Italy’s Gregario has just won the ‘Best New Builder’ award at Bespoked 2025 handcrafted bike exhibition (held 10-12th October in Dresden, Germany), boasting that it’s the first manufacturer to create a truly monocoque custom carbon-fibre frame, thanks to a patented variable geometry mould. Let’s take a look…
Gregario says, “The frame is designed around the contact points between cyclist and bike, customisable down to the millimetre in terms of angles and lengths. The cockpit is also custom-made, [the handlebar and stem are] adjustable in angle, length, and height.
“[Building the bike is a] unique experience which the consumer can follow step by step: starting from sizing, that is, the definition of the frame dimensions based on the cyclist’s biometric parameters, which can take place either in collaboration with the customer’s trusted bike fitter, or remotely via the web app Digital Sizing by Gregario.”
The Gregario Vera AR (Aero Road) bike uses a patented variable geometry mould, which allows the creation of a monocoque structure without joints and without having to produce new moulds for each size.
Gregario says, “This approach revolutionises the traditional production process of a carbon bike frame, allowing a complete customisation of the frame based on the cyclist’s position and riding style; a reduction of industrial waste and therefore a lower environmental impact; a consistent structural quality also due to the absence of joints.
“The result is a hi-tech frame, truly tailor-made and built in Italy, that challenges industrial monocoque frames with the soul and flexibility typical of the best Italian cycling craftsmanship tradition.”
2025 Gregario Vera AR full bike (credit: Gregario Cycling)
Most carbon bikes come out of moulds in set sizes. They’re made by layering pre-preg carbon fibre sheets (impregnated with partially cured resin) into a mould, inserting an internal bladder, and then applying heat and pressure in an autoclave to cure the resin. Moulds are expensive to produce, and most brands offer relatively few sizes to keep costs down.
There are custom-geometry carbon fibre bikes out there, of course, but they’re made using lugs (socket-like joints) or tube-to-tube methods (where the tubes are made in advance, cut to length and then joined). These are very different construction techniques.
2025 Gregario Vera AR head tube (credit: Gregario Cycling)
Now, though, Gregario says its new technology – which was previewed as a concept at the Eurobike exhibition two years ago – allows it to produce bespoke monocoque carbon frames.
Gregario says, “The idea started in 2016 from a real need: to overcome the limitations of standard carbon frame sizes, which are often a compromise for cyclists, especially with the increasing integration of components and handlebars. The solution? A bespoke integral monocoque frame, created using a variable mould.”
A variable mould is one whose shape/dimensions can be adjusted, allowing you to make products of different sizes/shapes from a single system.
“From 2017, with the first international patents, until 2023, Gregario built a solid technical foundation and B2B [business to business] collaborations that culminated in the presentation of the project concept at Eurobike 2023 in Frankfurt. From that moment, and deliberately, Gregario chose not to accelerate the development process, prioritising quality, uniqueness, and consistency with its values, and today, with the arrival of the bike and frame on the market, it marks its official debut.
2025 Gregario Vera AR chainstay (credit: Gregario Cycling)
“Vera AR is Gregario’s first complete bike model. Its frame is made with the innovative, patented variable geometry mould technology, which allows for the creation of a truly bespoke integral monocoque, without joints or compromises. Produced in a single lamination and autoclaved polymerisation process, Vera represents the excellence of ‘made in Italy’ design and engineering.
“With Vera, Gregario goes beyond the concept of ‘size’ by introducing a total custom-made philosophy: the frame is designed around the contact points between the cyclist and the bike, customisable to the millimetre in angles and lengths. The cockpit is also custom-made, including the handlebar and stem, which are adjustable for angle, length, and height.”
As mentioned, the sizing you need can be determined by a bike fitter or done remotely via a web app developed by Gregario.
“The web app Digital Sizing by Gregario is based on neural networks and computer vision and offers a precise solution accessible from a smartphone,” says Gregario.
“After this initial phase, the final fitting completes the bespoke experience: it customises the position on the saddle and the fine-tuning of the components based on the cyclist’s biomechanics and goals. This step can be carried out at a trusted bike fitter or at one of the centres collaborating with Gregario.”
2025 Gregario Vera AR bar-stem (credit: Gregario Cycling)
How does Gregario create the variable geometry mould? It doesn’t share a lot of information on this, but we can check out its patents for clues. If you’re interested in the detail, you can take a look at Salvatore Botrugno’s patent for a ‘Mold Manufacturing Method and Mold’ (US 2020/0331170 A1), for instance (hint: don’t do it; even by patents’ lofty standards, this one is dense).
Essentially, though, you have standard moulds in two halves. Between them, you can position a customised mould that determines the overall size of the frame or other component (such as a one-piece handlebar/stem with customisable width and length).
2025 Gregario Vera AR fork crown (credit: Gregario Cycling)
The Gregario Vera AR is a disc brake-equipped aero road bike. The frame has a claimed weight of 840g, while the fork is said to be 360g.
The price? We’re talking at least €6,000 plus tax and shipping for the frame, fork and integrated seatpost. Complete bike prices start at €12,300 plus tax and shipping. Delivery is expected to be within two months.