ABOUT MARIPOSA
A RICH HISTORY IN TORONTO, SINCE 1969
From the first frame handbuilt in 1969, Mariposa has been about one goal: building the ideal bicycle for the customer.
Unlike most bicycles, which are produced by machines on assembly lines, Mariposas have always been handbuilt by cyclists for cyclists. One tube selector, one cutter, one machinist, one builder, one painter, one assembler. Every Mariposa is built to its riders’ needs. Every tube angle, material and component selection is made with the rider in mind.
In an age when bicycles, even costly ones, have become interchangeable and almost disposable, Mariposas, like a fine watch, are built to last a lifetime. There are no gimmicks or the latest fads. We believe that integrity of design cannot be separated from quality of construction.
We are experienced cyclists. The builders and owners have raced in the Tour de France, raced in the Olympics, won National road, cyclocross, criterium and track titles, thrashed over the cobbled roads in the toughest northern European races, won World Championships, have toured extensively throughout the world, and make our daily way through the city by bike.
In 1968, Mike Barry and John Palmer met on a Toronto training ride. They had both immigrated from Britain and had an intense interest in every thing to do with bikes and cycling.
Soon after they met they were able to purchase the frame building materials from the defunct Flyer handbuilt race bike department of CCM. With this acquisition and the use of a friend’s basement they were in a position to accomplish their mutual ambition of building quality racing bikes.
John and Mike formed a partnership to build Mariposa bicycles in 1969 and the first Mariposa was completed in January 1970. The first test ride of the unpainted track bike was on snow covered roads in central Toronto.
Early Mariposas received keen approval from the riders of the Delhi, Ontario indoor velodrome and Mike and John were spending all their spare time, (they both had full time jobs), filling the demand.
In 1972 Mike decided to quit his job as an instrument engineer and opened a retail bike shop where the Mariposas could be built more efficiently. John, having spent his early life working in his father’s bike shop in England, decided that he would not go down that road again. Within a short time Mike Brown, another racing cyclist, recently immigrated from England, became Mike’s new business partner.
Bicyclesport, the new shop’s name, was on King Street in downtown Toronto and soon profited from the sudden popularity of “ten speeds”. The building of Mariposas was at first limited to the winter months when the retail business was at its slowest. But demand for the hand built bikes reached the point where other frame builders had to be employed. Before long a dedicated frame shop with paint facility was established.
The Bicyclesport-Mariposa race team was established at this time in conjunction with the Queen City Cycling Club. It became one of Canada’s successful teams.
Mike Brown’s decision to leave Canada and return to England in 1985 and Mike Barry’s near fatal bike accident in early 1986 began a black period for Bicyclesport. After a period of struggles, Mike opened Bicycle Specialties where he focused on producing Mariposas and selling specialty components.
Tom Hinton, who had been a customer at Bicyclesport, joined Mike and after a training period soon started building frames.
In 1995, a decision was made to sponsor the Saturn Canada racing team. The team was very successful winning National Championships on their Mariposa and Campagnolo equipped bikes.
In 2001 Bicycle Specialties moved to its present location, an industrial unit in East Toronto. The relocation was made to get away from the regular retail trade and concentrate on their first loves: bike building and vintage bicycle restorations.
Tom and Mike worked together for 16 years until 2007, when Mike retired. He turned his attention to restoring his vast antique bicycle collection, and decided to spend more time with his family in Spain where Michael, his son, had settled as a professional cyclist.
Michael Barry Jr. raced professionally for the most famous teams of his age, including US Postal Service, Discovery Channel, T-Mobile, Columbia – High Road and Team Sky. He competed in the Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana and Giro d’Italia. His wife, Dede Barry, is a Silver medallist from the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and multiple medallist of World, National and Pan American Championships. In December, 2012, Michael retired from professional racing and he, his wife Dede and Mike Sr., decided to re-launch the Mariposa brand and the Bicycle Specialties business. With much help from friends and the key re-hiring of Tom Hinton, the business was reborn in 2014.
Although decades have passed since Mariposa was built in 1970, the bikes built now use essentially the same construction techniques and are built with the same care. Mariposa has a niche in building world-class steel, lugged frames and is supported by the renewed interest and demand for lugged, steel frames. There will always be cyclists that will appreciate the quality of workmanship and design that goes in to every one of them.
