Bikes of Unbound Gravel: Whitney Allison’s Ibis Hakka MX
Whitney Allison is among an ever-growing crop of professional road racers who have found a second home in the gravel world. Allison entered the 2021 edition of Unbound Gravel as one of the favourites and came away with fourth place. Her bike of choice was an Ibis Hakka MX.
For race day, Allison opted to stick with tried-and-true mechanical shifting. A Shimano GRX rear derailleur is mated with a 2x system up front. The Ultegra crank has a 50/34 gear setup and a Stages power meter too. And much like Amity Rockwell, Allison opted for the ergonomics of Ultegra controls.
Her Maxxis Scrambler 700×40 tires wrap around Enve G23 wheels, a low-profile choice that cuts down on weight and aims to improve ride comfort, too.
And notably, Allison is on team aero bars. While there’s certainly an aero advantage there, racers also note that aero bars simply offer another body position, which comes in handy over the long miles, keeping the body fresher.
See the rest of Allison’s setup below.
The Ibis Hakka MX is pitched as a do-it-all drop bar bike. For Unbound Gravel, Allison maxed out the bike’s recommended tire clearance. 
Whitney Allison’s Ibis Hakka MX is a stock colour, but it’s covered in customised decals. 
Whitney Allison lined up for the 200-mile gravel event as one of the favourites. More than 12 hours later she crossed the finish line in fourth place, just three minutes shy of a podium place. 
The Ibis Hakka MX offers a claimed frame weight of 1,000 grams and uses almost no proprietary parts. 
Lights are a requirement of Unbound Gravel. 
An Arundel saddlebag and a Specialized Power saddle. 
Allison’s bike features a mixed Shimano Ultegra and GRX mechanical drivetrain. 
Be more like Gwen. 
Allison’s bike is built with a number of pieces from Enve, including the fork, wheels and cockpit. Aero bars aren’t simply a means to go faster, they also offer a wholly different riding position.
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