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IBEX Asta Expert X9 or Trek / Specialized

3K views 26 replies 12 participants last post by  taikuodo 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,

Finally looking to upgrade my Trek ZX 7000 with Rockshok Quad 21 frontend after 13 years of beating the heck out of it, never had any real issues with the bike during the time I owned it besides some tire/brake changes - overall it has been a great bike. So I start talking to friends and researching new rides, the park right down the street from me has great trails including plenty of climbs, downhills, and very rocky/rooty sections so I figured an All Mountain bike would be a great choice.

Looking to get another bike that will last a long time with proper care but there are so many choices these days it can be very overwhelming.

I read all the info online about IBEX and think the Asta X9 would fit the type of riding I do perfectly, components seem nice and the reviews seem positive for the most part. Working on the bike is no big deal, I am always wrenching on something and consider myself mechanically inclined.

So since the Trek treated me well I started looking at the offerings from them and Specialized since my brother owns an older Stumpjumper and it has been good to him. Comparable models from Trek/Specialized will run around 2K with similar components for an all mountain bike, is it really worth the extra money? For reference my old bike was NEVER back to a bike shop after it was purchased for tune ups or anything being broken, picked up the items I needed and took care of maintenance myself.

I worry about not being able to test ride the IBEX before purchasing but even my LBS only allows parking lot demo rides anyway for the most part.

Any thoughts/comments from people who made similar decisions? I have been waiting to pull the trigger on something new but keep second guessing everything. Did not post this in the IBEX forum because I wanted some unbiased opinions.

Thanks in advance,
Mike
 
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#2 ·
I think Ibex will allow returns if you are not satisfied with the bike's fit, etc. Shipping each way is about $35, so think of it as a $70 rental to try out the bike. Their website should have all the details.

I'm in a similar situation as you. Long-time mtb rider, mechanically inclined, and I might like to try an Ibex b/c they have good specs for the money. Are you aware of in-depth reviews other than the ones found on this site?
 
#3 ·
Buying online is a good option for someone who is capable of doing the assembly and repairs at home and who knows what size and geometry they prefer in a frame. I have purchased a few bikes online over the years (though they were brands also found at LBS) because I'm a former bicycle mechanic and I know exactly what I'm looking for.

Sounds like you have the mechanical part down, if the IBEX fits into what you need, then it looks like a good bike. My only reservation is that IF you have a warranty issue a few years down the road, will IBEX still be around to take care of you. It seems like they will, but I guess its a small risk. You can pretty much count of Trek and Specialized to be around for a long, long time.
 
#5 ·
Asta not a single pivot

taikuodo said:
Depends, specialized has some FSR technology in their pricier models there..
Ibex is single pivot but that isn't a bad thing, simpler and less maintainence.
actually, the Asta is a faux bar link...which of course acts like a single pivot, but will have multiple pivots to maintain...like a FSR
;)
 
#7 ·
Mikek06: I can be of only a little help since I do not have much in MTB experience. But... I just purchased a Asta Expert X9 and love it! Prior to purchasing the Asta, I did goto LBS's and test rode some bikes. One of them being the Stumpjumper FSR. I of course loved that bike too. It was light, rode nice(in the parking lot) and was a fun bike. Problem was, it was out of my budget. Heck, even the FSRxc Comp was great. But, for what I got with X9, I couldn't be happier.

So, there's my partially biased opinion. Good luck with our decision.

Pano
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the replies so far.

Lots of different brands/designs out there these days, throw the suspension components into the mix and man there are a bunch of options. When I first starting looking at the All Mountain bikes with the various shock/pivot arrangements I could not figure out why there were so many different looking designs. Coming from a long motocross motorcycle background pretty much all the manufacturers minus KTM use a standard shock/linkage design and the mountain bike stuff varies with number of pivots, shock placement, etc.

Sure $1,400 for a bike with nice components is better than paying over 2K for something similar - just trying to justify the online purchase and make sure it is the right decision.

How much maintenance does the 4 pivot on the Asta need? I would assume making sure it is greased and there is no play in the bearings/mounts is about all there is to it?

Thanks again, I look forward to reading through pages of info - like a kid in a candy store, money in hand and drooling.
 
#10 ·
mtnbiker72 said:
Buying online is a good option for someone who is capable of doing the assembly and repairs at home and who knows what size and geometry they prefer in a frame. I have purchased a few bikes online over the years (though they were brands also found at LBS) because I'm a former bicycle mechanic and I know exactly what I'm looking for.

