Long Term Review: Derek's RT-1 Disc

This is my Mosaic RT-1. You might recognize it from my first post about it when it was new. That was over three years ago, and it’s since seen more than it’s fair share of miles. I’ll be straight up – I fucking love this bike. It’s fast, bombproof, and everything I’ve ever wanted in a road bike. It’s not the lightest bike I’ve ever owned, nor does it have the absolute latest technology, but I’ve never enjoyed any other (road) bike more than this one.

Cockpit

The cockpit changed around quite a bit. Initially, I had the bike built with a complete PRO Vibe set up, but for fit and preference reasons, things changed around. Starting at the front, the bike now has a Deda Zero100 bar. I like the wide flat top section, and the modern drop shape is pretty comfortable to me. I have a long BMX and mountain bike background and have always preferred a wider bar, so the 44cm is the sweet spot for me. The stem and seatpost are from Syntace. The stem is a unique 125mm and that 5mm in-between length really perfected my fit. The Syntace seat post just seemed to be a logical choice to match. I have tried nearly everything out there, but the San Marco Aspide saddle is really the only thing that works for me. I have one on all of my bikes and even have a few spares in storage just in case one were to break or wear out.

DRIVETRAIN

Things here are pretty straightforward. An Ultegra Di2 group through and through, save for a turquoise Chris King bottom bracket. Fun fact – the only thing I have ever replaced in the 3+ years of owning the bike are brake pads. Still the original chain, cassette, and chainrings. As a test, I wanted to see how long the drivetrain would last. I stopped riding with a Garmin, so I don’t have a mileage number, but I ride this bike a lot, and the stuff is still going. Sometime soon I will probably upgrade to the newer Dura-Ace stuff.

WHEELSET

The Zipp 30 course wheels are awesome. I have been sitting on a pair of White Industries CLD hubs for almost three years, but I’ve been indecisive on what rims to lace them into. On my cyclocross bike I have a track record for breaking carbon wheels, don’t ask me how many. Given the amount of gravel and off-road abuse this bike gets, I’ve been pretty content with these aluminum Zipps. They’re light, ride as well as any higher end wheel I’ve had, and I won’t have to sell a kidney should I damage a rim. Thanks to disc brakes I don’t care, or even notice if things get a little out of true. I try to maintain the motto of “don’t ride what you can’t afford to replace.” The strength and affordability of these wheels give me that piece of mind.

Rider Stats

While a few things have changed here and there, the bike has been more than I could ever ask for. Aside from being on the heavy side, it’s got every bit of performance I’ve had in any race bike before. There’s no paint to worry about chipping. I don’t worry about breaking anything. It just rides without fuss and does so with a lot of fun.

I’ve actively spent over 20 years as a racing cyclist and spent 10 of those years working as a bike mechanic. If there’s one thing I’ve grown to appreciate over the years is a bike that just doesn’t give you any problems. This is really the only bike I’ve ever owned that I can say that about. Change the brake pads and tires when needed, keep the chain lubed and Di2 battery charged – that’s it ever needs.