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Modern cycling is full of choices—road, mountain, gravel, all-road—each with its own appeal. On top of that, different price points and build levels add another layer of decision-making. In the Mosaic lineup, we offer our models in both a Level 1 and Level 2 option, each with its own rider-driven features and priorities.

Let’s break down what sets them apart and help you find the best fit.

Mosaic 1-Level : The Full Custom Mosaic Experience, Fit First & Maximized for Performance

At the core of the Level 1 is an internally double butted, rider-specific titanium tubeset—meticulously engineered to strike the perfect balance between strength, weight, and ride compliance. This advanced butting process removes excess material where it’s not needed while reinforcing high-stress areas, resulting in a frame that’s exceptionally strong yet lightweight. Whether you’re chasing high-speed performance, all-day comfort, or the sweet spot in between, a 1-Level Mosaic delivers a ride tuned to your specific demands.

Features such as internal Di2 routing and an optional integrated brake system enhance both aesthetics and functionality, keeping cables hidden, clean, and out of mind. Several Mosaic 1-Level bikes are available with the sleek, aero-optimized lines and a little tire clearance boost in part thanks to ENVE’s In-Route (fully integrated) fork and cockpit (RT-1 ITR, GT-1 iAR and GT-1 i45 models). The finer details and extra steps like these reinforce the Mosaic 1-Level’s reputation as one of the most capable bikes in the world, regardless of material.

Every 1-Level frame is designed from the ground up and Made-To-Order to match the rider. Using fit data from you and your Mosaic dealer, we build each bike with custom geometry and tubing specifications tailored to your specific riding style, including tube diameter, wall thickness, and butting profile. A 1-Level Mosaic bike is as unique as its rider.

Customization doesn’t stop at fit and ride tuning—the every 1-Level Mosaic offers a full spectrum of finish options. Choose from several raw titanium finishes, five core paint schemes, limited-edition Artist Series layouts, and over 150 standard & extended line colors to create a bike that’s uniquely yours. To make the wait a little easier, we provide a digital mock-up of your final design so you can admire it while we bring it to life. And yes, we know waiting is tough—but rest assured, your handcrafted masterpiece will be ready in 8 weeks or less.

Mosaic 2-Level : The Sweet Spot for Fit, Performance, and Price

All 2-Level bikes are primarily batch-built, but the experience remains uniquely tailored—and uniquely Mosaic. Drawing from fit data gathered from thousands of custom 1-Level bikes, we’ve developed a range of stock sizes designed to fit 95% of riders—while still allowing for customization in reach and drop as needed.

To achieve our goal of offering the Mosaic ride at a more attainable price, we swap ENVE forks for Columbus models on drop-bar models and use a size- and model-specific straight-gauge titanium tubeset. Every 2-Level frameset is engineered for a balanced ride that’s both responsive and compliant, with all aspects of fabrication performed in our Boulder, Colorado, workshop alongside our top-end 1-Level bikes. Compared to the 1-Level, the frame adds only about 1/2 lb. Rear brake cable routing is fully internal, and each frame is configured to order based on your drivetrain preference—eTap, mechanical, or Di2.

For those looking to personalize their ride further, the Mosaic Finishwork Program is available as an upgrade. Depending on your finish selection, a batch-built 2-Level bike can be delivered to your Mosaic dealer within 2-3 weeks.

Let’s Build Your Dream Bike

Got questions? Your local Mosaic dealer is the best place to start, but we’re happy to help as well. Reach out to us at info@mosaiccycles.com or @mosaiccycles on Instagram, and we’ll point you in the right direction.

Mosaic Team Rider Ben Frederick spent his winter racing World Cup cyclocross in Europe as part of his ProjectLeadLap campaign. But now it’s February, and while #CrossIsComing, there’s a lot of racing between now and then. Ben will be putting his Mosaic(s) to the test in a variety of U.S.-based gravel events.

Turns out, drop bars and knobby tires are about all these two disciplines have in common. We caught up with Ben to talk about how he tweaks his bike, training, race day strategy, and mindset for each discipline. 

First off, congrats on a great Euro CX campaign. You pulled off some impressive rides in tough conditions and kept up with your day job between races. How did it feel to put that behind you and come back to the States?

