The steel Deluxe was our first model, introduced in 1996. Initially the frame was made with True Temper, 1" headset and straight stays. It has been constantly improved over the years. The head tube was changed to 1.125" in 1997 at the same time that we adopted Reynolds 853 for the main triangle. More recently, we were able to lighten the frame by adopting Columbus custom Nivacrom S-bend chain stays and Columbus custom Nivacrom S-bend seat stays. It has received critical acclaim from the bike press and our riders in each of its iterations.

The Deluxe owes its heritage to Fat City Cycles, the company which pioneered mountain bikes and which was the home and training ground of 5 of the 6 founders of IF. The original Deluxe differed from the Fat City Yo Eddy in that it had size specific tubing, shorter chain stays and was available in more sizes.

The most recent version of the Deluxe was presented at 2000 Interbike in the Shimano Show Case and was judged by an independent panel of experts to be, "the bike we would most like to take home with us."

The Deluxe is among the lightest steel hard tails still available. It is built to tame the most challenging of conditions. The Deluxe handles with finesse and precision.