Features

GREG CURNOE AND HIS MARIPOSAS
GREG CURNOE AND HIS MARIPOSAS
It was in 1974 that the celebrated artist from London, Ontario, Greg Curnoe came to our store, Bicyclesport in downtown Toronto. He was obviously very interested in cycling and very... Read more...
Raid Pyrénéen: More Than a Crossing
Raid Pyrénéen: More Than a Crossing
Earlier this year, Jordi Cantal, a long time close friend from Girona, Spain asked me to send him the details of the Raid Pyrenéen and to relay any information I... Read more...
RAID PYRÉNÉEN
RAID PYRÉNÉEN
RAID PYRÉNÉEN 1981. A few weeks ago, while I was over in Spain, a friend, Jordi, asked about me about the Raid Pyrénéen, a cycling route which crosses the french... Read more...
Snow Ride
Snow Ride
My math homework half completed and Bob Dylan on the turntable, I looked out the window as snow began to fall. First a few scattered flakes spotted the sky but,... Read more...
Bikepacking Feature: Dreams of Living on the Bike
Bikepacking Feature: Dreams of Living on the Bike
It was 1988: Wayne Gretzky had been traded to the LA Kings. We had travelled to Edmonton, the home of the Stanley Cup winning Oilers. The city was wet with... Read more...
In The News
In The News
A collection of stories, news and information that we thought you might find interesting and relevant. Wahoo Fitness released a great new video on Allied Cycleworks rider, Colin Strickland and... Read more...
Down the Lascaux Caves by Ancient Tandem
Down the Lascaux Caves by Ancient Tandem
By Oliver Bertin It was a common problem, one that every married couple faces. We were keen cyclists who had toured all over England and France and Italy, and much... Read more...
Gravel Tips with Colin Strickland
Gravel Tips with Colin Strickland
My rides on gravel roads tend to be long. This is because the gravel roads near my home in Austin TX are not actually that “near” at all. If you... Read more...
The Girona Grind: Spanish Gravel High in the Pyrenees
The Girona Grind: Spanish Gravel High in the Pyrenees
On our escape from town, dust plumed from our wheels as we pedaled down the gravel alley. The path tucked behind the subdivisions of Girona, Spain, and followed the Ter... Read more...
In the news
In the news
A collection of stories, news and information that we thought you might find interesting and relevant. On July 1, three teenagers from San Francisco pedaled their bicycles to Ocean Beach... Read more...
Bikepacking Adventure: Syrian Hospitality
Bikepacking Adventure: Syrian Hospitality
The best rides aren’t always the longest or the hardest – they’re the ones you remember. I’m glad I remember this ride, because it’s one you definitely can’t do it... Read more...
Favourite Rides: Vallter 2000
Favourite Rides: Vallter 2000
By Ashlin Barry My parents and my grandparents taught me that a good ride becomes a great ride when you add an element of adventure to it. Some of the... Read more...
Luke, Nestor & A long day in the saddle
Luke, Nestor & A long day in the saddle
In the neighbourhood, snow remained on the lawns in spots where the sun had yet to hit, or where it had been piled high after the last storm. Buds were... Read more...
Pyrenees to Girona Cycling Tour - August 2019
Pyrenees to Girona Cycling Tour - August 2019
The week This is one of our favorite routes: from the majestic Pyrenees to the Mediterranean to the medieval town of Girona. The route includes Port de Pailheres, a challenging... Read more...
Collegiate All-Stars Training Camp
Collegiate All-Stars Training Camp
Ahead of the Colorado Classic, the best collegiate women in the United States assembled in Boulder, Colorado for a training camp based out of Skratch Labs with Allen Lim, PhD... Read more...
Lake Placid: An adventure in the hills discovering new limits.
Lake Placid: An adventure in the hills discovering new limits.
“I would like to do whatever it is, that presses the essence from the hour.” Ellen Meloy, The Anthropology of Turquoise   Rounding the final bend and climbing into the... Read more...
Creemore Springs Turas Mor 2019
Creemore Springs Turas Mor 2019
By Dede Barry Photography by Jody Wilson Rain, dirt, mud, gravel, sun, quiet country roads, spring flowers, good food and camaraderie will make for a good bike ride with memorable... Read more...
Favourite Rides: Rides Under 50K
Favourite Rides: Rides Under 50K
We each have a spot or two where we ride that we consider magical. These are the kind of places where we feel at peace, where we feel free on... Read more...