Ben: Thanks! It’s good to be back. Common sense would say a long break was in order, but man, I love riding bikes. The jet lag was brutal, so I was back on my MT-1 chasing sunrises pretty quick. I’m lucky to live in San Francisco, and January was the driest in recent memory—hard to stay off the bike in those conditions. It’s also been nice to get back in the office, have a fully stocked kitchen at home, and not have another “hardest race you’ve ever done” looming over me.

What’s on your agenda for Spring and Summer 2025?

Ben: It’s going to be a packed season, full of events and races in California, with a few further afield. My fiancée is a badass gravel racer, so I’ll be tagging along to some of her events and giving it my best shot. I’ve also got some MTB races on the calendar—closer to the CX effort and technical style that I love.

That said, I’ve already raced three times since my last CX race on January 5th. The first two rounds of the Grasshopper Adventure Series, plus a mountain bike XC race thrown in there. 

How are gravel races like the Grasshoppers different on your mind and body?

Ben: I’ll be the first to admit—I don’t love gravel racing. Riding off-road for a long time? No problem. The racing part? That’s the challenge. But that’s why we do it, right?

Mentally, a five-hour, single-loop race is a huge shift from an all-out, one-hour, 7–9 lap CX race. In CX, you’re dialing in every corner, nailing gearing, and tackling obstacles with precision. In gravel, it’s about being prepared for anything. Since my schedule doesn’t allow for pre-riding most gravel courses, I just have to make my best guess and send it.

Physically, it’s the opposite side of the power curve from CX. In a cross race, I can spend an hour at 185bpm, with over 30 minutes of that at 600+ watts. It’s all or nothing. Gravel racing requires a much deeper endurance base—being efficient at your “tempo” is key. I’ll add some longer rides and tempo efforts into training, but mostly, I’ll stick to my short and sharp CX-style training and just hang on for dear life during the races.

What about your bike? You’ve got a Mosaic hardtail, a proper GT-1 45 gravel bike, and of course, your XT-1 cyclocross bikes to choose from, and we see pros line up with all sorts of bikes given the circumstances. What was your setup and why?

Ben: Between the three bikes, I can cover just about every event I want. Leading up to a race, I’ll do most of my training on the bike I’ll compete on—even if that means logging road miles on my gravel or MTB. I also try to match my training routes to race conditions as much as possible.

• XT-1 (Cyclocross & Road): The XT-1 is my go-to for CX, road, and some smoother gravel races. In CX mode, it’s a 1x with tubular tires, no bottles. For road, I swap to a double chainring, 34mm tires, and a longer 110mm stem (from a 100mm). We optimized the geometry around 33mm tires for max snappiness, so while it can fit up to 42c tires, the handling changes enough that I prefer my GT-1 45 for that.

• GT-1 45 (Gravel): This is my primary summer off-road race bike. It has a longer wheelbase, more tire clearance, and a tubeset that adds comfort over long days in the saddle. It’s planted on high-speed gravel descents but still playful on singletrack. I run a 1x setup—usually a 46T or 48T chainring with a 10-52T cassette—and always 45mm tires. The longer top tube lets me get into a more aggressive, aero position compared to the XT-1.

• MT-1 (MTB & Technical Terrain): A lot of the riding around SF can be done on a drop-bar bike, but why underbike when you can rip on a hardtail? No surprise—I use this for MTB events. It’s built with a fairly neutral geo to be racy yet capable on modern technical courses. Since I burn a lot of road miles to reach trails, I run a 36T up front with a 10-52T cassette. A 120mm fork smooths out the chatter, and honestly, the bike gets smoother the faster you go. Tires are 2.4s—because more volume is always better.

What other gear or kit-related adjustments do you make for gravel racing?

Ben: The worst thing about gravel? No pit bike!

I’ll wear an aero helmet for free speed, but otherwise, it’s just about dressing for the weather—same as CX. The biggest difference is nutrition. I’m firmly in the MAX CARBZ PER HOUR camp, so I fill my bottles with science fluid and carry flasks of goop and syrup to keep the engine running hot. Oh, and flat repair essentials—because, again, no pit.

What about race-day routine? Prepping for an hour all-out effort seems pretty different from a four-hour dirt road race.

Ben: I’ve never set a 5:30 a.m. alarm for a CX race. But for an 8 or 9 a.m. gravel start? Gotta wake up early to get that last bit of fuel in.

