A machine Made in America, fit for a US national champion.
When Brennan Wertz crossed the line in Gering, NE on September 8th establishing himself as the 2024 Elite Men’s Gravel National Champion, our race against the clock was only just beginning. With the 2024 season finale, The Big Sugar Classic under 6 weeks away, we cued the music and went full gas on an extra special build – an over the top, American Made, Stars and Stripes GT-1 i45. This GT-1 i45 is built to the exact same, millimeter perfect geometry as Brennan’s tried and true race bike, with the real task this time around being the development of a custom paint layout worthy of celebrating a national championship win.
Our paint team, Randy Caraballo (pictured below) and David Cogdill hit the ground running and quickly had a design in mind for the bike. It’s not particularly common for us to deviate from our standard paint layouts, so when a custom job comes across the desk, it’s definitely a fun one for everybody to be a part of. Creating a unique spin on the Stars & Stripes colorway was a challenge perfectly suited to the Mosaic Paint Department. As the paint team was scheming, simultaneously, Jamie Appleton, Ross Leopold and Aaron Barcheck did what they do best in the fabrication shop, and the frame was completed in record time.
In typical Brennan Wertz fashion, this GT-1 i45 leaves absolutely no stone unturned when it comes to the build. A SRAM XXSL Transmission rear derailleur is paired with a CeramicSpeed OSPW X Cage, which we just couldn’t resist painting to match… An ENVE Integrated Stem & Seatpost were painted to match corresponding parts of the frame, and the usual racey white decals top off the SES 4.5’s wheelset, custom built by Above Category with silver Chris King R45d hubs, and silver spokes all around.
We’ll see you this weekend at Big Sugar Gravel! The Mosaic booth, Brennan’s Stars & Stripes GT-1 i45 included will be set up at the Big Sugar Gravel Expo on Thursday evening & all day on Friday. Friends old and new, we’d love to see you, so if you’re in Bentonville be sure to stop by and check out what we’ve been up to.
Come Saturday morning, it’s a show bike no more, as for the first time ever, we’ve got an Elite National Champ lined up on a matching Mosaic and that’s reason enough for us to celebrate! As a tremendously passionate and hard-working, but small crew of folks at Mosaic, it’s an honor to be in this position. And so for that, Brennan, thank you. Now – let’s go give it hell for one last time in 2024. That bike wants a victory salute…
Outdoor Images: Jim Merithew (@tinyblackbox)
Frameset Images: Mark Currie // Mosaic Cycles
