It's a little early for this, but here's a little teaser on the future of IBEX roadbikes. We are in the final stages of developing a new full carbon frame to replace our now discontinued Aprisa Team frame (carbon alloy mix w/ CF chainstays and seatstays). The new full carbon frame is likely to be named the "Specter", though that is not yet final. We've put some hard miles on a couple of prototypes already and will have a 3rd prototype ready for testing soon. I suspect that it will be awfully close to what will see production.

At the moment we plan to produce 2 models on the new CF frame for 2008. The first will be a full Dura-Ace model as we did with the Aprisa Team Ace. That one had a full D-A kit including D-A drivetrain, D-A, brakes, D-A wheels & D-A pedals. If we do likewise with the Specter Ace, it will sell for something like $2,800 to $3,000... high ticket, for sure, but still maybe 2-grand less than similar bikes in the big-name LBS brands.

The other model, and I think the biggest news, will be a Specter with Shimano's new-for-2008 Ultegra SL drivetrain. If you haven't heard, yet, Shimano decided to slot this new group in between standard Ultegra and Dura-Ace. It will be considerably lighter than standard Ultegra, yet much less expensive than Dura-Ace. Ultegra SL will feature a new unique color called "Ice Gray"... somewhat similar to the shiny gray XTR they did a couple of years back. Anyway, there will be matching wheelsets and pedals available for Ultegra SL which may both find their way onto the IBEX model with that group.

BTW, the all alloy Aprisa and alloy/carbon mix Aprisa Elite frames (alloy w/ CF seatstays) will still be with us for 2008 and beyond. Currently we produce our Aprisa Elite 6600 on AL/CF frame with full Ultegra group... and we produce Tiagra and 105 equipped models with the standard alloy Aprisa frame, Aprisa 4500 & 5600, respectively. Those models are all expected to remain in our line-up through at least 2009.

Best regards,
Jack A.
IBEX Bicycles

Any Chance of getting some spy photos?

Any Chance of getting some spy photos?
Sure! Here's our latest prototype frame just before we built it out for road testing. Mind you, it's made with 12K carbon (hence the checkerboard effect) and only got simple decals stuck on it, nothing like I imagine we'll do for production. I expect the production bikes will be made with more typical 3K material. We're still debating whether we want paint on it or will go with decals and highlighting only.

http://www.ibexbikes.com/images/Bikes/2007/Prototypes/08-SPC-R3-720.jpg

That frame looks a whole lot like this frame:

And this one too:

Still..............looks like a quality frame.

"Specter?" Hopefully you run the name through the spell checker before you order the decals to be printed up.

Sure! Here's our latest prototype frame just before we built it out for road testing. Mind you, it's made with 12K carbon (hence the checkerboard effect) and only got simple decals stuck on it, nothing like I imagine we'll do for production. I expect the production bikes will be made with more typical 3K material. We're still debating whether we want paint on it or will go with decals and highlighting only.



Without question lose the electrical tape checkerboard effect.

Also, IMO the totally nude carbon weave was overdone in the past. I kind of like the transition from carbon weave to paint.

Good luck with you sales.

And this one too:

Still..............looks like a quality frame.
Not surprising. We're working with a carbon factory to produce our frame that builds for many other brands. In beginning to look at the design issues, they have suggested elements common to other frames they build. From what I can gather, we are not unique in this approach. It seems that very few, even big-name-brands, are prepared to invest in establishing their own in-house carbon works.

JA

"Specter?" Hopefully you run the name through the spell checker before you order the decals to be printed up.
American English:

spec·ter (spěk'tər) n.
1) A ghostly apparition; a phantom.
2) A haunting or disturbing image or prospect.

I would prefer to use the British spelling "Spectre" (actually French, but Brits & Canooks spell it this way too), and I may yet. However since our market is the USA (we no longer ship to Canada and never have shipped to the UK), I was concerned that Americans would be confused and offer the same sort of misguided criticism that you did.

