Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Martin Love

Mosaic MT-1 preview: ‘A hardtail designed for a hard life’

When the going gets tough: with its bolt on frame bags, the Mosaic is ideal for fast downhills or week-long adventures
When the going gets tough: with its bolt on frame bags, the Mosaic is ideal for fast downhills or week-long adventures

Mosaic MT-1
Price
£7,550, mosaiccycles.com
Frame Titanium
Gearset Shimano XTR
Delivery 6 weeks

Over the past years, we’ve become more used to the idea of enthusiastic riders splashing out on seriously expensive, handcrafted bikes. They cancel the golf-club membership, sell the sports car and now the object of their desire is a stunningly lightweight racing machine. It’s a beautiful thing to be handled with cotton gloves and treated with respect. But imagine taking that glinting bike and hammering down a rocky mountain slope or through a boggy field. Is that any way to treat a work of art? No, but that is exactly what the designers behind the bespoke Mosaic MTB expect you to do. Built from titanium to your exact specifications – and in the colour of your choice – the MT-1 has just been named the best mountain bike at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. The winning hardtail showcases Mosaic’s clean lines, exquisite welds and flawless paint and, of course, the custom-made JPaks bolt-on frame bags. It’s designed to smash down narrow tracks or for a week-long bike-packing adventure. The one thing you must never do to it is hang it on the wall, stand back and admire it.

Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@MartinLove166

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.