Reader’s Rig: Dwayne’s Ibis Hakka MX

Words and photos by Dwayne Burgess (@manual_pedal)

What’s up guys, Dwayne Burgess here from NYC! From city dweller to adventure cyclist, I’ve been all about bikes from a young age, from the beloved child big wheel to BMX, fixed gear, road cycling, bike touring, bikepacking, and gravel. When I’m not cycling, I am a graphic designer and digital media specialist by trade. I’m proud and honored to be a Revelate Designs Ambassador and I have also been selected as a member of the Ride for Racial Justice team for the SBT Gravel race in August 2021.

I got my first taste of bike touring in 2014 when I completed a solo unsupported 4,000- mile, 75-day journey from New York to California that I recently wrote about in my eBook, Believing is Everything. Since then, I discovered a newfound love for bikepacking after riding the Kokopelli Trail and continued to share my two-wheeled adventures on my YouTube Channel, the Manual Pedal blog, and Instagram. I love promoting the benefits of adventure cycling in my local community by leading out free gravel group rides and I stay on the hunt for new bikepacking routes, which almost always includes a visit to this site.

The idea behind this Ibis Hakka MX build was to create a bike that would be fast on gravel roads and pavement with 700C wheels, and nimble when loaded with bikepacking bags for an adventure in a local state forest or even the backcountry. After completing bike tours on my Surly Ogre plus bike and older Long Haul Trucker that I must have transformed at least three different times depending on the demands of a trip, it was time to build a tool that would truly give me the versatility I was looking for in a bike. The Swiss Army Knife of bikes, if you will. I’m a huge proponent of the right tool for the job and the Ibis Hakka MX is the kind of bike that gives you more than one.

This dream bike was a labor of love: lots of time put into researching the best of the best when it comes to components, including the latest technology in brakes and shifters and making it as versatile as possible with the use of different wheelsets. I’m proud of the finished product and I look forward to more adventures with it.

• Frame/Fork Ibis Hakka MX (58cm)
• Rims Easton EC90 SL Carbon
• Hubs Easton Vault
• Tires WTB Byway/Venture
• Handlebars ENVE G-Series Gravel Bar
• Headset Cane Creek
• Crankset Easton EC90 SL Carbon
• Bottom Bracket Chris King
• Pedals Shimano XTR M9100
• Cassette Shimano XT M8000 11×42
• Derailleur Shimano GRX RD-RX810
• Brakes Shimano GRX
• Shifter(s) Shimano GRX Di2
• Saddle Ergon SR Pro
• Seatpost Easton EC90
• Stem ENVE Road
• Front bags Revelate Designs Sweet Roll
• Frame bags Revelate Designs Tangle
• Rear bags Revelate Designs Viscacha
• Accessory bags Revelate Designs Feedbag, Egress

I’ve been asked a lot about the Shimano GRX brake hoods/shifters on the bike, and for those deciding between the Di2 vs mechanical, don’t even think twice and go with the Di2. The shifters feel great in your hand and are honestly the best system I have ever ridden with. Once you go electronic, you’ll never go back.

See more from Dwayne on Instagram @manual_pedal, and don’t miss his short video, Escape NYC: In Search of Gravel. You can find our 2018 review of the Ibis Hakka MX here.

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