You may know Mosaic as a boutique titanium framebuilder, but the Boulder-based company also happens to make really, really sweet steel frames for those who prefer that unmistakable ride of a well-crafted steel bike. Hello, Mosaic RS-1.
So what’s so special about the RS-1? First, the lead-time is six weeks. That’s ridiculously impressive considering each frame comes with rider specific geometry and matching Columbus Spirit HSS steel tubes for a tuned ride.
But the individualization obviously doesn’t stop there. Available in both caliper and disc brake variants, the RS-1 can be painted in your choices from Mosaic layouts and 45 stock colors, all done by their in-house paint shop Spectrum Paint & Powderworks.
In addition, each frame can be tailored for mechanical/ Di2/ EPS/ eTap shifting. Also included is a tapered Chris King DropSet Headset and a braze-one from derailleur mount. There’s even a choice of 68mm english-thread or a PF30 68mm bottom bracket to choose from. The seat post diameter is at a fixed 27.2mm.
In addition, each frame can be tailored for mechanical/ Di2/ EPS/ eTap shifting. Also included is a tapered Chris King DropSet Headset and a braze-on front derailleur mount. There’s even a choice of 68mm english-thread or a PF30 68mm bottom bracket. The seat post diameter is at a fixed 27.2mm.
Other small details worth noting are star-shaped cable port/bottle boss reinforcements and an integrated derailleur hanger.
For the caliper brake-equipped frames, the RS-1 will be spec’d with QR front and rear, 28mm tire clearance and an ENVE carbon road fork.
Meanwhile, the disc-version, the RS-1d will come with front (142×12) and rear (100×12) thru-axles, flat-mount brakes front and rear, 30mm of tire clearance, and a carbon Columbus Futura Disc fork.
The RS-1/RS1d are available to order today for $6,000 per frameset.
In case you haven’t noticed from everyone’s NAHBS coverage, there was a lot of Mosaic at the show similar to the number of S-Works at your local crit.
One of the most talked about Mosaic with a red to silver fade at the SRAM booth
Seriously, there was enough to do a whole NAHBS gallery on just the Mosaics. I almost did.
There was one that didn’t get much buzz though. Our friend Billy got engaged this past fall and he commissioned a custom Mosaic as an engagement gift for his partner in crime, Beth.
It’s a custom RT2 650B built around a SRAM Force 1×11 drivetrain plus a heavy dosage of parts from Paul Component and White Industries throughout. As a matter of fact, Paul handmade a pair of titanium rings for the couple. There are also three bottle mounts for those long trips in the woods and since it’s a Mosaic, it has sweet black paint with pink trim and a dash of glitter.
An understated, yet extremely durable and U.S. made White Industries crankset
Buttery smooth White Industries headset will last for years to come
Paul Component Klamper mechanical disc brake for the braking moments
Don't mind the dust on the frame, but this RT2 utilizes a full-length housing for its rear disc brake
How about that for an engagement gift?
B & B // B &B stands for Billy Beth Bed & Breakfast, a special ride conversation, aka long term imaginary retirement planning
I was admittedly grouchy as I made the trek from San Francisco to Sacramento, yet more than anything, the people, new and old friends, really made the show a whole lot more worthwhile.
Onto the bikes. Well, there were lots of them. Scroll through the gallery and you’ll see why NAHBS is such a fun show even if you have no inclination whatsoever to buy one of these custom steeds. The amount of time the builders, or shall I said wizard artisans, spent in making these ridable show bikes was simply amazing. I hope you enjoy the bikes as much as I do.
