The Ibis Exie is the company’s forthcoming full suspension XC/downcountry race bike that’s being designed, built, and tested in their Northern California facility… all powered by the warm California sunshine. Learn more here.
A lot of the folks behind the Ibis brand have roots in manufacturing, so it’s only fitting for them to want to make things in house, instead of sending schematics off to a factory to be built far away. The roadblock to manufacturing carbon bike frames in the US is competitive pricing. The costs of labor in the US (especially in California) is up to five times higher than it is in Asian factories. Ibis tried their hand at in-house manufacturing a few years ago by making a single size frame in their Santa Cruz, CA facility—the size small Ripley. And now they’re going full steam ahead with a brand new bike model, the Exie. Ibis’ new factory is located in Pajaro, CA, about a half hour drive from their Santa Cruz headquarters. The entire operation is powered by a solar panel array. Watch the behind the scenes video on the manufacturing process below and then scroll down for a few details on the new Exie.
“For us it’s an opportunity to reduce the energy consumption… anything you can do to lessen the impact on the planet, as cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts, we’re always going to put that at a top priority.”
“The only way you can make carbon fiber frames in the US is to reduce the labor time.”
Aside from the sneak peak photo, geometry chart, and video footage above, there aren’t too many details about the Exie yet, aside from a first ride writeup over on PinkBike. According to PB, the Exie will be priced between $7,999 and $12,799 for a complete, and $4,499 for the frame only with Fox DPS2 shock. We’ll be sure to post an update when Ibis releases more info and details. In the meantime, find the Exie page and email signup over at IbisCycles.com.
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