fretori

FRETORI KICK OFF PARTY Ottawa 2025

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 21:47:50 GMT

The format stayed the same for Ottawa two weeks after the Toronto Party.
Nevertheless, the vibe was entirely its own — and just as awesome. Bringing the
FRETORI Kick Off to Ottawa carried the same focus on community, great bikes, and
positive energy, shaped by Ottawa’s unique character.

The local independent retailers truly made the night special, building some incredible Shimano-equipped bikes that became the centerpiece of the evening. A standout congratulations to Full Cycle, who took home the FRETROPHY, sparking plenty of conversation and friendly debate throughout the night.

With the support of our incredible host, Little Victories Coffee Roasters, the space, people, and atmosphere came together to create a wonderful event — proof that while the format stays consistent, it’s the local community that makes each party unforgettable.

FRETORI KICK OFF PARTY Toronto 2025

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 21:42:46 GMT

The FRETORI Kick Off 2025 was about one thing: celebrating cycling and the people
who make it what it is. From riders who love all kinds of bikes, to the independent
retailers who form the backbone of the sport, to the brands we’re proud to represent —
this night was made with the community top of mind.

While we were excited to showcase incredible bikes and product, the real goal was to throw a great party and launch the season after a long Canadian winter. No sales, no pressure — just positive energy, good people, and a shared love of riding. At FRETORI, we believe deeply in what cycling adds to life.

With 27 retailers, 35 bikes, and well over 350 guests (closer to 400 by some counts), the room stayed buzzing all night. We ran out of Rally Beer again! The Shimano-equipped builds from our retailers sparked conversation and friendly debate.

We’re committed to continuing this event in Toronto with the same format. No matter how you ride — road, mountain, gravel, racer or newcomer — all are welcome.

Huge thanks to CREEDS Coffee Bar and our partners Shimano, PRO, Lazer, Skratch, Bivo, Bridge and Rally Beer. And to Mags our guy for music — four hours behind the decks that carried the night.

The First 2,000km - FRETORI Team Issue Bridge Surveyor

tyler@fretori.com (Tyler Pratt) — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 12:36:32 GMT

The rumours are true, you can go anywhere on this bike. The first 2000km ridden on our FRETORI Pink Surveyor includes road, gravel, singletrack, fire roads in California and ATV trails. With the obvious exceptions of highly technical mountain bike trails, that include “gaps” and “rock gardens” this drop-bar bike is perhaps among the most versatile we could imagine. From that perspective, we conclude this is the optimal “leave from your door” bike regardless of where you live.

Built with a combinations of Shimano parts, below is the list we think is optimal:

Shimano Ultegra 8170 Shifters/Brake Leavers

Shimano Ultegra 8170 Brake Calipers

Shimano CN-9100 12spd Chain

Shimano Ultegra 8101 11-24 Cassette

Dura Ace 9200 172.5 Crank – 52/36

Dura Ace R9100 Pedals

Shimano Ultegra 8150 Front Derailleur

Shimano GRX825 Rear Derailleur

Shimano RX880 Wheels / Rene Herse Bon Jon Pass 35mm Tubeless Tires

Dura Ace R9270 C60 Tubeless / 30mm Continental GP5000 Tubeless Tires

PRO Vibe EVO 42x115 Bars (Custom Painted)

PRO Vibe Carbon Seatpost (Custom Painted)

PRO Stealth Team Saddle 142mm

We’ve primarily ridden solo or in small groups, with two group rides to speak of. Generally, a typical Bridge Surveyor ride mid-week is 40-60km, that includes pavement, a bit of single track and gravel. We run a 35mm tubeless tire, on a set of RX880 wheels at about 45 PSI – and the set up feels at home in all contexts. PR’s have been set off-road in certain segments, whereas on road, we’re still in the mix in terms of speed on some road KOMs. What’s most impressive is how “at home” the bike feels throughout a ride with all the surfaces.

We have even swapped wheels for a more “road” set up – deeper profile rims and narrower tires and signed up for a club “hammer fest” to see how it would feel. To the say least, the Peterborough Cycling Club Thursday nighter at the end of May was a spirited affair. We averaged 41km/hr for 50km – it’s reasonable to say that riding the Bridge “all-road” bike was not at all a disadvantage. It was certainly fast enough to make splits and hop into a move or two and even sprint for the town line at the end.

