Feel, quality of components

Geometry doesn;t quite fit me

I biked frequently in my twenties, but had fallen away from it for many years. Back in the 80s and 90s I rode a Raleigh racing bike and thought I could just update it with new parts. When I discovered that doing so would cost more than the price of a new bike, I started looking for a new bike.

Not wanting to spend thousands, however, I came upon Ibex Bikes, and was extremely skeptical at first. I did a lot research, found several positive reviews, and rolled the dice.

I purchased the Aprisa Elite 5500 and have been very pleased with the quality. With a family of six, I'm a "weekend warrior" and only get a 20-40 mile ride in each weekend. For my purposes, the Ibex has been great.

If I have one "complaint" it would be the geometry; the bike doesn't fit me perfectly, but hey, I'm quibbling. Great bike for a greater price.

Not much

Cheesy seatpost clamp.
Seatpost. It's 30 grams heavier than a Thomson that was 4 inches longer, and the clamp is a pain to adjust.
Frame really is long for it's size. A short stem cured this though. Next year's frames shorter.

I actually purchased this bike for my son. We were shopping for an entry level road bike with the most in componentry and features for the best price.

High quality componets, light weight, low price and looks good.

Although it is qiute easy to assemble for anyone who has worked on a bike before (and most of us have) new riders might find it to take a little time.

I found Ibex Bikes web site while reading reviews on roadbikereview.com one day. I had spent most of the summer looking for a new bike. I tested a Cannondale R700, Trek 1500 and a Raleigh Supercourse. I also looked at a Fuji Roubaix. All of these bikes had very similar componets and price($1500 - $1250 after tax). So when I began to research the Ibex 5500 I found it had comparable componets. Not just the derailleurs but the crank, cassette, brakes, wheelsets, ect... and at $250 to $500 less then the bikes I was looking at. I was hesitate to buy a bike on-line but I ordered a 57cm. I got the bike in three days. Assembley was easy just installing the handlebars and front wheel. I road about 200 miles and made some fine tuning to the derailleurs and brakes. So far I am very pleased with the bike. It handles good, has a stiff frame and a comfortable ride. And at 20 lbs with pedals and water bottle and cage it is as light or lighter than the other bikes I looked at. So if you are looking for a new bike I would recommend visting ibexbikes.com and don't think that you have to get a bike from a pro-shop.

Similar Products Used:

Schwinn Supersport Trek 1000