Favourite Rides: Gates Gully and the Doris McCarthy Trail
Favourite Rides: Gates Gully and the Doris McCarthy Trail
We each have a spot or two where we ride that we consider magical. These are the kind of places where we feel at peace, where we feel free on... Read more...
La Ruta Tierra
La Ruta Tierra
By Michael Barry Away from the traffic and into the green mountains I can quickly find the serenity that is elusive within the city. We climbed for an hour or... Read more...
L'Eroica California 2018
L'Eroica California 2018
Toronto (Cabbagetown) cyclist, Paul Kaminski rode his 1980s Mariposa, which he restored himself in the L'Eroica California April 14-15, 2018. Read more...
Documentary: The Gift Of Light.
Documentary: The Gift Of Light.
Chris Monette’s beautiful 3 chapter documentary about the origins and ethos of the Growling Beaver Brevet, an annual charity ride held in Collingwood, Ontario. The Growling Beaver supports the Davis... Read more...
Cycling Tour Feature: La Ruta Mar i Muntanya October 2017
Cycling Tour Feature: La Ruta Mar i Muntanya October 2017
Although Catalunya is in the midst of a turbulent time politically, pedaling bikes in the countryside is as peaceful as ever. A group of 14 cyclists joined us in October... Read more...
My Love For The Ride
My Love For The Ride
An Excerpt from Soigneur Cycling Journal 17 By Michael Barry Illustrations by Isabel Albertos The peloton stretched in a long single line, thrashed through the valley, with Dolomites towering around.... Read more...
RCC Boulder
RCC Boulder
By Dede Barry We've spent much of our lives traveling the world by bicycle and there are not many places in the world that can compete with Boulder's cycling roots,... Read more...
The Butter Tart Ride
The Butter Tart Ride
By Scott Fitzgerald Some things in life require careful planning and a lot of thought. Other things you can do on a whim, with little foresight or calculation. Deciding to... Read more...
July 23, 2017: Rapha Women's 100 Mountain Goat Ride With Dede Barry
July 23, 2017: Rapha Women's 100 Mountain Goat Ride With Dede Barry
This is an adventurous climber's ride. We will depart Rapha Boulder and head north to James Canyon and Jamestown- stop for water/snacks, and continue up SuperJames to Peak-to-Peak Highway. From... Read more...
July 22, 2017: Rapha Boulder Ride with Michael Barry
July 22, 2017: Rapha Boulder Ride with Michael Barry
Join us for a ride with former Team Sky professional cyclist and Mariposa builder, Michael Barry on Saturday, July 22 from Rapha Boulder – meeting for coffee to watch the... Read more...
La Ruta Mar i Muntanya June 30-July 9, 2017 - Girona, Spain
La Ruta Mar i Muntanya June 30-July 9, 2017 - Girona, Spain
La Ruta Mar i Muntanya is a road cycling tour in Girona, Spain that travels from the Mediterranean to the foothills of the Pyrenees. This trip included 7 guided rides,... Read more...
Discovering Toronto: Tommy Thompson Park
Discovering Toronto: Tommy Thompson Park
By Dede Barry Photography by Walter Lai A sunrise trail ride along the Toronto waterfront, Tommy Thompson Park, an urban wilderness just a few kilometers from downtown. The park, which... Read more...
Ride Of The Damned 2017
Ride Of The Damned 2017
Team Mariposa traveled to Ottawa for the Ride of the Damned, a unique cycling event in the Ottawa and Quebec hills that emphasizes challenge and adventure rather than competition. Ten... Read more...
J.B. (Jock) Wadley & The Origins Of Randonneurs Ontario
J.B. (Jock) Wadley & The Origins Of Randonneurs Ontario
By Mike Barry Recently, I attended the Randonneurs Ontario annual banquet and prize presentation. It was a great evening where we were able to get together with some old friends.... Read more...
One Man And His Mariposa
One Man And His Mariposa
By Bob Zeller I got my first view of my new Mariposa while watching Mike Barry build it up in the front room of his late Mum’s house in Wimbledon,... Read more...
Big Toronto Trail Loop
Big Toronto Trail Loop
Big Toronto Trail Loop Photography by Philip Gibson, Michael Barry and Dede Barry With over 7 million people in the greater Toronto area, it is the fourth largest city in... Read more...
