Submitted by
Chris Taylor
a Weekend Warrior
from Suwanee GA USA Date Reviewed: October 20, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Tsali
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Bang for the buck, component group selection, high quality frame
Weaknesses:
none to date
Similar Products Used:
Gary Fisher, Cannondale, Trek, Specialized
Bottom Line:
I purchased a Trophey 850 a couple of years ago and typically ride on the weekends. I have thoroughly enjoyed my IBEX and it has been problem free and has given me an excellent ride wherever I go. In my shopping, I had realized that the difference between the brands was simpy the frame construction, frame geometry and the type of front fork that was supplied, as the different component group levels are common to all. With that realization, my only gamble was in the frame, sight unseen. Then 90% of that speculation was resolved with the detailed specifications on your web site concerning the frame geometry as well as the construction. So, it then simply was a dollar-for-dollar comparison to which the IBEX brand won, hands-down, saving me over 30% of the cost of a locally purchased bike with the same quality components and front fork. Two years later, I am so pleased to report that my IBEX bicycle is a fantastic machine and looks great too! Thanks for creating a low overhead business model that puts high end bicycle technology into the hands of a customer with a moderate budget.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alan J
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta Date Reviewed: November 6, 2003
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
www.ibexbikes.com
Strengths:
Written by an employee of IBEX in dispute of unfair review below.
Bottom Line:
This is not a review of this bike, though I did own one for a year (now have an '04 Trophy Pro). I work for IBEX and I am writing to dispute what the reviewer below (Cary Hayes)has falsely stated. First of all, he did not buy a Trophy 850, but rather, a Trophy 650 and size was never an issue. He freely admitted that it fit perfectly. The truth is he contacted us wanting to return the bike because he had crashed it and caused much damage. When he learned that our policy had provisions that exclude damages from abuse, he became very upset. On his first call he volunteered that he had wrecked the bike (hit a curb he said) and bent the wheels, destroyed the rear derailleur and inflicted much damage to the paint. He was advised that customer inflicted damage is not covered under our satisfaction guarantee, nor was shipping. Contrary to his statement below, he initially expected IBEX to pay shipping both ways for his return (he never asked for exchange). When he was advised to read the published details of our policy he hung up in a huff. He then called back a couple of days later and got the owner of IBEX on the phone. At that point he tried to assert that the damage to the bike was "shipping" damage. Unfortunately for him, we keep full records and it was quickly discovered that he was trying to scam us.
It should be noted that our satisfaction guarantee is for real and we back it up just as it is written. We do not boast and nothing was ever said about deductions for a dirty chain. Mr. Hayes seems as eager to put words in our proverbial mouths now as he did when this incident happened.
Had Mr. Hayes wanted to send the bike back (within the prescribed 30-day period), he would have been refunded the amount he paid less shipping (hey, we pay it to UPS) and only barest minimum of deductions for the damages that his crash had caused to the bike. In the few cases like this that we've dealt with we only deduct the cost of repair. We still loose out because those bikes cannot be sold as new even after being fixed.
I think you will find all the people at IBEX to be extremely fair and honest. Our boss (the owner and president of the company) constantly stresses the need for this. I know for a fact that he offered this customer several options to try to resolve the problem including selling him new wheels and deraileur below cost as well as offering to give the fellow an estimate of deductions if he would email photos of the damage. I also know that none of this would do - the guy wanted IBEX to eat what he'd done to the bike.
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Submitted by
Cary Hayes
a Weekend Warrior
from Norman, OK Date Reviewed: September 30, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
IBEX Website
Strengths:
Good componentry for the price
Weaknesses:
The IBEX company has lousy customer support and does not back their product like they say in their warranties
Bottom Line:
They boast that since they are an internet based company you have the opportunity to try the bike at no risk to you and if you are not satisfied then just return for refund minus shipping of course. Well that is not exactly true because I purchased the Trophy 850 and was not pleased because the size was not suitable for my body type. I called to see about returning, not for a refund but for an exchange because I figured that if they were going to stand behind their bikes like that then I was definately buying one from them, only to find out that they were going to go over the bike with a fine tooth comb and deduct from my refund any and all wear and tear that had resulted from my two day test ride(ex. dirty chain -$20.00). After talking with the owner of the company I felt like I could not trust his honesty because he called me a liar so I had to keep the bike because I spent my hard earned money on it and I could not afford to lose a lot of money in this type honor system transaction. All I wanted to do was to get a slightly less expensive model the 450S. I wouold not recommend that anyone make a purchase from this company especially if you have any kind of doubt about the size. Also the seats used on these models are crap!!!
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Submitted by
Tony Bermudez
a Weekend Warrior
from Salt Lake City, UT Date Reviewed: October 23, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$650.00
Strengths:
Great componentry for the price
Weaknesses:
Company not established
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike for the price, all Shimano LX and XT, Ritchey components. My last bike a Raleigh m800 was stolen this past summer and finding a descent bike on a student budget is very difficult. I went for the Ibex 850 because after trying several different bikes, there was no way I would get this kind of value. Though I didn't have a chance to test it out before I purchased it, I took a chance and it is great. This bike is very comparable to other bikes in its class. I have riden this bike throughout the Wasatch mountains and Moab and it has performed very well. I think the Ibex Bicycles Co. has very competitive bikes to other makers, and once they have established themselves they will be recognized as a great bike maker.
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Submitted by
Gil Nadeau
a Weekend Warrior
from Woodstock Date Reviewed: July 8, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Blankets Creek
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
e Bay
Strengths:
Bang for the buck, Well rounded component selection for the price, sturdy and forgiving.
Weaknesses:
Paint color, chips easy, schrader valves.
Bike Setup:
Cockpit seems a little tight for my body and ground clearance feels a little low.
Bottom Line:
A quality bike for a great price. I shopped for while before buying this bike and found the IBEX bikes while shopping e bay. I looked at other bikes in this price range and could not find anything of comparable value. I have put over 150 miles of rough single track on this bike and have had no problems. I would recommend this bike to anyone looking to get into mountain biking and is on a budget. This bike can be easily upgraded to disc brakes and higher end XTR components. If you are wanting to race the bike may be a bit heavy for you and the tires may not have enough traction for sandy trails.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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