Alex's Mosaic GT-1

This Mosaic GT-1 i45 painted in Artist Series No.6 is an absolute stunner! Mosaic offers an almost infinite number of paint finishes to suit all tastes. Artist Series No.6 is called ‘Scale’ – think lizard rather than size – and it was designed by the owner of Mosaic, Aaron Barcheck. Mosaic bikes are of course handcrafted in Boulder, Colorado – you can see where the inspiration for this scheme comes from.

We couldn't resist opting to paint this one in Signature Cycles colors and we think you’ll agree that it came out beautifully. The paint is durable and the application is flawless. The lack of paint on the chainstays and drivetrain area not only lends a visual contrast but it also makes it easy to keep the area clean and free of scuffs to the paint from the chain.

The frame is made of double butted 3Al/2.5V titanium and the down tube is ovalised horizontally where it meets the BSA bottom bracket shell. The seatstays and chainstays have an S-bend shape which allows the rear end to flex just enough to aid rear wheel traction when riding through rough stuff, and also to help absorb shock. The oversized top and down tubes and 44mm head tube suggest this frame would be quite stiff, but the ride quality is very balanced due to that 68mm BB shell and the curvy stays.

Here we’re running a SRAM mullet build that brings together Force shifters, Red 1x crankset and an X01 Eagle rear derailleur with the Eagle ‘oil slick’ cassette – a ‘best of’ setup that just gets the job done.

The ENVE gravel fork clears up to 45mm tires, as does the frame, but we chose a slightly narrower 40mm Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H tire on the ENVE AG25 wheels to keep the bike lively on as well as off-road. The ‘i’ in GT-1 i45 means ‘integrated’, so this version comes with the ENVE In-Route system for a super clean cockpit and fork. Meanwhile, the rear brake hose is internally routed through the down tube and externally around the bottom bracket shell. 

I had the pleasure of riding this head-turner of a bike at the Lime Rock gravel event and it performed wonderfully. It was sure-footed on the climbs and descents, even on a cold and rainy day. The ground was wet and the mud was muddy, but it was a blast when I was treated to a relatively straight, undulating descent and got the machine up to about 23mph. On a paved section I was able to descend at 40mph and felt like I was riding on rails.

This Mosaic is a joy to ride and I look forward to getting out again for more gravel adventures!