Submitted by
Russ Lyman
a Downhiller
from Provo, UT
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2006
Strengths: Overall value, brakes are really nice, strong frame, good suspension for the price, solid components. The bike really looks nice and I've received a lot of compliments on that. People are surprised when I tell them how little I paid. My brother has a $2500 Cannondale Prophet and I like the Ignition 2 just a little less.
Weaknesses: Well, I crashed pretty hard at Sundance and was pretty impressed with how the bike held up, but the front rim was destroyed (like a twisted frisbee). So, I guess the rims could be stronger. I've only had the bike for just over a month and the tread on the rear tire's about gone. It was kind of tough to get everything dialed in right and I actually just took it to the bike shop at BYU and got it tuned for $30. After that it was awesome and everything worked perfectly, at least until I started crashing. Right now my rear derailer's a little off after I bent it in a crash. Not really any glaring weaknesses though.
Bottom Line:
This is a pretty sweet deal for a full-suspension bike. I literally looked everywhere and spent several months researching which bike to get within my price range and this is the one I got. I got this one because I wanted good components and a strong frame to start with. Then I figured I would just upgrade the stuff I wanted to from there. I would just recommend taking it in to get it tuned up because it makes a big difference to have everything just right. I do a lot of downhill and the bike holds up very well. It corners very well also, and is well-balanced. From the first time I got on the bike, I felt comfortable. I would recommend Ibex to anyone looking for a full suspension bike. In fact, my brother just ordered an Ibex Asta for his wife.
I like all of the components, especially for the price, but the first things I'll probably replace will be the front and rear shocks, the tires, and the rear derailer (since it's a little bent).
Bike Setup: marzochi fork, but besides that, stock
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Submitted by
Cary Davis
a Weekend Warrior
from Cave Creek, AZ
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2005
Strengths: Great quality bike, customer service, nice components, full suspension, disc brakes
Weaknesses: None to report.
Bottom Line:
You can't beat the features and quality of this bike for $499. Hands down. The quality of the bike and parts exceeded expectations. I expected a good bike, but for the price paid, I am very impressed and happy.
I am a big 6'3" guy and feel in control on this bike. I don't subconsciencely feel the bike is fragile and going to buckle or break.
My boss at work has a Santa Cruz Blur, which he thinks is the best bike available, and was very impressed with the Ignition and felt I got a very good bike, including the frame, parts and how it performs.
Additionally, don't be afraid of buying a bike over the Internet with these guys. Ibex has great customer service, this is a big deal when buying on-line.
Similar Products Used: None, last bike had no suspension at all. ( Early '90s bike. )
Bike Setup: Stock, except added thicker tire tubes with slime for biking in the desert.
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Submitted by
Tom
a Weekend Warrior
from Danville, CA, United States
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2005
Strengths: Good, solid bike with decent components. Disk brakes.
Weaknesses: A little heavy. Brakes could be stronger.
Bottom Line:
Hard to beat for the price (or twice the price). An entry-level bike that might make your friends on more expensive bikes jealous. Disk brakes are adequate for cross-country use, but might not be strong enough for heavier or more aggressive riders.
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Alameda, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2004
Strengths: Excellent workmanship, Outstanding customer service, excellent packing and shipping.
Bottom Line:
Incredible ride for the price - full suspension with decent components for under $500 - can't beat it. Excellent front fork (Marz MX-comp) provides 100mm travel -reliable for moderate size drops.
Customer service is the best I've found. When I received the bike, the front rotor was warped. I emailed IBEX and a replacement was in the mail (priority) that day! - no questions. I'll be looking to IBEX when I decide to upgrade from my other bike.
Similar Products Used: Giant Rincon, Fuji Outland SE, Haro V-NGF
Bike Setup: Stock
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Submitted by
Adam
a Cross Country Rider
from Chapel Hill, NC
Date Reviewed: January 31, 2004
Strengths: Marzocchi front fork and Tektro disc brakes stand out, but mostly the greatest thing is the overall quality.
