KINGS OF CARBON Ibis Cycles are 30 years old this year. We find out how their gamble on carbon fibre changed mountain biking forever Words and pics Robert Rebholz 102 Mountain Biking uk IBIS cot Nicol and Ibis and carbon tubing. (Ibis also kick was meeting Gary Fisher, Charlie Cycles must have a started titanium manufacturing, Kelly and the original Marin gang crystal ball. In 2001, with their Ti Mojo, in 1994.) in 1980. Through them I met Joe carbon fibre mountain In 2001, Ibis decided carbon’s Breeze and Charlie Cunningham bikes were ridden only popularity in road biking could – two great bike builders – who by World Cup cross- be used for mountain bikes. They taught me the ropes. I built myself country racers. But spent over three years working a frame in 1981, people saw it and Scot and partners Tom on a design that became the asked me to make them one. Morgan, Hans Heim popular Mojo Carbon. Now they and Roxy Lo believed that carbon only use carbon fibre, setting the You pioneered the way the Swas key to building the best bike. standard for the entire industry. industry uses steel, titanium Ibis Cycles have been making and carbon fibre. Why carbon? bikes since 1981. In 1988, Scot MBUK: How did you get started With traditional materials, such made one of the first carbon off making bikes? as aluminium or steel, you can mountain bikes using a steel rear Scot Nicol: I’ve always been an only create ‘stick bikes’ using two triangle, tapered machined lugs avid cyclist but my turning point tube triangles. With carbon Mountain Biking uk 103 STAR TURN THE LOPES FACTOR Brian Lopes is a multiple World Cup winner and US National Champ. He’s been with Ibis since 2008, where his riding has answered lots of doubts about the strength of carbon MTBs. “A few days after Brian got his Mojo, he sent us a picture of him sending a 30ft gap,” Scot says with a smile. “When anyone questioned our bikes’ strength we just showed them that.” Shortly after Brian joined Ibis, they released the 160mm (6.3in) travel Mojo HD (heavy duty). Brian’s put it to good use, winning his fifth consecutive AirDH at last year’s CrankWorx on it. He also uses the bike to race Super D and enduro downhill all over the globe. Brian’s role with Ibis goes beyond racing too. “He gives us very detailed information on the bikes he tests,” Scot says, adding that he has “direct involvement” in how they are made. A mainstay Scot’s first IBIS TIMELINE 1986of the 1988carbon bike. company was the Ibis It had a steel rear triangle, Tandem, which used the tapered machined lugs Uptube design borrowed and carbon tubing made from Rick Jorgensen’s from the same material 30 YEARS OF INNOVATION Tango Tandem. that Ibis use now. Breaking away from the “tyranny of tubes” by building carbon fibre A winter of Scot’s Scot, one 1981 apprenticing 1983custom 1987 of the first mountain bikes was the under Joe Breeze and geometry bikes were built trials riders in the US, pivotal point in Ibis Cycles’ Charlie Cunningham was around the rider’s body. designed and created a 30-year career. And the followed by Scot Nicol Customers chose paint, trials bike for himself with company keeps getting making his own frames in braze-ons, stem length, a 20in rear wheel and bigger and bolder… Mendocino, California. angle and components. 24in front wheel. 104 Mountain Biking uk “A carbon frame is the perfect weapon for an aggressive all- mountain ride” SCOT NICOL fibre you can connect the How has carbon created a new carbon fibre. The introduction dots between the head tube and riding experience? of the Mojo in 2005 changed seat tube any way you like. Besides being very light and the whole perception of carbon strong, carbon is great because in mountain biking. Before that How did you develop carbon of its anisotropy. Carbon fibre bike, people thought carbon fibre production techniques? behaves differently in different fibre wasn’t strong enough for First we created a model for the directions. The way we lay up mountain bikes. Once we got frame on a computer. We spent the carbon fibre for our frames Brian Lopes on our bikes, over 1,900 hours in a drafting makes them stiff torsionally, people saw that a carbon frame program to get it perfect. Next but vertically compliant, so the was the perfect weapon for we had to find a factory to build bike doesn’t flex when you aggressive all-mountain riding. it. That was difficult because pedal but has a super soft ride. there are very few factories in How do you plan to advance the world capable of executing How have Ibis pushed the use of carbon fibre in future? such a complex carbon design, use of carbon fibre in the We learned a lot about carbon let alone one that believed in us mountain bike industry? fibre production in the process enough to take the chance. The Before the Mojo Carbon, only of creating the Mojo. Now we Mojo has more wraps of carbon a few carbon mountain bikes can apply this knowledge when in its bottom bracket than existed, and they were specific designing new bikes. When we a road bike has in its entire to World Cup XC racing. We made our long-travel HD model frame. Eventually, we found one had a vision for a trail bike that we created a stiffer, stronger willing to build it, and we’ve had great geometry and longer frame that hardly weighs more worked intensely with them travel but still climbed like a than the Mojo. Our main goal to develop the best moulding hardtail. The only material that is to make our next bike better processes for our bikes. could allow us to make that was than the last. c A butted The Silk Ibis 1994titanium 2001Ti was 2010 revealed version of the Mojo, called a pivotless softtail with the Mojo HD at Sea Otter. the Mojo Ti, was released. a greater wheelbase than The 160mm (6.3in) travel traditional full sus bikes. all-mountain frame Ibis manufactured its own weighs only 0.45kg (1lb) elastomer-sprung shock. more than the SL. The Mojo Designed Ibis took 1992 hardtail was 1996by John 2005 the Mojo made. The steel bike was Castellano, the Bow Ti was Carbon to Interbike. The built with Moron tubing the only full suspension 140mm (5.5in) rear travel – it had ‘more on’ the ends frame built that didn’t use trail bike got rave reviews for strength and less in pivots to separate the font and changed acceptance the middle to save weight. and rear triangle. of carbon MTBs..