Fifty One Bikes‘ Mad Bastard experimental TT bike inspired by the ’96 Bianchi titanium TT bike and the classic American-themed Brooklyn Cycling jersey from the 70s.The Mad Bastard’s cockpit was painted to match the blues on the frame. It also has the new SRAM eTap AXS TT drivetrain. Caletti Cycles adventure road bike painted by artist Jeremiah Kille.Impeccable finish. If I could get one e-bike, it’d be this fresh curvy SycipSince it’s a steel Sycip, it’s got the unmistakable penny seatstay cap. A Pegoretti tribute bike from Don Walker CyclesModeled after the Pegoretti Big Leg Emma, the tribute bike is made with the obligatory massive steel chainstays under its light blue and pink color themeItaly’s T°RED Bikes brought their Levriero RR steel aero bike to the show.What I thought was a head tube conjunction more commonly found in aero carbon bikes but T°RED made it out of steel anyway. It might not be very obvious, but this Ti Cycles was built with FSA’s ACR (Advanced Routing System) front end where all the cables are routed internally within its own bar, stem, spacers, and headset combo, making one hell of a clean cockpit.I told you it’s clean.Here’s another McGovern I really like. While Monstercross 2.0 was fully carbon, this gravel rig has a steel+carbon construction. All the blue tubes are carbon, it’s got carbon-wrapped joints at the seat tube and top tube while the rest of the frame is fillet-brazed steel to combine the best characteristics of both materials.The carbon-wrapped junction that connects the carbon seat tube with the steel seat staySome thought this bike was ugly AF and some thought this bike was offensive given that it’s named Pubesmobile for a dude better known as Bicycle Pubes. But there’s something to be said about this Dear Susan-made frank stein rig. I especially like those curve lines up front.White Industries cranksets were everywhere at the show but this anodized red/blue version is by far one of the best looking ones. Sorry Paul.Rob English‘s booth is always a tough one because every bike there can easily win a bunch of awards. This is Rob’s personal bike purposely built to compete in the Trans Am bike race. It’s got some aero attributes such as an aero head tube, fork, clip-on tt bars, a custom carbon fiber storage box while the rest of the storage components are neatly nested.Both brakes were shrouded with custom carbon covers made by Parlee.The radical-looking seat stay on this Weis Manufacturing track bike is sure a showstopper but what’s also interesting is the materials used. Weis is the first company to make a frame out of Allite Super Magnesium AE81 tubing that is said to be 50% lighter than titanium and 20 times more shock-absorbing than aluminum.As to the reason behind the asymmetric seat stay? Better power transfer, according to Weis. Paul Component founder Paul LOVES his local brewery Sierra Nevada so much he commissioned a Sierra Nevada themed Retrotec single-speed with as much green bits one can possibly cram into a bike.The custom front rack will fit two 12-can packs of Sierra Nevada perfectly.Better known for its excellent seatpost and stem, Thomson showed off a prototype titanium bike and matching titanium seatpost they’ve been working on. The Thomson-designed and overseas made 3/2.5 gravel frame will be made in five sizes with details such as accommodation for 650 hoops with clearance for 700×45 tires plus eyelets for fenders, racks, and cable ports.Besides the titanium bike and seatpost, can I just get some of these Thomson spacers?It seems everyone that’s doing titanium is also doing anodization at the show, but the Aurora from No. 22 caught my eyes with its matching anodized fenders, Campy Super Record grouppo, and a carbon seat tube pulling double duty as an integrated seatpost.Just a bit of anodizing on the seatstay bridge. I love the level of detail here.Based in Salt Lake City, Cerreta Cycles showcased one of their steel road machines made out of Columbus Life tubing plus a custom seat topper covered in a sweet winter dazzle camo-inspired paint job. Oh, this bike is for sale too.The Cerretta also sports a pair of some incredibly minimalistic-looking and lightweight carbon bottle cages by Alpitude.Japan’s Panasonic brought two bikes to the show and this is the sole complete bike with a finish inspired by stained glass.And sure enough it looks like stained glass.Another gorgeously-made steel road machine. This time it’s the O.Q.O.C from Italian Maker DeAnima featuring Tig welded Deda Zero Custom tubeset, custom cnc stainless steel dropouts, and a BSA bottom bracket. It’ll take a 27.2 seatpost with your choice of external mechanical or internal electronic routing.Painted DeAnima logo on the bottom bracketSpearheaded by legendary framebuilder Carl Strong, Montana’s Pursuit Cycles had one model to show: The carbon fiber LeadOut. As a small batch builder, only 35 of these will be made in your choice of five standard color themes like this gorgeous blue “pursuit” palette. You can also have it custom painted but with the standard paint job this good, I’d happily take the standard paint. The head badge that also works as a birth certificate with individual frame info.Our good friend Andrew from Cyclocross Magazine photographing a bitchin’ Seven Evergreen Pro SL with blue/pink finishes and spokes in matching colors by the wizards at Industry Nine.Awarded “best gravel bike” at the show, Massachusetts made Evergreen Pro SL combines filament-wound carbon fiber top tube, seat tube and seatstays to a 3/2.5 titanium frame with a striking two-piece drive side stay for added clearance.
Special shoutout to Travis at Paul Component, Dennis at McGovern Cycles, Jeremy at Sycip, Billy at ECHOS, Evan at Alex Rims, and Andrew at Cyclocross Magazine for keeping things light and fun.
The Holidays are in the rearview mirror and now all we have to look forward to is several months of short, dark days and questionable weather.
Sounds horrible.
But wait.