In early June, we took the bike for a road/light gravel 130km ride, with a pure road wheel set up as well and again it felt optimal. It didn’t feel as if we were losing anything to a “pure” road bike with 28mm tires on it.

We certainly ought to acknowledge our bias as the sales agency in Ontario for Bridge frames. However, please indulge us. Our position is that there are many incredible bikes on the market: we own, ride and use other brands frequently. We like to know what’s out there. It allows to be informed and knowledgeable about the industry we work in.

We’re Shimano reps first and foremost and thus we’ve been fortunate over the years to ride many top level bikes for extended periods of time. What we can say about Bridge is that it is distinct among drop-bar bikes. On the pavement, it’s planted and responsive, descends with stability and the climbs feel great too.

Off road, the bike is intentional, and you simply point the bike and it does what you need it to do, when you need it to. There’s a confidence that this bike instills that is unlike other bikes in this space. For a long a time, we’ve been a believer in having both a road and gravel bike even as the lines of blurred in recent years. However, Bridge successfully blurred our opinion on the matter, which means we have to kind of go back on what we’ve been saying. As of now, we can confidently say, this bike does do it all in the context of drop bar and doesn’t leave you wanting more on the road or on the trail, it really can keep up with both. The only debate is really, gear ratios…. GRX vs. Road… or a mix.

That’s our qualitative review! Send us an e-mail at info@fretori.com – we’d love to hear your thoughts or questions too. And if you’re interested in ordering a Bridge, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to connect you with one of our retailers to walk you through the process.

FRETORI Kick Off Party Horseshoe 2024

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 12:11:09 GMT

The third and final stop of our tour was Horseshoe bike park. With a distinctly mountain-bike focus, there wasn’t much in the way of “drop-bar” on display! That was on purpose though – Horseshoe is the unofficial centre of the universe for Ontario MTB riders.

Unlike our other two events we hosted this year, the Horseshoe event was an all day affair. The day began with a morning ride with support from Cannondale, who were showcasing their all new, Shimano EP801 drive unit equipped Moterra. The ride was a blast thanks to them, then we set up for the afternoon near the chair lift, displaying 15 of our retailer’s custom build Shimano equipped mountain bikes.

Once 5pm arrive, we set up for a relaxing, social, sunny evening on that patio with some awesome bikes to debate the merits of! When the votes came in, Muskoka Bicycle Pro shop took the FRETROPHY!

We’re grateful for everyone who came and congratulations to everyone who won a prize too! This was year two and we cannot wait for year three. Thank you to Rally Beer, Horseshoe, our retailer support and lastly, to all our guests who attended.

FRETORI Kick Off Party Ottawa 2024

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 12:11:07 GMT

Not even an April snowstorm could deter Ottawans from venturing DT to Little Victories Coffee Roasters for our Ottawa Kick Off Party. Literally the same format as Toronto, we also had a favourite bike competition, a DJ and a raffle! The retailers truly built some amazing bikes, all Shimano equipped of course. Most notably – was the favourite bike winner from Phat Moose Cycles – Kent literally made his own bike from the frame up. The effort has to be high-fived!

Rally Beer had us covered for beverages and our host Little Victories was nothing less than the vibe we needed and wanted. Thank you!

We were both humbled that many people attended and had a good time. Furthermore, the retailer support we received was awesome.

Next year – we might have to move locations! TBD – it was jammed at the peak, but we didn’t mind and we hope you didn’t either.

FRETORI Kick Off Party Toronto 2024

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 12:11:05 GMT

Wow, what a night! Our purpose in doing these nights is to bring the cycling community together. Our approach is through the lens of three key members of our beloved cycling community: Cyclists who ride all the bikes, our independent bicycle retailers who underpin the entire sport and lastly, the brands/manufactures we represent. While we certainly wanted to showcase the products we sell to retailers, in a genuine sense the most important aspect of this event is to have a great party. Our goal is to “kick off” the season after a long Canadian winter. We want to simply be a purveyor of positive energy and excitement about riding bikes. That’s why the party is free to attend. We’re not selling anything directly – in a sincere context the night was about cycling and the good things it adds to life. We believe in cycling here at FRETORI and that’s why we do what we do. We’re grateful to have the opportunity to truly live what we sell.

With 27 retailers and 35 bikes to display, we had lost count at 350 guests. Some have estimated there were close to 400 guests, notably our beer sponsor, Rally Beer who ran out of drinks!