JA

I didn't realize that spectre/specter had one of those wierd British/American spelling differences. "Specter" just didn't look right to me, somehow.

Great looking frame, BTW:)

Not surprising. We're working with a carbon factory to produce our frame that builds for many other brands. In beginning to look at the design issues, they have suggested elements common to other frames they build. From what I can gather, we are not unique in this approach. It seems that very few, even big-name-brands, are prepared to invest in establishing their own in-house carbon works.

JA


Yeah that's understandable.........i've had a good close up look at one of those Azzurri bikes here in Australia and I was really impressed at the excellent quality and awesome value. The minmalistic approach you've taken on that protoype with gold decals looks fantastic.

So when will our spectacles be able to see the specter on your site for sale? August 2007? Jan 2008? Other?

tia

So when will our spectacles be able to see the specter on your site for sale? August 2007? Jan 2008? Other?

tia
Unfortunately, I don't think this will be a Fall release for us. I'm figuring something like February 2008. We will, however, announce them sooner with their own detail pages and start taking advance purchase orders at special pre-launch pricing as we often do with upcoming models. I would expect we'll wait until around October to do that when we have proper photos as well as final specs & pricing. It also tends to upset people if we officially announce more than 3 or 4 months ahead of delivery. If we get some decent photos sooner, we will post them on our "In the Works (http://www.ibexbikes.com/works_index.html)" section.

BTW, my target pricing is around $1,600 to $1800 on the Ultegra SL version and something like $2,400 to $2,800 on Dura-Ace (depending on whether or not we go the full route of including D-A wheels and pedals like we did on the Aprisa Team Ace).

JA

BTW, my target pricing is around $1,600 to $1800 on the Ultegra SL version and something like $2,400 to $2,800 on Dura-Ace (depending on whether or not we go the full route of including D-A wheels and pedals like we did on the Aprisa Team Ace).

JA

Hey Jack, (I'm assuming this is Jack) the new frame looks awesome. I know someone else said that naked carbon was overdone but I know lots of people who like to see some carbon. You know like high lights, a little bit intentionally shown say on the top tube, on the seat says for example. Food for thought is all.

My questions:

If not the Dura Ace wheels what are you looking at putting on each bike? Neuvations perhaps?

When you say Ultegra SL and Dura-Ace equipped are you talking full (all the way down to the cassette or mostly (IE going with a cheap set of brakes)?

I know its really early and I would totally understand if you put a heavily optimistic not holding you to anything type of statement, but what can we look forward to target weights? Would under 17 lbs be a realistic expectation?

Are we talking standard doubles or compact doubles here? (I get a feeling not a triple or am I wrong?)

Since this is your first full carbon bike what can we expect for warranties? A standard 90 day parts and lifetime on the frame (excluding user damage of course)?

Lastly, should us heavier guys (over 200lbs) expect any weight restrictions?

Thanks!

Hey Jack, (I'm assuming this is Jack) the new frame looks awesome. I know someone else said that naked carbon was overdone but I know lots of people who like to see some carbon. You know like high lights, a little bit intentionally shown say on the top tube, on the seat says for example. Food for thought is all.
Good questions, all... and, yep, this is Jack. We would definitely leave some carbon showing. It's either do a masked paint job with about 1/3 to 1/2 of the carbon exposed, or do a decal set that emulates paint highlights and leaves about 3/4 or more carbon exposed.


My questions:

If not the Dura Ace wheels what are you looking at putting on each bike? Neuvations perhaps?
We are looking at Neuvation's new R28 SL3 wheelset, especially for the Ultegra SL bike. Those are slightly lighter than the Ultegra SL wheelset... at least we think so. I have to verify if the Shimano weight is published with skewers and the Neuvation without (which I think is the case), and adjust for that. We're also considering Ritchey Protocol on the D-A bike and DS Pro on the Ultegra SL one. The final decisions will be a balance of cost, weight and performance. As you know, Shimano holds their stuff pretty dear. I feel confident that we can give you equal quality for a bit less money with the Neuvations or Ritchey's, but on the other hand I love the idea of having a wheelset matched to the groupo. So, we'll see!


