Ibis has remade its cyclocross bike, the Hakkalugi, as a gravel / bikepacking rig, increasing the tire clearance and modernizing the chassis with a host of features.
Ibis Hakka MX highlights
- Full carbon frame
- T47 bottom bracket
- Internal cable routing
- Compatible with 700c and 650b wheels and tires
- Dropper seatpost compatible
- Available last week of November
According to Ibis, the Hakka MX is intended to be the Swiss Army Knife of bicycles. It can run 700c tires ranging in width from 23 to 40mm, or 650b wheels with tires up to 2.1-inch wide.
This new Jack-of-all-trades machine has internal cable routing that can be configured for a variety of drivetrain combinations and can also accommodate an internally-routed dropper seatpost.
It appears Ibis took some inspiration from Open’s U.P. gravel bike and lowered the driveside chainstay in order to maximize tire and chainring clearance without resorting to lengthy chainstays. Norco followed a similar tactic a few months ago when the company introduced the Search XR.
In addition to tweaking the frame for these growing genres, Ibis was also able to shave a claimed 150g from the previous version.
Last but certainly not least on the list of revisions is the adoption of the T47 bottom bracket standard. This oversized threaded system garnered a lot of attention when it was unveiled in November of 2015.
Since then, it’s been used by some custom frame builders but has yet to gain widespread acceptance, though that might be changing.
For those not familiar with this bottom bracket system, T47 is essentially an oversized version of a traditional BSA-threaded bottom bracket. The increased diameter allows for compatibility with 24 or 30mm crank spindles. The oversized bottom bracket shell is claimed to bolster stiffness, too.
- Six reasons to like the T47 bottom bracket standard
- Five reasons why the T47 bottom bracket won’t solve everything
Hakka MX sizing
Ibis Hakka MX pricing and availability
Ibis will offer the Hakka MX as a frame with matching Enve fork, and complete builds with SRAM Rival and Shimano Ultegra Di2, both builds feature 1x drivetrains.
Since Shimano is moving at a snail’s pace to develop clutch-equipped road derailleurs, the Ultegra kit uses an XT Di2 rear derailleur.
Buyers can also choose from 700c or 650b wheels with the ability to upgrade to Ibis’ own carbon wheels.
- Frameset: $1,999 / £2,099 / AU$2,990
- SRAM Rival: $3,299 / £3,349 / AU$4,790
- Ultegra Di2: $6,499 / £6,099 / AU$9,390
The Hakka MX will be available the last week of November. Visit ibiscycles.com for more information.
