Mosaic Charity Bicycle

Thanks to Joe Anderson for the following post:

In the spring of 2013, during one of my visits to see Aaron and Kevin at Mosaic Cycles, we came up with the idea to put together a charity bike for NAHBS 2014. During that same time, my wife and I began to notice that our two year old son James was trailing behind his peers. James had always been behind the typical developmental milestones schedule but with the guidance of an early intervention therapist we decided to have him screened for Autism.

James’ diagnosis was not a shock to us, but it did bring out some significant emotions and questions. I kept thinking to myself: will this change the opportunities my son has to the extracurricular activities I enjoyed as a child? I became an emotional wreck thinking that if James wanted to play soccer or be in the school play, there might not be an opportunity for him due to his differences. Now at three and a half years old, James has made fantastic strides thanks to his preschool, physical therapy, ABA therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. We are very proud of our hard working little guy. At this point we do not know if he is going to want to play baseball, join the Boy Scouts, or go to summer camp. Frankly, we don’t care what activities he chooses; we just want there to be a place for him in whatever he decides to do.

I recently revisited the guys at Mosaic and the idea of a charity bike, and I mentioned that it would mean a lot if we picked a beneficiary that focused on children with Autism and other disabilities. The National Inclusion Project stood out as the logical choice. Founded in 2003, the National Inclusion Project was formed with the mission of working and supporting groups across the country that open doors for ALL children to learn, live, and play together.

The Mosaic Charity Bicycle will be auctioned on eBay by The Pro’s Closet with 100% of the proceeds going to The National Inclusion Project. The auction will last 10 days and end on March 16th at the conclusion of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show.

To donate a dollar amount to The National Inclusion Project and recognize the efforts of Mosaic Cycles please go to https://www.inclusionproject.org/donate/ and enter “Mosaic” in the Special Event box.

I am truly grateful to the companies who have donated product and time for this worthy cause. Everyone I asked for help immediately answered with an enthusiastic "yes" followed by "what do you need?"

Thank you to the following people and companies for making this all come together:

--Aaron Barcheck and Kevin Batchelor of Mosaic Cycles, for handcrafting and finishing the bicycle frame

--Dustin Brady of Shimano U.S.A., for providing the parts kit and the wheels

--Mark Jordan of Fox Racing, for providing the fork

--Jarrad Lokes , Pete Lopinto, and Nick Martin of The Pro’s Closet, for running the charity auction

--Brett Hahn of Continental Bicycle Tire, for providing the tires

--Amanda Schaper of Crank Brothers, for providing cockpit parts and pedals

--Nat Ross of Lizard Skins, for providing the grips

--Last, and certainly not least, Adam Bookwalter and my former employer fi’zi:k, for providing the saddle, seatpost, and stem.

For more information about the bicycle or to get involved please contact me, Joe Anderson, at j.anderson@bikes.com or (970)333-1469