When you say Ultegra SL and Dura-Ace equipped are you talking full (all the way down to the cassette or mostly (IE going with a cheap set of brakes)?Yes, these would be full kits... shifters, derailleurs, cranks, brakes, cassettes and probably chains (also, possibly matching Shimano wheels as discussed about). Note that the Ultegra SL group relies on standard Ultegra cassette and chain at this point.


I know its really early and I would totally understand if you put a heavily optimistic not holding you to anything type of statement, but what can we look forward to target weights? Would under 17 lbs be a realistic expectation?These bikes will be under 17 lbs., without question. I was going over this just last night trying to get a handle on where we'd land with them. Starting with the Spectre Ace, I compared our weight on the previous Aprisa Team Ace model. It was 16.9 lbs. The Spectre frame should come in about 200g lighter, and whichever way we go with the wheels they will certainly be lighter. The Aprisa Team Ace had WH-7800 D-A wheels published out at 1716 g. (QR skewer included). The new WH-7850-SL D-A wheelset that we'd use on the 2008's is almost 250g lighter. Other wheels under consideration are not far off of that. The fork for these is potentially 150g lighter and the cockpit set about the same 150g lighter, too. So, all tolled, we could be looking at a 15.5 lb. final weight on the Dura-Ace model.

I won't go through all the calculations, but the Ultegra SL would likely come out something like 1 lb. heavier than the D-A at around 16.5 lbs.


Are we talking standard doubles or compact doubles here? (I get a feeling not a triple or am I wrong?)These will definitely be doubles. Whether we go with standard 52/39T or compact 50/34T is still open for debate.


Since this is your first full carbon bike what can we expect for warranties? A standard 90 day parts and lifetime on the frame (excluding user damage of course)?Our warranty will be the same as our alloy frames. However, we may be going to a 5-year across the board frame waranty for 2008. My biggest concern with keeping the lifetime warranty in effect is being able to verify original ownership, and of course, being able to supply frames with similar component requirements once we get more than 5-years out. Our warranty statement on components should probably be updated and clarified. The 90-day thing is intended to cover any components that do not carry a manufacturer's warranty or are from makers who do not have a factory presence in the US. Otherwise, all components carry maker's warranty... for example, Shimano is 2-years, and IBEX bikes are eligible for the same coverage of their parts as any LBS brand with the same component brands on them.


Lastly, should us heavier guys (over 200lbs) expect any weight restrictions?We won't publish a weight limit, per se. However, there is a practical limit to any bike. After working with our test bikes, I feel confident that these frames will easily handle larger riders up into the 275 lb. range.

Regards,
Jack A.
IBEX Bicycles

This may be too much thread drift, but any ideas on the 2008 X-Rays? Any changes? Probable dates??

This may be too much thread drift, but any ideas on the 2008 X-Rays? Any changes? Probable dates??Yep, a little too far OT for this thread. Please start a new thread in the IBEX forum and I'll look for it and give what answers I can there.

Thanks,
Jack

BTW, my target pricing is around $1,600 to $1800 on the Ultegra SL version and something like $2,400 to $2,800 on Dura-Ace

Wow Jack....those prices look very fair and the frame looks really nice...I think I would be in for one right now if I can scrape up the change! I bought an Atlas Sport from you earlier, and wouldnt mind having a road bike from you guys...will you have a frame size for me (6'4")? THanks, Chris

Wow Jack....those prices look very fair and the frame looks really nice...I think I would be in for one right now if I can scrape up the change! I bought an Atlas Sport from you earlier, and wouldnt mind having a road bike from you guys...will you have a frame size for me (6'4")? THanks, ChrisWe plan to produce these in 51cm - 54cm - 57cm - 60cm. This is our normal spread for hitting the bulk of the market. Being a small company, but with pricing based on moving volume, I'm afraid we're not yet in a position to offer more extremes in sizing (well, OK we do offer a limited number of CX frames in 48cm on the other end of the scale, but nothing larger than 60cm right now).

