9th May 2024
Welcoming Weronika Szalas To The Mason Rider Family
We're very excited to be welcoming Weronika Szalas to the Mason Family.
We met Weronika in the summer of 2022, at the Zero Neuf Gather Festival in France. Through our shared appreciation of riding, photography and the outdoors, we made a connection and I have followed her riding adventures ever since.
Take a look @weronika.szalas on Instagram and you'll be instantly drawn in by her beautiful photography, inspiring voyages and connection to the landscape and the people that she encounters along the way. Wero felt like such a natural fit for MASON, so I thought that as soon as we were able, it would be great to support her on her continued riding adventures.
So, now is the time! Considering her plans to tackle some more rugged and isolated terrain, including riding to and taking part in the forthcoming Accursed Race, it was essential for her bike to be versatile, practical, and capable of covering hugely varied terrain, whilst carrying everything she would need for bikepacking and endurance racing!
A tall order, but the MASON InSearchOf has it covered. We often say that the mighty ISO is our fastest way from A to B, when unpredictable and varied terrain are part of the journey.
Wero's ISO, with 29” x 2.4" wheelset, Shimano GRX/XT 1x12 gearing and equipped with the MASON Shutter load-bearing fender + a full complement of Tailfin bags, is the dependable travel partner for just about anything she'll encounter along the way.
Accursed Race starts May 14, 2024 | Follow it HERE.
Mason Rider @JoshIbbett is also riding the event on his Mason MACRO.
How did you first hear about Mason?
I met Dom and Julie at Gather festival in 2022. They seemed really energetic and friendly and already back then Mason bikes cought my attention but I kept it at the back of my head. Until this year, when I planned some rougher terrain adventures and needed a bike that could handle them well. ISO seemed like it has been made for this exact purpose and I decided to give it a go. I must admit that I was reserved at the beginning. The first impression was that it felt heavier that my previous bike and I was afraid it will impact my travel and especially ability to climb big mountains. 'It will make sense once loaded and off road' - people who rode it before told me and I trusted them.
Why did you choose the Mason InSearchOf and what features are you excited about?
I needed a reliable bike for a multi-month tour that can carry a lot, handle technical terrain and be comfortable for long days in the saddle. InSearchOf seemed to be designed for this exact purpose and tick all the boxes. The combination of 55mm tyres run on low pressure and more upright position gave me a strong confidence boost. ISO feels like a perfect tourer with ability to handle all sorts of terrain while carrying a lot of weight on it. After couple days we became good friends :) Another great upgrade for me is having a dynamo in my front wheel. It allows me to keep my navigation at 100% charge by the end of a day or top up phone/powerbank if I have a faster stretch. This extra power boost let's me stay longer in the nature before dropping back to civilisation. Last but not least, the name ISO - In Search Of sits with me well. In the end, you are always in the search of something while exploring the world on two wheels, even if nothing particular... In search of new landscapes that leave you in awe, an interaction with a local or you might be simply in search of answers to questions in your head. Documenting travels with photography has became an inherent part of it for me so knowing that name of each Mason's bike is related to it (Exposure, Bokeh, ISO, RAW, Macro) adds a warm feeling towards the Mason brand.
What setup are you running and why?
I've picked a mountain biking gearing for my build (GRX 1x12) as you can never have too many gears with the loaded bike in the mountains. I also have a dynamo wheelset which will hopefully allow me to stay longer in the remote areas.
Any exciting trips planned this year with the ISO?
I will be riding an Accursed race by Lost Dot in the Balkans in May. 1600 km and 37,000 m through Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. The amount of climbing sounds just right. It's the first edition so I am really excited for it. Later in the summer I would like to explore Kyrgyzstan. I've been daydreaming for a very long time about camping in those green valleys...
What kind of rider are you and what would be the most exciting way to spend a weekend for you?
Mountainous quiet roads are my favourite. I love to explore new places and I feel drawn to wide, remote landscapes. I like to cycle far and a lot but I don't find myself very competitive. I get more reward from camping in nature than racing. From time to time I like to push my limits though.
Where are you currently based and what makes it special to you?
I don't really have a base. Road is home. I've been spending my winters in the Canary Islands for the last 4 years and living on my bike in between. I find myself coming back more often to my hometown in Poland, Katowice these days but never for too long.
To more adventures on ISO this summer! You can follow my Instagram account to see where it takes me!