Warm-ups are also way more relaxed for gravel. Usually 20–30 minutes to get the blood flowing and a quick 5-minute build to spike the heart rate. No need to waste precious energy—we’ll be riding for a long time.

How do you approach a race like the Grasshopper Huffmaster tactically? Was it different from how you’d approach a European World Cup CX race—or even a U.S. CX race?

Ben: This is like comparing apples to cucumbers.

In CX, I’m confident at the start line. At Huffmaster, early in the gravel season, I knew my fitness wasn’t quite tuned for that style of racing. My plan? Eat a lot, follow moves until the first climb, climb hard, descend harder, and see what happens.

And? How did it all play out?

Ben: A slight headwind kept our group of 60 together for the first 30 miles. Then, we hit the 10-minute climb, and the race exploded. My goal was to stay in touch, rally the descent (I have the sixth-fastest time on it), and link up with a group.

But a small rock on the tire bead had other plans. A slow leak left me limping to the feed zone to plug it, costing me 2:30 and taking me out of contention. I rode with my fiancée for a bit, chased groups where I could, and still gave it my best effort.

At the end of the day, riding bikes is a good day—especially on these bikes.

If you were to gaze into the smoldering maw of an active volcano, it would look a lot like Jack’s GT-1 i45 in our latest Artist Series #6 colorway: Lava. With a metallic base coat of fiery orange and golden yellows accented by randomly applied Scale patterns of smoky grey and black, this bike is almost too hot to touch.

Introduced in 2024, Scale is already one of our most popular finishes and has been showcased on Brennan Wertz’s Gravel National Championships winning GT-1 iAR and the GT-1 i45 he raced at Gravel World Championships.

The Scale artwork was designed, prototyped and painted by Mosaic founder Aaron Barcheck using a randomized, stamped paint technique requiring over 20 hours of painting and sanding. No two are exactly alike.

With Scale, varying the base color can create a dramatically different effect. Jack’s infernal GT-1 i45 is undeniably eye-catching, but the same Artist Series finish in NightShade with  a black base and subtle tonal silver, blue and purple accents results in a very different look and feel.

We’re up to eight standard Scale base colors and of course, there’s the option to work with the Mosaic design team to come up with your own colorway, as Jack did for his Scale Lava GT-1.

Scale is available now by request on any new Mosaic, or as a repaint on an existing Mosaic. Contact your Mosaic dealer for more information.

Your chance to snag a Mosaic at a great price! We’re making room for new builds and a refreshed demo fleet, so we’re offering up a selection of brand-new, never-ridden show bikes, along with some lightly ridden, but well-maintained demo bikes. You’ll find models in various sizes, build specs, and price points.

Bikes are sold as-is, on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you’re interested or have any questions, shoot us an email at info@mosaiccycles.com. Please include the Model & Size in the subject line.

GT-2 45 GRX Ltd (54cm)

Frame: Mosaic GT-2 45 // Stock 54cm

Finishwork: Knockout – Pearl Kashima

Groupset: Shimano GRX Ltd. Rear Derailleur, 11s Mechanical, GRX Ltd Crankset (40T, 172.5mm), XT M8000 Cassette (11-40), GRX Ltd Shifter/Brakes

Wheelset: Shimano RX880 GRX Carbon Wheelset

Cockpit: Thomson Elite Stem (100mm), Thomson Elite Seatpost (25mm offset), Pro Vibe Handlebar (42cm)

Accessories: WTB Silverado Saddle, WTB Nano 40mm Tires

Condition: New.

Notes: This bike and all components have zero miles. Brand new & unridden, just assembled for photos.

Price: $6200

View more photos here.

 

GT-2 X GRX Ltd (58cm)

Frame: Mosaic GT-2 X // Stock 58cm

Finishwork: Tri Fade

Groupset: Shimano GRX Ltd. Rear Derailleur, 11s Mechanical, GRX Ltd Crankset (40T, 172.5mm), XT M8000 Cassette (11-40), GRX Ltd Shifter/Brakes

Wheelset: Shimano RX880 GRX Carbon Wheelset

Cockpit: Thomson Elite Stem (100mm), Thomson Elite Seatpost (25mm offset), Pro Vibe Handlebar (42cm)

Accessories: WTB Silverado Saddle, WTB Ranger 29×2.25 Tires

Condition: New.

