Born in the USA: Ibis brings production home

The pandemic is putting the bike industry under massive pressure, especially in terms of manufacturing (parts) companies and the subsequent logistics. With the trend of bringing production closer to the sales market, the boutique brand Ibis is making great strides in frame construction. The frame of the cross-country bike called Exie is manufactured 100 percent in the USA. Exciting insights into the brand new bike and its production can be found after the jump.

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How can frame production be brought back to the USA from Taiwan? The cult manufacturer Ibis shows us how - and lets us look over its shoulder in a 10-minute YouTube clip. The new bike called Exie is - and this is almost forgotten in the excitement about the so-called reshoring of production - a lightning-fast cross-country machine. The rear suspension is based on the DW-Link, which is known for good mountain performance, while the front is designed for 120 millimeters of travel. In line with the trend, the stem is shorter and the top tube longer - Ibis casually says that they have cut two centimetres off the stem and added them back to the top tube.

The fact that there is space for two water bottles in the front triangle of all frame sizes certainly suits the intended use. The rear triangle can accommodate 29er tires up to 2.4 inches wide. In terms of frame weight, the Exie is in a good position, as it weighs less than 2,000 grams. Mechanics will also enjoy the Exie: The cables are routed in the frame in a contemporary way, and in their own cable ducts, which massively simplify maintenance or replacement of shifting or brake components.