Ibis is a smaller, lesser known boutique bike brand in Australia, there is no doubt about it. But, you'd be mistaken for thinking of them as a new company, at 39 years of age they've been making bikes longer than Santa Cruz and Yeti and have quite the international presence! Founded in Calafornia, 1981 by Scott Nicol, a self confessed hippie, Ibis Cycles was born.
The History
So what did Ibis Cycles look like in 1981? Scott was a one man band making the frames himself, not an over night success his local market kept him going initially. As a passionate rider he'd attend events like the first 'Whiskeytown Downhill' to get out there and ride with friends. These events attracted some pretty famous names including 'Gary Fisher'.
Fast forward to 2020 and what does Ibis Cycles look like? A dedicated team of around 25 employees with Scott Nicol still very much a part of the brand, working there full time still today. Ibis has had success on a global scale with their bikes ridden and loved all over the world, including their Enduro World Series factory race team. The story about what has made Ibis the internationally recognised brand it is today is just as much about the people as it is the bikes. If you'd like to learn more about the Ibis story check out the history page of their website.
The Bikes
Ibis have an extensive off road lineup with everything from their 'Hakka MX' gravel bike to the long travel, 29", Enduro ready 'Ripmo V2'. The whole range has a distinct look about them with smooth curves featuring on the frames. The linkage is very discreet in appearance to compliment the smooth, understated lines of the frames.
The ride quality of these bikes is exceptionally high and it's not just us saying this, praised by local riders the original 'Ripmo V1' was even nominated by 'Pinkbike' for bike of the year in 2018. The 'Rimpo V2' was just released to build on the already successful V1. We've seen a few of these frames roll through the doors and damn do they look good!
The DW-Link Suspension
Popular because it works, damn well. Ibis's engineers work directly with Dave Weagle to apply his famous 'DW-Link' suspension to their trail bikes in the most effective manner possible. Renowned for it's efficiency the 'DW-Link' application on the Ibis bikes compliments their trail friendly geometry perfectly. Building on the suspensions strengths Ibis have chosen a light tune for their rear shocks, 'Traction Tune'. This allows the rear wheel to 'flutter' over rough terrain so it can hold traction exceptionally well.
Availability
Although not all MY21 Ibis models are available immediately a fair few are! If you're looking to upgrade to a new Ibis talk to us today and we'll get you rolling. Check out some of the Ibis frame options online here.
