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Which bike?

2K views 21 replies 6 participants last post by  knoxf4i 
#1 ·
After doing research and after going to five LBS, here are my final four entry level bikes I am debating over:

Giant Rincon
Giant Yukon
Gary Fisher Marlin
Gary Fisher Tassajara

Which one would you buy and why?

Thanks a lot. :cool:
 
#2 ·
The Rincon has the cheapest components, so if you can afford the others, buy them.
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The Marlin and Yukon are both good bikes in roughly the same price range, with components slightly better on the Marlin - Deore/Alivio on the Marlin vs Deore Acera on the Yukon.
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If you can swing the $620 - $650, the Tassajara is the winner HANDS DOWN. You get Deore Brakes, Deore/LX deraileurs, and better fork suspension.
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I was looking hard at the Yukon, Marlin and Rockhopper when I came upon the Tassajara. After my research I found that nothing in its price range could match its components. I am getting mine out of layaway next month. I am NOT brand loyal, this was just the bike that made the most sense.
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As far as frame geometry, my philosoply is get your bike, then learn to ride it. I haven't ridden in 15 years, so Fisher Genesis Geometry vs Trek or Giant geometry didn't mean anything to me. I will adapt my riding to my bike, not vice-versa.
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Hope this helps. And have fun in your search!
 
#3 ·
Another vote for the Tass

If you can afford it, I would definitely go with the Tassajara. I have an 04 Tass with discs and have been very happy with it. I also like that they put a better fork and better rear DR on the Tass in 05. It seems like a really good bike for the $$$.
 
#7 ·
#8 ·
The closest Ibex you will find to the Tass component wise is the Trophy 770, and it is $699, about $80 more than the Tass. Yes, it has disc brakes, but unless you ride in a lot of mud, disc doesn't warrant the extra dough (in my humble opinion). However, if you want disc brakes, the Trophy 770 looks to be about the same price you might be able to get a Tass disc for, online that is.

(Edit - I just looked and the MSRP on the Trophy 770 and it is $1000!!!
The Alpine 550 MSRPs for $750, and its components are the same as the Marlin. Not a bargain at all. If you look at these, hope that dealers aren't selling for anywhere close to MSRP).

If you have a dealer for Ibex, go check them out. This looks like a solid bike, though I have never seen one. At this point, I am just comparing componets. If you have to pay shipping for ordering it online, forget about it.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Ibex

knoxf4i said:
If you have a dealer for Ibex, go check them out. This looks like a solid bike, though I have never seen one. At this point, I am just comparing componets. If you have to pay shipping for ordering it online, forget about it.
Vulcan is right. Here at IBEX we don't sell through dealers... only direct. You do have the freight cost to deal with, but no sales tax (unless you live in Georgia). That tends to offset the shipping cost, and on higher-end bikes saves a lot of money ($35 shipping vs. 5% to 8% or higher sales tax).

Our MSRP is the price these would be expected to sell for in an LBS with the dealer getting their typical margin. Our "direct" prices are about 25% below LBS, and when on-sale they're even lower.

The GF Marlin mentioned is more in line with our Alpine 450 model which has an MSRP of $575. The Marlin lists for $519.99, but does not have as nice a fork, crankset, hubs or cockpit items. Our Alpine 450 normally sells for $429 "direct", but is on-sale right now for $399. Any way you look at it, the Alpine 450 is still a much better buy. The IBEX Alpine 550 adds disc brakes, a nicer crankset and a Marzocchi EXR fork w/ air for only $100 more... and the IBEX Trophy 770 Disc goes to a double-butted frame, Deore/LX drivetrain, Avid BB-5 disc brakes, Marzocchi EXR Pro Air fork, better wheels, Shimano SPD pedals and TruVativ cockpit items. The Trophy 770 is more in line with the Trek 6700 disc that lists for $1100 than it wold be with the GF Tasajara. In the past few years Trek (who, of course, makes GF) has styled Gary Fisher as their bargain brand and Trek as their premier line. The GF Tasajara may, on first apperance, look like it's on par with the Trek 6700, IBEX Trophy 770 and others in this class, but to hit the Tasajara's price they've had to cut some corners.

Thanks,
Jack A.
IBEX Bicycles
 
#12 ·
Help me out here. As a soon to be Tass owner, what corners did they cut to make the 770 so much better? The components are fantastic for the price, is it the frame? It seems to be solid, having more metal at the welds - giving it a tapered look away from the welds.

Those MSRPs seem out of line with the rest of the bikes out there, and I would never pay that much for any of these bikes at an LBS. However, with the price they are actually selling at, it looks like I need to seriously consider IBEX for my next bike - especially with only $35 shipping.

Thanks for the education. Is there anywhere to test ride an IBEX? Just curious how the bike would feel after I ride my Tass for a few years.
 
#13 ·
knoxf4i said:
Help me out here. As a soon to be Tass owner, what corners did they cut to make the 770 so much better? The components are fantastic for the price, is it the frame? It seems to be solid, having more metal at the welds - giving it a tapered look away from the welds.
The frames of the 05 Tassajara and 05 770 Disc are very similar. Both are made of 6061 aluminum and they are double butted. Components are the difference here. Comparing the Tass to the 770 the thing that jumps out at me is the fork. The EXR air is a step up from the Axel. The discs on the 770 are a nice addition as well.

