RIP Mike Barry, Sr.

[palincss]

Quoting a message just posted to the Classic Rendezvous list:

I just received an email from a family member and business associate that Mike Barry passed away last night.

Mike Barry Sr., was a racer himself in England in the 1950s, who until 2006 ran a specialty bike store in Toronto and manufactured a line of hand-made bicycle frames under his own Mariposa brand.

Mike was a true gentleman, an excellent cyclist, and one of the best at restoring vintage cycles.

[Veloo]

Really, really sad to hear this.
He was a very kind man who offered up much to the cycling community up here in Toronto.

RIP Mike. I'll miss you.

[zzy]

Very sad to hear this, condolences to his family.

[timto]

Sorry to hear this. Made it by the shop for the first time just last month and met both father and son and was moved by the people and the place. Cheers to a life well lived

[ntb1001]

Very sad news.

I used to shop at his Bicyclesport store when I was a kid. It was the 1st time I ever saw Campagnolo and bikes like Pinarello, and Bianchi.
I remained a customer of whatever retail shop he had for life...
Very nice, and polite gentleman with more cycling knowledge than anybody else I’ve ever met in my life.

RIP





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[merckx]

This is very sad news. A life well lived it seems. An endorsement for all of us.

[palincss]

More from Classic Rendezvous about Mike Barry, Sr.:

My deepest and sincerest condolences to the family. It’s a heartbreaking and monumental loss to the Toronto, Canadian, Vintage, and KOF bicycle communities. On a personal note, I’ve lost a good friend and cycling mentor – and former employer.

Here’s a nice video produced by Canadian Cycling Magazine in 2016, interviewing Mike and son Michael at the shop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PafbHhOsWjE

A short biography and Mariposa history can be found here:
https://mariposabicycles.ca/about/

And here are a couple of short videos of Mike describing, and riding, some of his favourite bikes – two 1958 Rotrax bikes, and a 1940s Torpado:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBtyarxcXOw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0NXlv08lRc

[dancinkozmo]

heres a good interview from the old rivendell reader...

https://www.randonneursontario.ca/history/mbarry1.html

[rnhood]

A good man, a good rider, a good bike maker. He made a lot of contributions to the biking community and industry.

[Veloo]

https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/news/mike-barry-sr-1938-2018/

[Polyglot]

Mike was one of my first employers, my mentor and my friend for more than 30 years. He was an incredible man and a true gentleman. Nobody will ever be able to step into his shoes.

Seeing the Torpado youtube video brought more than a tear to my eye. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0NXlv08lRc) I was the one who provided the photos of the Lucchini shifter to Mike. Lucchini made an indexed shifter in the 40's that worked very well, and apart from Mike's Torpado, I have perhaps the only other Lucchini-equipped bike in North America. I also have a set of Palladini-clone hubs from the 40's-50's.

[weisan]

I met Mike pal once more than 12 years ago at dbrk's finger lakes gathering. That brief meeting left an impression of someone who is a real authority on his chosen profession and subject matter gained through a life-long experience fueled by passion and dedication. A true gentleman.

And he's a kickass bike rider to boot! He and his wife beat me in a sprint on their tandem. I was doing 45 and they blew by me as if I was on a standstill.

My heart goes out to his family members.

http://alicehui.com/serotta/FLRambler06/2.jpg

[xlbs]

I met Mike when I was 17, and have many fond memories of his kindness and decency towards me, and many others, for over 40 years. His death marks the end of a long life well lived, as many have noted.

This is a sad day.

[oldguy00]

Rip :(

[dancinkozmo]

https://mariposabicycles.ca/blog/2018/12/31/mike-barry-1938-2018

[fiamme red]

New book: https://mariposabicycles.ca/shop/a-life-with-bicycles-a-collection-from-1878-2003/.

Mike Barry grew up scouring the bomb sites of the Second World War in London, England for abandoned bike frames and parts. With friends, he would find enough parts to assemble bikes and sell. The proceeds went to buy better parts for their own bikes.

Once in a while, Mike would find some interesting and rare parts, which he always kept. That was the beginning of an extensive bike and component collection, which expanded throughout the years.

A Life with Bicycles includes only the more interesting bicycles in his collection. He chose them because of their distinctive features, which are highlighted in the pages of this book through Mike’s writing and the exquisitely detailed photographs of Walter Lai.

Pre-order this 152 page book now. Available to ship in late Spring.https://mariposabicycles.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/000_blurb_cover_003a2_hardcover.jpg