Bryer’s GRX LTD Mariposa Gravel Rig
There’s a cool story behind this one. With the launch of Shimano’s GRX Limited Groupset in the summer of 2022, we were inspired as an agency. This was a step away from the typical leading edge our bike build projects are associated with.
The focus switched to three main characteristics: First, the bike had to be awesome. Second, it needed to be a bit of a throwback in terms of layout, frame material and design. And third, the bike had to offer a lot of functional value and utility. It must be more than a mere piece of art. Afterall, at FRETORI Inc. we ride the bikes we build!
Enter Mariposa, a company we work with a lot. Their entire brand and business is iconic, in particular in Toronto and they are pillars of the cycling community. This particular project was one that was “full-circle” in a sense. Charlie is a cyclist in the first-place thanks in part to an inspired 2003 Road World Championship performance by Michael Barry, who today owns and operates Mariposa with his wife Dede, who’s also won some big races! As a 15 year old in 2003, Charlie was absolutely inspired by what he saw at Worlds in 2003, that inevitably lead to a career in the bicycle industry.
This Mariposa equipped with GRX Limited was a bike intended to be a fast riding gravel rig that could still “send.” Charlie road Unbound in 2022 and in essence wanted a bike that could do that. The geometry is customized for that purpose, painted in FRETORI colours and build with mechanical shifting and hydraulic brakes. A bike that is not “technically” leading edge, but built to last a long time. This is without doubt one of the coolest builds we’ve ever been a part of.
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