While you may fall in the upper end of the fit range for the 60cm, I think you're still OK there. BTW, those are adjusted sizes because of the sloping top-tube. The actual seat-tube measurement is less, but the adjusted figures indicate the size they compare to in a traditional road frame with level top-tube. I think this is becoming pretty common after all the confusion created at first with compact frames. I don't necessarily consider this a compact. The T/T slope is not as pronounced as a full-on compact like those in Giant's road line. Again, I don't think our approach is unusual in that respect.

Regards,
Jack

Nice looking frame.

FWIW, I have a contact in Taiwan from whom I was able to get some frames from Trigon. The frame I built up rides every bit as nice as my Giant TCR Advanced. So, brand name doesn't necessarily mean anything. In some cases it does, certainly, but I think a lot of the stuff coming out of Taiwan from companies like Martec, Trigon, Gigantex, etc. is great stuff.

I have to vote down the paint. It just adds weight. Great looking stuff though.

"Specter?" Hopefully you run the name through the spell checker before you order the decals to be printed up.

Hopefully you pick up a dictionary before you decide to make another snide remark, Bernard.

i absolutely want the Ultegra SL version.

one question i have for the IBEX guy is what is the difference between the sizes of carbon weave? is a smaller weave stronger? i was looking (for the fun of it) at the Bottechia carbon bikes and they look like they are made from a larger weave.

i recently bought a Motobecane Fantom Cross Pro only because it was basically the same as the X-ray but with Ultegra parts. i really like it but personally i would much rather buy from IBEX as apposed to Bikesdirect.com mainly because the service...bang for the buck...that is pretty much the only reason to buy from Bikesdirect.com, i am not saying i will never do it again...just that i would really rather not.

for the wheels...i vote for the Neuvations even though the reason i like IBEX is because they use the full group set. second choice would of course be the Shimano Ultegra SL wheels. my Motobecane Fantom Cross Pro has Ritchey Pro wheels and i have to say i really like them...even better than Mavic Aksium's but not better than Easton Circuit's. i have always wanted to try the Neuvations.

the only upgrade i am going to do on the Moto X-pro other than a carbon bar is to switch the crank from Truvativ cross crank to the Shimano FC-R700. part of the reason i didn't buy an the IBEX Aprisa instead of the Moto is that all the really nice IBEX bikes are triples and i already have a triple and one is enough...a compact is way nicer...unless you are climbing mountains.

i absolutely want the Ultegra SL version.

one question i have for the IBEX guy is what is the difference between the sizes of carbon weave? is a smaller weave stronger? i was looking (for the fun of it) at the Bottechia carbon bikes and they look like they are made from a larger weave.



It will be interesting to read the answer to this if Jack is able to answer. I'm under the impression that this "top layer" weave offers very little if any structural integrity and is mostly cosmetic. However, I'm not really sure. I know Aegis offers a weave as an upgrade and does claim that it provides some strength.

If he does not answer here you may want to send him an email at the Ibex address.


....personally i would much rather buy from IBEX as apposed to Bikesdirect.com...

....but not better than Easton Circuit's.



I'm with you an both counts here. I been riding circuits for quite a while and at 250# + have only had one broken spoke and was able to ride home 10 mile on it. Heck it was broke for at least 5 mile before I knew it.

...what is the difference between the sizes of carbon weave? is a smaller weave stronger?...I can't give you the definitive word on the world of carbon. All I really know at this point has to do with the materials we're dealing with. No doubt there are other formats out there, but they are not involved in our situation.

Basically, what our carbon contractor deals with is either 3K or 12K material. The 3K is the typical weave that everyone is used to seeing on most forks, seatpost, handlebars and such... tight weave in small even diamonds. The 12K is the same fiber but woven in a different pattern. I assume from the names that the 3K is 3,000 thread per warp and weft while the 12K is 12,000 threads each way. That is not TPI (threads per inch), just the number of threads in each pass of the loom. They appear to have the same resulting density of thread count, just more parallel threads showing together with the 12K creating larger "squares".