Sounds like you have the mechanical part down, if the IBEX fits into what you need, then it looks like a good bike. My only reservation is that IF you have a warranty issue a few years down the road, will IBEX still be around to take care of you. It seems like they will, but I guess its a small risk. You can pretty much count of Trek and Specialized to be around for a long, long time.
I am sure ibex will be around for quite some time.
 
#11 ·
Mikek06 said:
Thanks for the replies so far.

Lots of different brands/designs out there these days, throw the suspension components into the mix and man there are a bunch of options. When I first starting looking at the All Mountain bikes with the various shock/pivot arrangements I could not figure out why there were so many different looking designs. Coming from a long motocross motorcycle background pretty much all the manufacturers minus KTM use a standard shock/linkage design and the mountain bike stuff varies with number of pivots, shock placement, etc.

Sure $1,400 for a bike with nice components is better than paying over 2K for something similar - just trying to justify the online purchase and make sure it is the right decision.

How much maintenance does the 4 pivot on the Asta need? I would assume making sure it is greased and there is no play in the bearings/mounts is about all there is to it?

Thanks again, I look forward to reading through pages of info - like a kid in a candy store, money in hand and drooling.
well if you are anyone is in the Austin area, I'd be more than happy to let you ride my ASTA
 
#12 ·
Mikek06 said:
Thanks for the replies so far.

Lots of different brands/designs out there these days, throw the suspension components into the mix and man there are a bunch of options. When I first starting looking at the All Mountain bikes with the various shock/pivot arrangements I could not figure out why there were so many different looking designs. Coming from a long motocross motorcycle background pretty much all the manufacturers minus KTM use a standard shock/linkage design and the mountain bike stuff varies with number of pivots, shock placement, etc.

Sure $1,400 for a bike with nice components is better than paying over 2K for something similar - just trying to justify the online purchase and make sure it is the right decision.

How much maintenance does the 4 pivot on the Asta need? I would assume making sure it is greased and there is no play in the bearings/mounts is about all there is to it?

Thanks again, I look forward to reading through pages of info - like a kid in a candy store, money in hand and drooling.
Make sure you try or demo the various suspension designs:
-Horst-Link (active/free floating - Patented by specialized),
-ICT (Ellsworth's version of active/free-floating suspension),
-Single-pivot (Cannondale Rush/Prohet, Santa Cruz Superligh/Heckler),
-VPP(single pivot variation Intense/Santa Cruz)
-DW-Link (Dave Weigle -Iron Horse)
Trek, Giant have their own versions
-and others termed Faux 4 bar which I believe looks like a Horst-Link but is single pivot in performance??

These are all mumbo-jumbo terminologies to the average-joe. Like I said ride/demo to know first hand. Just make sure the suspension is set-up correctly for your weight and tell the salesperson to do that.
The frame makes the ride so it is important you like the way it handles/rides.
 
#13 ·
Depends

Mikek06 said:
Thanks for the replies so far.
How much maintenance does the 4 pivot on the Asta need? I would assume making sure it is greased and there is no play in the bearings/mounts is about all there is to it?

Thanks again, I look forward to reading through pages of info - like a kid in a candy store, money in hand and drooling.
Well the main pivots are bearings, which should hold up very well. Actually washing the bike with a pressure washer would do WAY more damage than any trail mud would do. I'm not sure if the seatstay pivots are bearings or bushings...though it hardly matters since this pivot moves about 5 degrees of rotation max. I had a Kona which uses bushings in its seatstay pivots and they lasted the full three years of riding in the NW mud. You don't need to grease anything BTW.
:thumbsup:
 
#14 ·
Faux Bar Clarification

older guy said:
Make sure you try or demo the various suspension designs:
-Horst-Link (active/free floating - Patented by specialized),
-ICT (Ellsworth's version of active/free-floating suspension),
-Single-pivot (Cannondale Rush/Prohet, Santa Cruz Superligh/Heckler),
-VPP(single pivot variation Intense/Santa Cruz)
-DW-Link (Dave Weigle -Iron Horse)
Trek, Giant have their own versions
-and others termed Faux 4 bar which I believe looks like a Horst-Link but is single pivot in performance??

