For decades, iSi founders George and Melanie Couyant chased adventure, exploring some of the most remote landscapes in the world by 4×4.

Their mountain bikes were often part of the journey—when they could manage the hassle of bringing them along. No existing bike rack met their high standards for strength, off-road clearance, and camping convenience so regrettably, bikes sometimes had to be left at home.

In 2007, as they planned a rugged 4WD and cycling expedition to Tasmania’s wild west coast, they faced a new challenge. Bikes were mandatory so they needed a bike rack that wasn’t just durable, rugged, and easy on their bikes—it had to offer exceptional off-road departure clearance (outperforming even their heavily modified Land Cruiser) and a full-pivot function for effortless rear access.

With years of experience in remote travel, off-grid living, and tackling extreme terrain as a family, they knew exactly what was needed. But no existing solution met their demands—so they decided to build their own.

As an accomplished Mechanical Engineer, George applied his expertise from a lifetime of aerospace, automotive, and structural research, design and manufacturing projects worldwide. Using cutting-edge supercomputing tools for design, simulation, and analysis, they created the ultimate bike rack for their adventures.

Everywhere they travelled, people asked, “Where did you get that rack? That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for!” Though it was never intended to be a commercial product, the enthusiasm was undeniable. Melanie saw its potential and insisted they share it with the world.

What followed was two years of intensive design, refinement, and brutal testing to ensure the rack withstood the harshest off-road conditions. With an Australian Design Registration secured, production began.

From day one, George and Melanie committed to a direct-to-consumer model, ensuring their high-quality, precision-engineered iSi carrier system remained accessible without compromising on excellence. By eliminating distributor and dealer markups, they made their groundbreaking design available to adventurers who demanded the very best.

The iSi Extreme Duty Bicycle Carrier was an instant success—even with a zero-dollar advertising budget. Growth was fuelled entirely by word-of-mouth, as delighted customers around the world spread the news.

Beyond their physical products, iSi pioneered unique and revolutionary design features (Intellectual Property), licensing certain innovations to assist other bike manufacturers in improving their own products. For George and Melanie, it was always about advancing the industry—helping both customers and businesses benefit from iSi’s cutting-edge designs.

As a family business, their priority was to foster a team of passionate and talented individuals while maintaining flexibility for each person to shine in their own way. The first iSi family member, Liam, endured years of George’s eclectic (and sometimes questionable) music choices in the Templestowe facility, followed by growth into the Ringwood factory. In 2019, the team expanded into three factories, with the Mitcham facility leading the charge.

Fast forward to today, and iSi is thriving under the leadership of Zac Couyant, who brings fresh insight and hands-on experience to the business, team and products. His guidance has propelled iSi forward, driving monumental advances in manufacturing processes, product quality, and—most importantly—the customer experience.

The future is bright for iSi, with innovation at its core and big adventure always on the horizon.