Pyrenees Tour
Pyrenees Tour
By Michael Barry Photography by Michael Barry, Jaume Cabruja, Jordi Cantal and Albert Pages Having ridden all over the world, the Pyrenean mountains remain one of my favourite spots to... Read more...
La Ruta Mar i Muntanya
La Ruta Mar i Muntanya
By Michael Barry Photography by Michael Barry, Jaume Cabruja, Jordi Cantal and Albert Pages Girona has become a European base for many pro cyclists—a recent count figured they were roughly... Read more...
Weekend Dispatch August 31, 2016
Weekend Dispatch August 31, 2016
Bobcaygeon Tandem Tour By Dede Barry A family adventure. Over the last two years we've done a few rides as a family on the tandems. Those rides were a success... Read more...
Weekend Dispatch August 23, 2016
Weekend Dispatch August 23, 2016
Peter Morse on his way to winning the Ontario Provincial Criterium Championships in Markham, Ontario. Photograph by Ian Austen The peloton. Photograph by Ian Austen At the start. Photograph by... Read more...
A Versatile Adventure Bike
A Versatile Adventure Bike
By Michael Barry Photography by Walter Lai Over the last year I’ve ridden my Mariposa cyclocross bike on varied terrain and on virtually every surface: from singletrack to gravel to... Read more...
Weekend Dispatch: Kawartha Scramble
Weekend Dispatch: Kawartha Scramble
By Michael Barry Rides that take you to places you haven't seen before, or push you to extremes, more often than not, turn into the best, and most memorable adventures.... Read more...
THE WEEKEND DISPATCH: The Bruce Peninsula Trip
THE WEEKEND DISPATCH: The Bruce Peninsula Trip
Big Bay Pebble Beach Dickson Bou, of N Plus One Cycle Shop in London, Ontario, and artist, Heather Carey on a Bruce Peninsula trip - a four day loop starting... Read more...
THE WEEKEND DISPATCH: Connecting people and places and about a journey that brings out simple truths in life, relationships, and humanity.
THE WEEKEND DISPATCH: Connecting people and places and about a journey that brings out simple truths in life, relationships, and humanity.
Rémi Poirier's bike camping trip in Iceland. Black sand beach with Vestmann Island behind. Rémi Poirier in Iceland: Camping and Seljalandsfoss Waterfall Rémi Poirier in Iceland: Rest on our way... Read more...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Rough stuff in the French Alps, 1984 By Mike Barry Sr. Photos by Ian Austen and Walter Lai Since I was a young boy living in London, England, cycling has... Read more...
Raid Pyrenean
Raid Pyrenean
By Mike BarryPhotos by Bob Zeller In the seventies I read an article by renowned British journalist and my good friend, Jock Wadley where he mentioned a ride across the... Read more...
Group Riding
Group Riding
By Dede Barry Photography by Walter Lai and Chris Monette Video by Michael Barry Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride, especially when the experience is shared... Read more...
La Ruta Mar i Muntanya Bike Tour: Girona, Spain
La Ruta Mar i Muntanya Bike Tour: Girona, Spain
La Ruta Mar i Muntanya is a road cycling tour that travels from the Mediterranean to the foothills of the Pyrenees. The trip includes 6 guided rides, cultural visits, culinary... Read more...
TOURING BIKE BUILT FOR A RIDE ACROSS AMERICA
TOURING BIKE BUILT FOR A RIDE ACROSS AMERICA
This touring bicycle was built for Jim Michler, a Wisconsin resident who retired in February 2016. He has been a cyclist for most of his life, competed in races, organizes... Read more...
Winter's Stolen Hours
Winter's Stolen Hours
By Michael Barry | Photography by Walter Lai The windows on the bedroom are lined with frost, blue and white crystal patterns becoming brilliant with the moonlight, still shining bright... Read more...
Michael Barry: Tips For Riding Through the Winter
Michael Barry: Tips For Riding Through the Winter
When pairing proper clothing with a bike fitted with mudguards or fenders, there are few weather conditions that can make a ride unpleasant. Their protection keeps water from soaking the... Read more...
La Ruta Tierra Bike Tour August 27 - September 3, 2016
La Ruta Tierra Bike Tour August 27 - September 3, 2016
La Ruta Tierra is a adventurous and challenging cycling tour on Catalonia’s remote dirt and paved roads. The trip includes 6 guided rides, culinary delights at some of Spain’s finest... Read more...