According to the engineers we're working with there is no significant difference in the strength of the resulting frame either way. Maybe others "in the know" will chime in to dispute this, but it appears to be like the difference between 6061 aluminum and 7005. Yes, the 7005's numbers show it to be slightly harder, but both are such overkill for the stresses encountered by a bike frame that any small differences on paper are meaningless. The greatest difference, for our purposes here, is the look of the raw carbon.

Frankly, I find the 12K a little disconcerting. It's certainly OK looking in person, but just comes off as a checkerboard in photos... and, like most people, I'm so used to the look of 3K being what I think of whenever carbon fiber is mentioned that I much prefer it. Apparently, most other manufacturers do too. There is a bit of a shortage of 3K on the market resulting in long lead times and slightly higher prices for it as a raw material over the 12K. It is my intention to use 3K for our frame. If we find that we simply cannot overcome the shortage on a timely basis and are forced to use 12K, I would likely go for full paint rather than exposed carbon.

JA

:thumbsup:

Well, I don't see many road bikes with bare carbon... plus as someone said earlier, paint only adds weight.

=]

looks awesome though.

nice thread on a bike in development. as someone who might be in the market for a new frame/bike in the next year, i would like to chime in a bit.

as far as paint goes, i think green paint with some of 12K weave might be easy on the eyes. possibly even with gold lettering, but im not sure about that. if 12K weave keeps the price down, you might wanna go with that. i doubt your customer base would be turned off by the weave pattern. if they were, they would probably be shelling out twice as much for a namebrand product, right?

why the tail on the seat tube? i thought designs were moving away from the tail and goin back to straight tubing.

is the headtube 1 1/8 top and bottom or are you goin down the path of varrying headtube diameter?

clamp on FD mount or "braze" on?

also, if you are discontinuing the mixed alloy/cf bikes, will those be on closeout?

i wonder if the shock absorption cahracteristic of the frame wouldn't be changed by the dimensions of the weave. I mean either way it's resin hardened textile and there are probably too many factors to play into that. I think it would be awesome to have a colored carbon/kevlar weave that could be complimented with decals and such. I really like the design as is. (My highschool colors actually :)) Man this concept is exciting though. You guys may very well see some coin from me when I upgrade someday.

nice thread on a bike in development. as someone who might be in the market for a new frame/bike in the next year, i would like to chime in a bit.

as far as paint goes, i think green paint with some of 12K weave might be easy on the eyes. possibly even with gold lettering, but im not sure about that. if 12K weave keeps the price down, you might wanna go with that. i doubt your customer base would be turned off by the weave pattern. if they were, they would probably be shelling out twice as much for a namebrand product, right?I'm not sure that quite jibes with our core philosophy, which is to present products that are as good or better than the mainstream brands in the LBS, but sell them for less. I'm not talking about niche brands, but about the Trek's and Specialized and Giant's of the world... and I'm talking comparable models too. If we put out a bike that's supposed to compare to an LBS model with a $2,000 MSRP, it's not fair to ask it to compare to a $5,000 model even in those mainstream brands.

why the tail on the seat tube? i thought designs were moving away from the tail and goin back to straight tubing.Looks cool... that's about it unless you're going 100 MPH.

is the headtube 1 1/8 top and bottom or are you goin down the path of varying headtube diameter?This'll be typical 1 & 1/8" threadless, though with an integrated style headset. I'm not sure what the varying diameter thing is all about. Maybe I'm out of the loop, but for now we want common formats for headsets, bottom-brackets, seatposts, and such.

clamp on FD mount or "braze" on?Clamp-on. The seat-tube has a shallow channel molded in at FD level to help compensate for squeeze. We looked at doing "braze-on", but with CF the bracket would be riveted and I just do not trust that.

also, if you are discontinuing the mixed alloy/cf bikes, will those be on closeout? What we're discontinuing is our Aprisa Team series. We've already sold-out of all those bikes and frames. The Aprisa Elite frame will still be in the IBEX line-up for '08 and beyond. The main difference, besides price, was that the Team version had CF seat-stays and chain-stays while the Elite has CF seat-stays only. Since the Aprisa Teams are no more, we're going to start selling the Aprisa Elite frame separately as a frame & fork combo (we've only offered the Team version as a separate frame in the past).

