This week's BOTW is an especially fun one for me. I absolutely love my Mosaic GT-1 iAR fancy pants rain bike and a friend of ours was looking to do something similar with a bit more versatility in mind. Read on to learn about the inspiration and intention behind this eye catching build.
First, a little background on my bike and why we came up with this platform. Looking at my orange Mosaic you’ll see it decked out with the then new Campagnolo Super Record 12 speed wireless group. That was due to the fact that we received the test group, wheels and Mosaic Frame simultaneously. We decided it was going to become my rain/shitty weather bike instead of our thousand mile group review platform.
^Chad's Mosaic GT-1 iAR
Since then I’ve swapped the parts out to Shimano Ultegra, added the aluminum armed version of the SRM power meter and most importantly, installed fenders. While it does not rain nearly as much as it did when I lived 800 miles to the north of here, it’s been more frequent and much harder when it does.
^King High Tide Mill Valley-Sausalito Bike Path
The Lightweight Pfadfinder wheels may seem a bit overboard for a “rain” bike, ok… a lot overboard, but they serve a very distinct purpose. Besides being super comfy and very strong, they don’t have any way for water to get inside the rim and into the nipples and spokes. This is very important when you are riding through high tides that have now gotten to the point of reaching my hubs on the highest of days. It still messes up your bike, but with all that titanium and impenetrable wheels, all it takes is a quick wash after any ride where we are caught in the salt water, and we’re no worse for the wear. This has happened to me multiple times on my short commute in the past two years, and the bike is as good as new.
With a little context behind us, on to this latest build. Josh wanted to have a nice but burly bike. Something that can tackle the inclement weather riding as well as handle some light duty extended trip outings. So, in addition to the fender mounts, we added rear rack mounts, a third bottle cage mount and top tube mounts for small bags. Basically, anything additional that Mosaic offers to extend the range of this particular bike's capabilities.
He chose a signal yellow finish to help him stand out a bit more on those gray days but kept the cockpit in gloss black to match the Mosaic logo on the downtube.
For that cockpit, we went all ENVE. Seat post, In-Route stem and the round Compact Road Bars. Saddle is the super comfy Selle Italia Flite which offers a bit more softness compared to the SLR model that Josh uses on another bike.
Power metering duties fell on SRM and we went with the more affordable aluminum version as weight was not a concern for the bike. The SRM is a great unit and has been durable and accurate on my bike for a while now.
Four piston HOPE brakes for a bit more stopping power when loaded up, 160mm rotors front and rear for that same reason. Just because you are not on a full on race bike doesn’t mean you won’t appreciate a frictionless drivetrain. Here we have Ceramicspeeds new Alpha derailleur pulleys and bottom bracket. Finished off with Bjorns light but super strong bottle cages. We’re running 34mm Vittoria tires with sealant as well.
A build that combines Mosaic’s sharp titanium lines with real intent in every detail. The result? A do-everything GT-1 iAR done at the highest level. A bike that takes you anywhere–road, groomed gravel, trails, fully fendered and racked, or stripped back just as you see it here.
Thanks for reading and if you see us out there sloshing through the tide, say hey!
If you’re interested in dreaming up a custom Mosaic, drop us a line.
-Chad
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