can see their handiwork. Personally, I'd leave the sucker just like that; the chances of it getting stolen seem much smaller. Oh, I also need to mention that SLR is assembled by Italy's Cicli Barco, a family-owned business, much like Mason, with a love for creating the "perfect" product.

Some carbon fiber did make it onto the bike and is in the shape of a front fork. Here, too, Mason is using a first-of-its-kind design dubbed RangeFinder AR (All Road). What's unique about it is that it's a fork tuned for "all-conditions riding." This means the ability to house larger 40 mm cross-section tires, fenders, and even a rack. The same holds true for the rear, indicating that this sucker can be one mean bike-packing machine.

In order to get a feel for what riding this sucker may feel like, let me point out a few bits of the geometry. The head tube is set at 70.5 degrees for the medium-size frame, the seat tube at 73.5 degrees, and your reach stands at 374.3 mm (14.8 in). With tires, the stand-over is 806.5 mm (31.8 in). A wheelbase of 1033 mm (40.6 in) means the SLR should feel relatively nimble under you.

If you fall in love with this bicycle, don't worry, your product will be corrosion-treated and lavished with two coats of paint and a layer of lacquer. The Launch Editions can be painted with red or black metallic paints created by Mason, and the remaining production line will also feature Mason's new ModeRed or ShutterBlack.

As far as pricing goes, you're given a couple of options. The Launch Edition features a Campagnolo Chorus drivetrain tuned to 12 speeds, your choice of tires, and a blend of secondary components. All that will run you £4,285 ($5,575 at current exchange rates). But, if you want to get creative and already have a drivetrain and other components in mind, just grab a frameset for £1,995 ($2,595).

As for Mason Cycles, I feel we will be hearing a lot more about this crew. Why? Well, ever since their appearance on the market in 2014, this team was welcomed with open arms by riders all over the world. Initially, they began with a passion for completing all the projects other manufacturers deemed too difficult or nearly impossible.

Years later, this crew is still going strong and has managed to stay alive in an industry already dominated by teams with longstanding racing histories. A clear example of why they managed to keep going strong is the SLR. Seems like a cycling crew to consider if you're looking for a ready machine.

At the end of the day, we've been seeing steel make a massive comeback onto the cycling scene, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down. That said, brace yourself for more capable machines in the years to come.