We have a HOT new release from the team that has been making waves in bike culture for the past few years—no, ever since they dropped the original "MASH" 15 years ago.
As Blue Lug recently announced, sales begin at the Circles shop on Saturday, March 19th! Online sales will start on Monday, March 21st at 7:00 PM, so if you're in the Nagoya area and want to get your hands on one, stopping by this weekend is a must!!
Who is Matt Reyes, a.k.a. “Slumworm”?
Matt Reyes was someone I looked up to when I was really into the bike scene known as "Fixed Gear Freestyle."
He is a multi-talented fixed gear rider who also produces films under the name SlumWorm.
He’s an exceptional rider, filmer, and editor, and I’ve been glued to every single video he’s ever released.
Nakamura-kun over at Blue Lug also has some footage of him and Matt from back when they were both in the States.
I’m sure many people got hooked on cycling after watching his videos, which perfectly captured street culture.
You can really see the culture he grew up in through videos that could be considered the definitive compilations of the FGFS genre.
The fixed gear trick scene was born and raised within street culture, influenced by hip-hop and skateboarding.
Its evolution began with NJS frames and eventually shifted from 700c to 26-inch wheels.
Personally, I find it incredibly exciting to see that shift culminate in the resurgence of 700c bikes with thicker tires as a way to get around while playing in the city.
Mike, who leads the MASH Crew, has always shown us how to enjoy the city "street" culture through the medium of the bicycle.
I honestly can't wait to see what kind of proposals they have for their upcoming road bikes and mountain bikes.
The new REYES STEEL shifts the focus of daily life just enough to show you new ways to play in your city.
Definitely pick up a bike that lets you turn the "city" into your playground!
REYES STEEL Frame
For details on this new frame, I’d like to share an article written by Matt Reyes himself, which was recently published by Blue Lug.
Introduction
Hey everyone, it’s Matt Reyes.
MASH gave me access to their blog. I'm writing this from my four-story studio apartment in SF. Even my cat says "Hi."
It was about a year ago when MASH first talked to me about a signature frame.
I’ve been riding the MASH Steel frame for a long time now. It’s sturdy, the geometry is perfect, it fits fat tires, and the longer fork makes barspins super easy (this is huge).
So, we took the Steel as a foundation, added some evolutions, and came up with this.
What exactly is updated? You’re probably wondering that. ̄_(ツ)_/ ̄
In this post, I want to introduce the six big changes I made to the frame, along with the reasons behind the specs, and how these changes provide a performance advantage.
– About the Fork
I think I made two or three prototypes.
In the end, I settled on a 420AC fork with shorter dropouts (29mm) compared to the standard Fumanchu Fork.
By shortening the dropouts, we keep the wheelbase tight while gaining more clearance to prevent your feet from hitting the front wheel during barspins.
The tapered tube design of the fork arms is intended to keep the front end light while maintaining a clean look as a track bike.
This slight weight reduction really helps when doing spin tricks or whipping the bike around.
– About the Tubing
MASH butted tubing.
For this frame, we used thicker diameter BMX-style tubing for both the downtube and toptube.
We also set the toptube angle to slope down toward the seattube.
This allows for higher bunnyhops and better control during certain tricks.
– About the Headtube
The headtube has been updated to an hourglass shape that uses drop-in bearings instead of press-fit bearings.
This makes maintenance easier to handle at home. It requires significantly fewer tools. "Less is more," right?
– About the Toptube
A major focus for this project was creating more barspin clearance.
By making the toptube just a little bit longer, we reduced the amount of toe overlap with the front wheel.
It makes for a comfortable ride whether you're doing tricks or just cruising through the city.
This frame is designed with the intention of using a shorter stem.
It brings the handlebars closer to you, replicating the handling of a BMX bike.
If you want a position similar to the original Steel frame, I recommend choosing a stem that is 10mm to 20mm shorter than what you normally ride.
– About the Gussets
The REYES Steel frame features three gussets: one on the toptube, one on the downtube, and a hidden bridge behind the BB area to reinforce the chainstays.
– About Tire Clearance
Honestly, the massive tire clearance is one of the things that drew me to the MASH Steel in the first place.
For this frame, I wanted even more clearance so that it’s still rideable even if your wheel goes a little out of true.
The driveside chainstay uses a solid steel plate to ensure space for 42–45c tires while still allowing for full-size chainrings.
Advantages
– Importance of Specs
Anyone who has put a longer, different fork on a MASH Steel like I have knows that it makes the handling kind of wobbly and unpredictable, right?
It just goes to show how well-thought-out everything is.
Since this REYES Steel is designed around a 420AC fork, it’s super stable and easy to control.
No-handed riding? Easy.
– BB Height
The BB height on this bike is on the higher side, but it feels stable while doing wheelies—it’s just the right height.
If you put on 38–42c tires, the ride height increases significantly, eliminating the risk of your pedals hitting the ground.
You can lean the bike over incredibly far when cornering.
It’s seriously insane.
Slap on some knobby tires and you've got yourself a "cornering monster."
– Features We Removed
I think the MASH Steel came with bottle cage mounts, brake mounts, and cable routing holes, but we stripped all of that off the REYES Steel.
Especially for someone like me who jumps off things, "Less is more," right? Haha.
– Features We Kept
As I said before, this frame is based on the original Steel. Because of that, most of the standards remain the same, so swapping parts over should be easy.
– What's Included?
In addition to the frame and fork, I included the headset bearings, seatpost collar, and top cap. I did my best to make sure you can get riding as soon as possible.
Final Thoughts
That’s about it. It was incredibly fun to be involved in this project, and I have nothing but gratitude.
The current time is 3:21 AM. Time to get some sleep.
I haven't reread this blog even once, but I'm sure it's fine.
I don't know if you read all of this or just scrolled through it, but you made it to the end.
Give yourself a high-five.
You’re the best.
Thanks for checking out this post.
See ya.
