History

Leo Autuori, a name familiar to many long time cyclists here in Sonoma County, has announced that he will participate in a line of professionally designed, high quality carbon bike frames that are to be distributed by Edge Design, USA.  How did he go from being a BMX bike fanatic at age 10 to building Ibis Bikes to having bikes sold under his name?  Read on to learn about Leo’s experiences bike riding, racing, designing and creating bikes in California.

He did not have a lot, but his bike was enough
Leo was born in San Francisco in 1974 and did not wait long after that to jump on the bike at age five.  He was born a “commuter cyclist” and he began riding his BMX bike everywhere when he was 10 years old.  His family was not financially well off, but Leo’s prize possession was his bike which gave him freedom and a sense of Independence at an early age.  Riding his bike allowed him to burn off all the energy that teens seem to be given in excess.  He enjoyed getting out alone to sort out life’s difficulties as he rode for hours through northern California.

Since cycling was such a large part of Leo’s life from an early age, it is no wonder that his friends and social life all centered around the bike.  He was usually the youngest in his group of friends and learned many of life’s lesson through his “circle of elders”.

On to racing and creating
At age 16 he was introduced to bike racing by a high school teacher and soon after joined up with the Gianni Team.  That of course led to getting a job as a sandblaster at Ibis Frames where he spent all of his free time learning everything he could about bikes.    Leo eventually worked his way up through all the stations at the Ibis warehouse and became their main frame builder at age 23.

Leo was living the “bike life” to its fullest; racing road bikes, building frames, watching the Giro in person, riding mountain bikes and looking ahead, for he knew that Ibis would soon be moving from Sonoma County.  That said, he began to take apart all the tools and equipment he used and made his own, piece by piece so that he would be able to keep making bikes after Ibis left the area.

And now
It has been ten years since Leo left Ibis but cycling is still a big part of his life.  He works in a fabrication shop (not bikes this time) with three other friends whom he worked with at Ibis and is proud of his life’s work and continues to make bikes for friends and family.