I'm not sure what you had in mind for a close-out, but we have an introductory price of $499 going on right now for the 2007 Aprisa Elite frame (http://www.ibexbikes.com/Bikes/APR-FRM-Details.html) with carbon fork and FSA cartridge headset. The first of those are due to arrive in the next 2-weeks, so that price may not stick around for long. They are normally supposed to be at a "direct" price of $799 with an MSRP (or comparison price) of $1,200. That's a proven design that we've have out on complete bikes for over a year with nothing but raves. See RBR founder, francois' review thread regarding his Aprisa Elite 6600 for more info:

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=78815

http://www.ibexbikes.com/images/Bikes/2007/APR-FRM-720.jpg

i wonder if the shock absorption cahracteristic of the frame wouldn't be changed by the dimensions of the weave. I mean either way it's resin hardened textile and there are probably too many factors to play into that. I think it would be awesome to have a colored carbon/kevlar weave that could be complimented with decals and such. I really like the design as is. (My highschool colors actually :)) Man this concept is exciting though. You guys may very well see some coin from me when I upgrade someday.I suspect that any differences in shock absorption due to the weave could only be discerned on paper.

We have looked at some transparent colored paints that tint the frame but allow the weave to show-up underneath. Frankly, I doubt we'll go that route the first year out with these, but you never know until the final decision is made... which is usually about four o'clock in the morning when I'm up against the deadline for ordering paint and just can't put it off any longer (4:00 am here is 4:00 pm, or 1-hour before closing time, for the paint supplier in Taiwan)... meaning it'll come down to crunch time even after having had weeks or months to struggle over choices. So, I don't think I can give you anything definitive on the paint issue right now.

Looks cool... that's about it unless you're going 100 MPH.

yeah, i have a bike with teh fairing and it does look cool. but with no real utilization, i guess the real reason to keep it on is the "wow factor." wouldn't going to a straight tube cut weight? even just a little?


This'll be typical 1 & 1/8" threadless, though with an integrated style headset. I'm not sure what the varying diameter thing is all about. Maybe I'm out of the loop, but for now we want common formats for headsets, bottom-brackets, seatposts, and such.


the thought it is keeps the front end stiffer. it is larger on the bottom and 1 1/8 at the top. i dont think they sell after-market headsets with that yet. and the only two manufactureres that i know doin it are specialized and trek. probably some other tour suppliers, but im not sure.


What we're discontinuing is our Aprisa Team series. We've already sold-out of all those bikes and frames. The Aprisa Elite frame will still be in the IBEX line-up for '08 and beyond. The main difference, besides price, was that the Team version had CF seat-stays and chain-stays while the Elite has CF seat-stays only. Since the Aprisa Teams are no more, we're going to start selling the Aprisa Elite frame separately as a frame & fork combo (we've only offered the Team version as a separate frame in the past).