Notes: This bike and all components have zero miles. Brand new & unridden, just assembled for photos.

Price: $6200

View more photos here.

 

GT-2X – MADE Show Bike

Frame: Mosaic GT-2 X // Custom Geometry (Low Stack 62)

Finishwork: Artist Series Scale – Moss

Groupset: SRAM GX Transmission // 175mm Crank // 10-52 Cassette // SRAM Force AXS Shifters & Brakes

Wheelset: Your choice of ENVE Wheelset. G23, 3.4, or 4.5

Cockpit: Mosaic Titanium Stem (90mm), Mosaic Titanium Seatpost (Zero Offset), ENVE Gravel Carbon Handlebar (42cm)

Accessories: Fizik Argo Saddle – your choice of WTB Ranger 2.25, or WTB Resolute 50 Tires

Condition: New.

Notes: Brand new, never ridden, MADE show bike.

Price: $11,500

View more photos here.

 

GT-1 AR 52cm Demo

Frame: Mosaic GT-1 AR // Stock 52cm

Finishwork: Knockout – Pearl Mustard Gold (Gloss)

Groupset: 11-Speed Ultegra/GRX Di2 // 11s GRX Di2 Rear Derailleur w/ Clutch // 50-34, 172.5mm Cranks // 11-34 Cassette // Ultegra Di2 Shifters & Brakes

Wheelset: Custom Built, WTB Carbon Rims & WTB Hubs

Cockpit: ENVE 27.2, Zero Offset SP, ENVE Carbon Stem (100mm), ENVE Compact Road Bar (42cm)

Accessories: Chris King Matte Turquoise Headset, WTB Silverado Saddle, New WTB Riddler 700x37mm tires.

Condition: 6/10

Notes: This bike has some scrapes & scuffs, but it is in mechanically good condition. If you want a no-nonsense, do it-all build that you don’t have to worry about, this bike is for you. There are several scratches in the paint (pictured), as well as the shifters & crankset. The cassette, chain and chainrings were replaced within the last 1,000 miles and are in great shape. Photos show the extent of cosmetic damages.

Price: $4500

View more photos here.

 

 

GT-2 45 GRX Ltd // 54cm (Brand New, Unridden)

Finishwork: Mosaic Factory Finish // Titanium

Groupset: Shimano GRX Ltd. Rear Derailleur, 11s Mechanical, GRX Ltd Crankset (40T, 172.5mm), XT M8000 Cassette (11-40), GRX Ltd Shifter/Brakes

Wheelset: Shimano RX880 GRX Carbon Wheelset

Cockpit: Thomson Elite Stem (100mm), Thomson Elite Seatpost (25mm offset), Pro Vibe Handlebar (42cm)

Accessories: WTB Silverado Saddle, WTB Nano 40mm Tires

Condition: New, unridden.

Notes: This bike and all components have zero miles. Brand new & unridden, just assembled for photos.

Price: $6000

View more photos here.

 

 

Designed, prototyped, and painted by Mosaic founder Aaron Barcheck, Scale is a creative and unique spin on the Knockout Layout using a randomized, stamped paint technique.

Scale marks the sixth edition of the Mosaic Artist Series and features a cohesive mix of colorful chaos with each variation. Scale is available in 8 unique colorways, with the option to work with the Mosaic design team to come up with your very own personalized scale design.

Scale is available now by request on any new Mosaic, or as a repaint on an existing Mosaic. Contact your Mosaic dealer for more information.

Check out the 8 current designs below. Go loud with Ultraviolet, or subtle with Nightshift, you can’t go wrong…

It may sound cliche, but 2024 was a year of many ups and downs. The biggest success of the season, as well as my entire cycling career, was undoubtedly the victory at the U.S. Gravel Nationals. But it was also a year of challenges, bad luck, and all the other usual complications. In this article for the Mosaic Cycles Blog, I will look back on the good, the bad, and the ugly that 2024 delivered, while also shining some light on the various wonderful bikes that made it all possible.

 

The year started well, despite another wet and challenging winter that made high-volume training sometimes difficult. Fenders were mounted on my GT-1 iAR, additional winter gear from Q36.5 was ordered, I smashed out an ‘Hour of Power’ on my RT-1 iTR in the pouring rain, and countless base miles were ticked off on all the bikes. After riding the southern half of the California Coast with a couple friends in late January, it was time to kick the racing off.