With that said, we feel strongly that it was the guests who made the event and our retailers who built amazing Shimano equipped bikes was the highlight. DJ Mags set the mood, while the debate for “favourite” bike certainly was a driver of conversation among the guests.

Our plan is to continue with this event in Toronto – with the same format, a free party that really highlights the amazing community that exists here in Ontario for all things related to riding a bike. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from. You could be a bike racer, newcomer to cycling, a roadie, mtb rider or gravel cyclist – we’re positive the party has something interesting for you.

We must thank our wonderful host, CREEDS Coffee Bar and our sponsors; Shimano, PRO, Lazer, Skratch & Rally Beer for making the event what it was. DJ Mags – we are sending you lots of love – a 4hr set that truly was embraced and loved by everyone. Until next year, we hope you’re having an incredible riding season.

Bryer’s Sturdy Sidhe

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 13:07:52 GMT

Dura Ace – is a stand alone brand, owned by Shimano. It represents the pinnacle of road racing technology and when 9200 was launched in September 2021 – Pratt and Bryer opted to work with Blacksmith Cycle to build up some unique and special road racing machines. Pratt’s whip can be referenced under Pratt’s Deanima AMG01 – Bryer's whip is this Sturdy Sidhe. A custom made, aero titanium road bike, made to his specifications and wow did it ever turn out nice.

Built with full Dura Ace 9200 – this bike uses a 54/40 front chain-ring combination, paired with an 11-30 12spd road cassette in the back. The PRO Stealth Superlight saddle is the choice of seat matched with the PRO VIBE EVO fully integrated bars. Last but not least, the Dura Ace 9270 C60 wheels with high tension spokes completes this build.

Photos by: Michael Kazimierczuk

Finley’s Rocky Mountain Reaper

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 19:56:00 GMT

Summer 2023 was a big year for Tyler’s son Finley. It turns out, like his father, he enjoys riding his bike downhill really fast, off road that is.

This FRETORI Build features a full XTR M9100 parts kit, PRO Tharsis 35 Handlebar, stealth off-road saddle and a discover seat post.

The neat thing about this bike is it’s ideal for kids. It starts off with a 24” wheel but there is room for 26” which will allow Finley in this case to grow into the bike as he gets taller!

We were thrilled with how this bike turned out.

Pratt’s Orbea Rise

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 19:54:37 GMT

Tyler has fully embraced the e-bike trend, which we think is far more than a trend, especially in the e-mtb category. With an e-bike di2 system from Shimano, riders can set the bike up to shift fully automatically. In other words, if you prefer, you can have the bike shift for you.

This also means that riders can shift while pedaling or coasting. Let that sink in for a moment. In essence riders can always be ready for sharp climb or technical section in the optimal gear, without any frantic shifts that can sometimes throw off that flow.

There’s an added feature too, free shift. “free shift” differs from “auto-shift” in that, shifting isn’t automatic, but free shift allows riders to shift via the shifter at any time, even while coasting.

This Orbea Rise is built with the EP801 drive unit and it’s toured Ontario to highlight this new tech.

Complete with a full PRO components finishing kit that includes the e-specific cockpit and a 200mm Tharsis dropper, this bike is ready to shred!

Photos by Colin Field.

Angelo’s Aspero

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 19:39:29 GMT

This bike has some meaning if we’re honest. There’s nothing like welcoming a new member to a family and this bike was a wedding present. It is a custom gravel rig, inspired by a Ford Raptor. With the help of Wild Rock Outfitters we built this bike from the frame up.

Our starting point was Cervelo Aspero frame.

We opted to build the bike with GRX LTD, Ultegra 8170 C50 Hoops, XTR pedals, PRO Discover Bars, Stem & Seatpost, with a PRO Stealth Curved Saddle.

We love how this one turned out. Timeless, yet distinct!

Photos courtesy of Jeff Faulds

Finley’s Fully Kitted Kid’s Downhill Bike

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 19:07:51 GMT

Finley’s father is someone many would consider to be a rad Dad: He’s our very own Tyler Pratt.

Therefore, it was only appropriate that when Finley needed a new rig for sending it this season, that Tyler take it to another level. The frame is actually a Norco fluid but because Finley wanted to have a matching bike with his Dad, a vinyl cutter was used to make the bike match.

For a little more on the build itself, it’s built with an XTR and Saint kit, Shimano chain guide and blue Shimano EF202 pedals.