Weaknesses: Shimano Alivio front derailleur, maybe DNM-DV22 rear shock depending on what you want to use it for. Most parts were overtightened at delivery.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike. When I was making my decision on which bike to get, it was primarily between this or a Gary Fisher Tassajara. From a quality standpoint, the two feel nearly identical. Both feel very strong and solid. The difference was that (over small bumps) the IBEX offers the slightly softer ride of full suspension and is slightly less expensive. Jack, who runs IBEX, delivers some of the best customer service I've ever seen (see other reviews as well), and should be a model for other companies.
If you read the reviews on this site, most disc brake packages now are hydraulic. The Tektro Io's on these bike are just mechanical, but they've been fantastic in my opinion. They may have less bells and whistles than some others, but they perform flawlessly. The Marzocchi front fork is also a good step up from the previous RS Judy TT. This fork makes a flight of steps feel like a rumble strip. There is a set of four steps that I routinely ride down on my way home from work with a (heavy) backpack full of stuff on my back and the front fork doesn't reach half it's travel. ...And, oh yeah, while waiting for traffic to clear so I could make a left hand turn onto a bike trail, my bike (with me on it) got hit by a pickup truck skidding to a stop. It was probably going between 5 and 10 mph at the time it hit the rear tire of my bike and I came out of it with only a bent rim. That's quality!
As others have also stated, people who are not good at or do not want to perform bike maintenance from time to time may want to look elsewhere. Of course, your LBS will be more than happy to work on it, but bring your whole paycheck.
One of the few problems I've had with this bike is that there seems to be too much pressure on all of the bearings. If I were to hold the front wheel off of the ground and spin the tire as fast as I could, it would barely make two rotations. The brake pads brush the disc lightly, but not nearly enough to cause this problem. I loosened the bearings a little (not enough to cause the wheel to wobble, of course) and lubricated them and then the problem was gone! Just a bit too much tension on the bearings was all. That was also a problem on the pedals and inside the bottom bracket. Finally, the front derailleur. I think the Alivio FD is crappy. It has problems shifting to the inner ring when adjusted outward and problems shifting on the outer ring when adjusted inward. You can adjust it in or out, but you can't change the range. Maybe you should be able to, but one of the adjustment screws does seemingly nothing. Luckily FDs are relatively cheap.
I will be swapping the DNM shock for a Fox Float AVA, but that's only because I use my bike for XC or commuting, so I'd like a little smoother, more adjustable ride. No problems or anything.
Overall, I think this bike competes with ones which cost 1.5 to 2 times as much. IBEX probably offers the best value in bikes today. Also, I think this is a 2004 model, but the only difference appears to be the RS Judy TT front fork on 2003 versus the Marzocchi on 2004. There is no listing for IBEX bikes under the '2004 Full Suspension' category.
Similar Products Used: Also tested GT I-Drive and Raleigh M60.
Bike Setup: Stock with a light set and a Fox Float AVA and SRAM 9.0 front derailleur to be added soon.
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Submitted by
Shaun Adams
a Weekend Warrior
from San Antonio, Tx
Date Reviewed: November 20, 2003
Strengths: Everything
Weaknesses: Nothing
Bottom Line:
Well, this is my third review after six months of hard riding, and the is still awesome. Ive busted it so many times doing stupid stuff and get it right back up and get going again. I see the 04's have marzocchi's which is cool, but I'll ride this bike for a long time to come. Everybody mentions the cust service and its no bs, whatever you need, I emailed dude at 9:30 on a Sunday night, so they would get it Monday morning, and Jack literally emailed me back 3 minutes later...WTF. Anyway, great bike, great price. GET IT.
Similar Products Used: haro x-1, specialized rockhopper, cheesy target bike
Bike Setup: stock
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Submitted by
Nathan Lenyszyn
a Weekend Warrior
from Atlanta, GA
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2003
Strengths: Lots of great components in a sturdy package for hundreds less.
Weaknesses: The stock rear spring was too stiff for me as I only weigh about 135 lb. The bike itself is a little heavy until you remember that you paid less than $500!
