When The Radavist joined the TPC family last year, we knew we had to do something special to celebrate. So TPC Founder Nick Martin and The Radavist founder John Watson began formulating the idea to create a small run of custom gravel bikes. For Martin and Watson, there was no argument over who they wanted to build their new bike — it had to be Mosaic Cycles. They brought the concept to Mosaic’s founder Aaron Barcheck, who enthusiastically jumped on board. With our powers combined, we’ve created a custom-painted, handbuilt titanium gravel bike to celebrate our unique brands. Today, we’re proud to introduce the special edition TPC x Mosaic GT-2 45, available exclusively at The Pro's Closet.
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Why TPC chose Mosaic Cycles
“Mosaic is just known for making crisp, clean, beautiful bikes,” said Watson. Martin echoed this, and said, “The attention to detail Mosaic puts into their bikes is second to none.”
Usually, customers get in touch with a dealer and then wait at least 12 weeks for their handmade Mosaic frame. Selling “small batches” (40 frames is still a lot of work for a small builder!) of bikes online through TPC is a new and exciting channel for Mosaic. But Mosaic and TPC aren’t new bedfellows.
TPC Founder, Nick Martin, has owned several Mosaic road and gravel bikes and has long been one of Mosaic’s biggest supporters. Both businesses were born in Boulder, Colorado, and in the early days, shared neighboring warehouses. Mosaic’s founder, Aaron Barcheck, is even a former TPC employee.
The original TPC team. Barcheck (far left) and Martin (far right).
While getting Mosaic off the ground, Barcheck was packing bikes full-time in the TPC Shipping Department. After a full day of work, he’d head next door to Mosaic to continue pursuing his dream of building his own bikes.
“I’d describe [that time] as super formative,” Barcheck said. “Nick and other people at TPC were very supportive. Nick told me so many times, ‘I think you’re going to be a great framebuilder. One of the best!’”
“I kept telling him, ‘You gotta quit! You gotta go [build bikes] full time!’” Martin said.
Barcheck worked at TPC for over three years until Mosaic was able to stand on its own.
“I’m super thankful for that time, and I won’t forget it,” Barcheck said. “It was great to have a community that just took what I was doing seriously. You take that feedback and just run with it. Ten years later, we’re here doing this project together.”
Martin (left) and Barcheck on a shakedown ride for the new TPC x Mosaic GT-2 45.
Mosaic was the obvious choice for bringing TPC’s custom bike to life. This collaboration is the culmination of years of work, growth, and friendship, and the end result is a bike that not only looks beautiful but has the potential to be the last gravel bike you’ll ever need to buy.
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Custom Toyota Land Cruiser-inspired paint
One of Mosaic’s hallmarks is its beautiful custom paint, which is all done in-house by Spectrum Paint & Powder Works. The paint used on the new TPC x Mosaic GT-2 TPC, however, is a bit of a departure though from the bright, eye-catching fades that have made Mosaic famous. Inspired by the paint used on vintage Toyota Land Cruisers, Martin and Watson chose earthy tones.
“There’s a lot of Land Cruiser love between me and Nick,” explained Watson.
Not only are Martin and Watson both Mosaic fans, but they also share a deep passion for classic ‘70s Japanese 4x4s. The colors they chose for their special edition frames are Desert Tan and Nebula Green, actual paint colors used on the 40- and 60-series Land Cruisers.
They even incorporated the classic Toyota stripes into the design. These special edition paint jobs not only look beautiful, but they match the Land Cruisers that Martin and Watson have parked in their own driveways.
“The colors they were using back then were iconic,” said Martin. “I love them because they’re timeless.”
The TPC x Mosaic GT-2 45
TPC x Mosaic GT-2 45 Di2
- Mosaic GT2-45 titanium frame
- Shimano GRX Di2 1x drivetrain
- Industry Nine Ultralite 250 Carbon wheelset
- Whiskey No. 9 carbon fork
- ENVE carbon cockpit w/ G-Series gravel handlebars
- Numbered commemorative frame badge
- $9,499.99
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TPC x Mosaic GT-2 45 mechanical
- Mosaic GT2-45 titanium frame
- Shimano GRX mechanical 1x drivetrain
- DT Swiss GR1600 Spline alloy wheels
- Whiskey No. 9 carbon fork
- Thompson alloy cockpit
- Numbered commemorative frame badge
- $7,499.00
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Mosaic Cycles built its reputation on lightweight titanium frames with extraordinary paint. Its custom bikes have won numerous awards (most recently Mosaic won the “Best Mountain Bike” Award at NAHBS) and it’s now one of the most desirable and well-respected framebuilders in the country.
In 2020, Mosaic released its revamped GT-2 gravel bike, introducing stock sizing options, bringing down the cost of its American-made titanium frames and reducing delivery times. The model name tells you everything you need to know about the Mosaic GT-2 45. (G = gravel, T = titanium, 2 = stock geometry, 45 = 700c x 45mm tires.)
The GT-2 45 is built using a T3A/2.5V straight gauge titanium tubeset, so it’s light (Di2 builds come in just under 20 pounds, mechanical builds are around 21 pounds) and snappy like its racier sibling, the GT-2 AR. But since it’s designed to handle rough gravel and epic adventures, compliance and comfort were the main focus. It has clearance to fit 45mm wide tires and the stock geometry emphasizes stability and all-day comfort. (See the GT-2 45 geometry chart here.)
For performance and reliability, we built the bikes with tried and true Shimano GRX, a gravel groupset in the 1x configuration. Top-spec builds feature an electronic GRX Di2 drivetrain, Industry Nine Ultralite 250 Carbon wheels, and a full ENVE cockpit. Mid-range builds get GRX mechanical paired with DT Swiss GR1600 Spline alloy wheels and an American-made Thomson cockpit.
How to buy a TPC x Mosaic GT-2 45
You’ll only find the TPC x Mosaic GT-2 45 gravel bike in our Mosaic Collection. In total, 40 custom-painted TPC x Mosaic GT-2 45 frames will be produced with a few in each size. Once they’re sold, they’re gone. That means these bikes are pretty rare and special. If you’re looking for something even more exclusive, 8 of these frames were set aside to build The Radavist x Mosaic GT-2X, which John Watson had built to his own specifications, so be sure to read about his build over at The Radavist. You can find the Radavist x Mosaic GT-2X in the Radavist Shop as well.
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