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1984 Ibis Custom

Very early on in the history of Ibis Cycles, founder Scot Nicol saw the virtues of TIG-welded bicycle construction: light and fast with a small heat-effected zone.  Perhaps only his first dozen bikes were built with the more traditional method of fillet-brazing, as taught to him by Joe Breeze and others.  Surprisingly, this example, with a serial number which appears to be 50 and is certainly one of the first 100 Ibis bikes built, features fillet-brazed construction.  As was common with the earliest Ibis Customs, the rear stays are nickel plated.  However, other features such as the uni-crown fork, tapered stays, and split cable guides are more indicative of Ibis bikes from the late 80s, such as the harlequin Ibis in the collection.  In any case, the fillets on this bike are small and the frame incorporates a substantial sleeve at the bottom of the seat tube and a minimal ring at the top.  The hubs are Ibis-modified Hi-E, following a riveting method developed by Charlie Cunningham which allows the bearings to be serviced without unlacing the wheel.  The stem clamps to a stud brazed into the top of the fork steerer, with a motorcycle cable noodle to route the front brake.

The Build

Year: 1984
S/N: 050
Frame: Ibis Custom
Fork: Ibis Unicrown
Stem: Ibis Direct Mount
Headset: Specialized Sealed Bearing
Bottom Bracket: Cartridge Bearing
Handlebar: Tuf-Neck Alloy Riser
Shifters: Suntour Power Thumbshifter
Front Derailleur: Shimano Deore XT M700
Rear Derailleur: Suntour ARX
Brake Levers: Magura Motorcycle "Shortie"
Front Brake: Shimano Deore XT M700
Rear Brake: Suntour Rollercam
Crankset: Suntour Touring
Chainrings: Specialized Sugino 26-36-46
Pedals: Shimano PD-MX15
Hubs: Hi-E Ibis Modified
Rims: Ambrosio Durex
Tires: Specialized Stumpjumper
Wheel QR: Suntour
Seatpost: SR Laprade
Saddle: Ariake Jaguar II
Seatpost QR: Suntour
Grips: Magura Pow-R-Grip
Chain: Sachs
Cogs: Shimano 600 Freewheel
Bottle Cage: Specialized
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