Mitcham, Victoria · Est. 2007
Australian manufactured since 2007.
We live and breathe off road adventure travel. What started as a personal engineering project for one family's expedition to Tasmania has become Australia's most precision engineered bike carrier system, sold directly to adventurers around the world.
For decades, iSi founders George and Melanie Couyant chased adventure, exploring some of the most remote landscapes in the world by 4x4. 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.
As they planned a rugged 4WD and cycling expedition to Tasmania's wild west coast, George and Melanie faced a new challenge. Bikes were mandatory. They needed a carrier that was not just durable and easy on their bikes, it had to offer exceptional off road departure clearance that outperformed 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. 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, 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, the 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 the move into the Ringwood factory. In 2019 the team expanded into three factories, with the Mitcham facility leading the charge.
iSi is thriving under the leadership of Zac Couyant, who brings fresh insight and hands on experience to the business, the team and the 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.
Come and see for yourself
Every iSi bike rack is manufactured at our Mitcham facility in Victoria. Drop in to see the product range, meet the team, and talk through your caravan or vehicle with our Sales Engineers in person.