We can still partake in daydreaming, adventure planning and some good ol’ retail therapy. So in the spirit of the Holidays past we bring you a list of items to occupy your mind, enliven your spirit and thin your wallet.
As we head into 2019, with all the struggles of the Stock Market, the bicycle industry and the confusion over tire size, pressure and compound, we still remain huge fans of all things bicycle. And while we are still confused about all this indoor “bicycling” everyone seems to be doing, we hope this will lead us all to more adventures and miles outdoors.
Giro not only sweats all the little details in striving to make the safest helmet, but the Santa Cruz, California firm also understands the importance of aesthetics. Case in point, that new Aether MIPS. Gone is the oft pesky (but life-saving) MIPS plastic liner that we have all come to love and loathe, depending on who you’re asking, but the function of MIPS remains. How? Giro’s engineers incorporated it between two EPS shells, thus making it pretty much invisible, with no obstruction and more comfort. Besides the nine different stock colors, you can also make a one-of-a-kind custom Aether on their website. How about that for a fashion statement?
Kali’s Strike Knee Armor has you covered when things start to get a little “gnar.” The Strikes stay in place, are comfortable in the riding position and are slim enough to sit nicely under any and all of our fashionable baggie short choices. While we wouldn’t want to do chairlift runs in a pair of these, we found we had a plenty of piece-of-mind riding our local trails and ripping our local drops knowing we had our knees Kali covered.
Just read Outershells “About” page and, if you aren’t completely jaded by the world, you will just want to throw money at them. And I quote, “The ‘Outer Shell Adventure’ embodies our quest towards spiritual harmony with ourselves, nature and other travelers.” I mean. Come on. They make really sweet bags, have a satisfaction guarantee and will basically fix any problem into eternity free of charge. We threw down some coin on their Drawcord Handlebar Bag in hopes it would be the final dollar we would spend on trying to solve our “bikes and cameras…cameras and bikes” problem. And although we loved the construction and detail put into this bag, our hunt for the perfect camera bag continues. The size is perfect for our micro 4:3 camera, mounting is straight ahead and the drawstring allowed seemless access. We just don’t want our camera in a bag. If you are the type of rider who needs a little more room than your jersey pockets allow and you love to stop and take pictures… this might be the perfect bag for you.
Born in 2003 and rebirthed late last year, the Kenda Nevegal 2 Pro is back with all the classic stylings and modern accoutrements todays trail riders are looking for. The newly designed tire is fast rolling, protected with K-Armor and is surprisingly lightweight for a tire with this much enduro worthy pedigree. If you love to get after it, but also don’t mind pedaling to get there, this tire should be on your shopping list. If you are a full on Enduro contender, you might want to look elsewhere for something just a touch beefier.
These Mission Workshop Traverse bloomers are nothing short of amazing. They may lack the neon accents and full on bells and whistles of other shorts in this “segment,” but what they lack in bling they make up for in subtle superiority. The material is ripstopping and confidence inspiring, while remaining in the featherweight division. Two smaller side zipper pockets offer just enough storage for the one or two items you want immediate access to. And the “contoured waist belt” pushes this short from good to great while keeping the short right where we like them even in the trickiest of situations. Bravo, Mission Workshop. Bravo. Now we just need to try the All Mountain version of this short.
Fi’zi:k Aliante Open R1
The Fi’zi:k Aliante has been one very successful saddle since its introduction in the early 2000’s. Its TwinFlex shell is supremely comfortable akin to lounging on a hammock, a heaven for those who prefer to stay seated the majority of the time. The overall concept hasn’t changed much through the years, but Fi’zi;k decided to really shake things up a bit last year. The new Aliante Open R1 retains the gorgeous silhouette of the Aliante family, but adds an anatomical cutout in the center to alleviate unwanted pressure on those sensitive soft tissues. A wider, larger version is also available for those who need additional support. If cutouts are not your thing, Fi’zi:k is also offering a version with its full-length Versus relief channel, or you can always go to the tried-and-true regular Aliante, both also available in two widths.
Have you ever wanted to get a custom helmet for your noggin’ but didn’t know where to start? Well, Giro does custom helmets now.
Starting today and every Tuesday, 25 riders will be able to order custom flagship Aether helmets from Giro’s online configurator.
Intuitive and easy to use custom configurator.
Similar to buying a car, the configurator is robust and pretty darn easy to use. From 15 colors of fades, graphic patterns and two reflective colorways, down to the straps, buckles, and the Roc Loc 5+ Air retention system, just about every facet of a helmet is available to be customized to your heart’s desire. According to Giro, more than 805 million custom combinations are possible so you can be certain that your lid will be a unique one.