I landed on a handful of early season podiums, mostly on the top step. I won the Huffmaster Hopper, one of my favorite races all year that also happens to be a part of our cherished local off-road series, the Grasshopper Adventure Series.

 

I was second in the Road Race at the Sea Otter Classic and won the Gravel Race the next day. I came frustratingly close to the podium at Valley of Tears and Midsouth, but a few weeks later managed to attack late to win the only 2024 UCI Gravel World Series race in the U.S. in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

My build into Unbound went quite well and I thoroughly enjoyed logging massive hours in preparation for that savage event. I even made the trip to U.S. Pro Road Nationals, where I raced my RT-1 iTR to a finish in the reduced chase group. 

Unfortunately my race at Unbound was riddled with many challenging mechanicals, as is sadly so often the case there. As I’ve said before and will likely say again about that race, “we’ll try again next year”…

Then came time for the mid-sumer megatrip. In each of the last three seasons I have spent a good chunk of time in Europe through the middle of the summer to attend various training camps and races. This year was no different. After Unbound, I briefly popped back to California to swap my trusty GT-1 i45 for my GT-1 iAR. After a quick flurry of unpacking and repacking, I flew to Toronto to race another UCI Gravel World Series event, where I again landed on the podium, despite a hard slam in training the day before the race. After a quick stopover in New York for a wedding, I set off for Zürich, Switzerland. I ended up spending almost a month based in the countryside outside of Zürich, racing additional UCI gravel races in Germany and Southern Switzerland. This was a particular highlight of the season as I connected these two races with an insane alpine bikepacking trip first from Zürich to Villars sur Ollon for the next race, before dipping into France, ultimately returning to Switzerland to traverse the country back to Zürich. This trip was easily my favorite week of riding all summer as the routes were stunning, the weather was optimal, and the entire experience was bucket-list-worthy. For this trip, I mounted a pretty slick Tailfin rack and frame back to my GT-1 iAR, which was absolutely a dream setup and worked flawlessly for the entire trip.

 

After returning home to California for another quick unpack and repack, it was time to head to Boulder, Colorado for a pre-SBT GRVL altitude camp. This block of races with SBT, Gravel Worlds Nebraska, and U.S. Gravel Nationals was the one I was looking forward to the most of any on the calendar. The races were sure to suit my strengths and I was really coming into some good form after all the volume in Switzerland. Unfortunately, this dream block of races ultimately turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. A few days after arriving in Boulder, CO, I came down with a very nasty case of COVID. I’m not sure if it was the altitude, the particular strain I caught, or just luck of the draw, but I was utterly clobbered. I spent about two weeks mostly in bed, not riding at all. I watched my partner and many good friends enjoy the SBT weekend, while I was stuck in our Airbnb, quarantined and unable to do much of anything.

This was truly a nightmare and I quickly began to worry about how this would impact the rest of my year, with most of my concern focused on my lack of preparation for the then rapidly approaching Nationals. In January, when I was mapping out the year, the race calendar, and the priority races with my coach Dennis, we determined Gravel Nationals would be the biggest target. Last year, I managed to land on the podium after Keegan Swenson made a savvy move about 4km from the finish. When I found out the Nationals would once again be on the same course as the year before, I knew I had a great chance to go for the victory.

 

We built a lot of the early season training and preparation around that goal. We prepared well and had a very solid plan. Unfortunately this untimely COVID infection completely derailed that. But throughout the entire infection, Dennis was constantly checking in with me to execute the most optimal return to training and competition. We knew Nationals would be risky, but we went in with a plan of racing extremely conservatively, knowing how limited my physical reserves were at the time.

And that is exactly what I did. I raced defensively and conservatively, ultimately enabling me to make a late race attack in the final and come to the finish solo, with time to celebrate. This was a dream come true, and also a huge relief. I had finally done it, I had won one of the big U.S. gravel races.

One of the other key factors in this win was my GT-1 iAR, set up in a rather aggressive configuration with fully slick tires and massive road gearing. If you’re curious to learn a bit more about that specific race and the setup, please check out this article from earlier in the year HERE.