Finley also has a complete PRO finishing kit including carbon Tharsis 35 bars, Lock-On trail grips, and Stealth saddle.

The wheels were tricky, but Crank Customers were able to build a custom wheelset laced to some Shimano XT hubs.

There’s no question we had to include this build in our projects place. It is absolutely one of our favourites.

FRETORI Kick Off Party Ottawa 2023

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 19:02:00 GMT

What is the FRETORI Kick Off Party?
First and foremost, it's a party. A social gathering of like-minded people who like bikes. Our goal is with these events is to bring the cycling community together, bike shops, cyclists and industry people alike.

Using the same concept as our Toronto event, one week later, we partnered with Little Victories Coffee Roasters in Ottawa.

Together with 5 local retailers in Ottawa, we had 10 custom built Shimano & PRO equipped bikes on display and we hosted just over 100 people.

We raffled a second Shimano Ultegra Di2 8100 Road 12 Spd group and donated 100% of those proceeds to the National Capital Region Cycling Bursary.

Again, we had an incredible venue and are so grateful to have the support of our retailers and cyclists alike.

It was an awesome night and a great way to Kick Off the season ahead.

Photos by Mike Norton

FRETORI Kick Off Party Toronto 2023

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 18:54:30 GMT

It was FREE to attend. On Thursday, March 23, 2023 – together with 200 people at CREED’s Coffee Bar in Toronto we hung out, surrounded by 26 custom built Shimano & PRO equipped bicycles on display from 22 of our retailers.

The support we received from our shops and consumers alike was humbling and more importantly a proof of concept. We thought cyclist would enjoy a bike party.

We also raised some money through a raffle. All proceeds were donated to support aspiring bike racers from the Toronto Hustle organization and the winner of the raffle won an Ultegra Di2 8100 Road 12spd groupset thanks to Shimano Canada!
We were stoked to bring the event back after 3 long years. Thanks to everyone who attended and if you couldn’t make it this year, hopefully we catch you next year.

We plan to make this an annual happening every year.

Photos by Michael Kazimierczuk

Pratt’s GRX LTD Standert Stichsäge

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 15:15:59 GMT

We were inspired as an agency in 2022 when Shimano launched the GRX Limited Groupset. We knew we wanted to build a couple of bikes with these components. Each bike had to be a bit of throwback and yet still current, offer a lot of utility and value and of course look awesome.

Well, it’s safe to say, the aluminium Standert Stichsäge checks all of those boxes. Working with Blacksmith Cycle to source the perfect fit for this build, we were able to build up a rig that is honestly built for cyclocross, but we know Pratt is going to launch it off of something. It can handle that too. The purple colourway sure is something unique and awesome. Photos don’t quite do the paint job justice either. In person, this bike shines.

Photos by Jody Wilson

Bryer’s GRX LTD Mariposa Gravel Rig

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 15:14:53 GMT

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.

Pratt’s Dura Ace Deanima AMG01

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 15:12:12 GMT

Dura Ace 9200’s media embargo was lifted on August 30, 2021 – and we knew we had to have something special to build a bike with. We needed something as an agency that allowed us to show the latest and greatest from Shimano in a memorable context. What we didn’t know was that it would take over a year to receive a complete groupset due to the global bike component shortage at the time. Good things happen for those who wait.

Tyler opted for a custom made, custom painted Deanima through one of our retailers we work closely with, Blacksmith Cycle. Fitted for Tyler Pratt our resident mountain biker, this bike makes a statement that is unequivocally FRETORI.

During the design, it was concluded Tyler wanted an aggressive road race machine – a bike he could potentially snag a “roadie” KOM with if the stars aligned, something he’s accustomed to on the mountain bike side of things. As such the Dura Ace 9200 specs were chosen to go fast everywhere, especially uphill. The 9200 powermeter crankset is there so Tyler can know precisely when he’s going to blow up during an effort. It is fitted with a 54/40 chainring combination combined with a 12spd 11-30 Dura Ace cassette, for a smooth progression and for the ability to find that perfect cog on flat roads.

The finishing kit is of course PRO Bicycle Component’s top end items. Tyler picked the latest integrated bars, the PRO VIBE EVO with grips, the Vibe Di2 Carbon Seatpost and lastly, the top of the range Stealth Superlight saddle.

We were thrilled with how this custom-made bike turned out. It was an awesome experience and we highly recommend the entire process for any consumer looking to build a new bike that is unlike any other. It takes time, but the end result is very much worth it.