Interested? It’s simple: Pick your own design, save it on the configurator and be one of the first 25 people to submit the design every Tuesday starting at 12AM (midnight). Once confirmed, it will take Giro 4-6 weeks to deliver the helmet in custom packaging.
These custom Aethers will start at $400 directly online from Giro and from the five following retailers:
Conor McGregor is the undisputed king of the UFC ring, known around the world for his record-breaking boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr., his sharp wit, and his even sharper dress sense. But what you might not know is that he also loves cycling.
Road biking is an important part of McGregor’s training regime, so it was really only a matter of time before the 29-year-old had to have the thing that every cyclist dreams about – a totally custom carbon rig that reflects his unique style and his commitment to performing at the highest possible level.
Fittingly for someone who prides himself on where he’s come from, the Dubliner found the perfect frame builder right around the corner from his home-town gym – FiftyOne Bikes, a newcomer to the cycling world that we profiled recently right here on Element.ly.
Photo: Dean Kelly / deanella.com
Photo: Dean Kelly / deanella.com
Photo: Dean Kelly / deanella.com
Photo: Dean Kelly / deanella.com
The connection came through Dr. Julian Dalby, an old friend of Duff’s from his racing days who is now a member of McGregor’s coaching staff. His brief was simple: “I like my bling. Make me a bike that reflects my tastes.” And once a frame was hand-built to the UFC’s star’s bespoke measurements, the real work began, creating a distinctive design that did justice to one of professional sport’s most fashionable personalities.
A ghost paint effect carries both his name and his “Notorious” moniker across a rich, deep black frame that’s accented with real 24 carat gold leaf, painstakingly applied by hand in small pieces to create a truly extraordinary result. Every inch of the frame is hand painted, without decals. It’s one of the things that makes FiftyOne stand out as a brand, because while the big bike companies move ever closer towards total standardisation, they allow the client to have control over every little detail, from the geometry to the final finishing touches, like McGregor’s golf-leaf adorned stem and aero handlebar from Zipp.
Roadies might think that the custom Crankbrothers flat pedals, finished in black and gold and inscribed with “Notorious” to match the frame, don’t belong on such a dream racing bike, but they were a special request from the McGregor camp, owing to an old ACL injury that he has to carefully manage while training.
“Conor’s gym is only about a kilometre from our workshop,” says Aidan. “But the actual link is his trainer and doctor, Julian Dalby. Julian has some impressive records on the track, he won the Irish national road race in 1993. When he hung up the wheels, he eventually became a doctor, involved in sports medicine.
“Cycling is a big part of McGregor’s training routine, and once we started to work on a frame for Julian, Conor saw that there was a whole world of deep custom that he didn’t know about, and had to have one too. What we tried to do is build it within his character. Obviously, when you’re dealing with gold leaf, it’s a balancing act between making it look distinguished and classy, rather than cheap and tacky. Hopefully, we’ve achieved that.
“The paint details are something we tried to do to balance the gold, which is very in your face. The other details are subliminal and play very well in the sunlight. When it’s indoors you can hardly see them.”
FiftyOne Bikes might just be the hottest frame-builder you’ve never heard of. The Irish brand is new to the scene, but over the last year they’ve gained a small but dedicated following thanks to their exquisitely hand-built, painstakingly painted, custom carbon frames.
They’re totally bespoke and almost always very colorful. In other words, the anthesis of what modern bicycles have become. Aidan Duff, a former professional rider with a lot of experience in the bike industry, decided to start the company after becoming frustrated with the limited sizing and personalization options that have become the norm thanks to the industry’s shift towards mass-production in Asia.
The brand’s formation took time and a lot of work, as Duff searched first for a producer that could make him the kind of frame he wanted, and then for a selection of experts and artisans who would help him do everything in-house at FiftyOne’s HQ in Dublin, Ireland. The end product is a completely unique frame, built to suit the rider’s characteristics and desires, and to reflect their personality.
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
So in that context, the beauty they made for Eurobike this year – part of a limited run of 10 frames to commemorate Enve Composite’s 10th anniversary – is positively mass production. Each frame will still be tailored to its owner, but the signature paint job will stay the same, which is no bad thing, because it is cool AF.
Duff is just back a successful trip to Germany, but he took the time to catch up with us and talk a little shop.
How was Eurobike?
“Fantastic. It was great to meet so many people, drink several weissbier and get to ride my bike – not strictly in that order.
