Mason Resolution and alternatives

So my work have joined the c2w scheme, and I’m tempted to make use of it. I’d be buying a frame and building it up, probably, as they will be limiting the voucher amount to £2k. There’s also major availability issues at the moment, as we all know.

I’m tempted by a Mason Resolution; I like the looks, the stack and reach combination/ratio is one I know works well for me and it’s well reviewed for comfort and ride quality without being an upright cruiser. The problem is, it’s a bit heavier than I’d like, even for steel (cyclingtips suggests 2.2kg for the frame only) and the geometry is a bit forward heavy.

Has anyone got any suggestions for alternatives? I’d prefer metal, something a little different, disc brake and not much more than £1500 (edit for clarity: £1500 for the FRAME, and probably take my time building it up, buying the parts gradually as things I like turn up on eBay/the classifieds etc). This won’t be a weight weenie build by any means (if indeed it happens at all) but I’d like to be able to get the full bike to below 8.5kg with pedals etc.

Ta.

8.5kg for a 'metal' hydro disc brake bike is a weight weenie build

plus resolution frameset is £1595, full build is £3k+

get what you can find in stock if you want to ride anytime soon

ribble and boardman are worth looking at

Yep, Resolution is top of budget - I.e. frameset not much over £1500. And there’s no hurry. We just got told on Friday that work was signing up so I’m thinking out loud at this point, nothing more.

I think they’d have fits over at weightweenies if you told them 8.5kg for *any*build is weenie 😁 The point is more that I just want ‘light enough’ rather than super light.

Caad13 ultegra?

Not a bad shout, thanks. I'd rather go frame only I think, but if I could track down a CAAD frameset, that's a definite maybe.

Bowman weald is decent and reasonably light without the Mason price tag.
Mason resolution or definition are still great, if expensive.
CAAD13 would make a good endurance frame, big stack compared with the old.
Edmonda ALR is pretty light but no mudguards. Purple looks fantastic if you can find one.
There's probably a disc braked, endurance steel frame in every wank hipster brand you can think of if you're into such things.

Lol @ wank hipster brand. Funnily enough a mate (sort of, long story) has just taken delivery of a Stayer gravel bike and I must admit I can’t see what the fuss is about.

Not metal but the dolan tuono interesting as an endurance frame option.
https://www.dolan-bikes.com/tuono-disc-carbon-road/

I'm waiting on a mason bokeh arriving in june, the resolution looks superb as well.

Check the terms and conditions for the end of scheme. Ours would have only saved me about £60 overall on a £1k bike by the time I'd paid the end of scheme tariff.
I decided not to bother as a few shops I spoke to would only sell at retail and not offer any discounts on bike to work vouchers.

Weight is an irrelevance unless you're carrying your bike up stairs every day or you're racing the World Tour and last time I checked not many steel bikes in the peloton.

Buy the Mason, diet for a month.

It's irrelevant for performance unless you're carrying it or racing but it does feel nice riding a light bike and that should really be the most important thing

8.5kg is very achievable. I've got a 7.5kg metal disc brake bike with only mild weenie

Not really relevant for the OP, but: If you are thinking of the Tuono you should know it is likely a rebadged Carbonda 1056. No harm in going the Dolan route if you are worried about warranty etc. (or want to use C2W as the OP does). But for anyone seeing this that doesn't mind going direct to Carbonda, you can save a decent amount.

Funnily enough, I'm actually looking at the Carbonda. It's a Flybike FM1056. Which is sold by Carbonda as a CFR 1056. Quoted $1050 delivered in two colour paint for their 'superlight' version, which is about 880g vs 1100g for frame.

@RecoveryRide Genesis Volare 853? Given the 105 kitted one was about 8.5kg.

This is exactly what I am thinking of doing! And, yes, if I understand correctly, Flybike do the building but only sell OEM. Carbonda are either part of Flybike or some sort of middle man that deals with individual people. For a 1056, I was quoted:
490USD for frame,fork, seatpost, and clamp [or 650USD for super light version]
12USD for headset
26USD for F&R axles set
105USD for paint
225USD for tax inclusive shipping to the uk

Appologies to the OP for derailing the thread. If I was to go metal I would be going with a Fairlight.

I've got a fairly similar bike (Isen all-season) and built it over time and with the idea of being sub 9kg all in with pedals, cages and mounts. I managed 8.9kg which I'm pleased with and didn't go exotic with parts.

Have you looked at Genesis too? They have some decent frames in reynolds 853 frames

Thanks all for the suggestions.
@hippy I'm already pretty skinny but point taken, pretty much everyone can lose a pound or two :-)
@PhilDAS what are you riding?

Genesis Volare added to the shortlist. Don't know how that slipped my mind.

A CAAD12. I guess if weight is a concern, you'll struggle a bit more with steel than aluminium. I go back and forth between the two and not really sure which is my preferred. It helps that I can make and modify steel bikes myself but Aluminium does feel faster* and fast is fun right.

*probably not actually any faster

it does feel nice riding a nice bike

ftfy

If you lot want to stick with the weight weenie nonsense, GCN have a vid about their £14k OTP Canyon build w/ discs and some stupid parts that was 5.5kg.

5.5kg is only impressive if it cost you £1k
Money no object builds are dull as hell

Don't forget Condor. Very reasonable prices on good steel frames, and as they are made in Italy the lead time may be marginally less horrendous than a frame made in Taiwan.

Mason are made in Italy as well aren’t they?

They wanted to use readily available production parts, not obscure old ebay shit.

If someone gave me the parts I wouldn't complain (until they broke) but who's riding 19mm track tubs for anything other than hill climb? I'd keep the frame and the Di2 hydro stuff and maybe the carbon SLR but the rest of it, pass.