1981 Ibis founded in Mendocino, CA.
1982 Scot on Ibis #7, Mt. Diablo:
1983 July Ibis Ad:
1984 Moved to Sebastopol, CA. First Ibis road bike.
March Ad including Roller Cam brakes:
1985 Ibis trials bikes go into production.
November 1985 Ad:
1986 Ibis tandem frames go into production.
1987 Ibis Avion, first complete bike.
The Avion is reviewed below in a November 1987 bike test:
July 1987 Scot Nicol Interview:
1987 November Bicycle magazine article with several different mountain bikes including an Ibis:
1988 Out of the garage and into semi-legal work space.
December 1988 Mountain Trials bike test.
Andy Grayson: 1988 NORBA Trials Champion:
May 1988 Bicycle Guide pictures:
1988 carbon Ibis with Ti lugs:
1989 June, 1989 Ibis Ad:
1990
- Birth of the SS, last pre-suspension hard tail
- Titanium production begins
- Scot Nicol (founder) inducted into Mountain Bike Hall of Fame
1991 April Scot Nicol interview and bike review from Bicycle Guide:
Wes Williams with the precursor to the Scorcher, May 1991 Bicycle Guide:
August 1991 article about a12" Ibis SS:
1992 January Ibis Ad:
July 1992 Bicycle Guide magazine tandem review:
1993 Limited edition Scorcher (retro-styled fixed gear) 100 made (25 small, 25 large and 50 medium), custom handlebars were made to replicate an old Torrington design.
November 1993 Scorcher review from Bicycle Guide magazine:
1994
Moron (more on the ends) tubing for the Mojo
SST (Shimano Suck This) component package available consisting of Control Tech or Syncros stem, Dia Compe 987 brakes, Grip Shift, XC Pro brake levers, Taperlite bars, King headset, Cooks or Topline cranks, Onza pedals, White or Hugi hubs, Mavic 230 rims, Ritchey bottom bracket and XTR derailleurs. These specs were subject to change depending on availability.
First butted titanium (with Gary Helfrich)
Titanium road bike
Touch road tandem (steel or Ti), Cousin It mountain tandem (steel or Ti), Cousin It Road tandem (steel)
Prototype Szazbo full suspension in steel and Ti
1995
Szazbo full suspension (Sweet Spot) in aluminum (first Al bike)
Cousin-It mountain tandem, Forte Road Tandem, Touch� road tandem in steel and Titanium
EZ-Street road tandem
1996
First prototype BowTi
1997
- Ibis Alibi aluminum hard tail
- Hakkalugi cyclocross
1998
- Spanky road bike with Moron
- BowTi production
- Limited run of single speed frames (one for each letter of the alphabet)
1999
- Moves to Santa Rosa
- Launch of Geax tires with Vittoria
- Mai Tai titanium mountain bike and Sonoma Ti road bike
2000
Silk Ti pivot-less full suspension
2002
- Ibis files for bankruptcy.
2003
John Castellano (designer of many of the Ibis full suspension bikes) now offers some of the Ibis bike models as well as parts for older Ibis bikes. For more information check out Castellano Designs.
2005
Watch for the announcement of the righting of the good ship Ibis at the fall Interbike trade show!!
From the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame
Scot Nicol
In 1965, at age 11, Scot acquired his first ballooner by rather questionable means. The irresistible late 1940s model Schwinn was in a neighbors garage when he spied it. Always one to make a deal, Scot quickly offered his mothers lightweight bike as a trade on this classic cruiser. Mom finally forgave me 22 years later when I repaid her (with interest) by delivering her a custom Ibis.
Acrobatic tricks soon became his specialty on his new bike. In Breeze and Gary Fisher in a trip to Crested Butte for a trip over Pearl Pass. They liked me at first because I had a car that would probably make it to Crested Butte (unlike any of them). Later, when they found out I could ride up and down hills as fast as any of them, plus ride wheelies in circles around them, they accepted me into their group.
This proved to be a valuable association for Scot, as he apprenticed with Breeze and Cunningham that winter. Soon after that, the first Ibis rolled out of the shop he had set up in his greenhouse in Fort Bragg, Calif. That bike was shorter and steeper, and rode more comfortably than the other mountain bikes available at the time, so it soon became successful.
Scot also raced mountain bikes in the first years of the sport; his most notable results were a sixth place at the 1983 NORBA Nationals, a win of the Last Central Coast Clunker Classic, and an overall win at the first Bishop 7500/Mammoth Stage Race. In 1984, Scot met up with Tom Hillard and was quickly hooked on trials riding, leading to several years of development of trials bikes, with some strange incarnations along the way. Scot used his acrobatic and bike handling skills to win dozens of trials events, finishing third at the national championships in 1985.
A 1987 trip to Europe with his wife Ginny was the thrust behind the production of the first Ibis Tandem. From that beginning, Ibis produced a few tandems in 1988, many more in 1989 (after being named bike of the year by Bicycle guide Magazine), and fully half of the production in 1990 is devoted to satisfying the demand for the two tandem models that Ibis produces.
Ibis is a bird of beauty, revered by the ancient Egyptians for their grace and form. In fact they often carried their mummified Ibis with them to their tombs, explains Nicol. Although I dont really hope to have people get buried with their bikes, hopefully people will continue to ride and enjoy their Ibis bikes while enjoying this sport that has brought created so many wonderful friendships.