Strengths: price, weight, road bike geometry w/ mtn/hybrid bike controls, general high quality parts spec, carbon fiber fork, customer service
Weaknesses: brake levers, squeaky seat, difficult to mount fenders, insufficient braze-ons for touring (otherwise this would make a great touring bike), no LBS support
Bottom Line:
I got an IBEX Corrida LT to replace a "commuterized" hardtail mtn bike (motobecane fly team). I decided on a flat bar road bike for the perceived convenience and comfort. I realize now that flat bars may not be particularly more convenient or comfortable, but for winter commuting the upright position and hands-on-controls do offer a bit of piece of mind.
After a couple hundred miles of fall and winter commuting, I can whole-heartedly recommend this bike.
Shipping was quick, assembly easy, and IBEX responded quickly and effectively to a few issues I had. I would not have any reservations ordering directly from this "manufacturer", you may actually be able to expect better customer service by ordering directly.
The bike is quick and responsive, but not uncomfortably so. The carbon fiber fork helps to dampen the ride without isolating the rider from the road.
Generally the build kit is very well spec'd for the $, but a few parts were not up to par. I replaced the levers which I found ungainly and sloppy. The Ritchey adjustable stem is a nice piece if you want to adjust your stem, but I found that it never felt rigid and was ~100grams more than necessary, so I replaced with a fixed stem. The seat squeaks(especially in the cold), IBEX offered to replace this, but that was back in October when I thought it may just need to be worn in. The combo pedals are the best of this type I've seen.
I think the bottom line is that if you know what you want, know what size you need and are mechanically inclined, this and other IBEX bike are a tremendous value. Lb-for-lb and $-for$ buying direct from the "manufacturer" is hard to beat.
If your not sure what kind,level(quality) or size of bike you need, your probably best sticking to a your local bike shop.
Strengths: The flat bar design and stable geometry are definitely my favorite features of this bike. With the IBEX Corrida, you are getting much more bike for your penny than with other brands. IBEX as a company is only a few years old, and already they are competing quite succesfully with top brand names, and they have excellent customer service - expect to see great things from them in the near future.
Weaknesses: The only weaknesses on this bike that I've seen (and this is mostly based on experience with a previous bike) are the factory-issued tires. Not that these are a big deal for most people, who prefer to buy their own tires anyway, but I'd probably expect to only get 500-600 miles out of them. Maybe this year's tires are better- time will tell. Other than the tires, though, by simply pulling this bike out of the box you have all of the componants you would need, at the quality you deserve.
Bottom Line:
I broke the proverbial champagne bottle on this bike at the Salt Lake Century. To ride 100 miles on an untested bike, the Corrida performed better than I ever expected. I was able to keep up easily with my friends on their $2000 road bikes, and I was comfortable the entire way. Having tried traditional road bikes, the flat bar design is definitely optimal for longer rides, commuting and touring, and the componants on this bike are top-quality, especially for the price.
Similar Products Used: I first purchased an IBEX Corrida back in 2002 when they were marketing it as a light touring bike. In two years I rode it nearly 6,000 miles, and 3,200 of those miles were logged on a fully-loaded cross-country bicycle tour. In that time I put almost no work into the bike, save one broken spoke, and it performed like a dream the entire time I owned it - smooth shifting, powerful braking, stable handling, speed, and most important to me - comfort. I plan to use the 2004 for loaded touring, and expect it will perform just as well.