“There’s been a lot said about it being too late in the year, not attracting the bigger brands any more, or 50% of the floorspace being taken up by e-bikes. But the reality is, it’s still the world’s largest cycling trade show and industry hub and regardless of who you want to meet in the business, they’re likely never more than a hall or two away. For us, it provides a very good platform to reach out to the industry and build relationships with other companies in our space.”
And what was the reaction to your Enve bike?
“Ten years ago, Enve’s first products were specifically designed to service what they believed was an underserved small frame builder community. Jason Schiers and his team saw that carbon was not being used to its full potential in the majority of components and wheels and that the industry were making aluminium shapes out of carbon, failing to employ the real strengths of the material. With years of experience in aerospace and NASCAR, Jason and his team knew they could fill this gap in the market and Enve was born. They played a crucial role in the early stages of our composites development, so it was a privilege to work with them on the bike and present it to the world on their stand.
“The reaction to it has been awesome. With great coverage by the international media, the 10 limited edition bikes have attracted lots of attention with several being snapped up within the first 24 hours of launching.
“I was actually one of the first distributors for Enve when they expanded into Europe in 2009, and I’ve watched them grow from a fledging start-up to an industry leader. I was at the opening party for the launch of their new facility and to celebrate their 10 year anniversary, back in March, where we discussed possible ideas for Eurobike. The idea of a 10-year celebratory bike was born.
“It’s a limited run of 10 bikes that will all be delivered with custom geometry. Each of them is numbered and will have its own certificate of authenticity, and we’re giving each owner a photo-book of the bikes in development and the finished product. It was also our way of introducing our flat mount disc option, which we designed totally in-house, and our integrated Dominator BB shell.”
This design tips its hat to the Carrera–Inoxpran bike that Ireland's Stephen Roche rode in 1987, the year he won the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and the World Championships
Tell us a bit about your new disc designs. Is it the future or is there still hope for rim brakes?
“As I said, we used the Enve10 as the launchpad for our disc design. We already have a lot of interest in discs in general which certainly motivated us to create our own design. The UCI rollout of discs has been less than ideal but I see the next two years changing the landscape of braking forever. That said, I do still think callipers will appeal to a slightly older rider.”
Bearing the names of past champions, this frame commemorates the 65th edition of the Rás, Ireland's most important race, and was ridden by AquaBlue's Ronan McLaughlin. Photo: deanella.com
Bearing the names of past champions, this frame commemorates the 65th edition of the Rás, Ireland's most important race, and was ridden by AquaBlue's Ronan McLaughlin. Photo: deanella.com
Bearing the names of past champions, this frame commemorates the 65th edition of the Rás, Ireland's most important race, and was ridden by AquaBlue's Ronan McLaughlin. Photo: deanella.com
You’re getting a name for yourselves when it comes to show-stopping bikes such as this and Ronan McLaughlin’s Rás concept. Why is it important for you to showcase your products in this way?
“Well, what motivated us to start FiftyOne? We were tired of safe designs and an underwhelming client engagement. We’ve stripped back all the restrictions on bike design to ensure we create timeless classics. It doesn’t matter how intricate the masking needs to be or how long the construction process takes. We believe we are at the intersection of art and engineering. We want to empower clients to create their dream bikes, creations that rise above model years and trends. Something that will be gifted from one generation to the next.”
Going into my meeting with DeFeet at PressCamp, I fully expected it to be all about socks and arm warmers.
I was (half) wrong. When I was told DeFeet Bespoke was “the world’s first cycling specific crowdfunding site,” I was like, oh great, more Kickstarters, another give me money but I am going to shut down in six months unicorn-esque pitch, or is it another cycling spin on etsy?
Well, no. Let me break it down for ya.
DeFeet Bespoke is essentially DeFeet’s small-batch U.S. made product program that would be cost prohibitive for a normal production run but made possible if it was 100% funded directly by consumers prior to production. A funding campaign will range from 2-4 weeks.
Photo: Stephen Lam/ Element.ly
Items such as this pouch that has a special rubberized fabric in collaboration with Yanco, or the gorgeous and surprisingly comfy Woolie Boolie sock hand dyed with natural dyes from Wild Earth Textiles (top) are samples of what the program could bring while backed with DeFeet’s manufacturing knowhow.
They are considering raising their jacket project literally from the ashes, after the North Carolina factory was completely destroyed in a massive 2001 fire that required assistance from eleven fire departments from three counties.
Originally launched during PressCamp, DeFeet BeSpoke had some initial web issues but the program is back today with more items slated to go on the site soon. Get in there and up your sock game, among other things. www.DeFeetBeSpoke.com
