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Mosaic Cycles is adding a second bike to its highly designed Zero Ops program, this time with an all-road focus.

(All photos Mosaic)

The new Mosaic AR-Zero follows last year’s RT-Zero, the brand’s high-end take on a modern handmade titanium road bike. With the AR-Zero, Mosaic moves that same Zero Ops concept into the space between road and gravel, where 35mm tires are common, 40mm tires make sense, and riders still want the bike to feel sharp when the pace picks up.

Mosaic AR-Zero: What’s New?

Mosaic says the AR-Zero uses the same development approach as the RT-Zero. That means this is not just a standard frame opened up for bigger tires. Zero Ops is Mosaic’s internal research and development program, where the brand works through new construction details, machining, fabrication processes, and finishing ideas. All to make the frame more like a rideable piece of art, rather than “just a race bike”.

On the AR-Zero, that shows up in the frame layout and finishing details. The bike uses a carbon seatmast with a Mosaic carbon topper, giving it a cleaner, more integrated profile than a traditional seatpost setup. Mosaic also points to precision CNC components and clean internal routing, both of which fit the level of finish expected from a bike in this price range.

Back to the carbon seatmast, it’s one of the more noticeable departures from a traditional Mosaic frame. It gives the AR-Zero a more refined look and helps separate it from the brand’s standard all-road offerings. Paired with the carbon topper, it leans more toward a custom race machine than a typical handmade titanium frame.

Plus – it looks absolutely killer when paired with the Chrysalis Artist Series paint job (but more on that later).

The AR-Zero is a low-volume project meant to show what Mosaic can do when machining, fabrication, and finishing time are allowed to drive the process. Production will stay intentionally small because each Zero Ops bike requires more hands-on work than a standard frame. For the initial launch period, Mosaic will accept orders for a combined 30 RT-Zero and AR-Zero bikes.

Chrysalis Artist Series Finish

Mosaic is also expanding its Artist Series program with the new Chrysalis Artist Series finish. Mosaic’s paint and finish work have always been a major part of the appeal, and the Chrysalis design gives the AR-Zero another layer of custom detail beyond the frame itself.

Next in line: The AR-Zero feels like a natural next step for Zero Ops. The RT-Zero focused on what a modern titanium road bike could be. The AR-Zero takes that same level of detail and applies it to the kind of riding many road riders are doing now: bigger tires, rough pavement, mixed surfaces, and the occasional dirt road that still calls for a fast bike. Maybe something for the gravel crowd next? A GT1 i45 maybe?

As for the RT-Zero, it is not a full gravel bike, and it is not a pure road bike either. It is Mosaic’s version of a modern all-road machine, and it should cast the biggest net for those interested in this kind of super-detailed, limited production.

Art Piece Pricing

Framesets start at $11,000. Complete AR-Zero builds are expected to land between $20,000 and $24,000. That puts the bike firmly in boutique custom territory, but Mosaic is not presenting this as an everyday upgrade for riders simply looking for more tire clearance. This is the “bury it with me” bike, and it looks every bit worthy of the title.

Mosaiccycles.com