The aftermath of that win was very special and I certainly took the time to fully soak it in and enjoy it. The day after the race, Jim and I stopped in to savor the moment with the whole team at the Mosaic HQ on our way to the airport in Denver and also began the discussion around the Stars & Stripes bike. This was no easy undertaking for them, especially given how late in the year it was, but they eagerly stepped up in a big way.

While I was off to race the UCI Gravel World Championships in Belgium, which was an insane experience deserving of its own full length article, the crew back in Boulder was hard at work. After the trip to Belgium for the Worlds, I had the great fortune of returning home to the Stars & Stripes Mosaic GT-1 i45, recently assembled by the fine folks over at Above Category. It was so stunning and absolutely took my breath away. I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes.

It’s hard to sum up an entire year of highlights, lowlights, learnings, ups and downs, and experiences in one brief journal post, but it’s been truly a heck of a year. I want to thank all of you for being a part of this journey and for the shouts and support along the way. I also want to extend my deepest gratitude and a heartfelt thank you to the entire team at Mosaic Cycles for all their hard work and support with building this incredible fleet of bikes and enabling this year of adventure. Without your support and all of these beautiful bikes, none of this would have been possible. Thank you.

Photos:
Jim Merithew
Mosaic Cycles
Brennan Wertz
Joe Harper

Long Format Gravel Racing Season has wrapped up and the much-anticipated ‘Short Track Gravel’ season is already well underway. Some riders still call it cyclocross, we’re not sure why? 

Anyway we caught up with former Single Speed “Cyclocross” National Champion, World Cup racer and Mosaic Cycles “Pro” Ben Frederick to see what he’s been up to so far. 

Ben! It’s been a minute. What have you um, been up to?

BUSY!! But in the best way. I’ve broken up my year to have a full California Long Form season where I was able to pilot my Mosaic GT-1 45 and MT-1 to a 2nd overall in the Grasshopper Gravel Series. After a break, in July (well, even June) we focused on sharpening up for Short Track Gravel. Not only was the plan to race at the highest level possible in the USCX Series, but The Small Monsters Project sponsored all of the Kids Races at each stop. AND we brought VIDEO into the mix. That combined with custom designing the Mosaic XT-1’s from the ground up, to the millimeter, it’s been a solid past few months. 

You’ve already nailed some pretty epic results. Tell us how that played out?
The level of cyclocross in the US is continually growing, and/or the kids are getting fast, AND/OR my age is catching up to me. All that said, I was able to finish 10th overall in the USCX Series! And the highlight of the trip from a results perspective was 4th on the C1 day at Trek USCX Round 7. It was a day where everything clicked, the confidence to push was there, and the legs held on. Getting a career result at 35 years old is not something I take for granted. Lots of work went into it, and man, did it feel good. 

Edit: Since this blog was originally written, Ben landed 6th place at Pan-Am Championships in Missoula, MT!

Cyclocross is all about maintaining forward momentum despite obstacles which is something you know about both on the race course and in real life. For those who don’t know your story, what happened?

Going into the 2016 season, I was on one of my final training rides and had a freak crash. My head hit soft sand, halting all my momentum, and causing a Traumatic Brain Injury. During the course of the TWO-YEAR recovery, there were long periods of time where I didn’t think bikes would be a part of my life anymore. The brain injury, along with losing my identity as a racer, (and even as a human being, really) brought on my “monsters” of depression and anxiety. They reared their head in the form of an eating disorder that ended in an intensive three-month stint in an In-Patient hospitalization facility. Yes, heavy, BUT it gave me the skills and space to learn more about my monsters. I learned that if you address them, you can live alongside them. They become small.  

And out of that you founded the Small Monsters Project. How is that going so far?

The Small Monsters Project is going well! Since its founding in 2021, we’ve raised almost $100,000 for programs that educate and provide resources for Concussion and Mental Health Challenges. We were able to sponsor all of the Kids Races at the USCX this year, sharing that it’s okay to have monsters, and that there’s hope. 

New Sponsor, new gear. Tell us about your bikes and what’s fresh and exciting this year?

Oh man. Oh man, oh man. How much time do we have? I’ve only raced metal bikes at the Elite level. I spent nine years on steel, and going to titanium is such a treat. The thing that made me MOST excited about working with Mosaic was the chance to build a cx bike from the ground up. The landscape of cx bikes in 2024 is mostly gravel-capable bikes with long stays, long wheelbases and compromise.** I wanted to build a bike that was a hyper-specific tool for the job. I wanted the venn diagram of my GT-1 (Grav) and XT-1 (CX) to barely overlap. We nailed it. The bike is so quick, the angles are steep and it gives me a bike that carves up a cx course. 