Bottom Line:
This bike comes at an excellent price and has a quality level that really exceeded my expectations. Jack at IBEX has been very helpful in answering all my questions. The bike feels very solid and shifting is crisp after an initial adjustment. In hindsite I wish that I had bought an Ibex apogee for a couple hundred more as I would appreciated just a little more rear travel. This is the absolute best full suspension bike under $500, probably the best full suspension bike under $700. I took a chance buying this bike without ever seeing one or riding one but it was NOT a mistake after 6 months of riding
Bike Setup: I now have clipless pedals, a 400 il/in rear spring, and lizard skin
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Submitted by
Alan Bobo
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2003
Strengths: Best Bang for the buck in the $250 - $750 range. High quality components, rock solid frame and relatively easy to assemble. Anything found in the stores equally setup will run you over $700. I live in Seattle, TONS of stores to look at - nothing close for the price. Front shocks are great, plenty of adjustment - stable on easy trails with plenty of travel for the bumps.
Weaknesses: Requires some post purchase tweaking. Took me two weeks to get the disc brakes lined up exactly right. Not much in the way of product documentation - if you run into trouble setting it up search the web carefully or better yet take it to a pro. Rear shock is a bit of a pain to adjust and is entry level, anyone wanting to put this bike to real extremes will want to swap out it for a FOX.
Bottom Line:
Again, best bang for the $. I changed out the tires and pedals (stock are just cheap platform type) and tightened up the rear shock and made a few other adjustments out of the box. Rides extremely well. Rear shock is great for normal / semi aggressive trails (stuff I ride). The rest of the bike is capable of much more - just upgrade the rear shock and the bike is ready for whatever you can throw at it. Who should buy it - anyone looking for a solid, full suspension entry level / mid grade bike with growth potential. Who shouldn't buy it - the mechanically challenged
Similar Products Used: First serious Mountain Bike, normally ride custom Italian road bike.
Bike Setup: Stock 20" (large) frame with street tires. I'm 6'2" and most bikes feel small - NOT this one. The 20" frame will easily handle tall guys like me. Suggest the 18" for anyone under 6'. Swapped out to a 'cross' style tire for daily commute, use the factory nobbies for blasting downhill or aggressive trails.
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Submitted by
Tony Clement
a Weekend Warrior
from los banos, ca, usa
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2003
Strengths: price, marzochi shocks, disc brakes
Bottom Line:
love this bike. this is my first full suspension bike, also first bike with any shocks and disc brakes. i ride every morning before work, this bike can take a beating. my rides are so much longer in miles now because going cross country on the trails i no longer have to slow down at all for the rough spots, roots, rocks, pot holes etc. the customer service at this company is awesome. they respond very quick to my emails and answered all my questions over the phone. the only thing is im not sure how to adjust the disc brskes but im sure we will work it out.
During my search for a dual-suspension bike w/disc brakes for $500, there were only a selected few that met the requirements. Browsing around all the bikes in the $500 range, I came across the IBEX. I printed out the specs and showed it to my friend (who rides the Sinister DS) and asked him what he thought. He said from a specs point of view, the components don't look bad at all. He told me he's tested several bikes and the one he finally decided on was the only one he didn't tryout. Basically what it came down to was taking a stab at something and that's what I did. When I was ready to buy this bike, the 2003 models have already sold out so I decided to go with the preorder special for the 2004 model.
I received the bike on 9/25 and had my friend help me put it together. The tires look awfully cheap but the saddle is surprisingly comfortable for something that came stock. I will post back again later when I get some more riding time with this bike.
Aside from the weaknesses, the 2004 Ignition 2 is still a very good bike for the money.
Favorite Trail: Coyote Hills (only 1 I've been to so far)
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$469.00
Purchased At: www.ibexbikes.com
Similar Products Used: a friend's Ironhorse Sinister DS, P.O.S. Toy R'Us lime-green 12-speed Kent "All-Terrain" mountain bike
Bike Setup: everything stock
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Submitted by
Steve Keeney
a Cross Country Rider
from Tustin, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2003
Strengths: Good components for the price, strong frame, mechanical disk brakes.
Weaknesses: Judy TT fork
Bottom Line:
A great bike for the price. I've been riding this bike for over a month and am very happy with it. It is tough and goes everywhere: it climbs OK, great on fast singletrack and fireroads, and a blast to bomb downhills. It also handles jumps good. I've done a few 2-3 footers and it soaks them up fine. My skill level is really going up since I got this bike, like riding down some really steep, loose stuff and just letting the bike do the work. 5 stars for value and fun!
