Ibis Exie USA Mountain Bike

The Ibis Exie USA: A Carbon Fiber Cross-Country Marvel

That the Ibis Exie USA carbon fiber cross-country bike exists proves once again the prescience of the people in charge at Ibis. That’s not only because it is an extremely capable, lightweight XC racing machine that can shred with the best of them, but because it is a carbon fiber mountain bike that has been made entirely in Ibis’ own Northern California solar powered factory.

As charged as the words sustainable, local, and handmade have become, the post-covid world with its supply chain issues and emphasis on local production make the Ibis leaders look like geniuses since they set out on this journey in 2014 to bring at least some production back in-house. And the first bike to result from the establishment of their own bicycle factory production is the Ibis Exie USA.

Though the very first bike they made in-house was a one-off Ripley LS in size small, they chose to produce a full run of the Exie USA because it is the type of mountain bike that is looking for places to shave off grams and encourages the use of cutting edge technology, which their new production facility would lend itself to this type of frame. For instance, in their own factory, Ibis is cutting each piece of pre-peg to size, which reduces the material used and the time it takes to do the actual layup. They are using solar energy to power the factory, and aluminum instead of steel tooling, which reduces the amount of energy required in the molding process.

The entire process for making the Exie USA has been re-engineered to reduce energy and time spent. The goal was to make the production of the frame carbon neutral. Ibis had been looking for a tangible way to offset their CO2 production and settled on the idea of making a solar powered factory viable. The process of building the Exie USA is very energy efficient so much so that their factory collects more solar power than it needs, and they transmit the extra electricity to the local energy grid. In fact, the extra electricity they produce is about the same amount needed to produce the carbon fiber they use. That means that they are close to CO2 neutral already in the production of the Exie USA. This might even be the first carbon neutral bicycle manufacturing facility in the world.

Balanced Geometry for Versatile Performance

And though the eco-focus of the production and the notion that this is all Made in the USA may give you warm fuzzies, what really impresses about a bike is how it rides. And the Ibis Exie USA will blow your mind there. For one thing, Ibis isn’t following trends, but practically cutting out a new category here: the trail bike that is lightweight enough to be competitive in XC races. Looking at the geometry of the bike, they have 67.2° head tube angle paired with a size-specific seat tube angle, starting at 73.8° for the small up to 75.9 for the x-large means that they find that balance between stability on the descents and responsiveness and comfort on long climbs. At the end of the day, this might be the best climbing mountain bike you’ll ever ride.

Their production process and the high quality carbon they use to make the Exie USA frame means that you can slash 7 or 8 pounds off this bike compared to a typical full suspension trail or enduro oriented bike, without losing the capability of riding those same trails. The full bike’s weight comes in around 22 pounds, which combined with the 100mm rear and 120mm front travel means that you can enjoy the capability of a trail bike with the weight of a full suspension XC bike.

As a 29er that can take up to 2.4-inch tires, the Exie USA will give you the type of grip that will get you through the gnarliest conditions. The way the DW-link suspension works to make the most of that traction offers both pedaling efficiency on all types of climbs and plush downhill action. Just how gorgeous the DW-link looks against the frame’s naked carbon is worth the price of admission. This frame is practically frameable. But it’s not meant to be hung on a wall and admired; it’s meant to be ridden hard. With that in mind, they have made sure to use IGUS bushings in the lower link that are lighter, stiffer, and require basically no maintenance. Similarly, by using a threaded bottom bracket, they have saved a lot of shrieks of anguish in a lot of home mechanics’ garages who aren’t equipped to deal with press fits. They designed the internal cable routing for ease of use as well.

Exie USA - Built to Be Ridden

Though Ibis is quick to say that making the Exie USA in-house reinforced in their minds just how good their offshore factory workers are. It’s very difficult to make a quality carbon bike. But making the Exie USA in their own facilities meant that they could test and improve prototypes within a matter of days instead of weeks. And that’s likely where you’ll really feel the difference when you ride the Ibis Exie USA. They were able to make the effort to refine the frame to be the best XC-race worth bike that has trail shredding in its DNA.

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