Cameron Mason is one of a new influx of multi-discipline riders backed by the forward-thinking development team, Trinity Racing. At 20 years old, Mason combines both cyclocross (CX) and cross-country MTB (XC) as part of an innovative racing programme supported by former Team Sky rider Ian Stannard and Trinity Racing founder Andrew McQuaid.
Mason enjoys racing CX during the winter and MTB in the summer, giving him a balance of the two disciplines throughout the year. Last year was his most successful to date, with the highlight being a third-place finish in the U23 European CX Championships. Since then, he has been plagued with injuries but has continued training on his MTB to prepare for the remainder of 2021.
As a multi-disciplined rider, Mason rides several different bikes. Let’s take a look at them.
For his CX season, Mason rides the CruX, a lightweight and agile bike that riders can trust even in the muddiest of conditions. With a top tube ergonomically designed for easier shouldering, riders can focus on jumping over on-course obstacles, while the Rider-First Engineered™ technology has allowed for a massive improvement in frame weight without compromising on strength. As Mason rides CX all over Europe, he’s bound to encounter inclement weather. The CruX has an extra eight millimetres of clearance on each side of the tyre (max 33mm) to ensure no amount of mud will slow him down.
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Whether he's shredding a U23 MTB race or ripping the local Scottish trails, Mason likes to use the S-Works Epic Hardtail. Featuring the lightest production frame to date, it's a proven race machine in the XC World Cup circuit. A lightning fast and capable bike without the hassle of full-suspension, the Epic Hardtail takes XC back to its purest form with the ultimate blend of speed and efficiency. The 2.3” – 2.4” tyres can handle whatever is thrown at them, from local red routes to laps of World Cup circuits. Its short wheelbase provides agility and super responsive handling, while the 100mm RockShox SID Brain Ultimate forks smooth out the trails, making light work of drops and technical descents.
If you find yourself needing that little bit of extra squish, the Epic is also available in a full-suspension variation. As XC courses become more technical, full-suspension bikes are making it onto the World Cup circuit for the first time, reflecting the increase in difficulty. We had one goal in mind for the Epic: to make the fastest XC bike ever. With the ultimate blend of progressive geometry and weight-saving techniques, this might just fit the bill for even the most discerning XC athlete.
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Although Mason may do the majority of his training on his race bikes, he has been known to utilise the all-around abilities of the Diverge on one or two adventures. Namely, his epic one-day escapade on the Capital Trail, a 250km off-road cycling route that starts and ends in Edinburgh, Scotland. Demonstrating the versatility of the Diverge, Mason completed the route usually reserved for mountain bikes on his gravel bike.
The Diverge comes in both aluminium and carbon fibre frame options, with some models even fitted with a dropper post for the technical descents where weight distribution is key. Blurring the lines between gravel and mountain bike, the Diverge is both fast and practical. Market-leading tyre clearances and Future Shock 2.0 technology give the rider complete control, whether they're on loose gravel or thick mud. This technology dampens the bumps and reduces arm pump fatigue, something commonly experienced while riding over rough terrain. Borrowing the SWAT internal storage from its mountain bike brother, you can store all you need for an epic adventure in your bike frame without compromising its handling with external bags.
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Keen to try a new discipline? Why not visit your local Specialized Concept Store and see these bikes in the flesh? Our friendly and knowledgeable staff can advise you on how to get started and what bike will be best for your needs. Find your closest store here.