These are all mumbo-jumbo terminologies to the average-joe. Like I said ride/demo to know first hand. Just make sure the suspension is set-up correctly for your weight and tell the salesperson to do that.
The frame makes the ride so it is important you like the way it handles/rides.
Faux bar link is a multiple pivot bike that looks like a FSR/Horst Link bike but with the drop-out pivot on the seatstay instead of the chainstay (like a FSR or ICT bike). They act like a single pivot because the rear wheel and brakes are connected to the main swingarm instead of being isolated by a pivot. They are often labeled a "Four Bar Link", but that term was first coined by Horst Link bikes so it is debatable to whether that is a correct term for them. It is one of the most widely used designs right now mainly because it doesn't have any patents on it (FSR, ICT, VPP, DW-Link, and Giant's Maestro suspensions are all patented). In addition to IBEX, the faux bar link is used by Trek, Fisher, Jamis, Mongoose (cheaper models), Rocky Mountain, and Scott USA to name a few. If you wanted to test ride a faux bar link bike, you could simply test a model from one of the above mentioned companies.

:thumbsup:
 
#15 ·
TXJOHNG - thanks for the ride offer, I am actually in NJ so that would be a bit far for a demo ride.

Mtnbike72 - thanks for the suspension overview, I know some of it already but every little bit of information helps.

Think I am pulling the trigger on the Asta Expert X9 - will know in a day or two.
 
#18 ·
txjohng said:
I am sure ibex will be around for quite some time.
Most likely. But they were closing out their own models on Ebay, which seems odd. Most companies are not eager to undercut their own profit and perceived value.
Trek and Specialized both but dealers off for putting bikes on ebay for that reason.
 
#19 ·
Most companies also do not offer great deals like Ibex.

ps, the closeouts were 2 years old in some cases.. makes sense to me to take the money instead of leaving it to collect dust and loose value.

And by the way, I see Trek and Specialized closeouts on ebay every day, it may be discouraged but it happens.
 
#21 ·
The ibex asta expert x9 weights........

linusv said:
That sure looks like a whole lot of bike for the money. Anyone know how heavy this bad boy weights in at?

txjohng, What sort of riding do you do? Trails, XC...does this bike hold up to hardier riding conditions?
29 lb and 5 oz ... or 29.31 lbs WITH PEDALS

I have this bike and weighted it. SEE picture
 

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#22 ·
taikuodo said:
Most companies also do not offer great deals like Ibex.

ps, the closeouts were 2 years old in some cases.. makes sense to me to take the money instead of leaving it to collect dust and loose value.

And by the way, I see Trek and Specialized closeouts on ebay every day, it may be discouraged but it happens.
Well, you're probably right. Ebay can be a hard place for companies to police even when they try to. I don't think those guys sell their own stuff on ebay, though.
 
#23 ·
linusv said:
txjohng, What sort of riding do you do? Trails, XC...does this bike hold up to hardier riding conditions?
a bit of everything. Mostly Trails/XC. which contain foot or two drops here and there and an occasional 4'<depending if you ride down the hill or jump it :). Occasionally I do Emma Long which is very technical and has 1-4' drops all over the place.

Never a problem. Keep in mind that I am also light. So the Asta which is mostly a XC bit with a bit of AM is sturdy enough for me to do AM because I weigh 168 or so...
 
#24 ·
linusv said:
That sure looks like a whole lot of bike for the money. Anyone know how heavy this bad boy weights in at?

txjohng, What sort of riding do you do? Trails, XC...does this bike hold up to hardier riding conditions?
i've ridden their 06 Asta and i can definitely say it's a bike capable of taking a lot of abuse... Me and my buddies have been giving it some DH, DJ, FR, AM and it's still holding up good. Riders range from 110 to 175lbs

The 07 Asta has been lightened up even more with less gussets. But i'm pretty sure it will still take a good beating... With Ibex i can almost never question it's durability. Especially after i witnessed the crazy abuse my buddy gave his Ibex Trophy Pro...


 
#25 ·
Looking at getting the IBEX X9

Ok, so I have read all through your post, and so far I seem to like what I see of the Ibex, mainly the components.

My only concern is with the frame...Has anyone had any problems with the frame, cracks etc.., and if so how was Ibex with the warranty?

I know that Specialized is usually no questions asked, so they have always been pretty good about that.

I am still trying to make up my mind between the Cannondale Prophet 4, the Specialized

Stumpjumper FSR Comp, both about 2200 and 2000. That is why the Ibex appeals to me, for the price you get better components.

Any help would be appreciated. If it makes any difference I am 6'1 and 185
 
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