Smooth isn't usually the first adjective people reach for when asked to describe how their bike feels. But after only a few revolutions out of the AC door on my new Mosaic GT-1 IAR (we'll get to what the acronym means and why it matters), smooth was the feeling I got before any other. Later, stiff, of course. Or, more accurately, tight - the whole bike felt tight like it was coiled and ready to go. And that's how I like my bikes to behave.
I better back up a bit. Today, Mosaic released the GT-1 IAR - Integrated All Road. It's the GT-1 you know and love, but integrated. And while the ENVE In-Route cockpit and internal cables are the standout features, the GT-1 IAR also benefits from wider tire clearance, with a 40mm now possible, over the non-IAR's 38. The overall visual effect feels more significant than the specs make out. It's so clean (obviously). The front is big-t tidy. It makes you want to ride just to experience the pure buttoned-down neatness of the whole thing.
Getting back to that first outing, and with a few miles under my belt, the road, as it tends to do in Marin, bucked up, and I had a chance to feel how the bike reacted to the hills. Of course, the GT-1 IAR isn't advertised as a pure climber. Nevertheless, it felt perfectly capable of ascending in fast company. Downhill, though, the bike came into its own. It descends so beautifully that it rivals only two other bikes in my stable for hellish fun and sublime speed. The GT-1 IAR invites you to go faster, communicating through the tubes that it's ok, I got this, you got this - we all got this. It's blissful.
As most of the dream bikes we bring to life at AC, this Mosaic IAR features a custom geometry, so it fits me like a glove. Combined with Mosaic's superb craftsmanship, it's no surprise that the GT-1 should handle so damn well.
For people interested in such things, the IAR apes the geometry of my English. And as Rob said when he built that one for me: "It's not far away from classic bike geometry." However, the Mosaic differs with its longer top tube, which I wanted so I didn't get toe overlap when running fenders, as I know I will be on the IAR in poor weather. A shorter stem compensates for the extra overall length.
In the photos, you'll notice a nicely positioned front light without an accompanying top-side bike computer. I’m using a computer holder/light combo, but as I’m currently riding with a Garmin watch in lieu of a full-blown computer I’d just as well rather have a simple standalone light attachment than a combo mount. However, those don’t seem to exist (happy to be corrected), so I was left with no choice but to use a computer mount for my light.
As you might have guessed, I'm a big fan of what the team at Mosaic put out. This IAR is my fourth or fifth Mosaic now, and I love the feel of each one. The highest compliment I can pay the IAR is that I'm excited to ride it. And any bike that makes you feel eager to get out and pedal is a keeper. Once I've got a few hundred more miles on the IAR, I'll report back. Stay tuned.
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