** It’s important to say that any bike can be a cx bike. ALL Bikes are welcome in cross. 

So you’re one of the only top riders on a metal bike. How do other riders in your field respond to that?

First, they drool over the paint that Randy came up with. The theme of my season was Perfectly Imperfect, a more organic take on the design from last year. They executed it perfectly. Secondly, they start to make fun of me about the weight of the bike, only to lift it up and find that it’s as light, if not lighter than their own BIG BRAND carbon bikes. 

You have a new project coming up, Lead Lap #projectleadlap. Tell us about that?

In the intro at the top of the page, I edited the “PRO” rider to have quotes. I work 40 hours a week for Ornot and also serve as the Executive Director of the Small Monsters Project. AND I have a lovely fiance and kittens that I focus on spending time with. The bike gets fit in and around there, which leads me to: 

This winter, I want to create a docu-series about what it’s like for someone with a full time job to go and race the biggest cycling (cyclocross) races in the world. This is a chance to see what an “average joe” can do when you balance your professional life with a high level of sport. But here’s the catch. I’m not going for a result, I’m going to just try and finish Lead Lap. These races will have World Champions, Grand Tour stage winners, and, well, World Class, full-time professional cyclists as deep as 40th place. On the surface, it seems like a low bar, but it would be such a cool “result” to have in my career.

And lest you get confused by youthful exuberance, my hairline and birth certificate show that I’m getting up there in age. There’s not going to be too many more cracks at this, so let’s send it and see what happens. 

This is not your first rodeo in European cyclocross. What’s it REALLY like over there? 

In short, it’s a different sport. It’s their national sport (behind soccer) and kids are on tubulars at age 8. I wasn’t riding competitively until I was 21 and only got on tubulars in my 30s. BUT it’s amazing that the riders over there are valued for the entertainment they bring. It shows what could be possible in the US. Riders over there get PAID to line up. You race for free. You bring people to the venues where they get over 10,000 at $20 a head. Its a stark contrast from the average of $500 a weekend out of pocket to race in the US. 

The courses?

Insane. It’s hard to even ride around them, much less think about racing them (relative to the US). They don’t have to worry about the amateur fields so they throw all the hardest things at us. 

The riders?

Huge, strong, nasty on the bikes. They’ve had more time with their bike two-wheel drifting in mud than I’ve had on the road. It’s amazing and inspiring to watch. 

The vibe?

Loud, drunk, muddy, friets, absolutely perfect

So this lead lap thing is pretty unique. I think a lot of riders would like to pull this off in any race they do…do you have a gameplan for how you’re preparing and racing differently than you did otherwise?

I wish I could say that I’m doing all these extra training sessions or have been training x number of hours more a week, but honestly, it’s just doing the same things I’ve been doing the past year, and the past few years. You stack enough bricks consistently, the foundation gets decently high. But in short, I’ve put together the best bikes and equipment out there, so the tools are there. My coach and I have been working on our Mental Game to race with abandon and fun, and I’ve been trying to do all the little things I can control. Sleeping as much as I can, eating well, and honestly riding as little as I can to get the most benefit. But I have a better idea of what’s coming this year, so I’ve focused on specific drills like rut practice and running very consistently since July. Hopefully that pays off.

Racing in Europe takes some cash and not even our own US National Team gets much support. How can we help you and the Small Monsters Project get out there to make this happen?

I want to bring everyone on the journey and I can only do that if we can get a filmer out there. So I have a Kickstarter launching next week to help offset my personal cost of getting my friend Danny out to the races, and also so we have some budget to get to the races to tell the story. Mosaic has stepped up in a huge way and are offering a Made to Order, 1-Level frame in The Small Monsters paintjob as a backer reward. If you were considering a Made to Order Mosaic, this is a GREAT chance to get one and help fund a lifetime trip and a great entertainment series. Beyond that, my other partners are offering rewards for backing. Anything is going to help make this happen. If you’re not able to back the project, it’s just as important to get it in front of other people’s eyes so that we can get this thing funded!

Stay tuned for more soon…

-Ben