Bike Setup: Stock except swapped out the Judy TT and now using a Marzocchi EXR 100mm coil version.
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Submitted by
Shaun Adams
a Weekend Warrior
from San Antonio, TX
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2003
Strengths: Good ride, nice setup
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
This is my second review after about a dozen rides. This bike is very nice. Cant say enough about the bang/buck ratio. Shifts great after some minor tweaks and the brakes do their job. Finish very nice and held up well after a few hairy falls. I would definitely recommend it to a newb like me or anyone looking for a great bike on a budget. My brother in law bought a haro x-1 and it cost 300 more than this one and has the same stuff on it. Check them out!
Submitted by
Steve Keeney
a Cross Country Rider
from Tustin, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2003
Strengths: frame looks strong, rugged single pivot design, good components - Alivio/Deore, mech. disk brakes, rapidfire shifters, double wall rims, actually a good seat (something you don't always find on a budget bike),
Weaknesses: Judy TT seems pretty limited on travel, but everyone should know this is a budget fork.
Bottom Line:
I've been looking around ebay and the local bike shops for a budget full suspension bike. I wanted a new bike, not used, and I didn't want to spend $700-$800. I have been running with Acera/Alivio on my Schwinn for 3 years and have had no problems, its good dependable stuff. The local shops, including Supergo and Jaxs, didn't have much under $700, mostly closeouts on 02 models. I saw IBEX on ebay and checked their website, nice layout. The Ignition series is new this year and speced similarly to Giant Warp DS1 or DS2, also similar to lots of other bikes like K2, GT I Drive 5, Trek...Lots of bike with Judy TT, Alivio/Deore. But then add the disk brakes and rapidfire shifters, under $600 and the list shrinks to IBEX. Go read the reviews on the Specialized Hard Rock UNO, everyone is raving about that bike. I saw one at JAXS and I was not impressed. Its NOT the same frame as the Rockhopper, components are way down the food chain, and it costs at at least $550 for an 02 model. So I decided to give IBEX a shot. I emailed a couple questions about frame geometry and got a response within a few hours. I ordered on and was notified I would receive it the following Thursday. Thursday UPS rolled up with the bike. So far so good. Opened the box, pulled it out and put the front tire, handlebars, and pedals on. Almost done - went to put the seatpost in and it was too big! It looked like it would go, but it didn't want to and I didn't want to bust the seat tube by shoving the wrong sixe post into it. I emailed a disgruntled consumer note to IBEX and thought about going and buying another post. Then I get a phone call from Jack at IBEX and he said the post was the correct size, cuz he just went out to thwe warehouse and unpacked one and it fit. So I say thanks alot and go and get thast seatpost and shove it in. Pretty tight at first, but I sprayed some WD on it and it eventually loosened up OK. Talk about customer service, I'm impressed. So now about the bike. I had to adjust the front derailleaur a bit, and turn the barrel dajustment on the rear to get it shifting really crisp. Rode around the block jumping curbs and I noticed the DNM rear shock was a lot plusher and smoother than the front. That's the Judy TT thing. I happen to have a Psylo that I bought on closeout, so I took it off my Schwiin and put it on the IBEX. Rode around the block, OK, this is pretty sweet. I went down by the railroad tracks and ran over all the rocks, gravel, ruts and bunps I could find - nice ride. I put about a dozen miles on it and it was a blast, nice bike. Great bike for $500. I'll post another review when I put lots more miles on it.
Favorite Trail: newport backbay - the dirt trail along the river
Duration Product Used: Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At: IBEX.com
Similar Products Used: Diamondback Ascent EX, Cannondale F400, Schwinn Mesa GSX (a good one before they went bankrupt).
Bike Setup: Stock - Alivio front derailleaur, Alivio Rapidfire shifters, Alivio cranks, Deore rear derailleaur, Tektro IO mech disk brake, my only upgrade - RockShox Psylo XC fork. DNM rear shock came with 750 lb spring - nice.
