Colorado-based custom frame builder Mosaic has unveiled the new RT-Zero, a bike intended to take the brand's titanium craftsmanship to a whole new level.
Mosaic’s expertise is something I’ve had first-hand experience of, having had a custom Mosaic RT1 1TR built last year. The new RT-Zero takes all of Mosaic’s engineering, fabrication and design knowledge and elevates it to a new level.
Mosaic claims the new RT-Zero frameset is its most ambitious R&D initiative to date.
It’s a design that has become a proving ground for advanced titanium construction and integration, with the aim of taking Mosaic’s refined aesthetics to a new, higher standard.
The RT-Zero sets the standard for the future of Mosaic’s bike design and is the result of a three-year design project.
The Zero Ops project
The Zero Ops project took the brand's most popular model, the RT-1, as its template. The design team, led by Mosaic founder Aaron Barcheck, were then let loose in a ground-up refinement of every element, without constraints.
Barcheck explains: "With the RT-Zero, we wanted to experiment with new ideas and new product designs that could eventually lead to improved performance characteristics in our existing product line.
"This Zero Ops project, as we’re calling it, is a great way to bring new ideas to one of our existing frame models, the RT-1, while at the same time pushing our own design boundaries without having to immediately focus on the commercial viability of the product.”
New ideas with traditional fabrication
The RT-Zero’s standout feature is the new fully integrated carbon seat mast with a custom D-shaped profile.
Mosaic claims that not only does this enhance the look of the RT-Zero, but it has performance benefits, too. It says the carbon mast brings added tuneability, enabling it to customise the ride characteristics more than with traditional titanium tubing.
The carbon seat tube/mast also brings significant weight savings.
Mosaic also says it would have been relatively easy to use 3D-printing technology to create the new pieces required for the integration of the seat mast, not to mention the dropouts, head tube and bottom bracket shell.
Instead, it backed the in-house quality of its CNC-machining and proven fabrication techniques.
3D printing has become a buzzword for titanium bikes and we’ve seen many of Mosaic’s rivals utilising additive printing technology.
Barcheck has strong opinions on the validity of 3D printing for a brand that produces full-custom geometry as the norm.
"Honestly, I’ve just not been turned on by any of the 3D printing stuff out there," he says. "So, I really wanted to do this project without 3D printing anything and instead stick to using more traditional bike-making methods."
That means all the pieces that enable the carbon mast to join with the titanium frame – even if they look as though they were 3D printed – were made using CNC machining and combined with TIG welding.
Barcheck continues: "With 3D printing, you have to ask yourself, what is it really doing for what we’ve found is essentially the same cost?
"And if it’s not more cost-effective or transformationally different, then it’s not something we want to pursue just because it’s the latest hot trend. That’s especially true since doing it the way we’ve always done things allows us to continue to deliver made-to-order custom geometry without long turn times.
"Plus, anything that can be done in-house allows you to have a higher level of quality control, which translates to a better product."
A fine-looking machine
The results are stunning, with certain elements of the bike looking as if they were 3D printed.
Take the carbon seat mast integration or the new one-piece titanium CNC dropouts that integrate with the flat-mount.
The new oversized head tube junction allows for full internal cable routing, as seen on the RT1 ITR, and the refinement of the design on the RT-Zero should see it trickle down to the standard RT1 within the next year.
The RT-Zero’s new bottom bracket shell adopts the increasingly popular T47 threaded standard.
The tubing used in the RT-Zero is Mosaic’s Ultra-Butted titanium; it’s based on Mosaic’s signature double-butted tubesets but pushed out to even thinner walls. Mosaic claims this will retain the celebrated Mosaic ride feel while reducing the overall weight.
Very limited edition
The RT-Zero’s groundbreaking design is going into production, although initially, the Zero Ops project bikes will be limited to only 25 framesets. Mosaic has stated that the innovations seen on this halo project will influence the future of the company’s core road models, such as the RT-1.
The framesets will be offered in a multitude of minimal paint finishes to showcase the natural titanium, combined with precision anodising and hand-polished elements.
Barcheck justifies the limited run and high price of the RT-Zero because "This is the most premium product Mosaic has made to date".
He adds: "Maybe we only sell 25 of these ever. But selling $11,000 framesets is not the primary end goal. We’re not planning to become that company.
"We do these types of projects and the R&D that comes with them as a means to improve our other bikes. What will make sense to bring from the RT-Zero to the RT-1 remains to be seen, but it’s safe to assume it will continue to drive aesthetic enhancements and increased tunability and performance."
Pricing
Frameset pricing will be set at $11,000 and will include the frame, fork, ENVE one-piece bar/stem, carbon seat mast, and Mosaic Carbon Topper and RT-Zero finish.
Complete bikes will be offered with component brand partners for wheels, accessories and groupsets. Based on component selection, complete RT-Zero bikes will be available for in the range of $20,000 to $24,000.