Comparing the Tass Disc to the 770 the fork is still the big factor. I don't know much about the Hayes Sole discs, so I can't comment on those. Otherwise I would say they are speced very similarly.

knoxf4i said:
Thanks for the education. Is there anywhere to test ride an IBEX? Just curious how the bike would feel after I ride my Tass for a few years.
Probably not, unless you can find someone who has one. The best alternative is to find a similar bike and test that. I think Ibex offers a 30 day satisfaction garuntee.
 
#14 ·
DD required!

knoxf4i said:
As a soon to be Tass owner, what corners did they cut...
I can't speak for the GF frame, but the Axel fork is not very good (IMO) and all the in-house parts are a cost cutting measure. Remember, Bontrager is Trek... as is GF. The crank and cockpit items are produced strictly for use on their own bike models.

knoxf4i said:
Those MSRPs seem out of line with the rest of the bikes out there... it looks like I need to seriously consider IBEX for my next bike - especially with only $35 shipping.
Do your research. I think you'll find that the upper echelon of Deore hardtails w/ quality brand disc brakes sell for a good bit more than the Tasajara. A few examples are:

Trek 6700 Disc: Advertised Retail Price = $1,099.99
Specialized Rockhopper Pro: MSRP = $1,100
Kona Caldera: US MSRP = $999
IBEX Trophy 770 Disc: MSRP = $1000 / IBEX "direct" price = $749 / Pre-Launch Sale = $699

So tell me again how unrealistic IBEX's MSRP's are? The fact that LBS prices are so high is precisely the reason that IBEX sells direct to the consumer where we can price our bikes about 25% below typical LBS prices. We do this by streamlining distribution and cutting out dealer profits... a savings we pass on to our customers.

And, for the sake of argument:

Gary Fisher Tasajara Disc: MSRP = $859.99

Now explain to me why the Tasajara sells for less than the others. Is Trek just being nice? I don't think so. There are others in the same class as the Tasajara like the Jamis Exile, Raleigh M80, KHS Alite 2000 and such. These bikes undercut the full-blown Deore hardtails by cutting back on fork selection, cockpit items, hubs and such... thereby forming a 2nd tier of Deore hardtails.

Our Trophy 770 Disc costs less than those 2nd tier bikes, but fits in squarely with the 1st tier bikes in every way except the price we ask you to pay for it. Heck, for less than most of those other Deore bikes go for in an LBS you can step up to IBEX's LX/XT equipped Trophy 880 Disc.

I'm not knocking knox's decision to go with the GF. That's fine if the name-on-the-frame means that much to you, but please don't imply that we've exaggerated our MSRP's. We are extremely careful to be accurate with these since they serve mainly as a guide to show our customers what they can expect to pay for a similarly equipped bike in one of those big-name-brands in the LBS.

-JA

2004 IBEX Trophy 770 Disc
 
#15 ·
ibexbikes said:
In the past few years Trek (who, of course, makes GF) has styled Gary Fisher as their bargain brand and Trek as their premier line.
i don't think that's true. look at trek's base-level bikes and then look at fisher's
 
#16 ·
Okay, first - I couldn't care less WHAT name is on the frame, as long as it's a good bike. I looked at Trek, Giant, Fisher, and Specialized. The Tass beat everything out there price and component wise (couldn't find an IBEX dealer to go check them out - now I know why).

Second, I was asking serious questions, not trying to bash IBEX. Your replies are exellent otherwise. In spite of what I feel was a bit of a personal shot in your response, I will definitely look at IBEX when I upgrade my bike. If what you are saying is true, then they should be a powerhouse compared to other bikes. I wish I would have known of them before I laid my deposit down on the Tass.

Oh, and I also disagree with the Fishers being the bargain bikes of TREK. There are some pretty crappy Treks out there in the bargain bin.

So, to clear things up, Thank You for opening my eyes to a company that builds quality bikes and saves us some money at the same time. Just be careful with the Customer Service type replies here - you might run off a future customer like myself.
 
#17 ·
Apologies!

knoxf4i said:
I couldn't care less WHAT name is on the frame...
Knox, no personal insult was intended. If you took it that way I apologize for not choosing my words more carefully.

Trust me, there are lots of folks out there perfectly willing to pay more just to have a certain brand that they think superior.

There is nothing wrong with the Tasajara, but it is not spec'd as well as some Deore hardtails including the IBEX Trophy 770 Disc. Those all fit into another MSRP price range entirely.

-JA
 
#18 ·
Ibex, Thanks for the reply. Even if I was wrong, it was great seeing that response. You have just pushed IBEX waaaay up for me.

I agree about the forks. Even though the Tass put a better fork on than last year's, from what I hear it is still one of the weak spots. For the type of riding I do, I am sure it will be good enough.

If I don't decide to upgrade components and keep my frame, I will sell the bike and get one of the Ibex Trophies. Like I said, I wish I would have known all of this before.

The Tass is still one of my favorite bikes, but I have to admit that after pulling up side by side comparisons, you guys are right. Those Trophies (the one's that I am looking at - in my price range) are sweet machines.

I will start spreading the word. I didn't think there was ANYTHING out there that could compete with the Tass for components and value. You have made a believer out of me.

Thanks again for broadening my horizons. I love learning!
 
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