I'm not sure what you had in mind for a close-out, but we have an introductory price of $499 going on right now for the 2007 Aprisa Elite frame (http://www.ibexbikes.com/Bikes/APR-FRM-Details.html) with carbon fork and FSA cartridge headset. The first of those are due to arrive in the next 2-weeks, so that price may not stick around for long. They are normally supposed to be at a "direct" price of $799 with an MSRP (or comparison price) of $1,200. That's a proven design that we've have out on complete bikes for over a year with nothing but raves. See RBR founder, francois' review thread regarding his Aprisa Elite 6600 for more info:
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=78815

http://www.ibexbikes.com/images/Bikes/2007/APR-FRM-720.jpg

yeah, i would probably be buying a frame only. i read francois' review, and thats what made me really start to think about goin the ibex way for my next frame. unfortunately, my wife would kill me if i added another arrow to the quiver right now. even at $500.
i do like the looks of the bikes, and the fact you come here for feedback. it is cool to see a bike in development.
i know that red bikes look fast, and speed sells, but red (and completely bare carbon) is kinda becoming the new yellow, if ya know what i mean. blue seems to be in, and i can see a shift to green/carbon/white in the near future. but thats just me. maybe if that happens i can finally find green bar tape somewhat easily.

oh, and if you ever need a tester...

yeah, i have a bike with teh fairing and it does look cool. but with no real utilization, i guess the real reason to keep it on is the "wow factor." wouldn't going to a straight tube cut weight? even just a little?



the thought it is keeps the front end stiffer. it is larger on the bottom and 1 1/8 at the top. i dont think they sell after-market headsets with that yet. and the only two manufactureres that i know doin it are specialized and trek. probably some other tour suppliers, but im not sure.I think we're only talking about 3 or 4 grams on the "fairing". However, if I'm understanding the "varying" headset idea correctly, that is where you should be focusing the question of unnecessary added weight. Your description of it brings to mind the Freeride/Downhill headsets like the FSA PIG. Those have larger size ball-bearings for the bottom race and weigh a ton. Great for hardcore MTB disciplines like FR/DH where weight is not a big factor, but...

doesnt need the variable headtube. i can see it trickle down in a few years, though. but keeping 1 1/8 is probably the best thing.


I think we're only talking about 3 or 4 grams on the "fairing". However, if I'm understanding the "varying" headset idea correctly, that is where you should be focusing the question of unnecessary added weight. Your decription of it brings to mind the Freeride/Downhill headsets like the FSA PIG. Those have larger size ball-bearings for the bottom race and weigh a ton. Great for hardcore MTB diciplines like FR/DH where weight is not a big factor, but...

I say release the frame exactly as you have it here...checkerboard with simple gold lettering. It looks great this way.

I like the larger weave carbon. Being a car junkie, carbon fiber add ons have been very trendy with the "ricer" set, so the small weave carbon is kind of played out in my mind. the large weave is unique and i've never seen it before.

My $.02

OK, here's a Photoshop'd image of our final decal design. Decals are produced for us by an outside firm, so it will be a while before we have actual photos. We decided to go with decals and clearcoat only (no additional paint), but add a bold splash of color in the graphics. Green and Yellow have been our traditional racing colors, so even though we played with a lot of different color combinations, I ended up favoring this set-up:

103728

wow, that looks awesome Jack!

OK, here's a Photoshop'd image of our final decal design. Decals are produced for us by an outside firm, so it will be a while before we have actual photos. We decided to go with decals and clearcoat only (no additional paint), but add a bold splash of color in the graphics. Green and Yellow have been our traditional racing colors, so even though we played with a lot of different color combinations, I ended up favoring this set-up:

103728

I think it looks excellent! Time to start building them, selling them and shipping them out to the people! We can't wait!

Just so you know JA, this constant feedback with the community is something incredibly important to me. It demonstrates that your company really cares about its customers and its practice. I had been undecided, but now I'm sure my family's next bike purchase will be from you. If I do decide to get a road bike (I currently use a MTB with hybrid tires), it will likely be this new Specter with the Ultegra parts.

The green has gotta go. Like everything except the ugly green, makes the bike look cartoonish....

Just so you know JA, this constant feedback with the community is something incredibly important to me. It demonstrates that your company really cares about its customers and its practice. I had been undecided, but now I'm sure my family's next bike purchase will be from you. If I do decide to get a road bike (I currently use a MTB with hybrid tires), it will likely be this new Specter with the Ultegra parts.
Thank you for saying so! Frankly, as yet, the IBEX forum here has not yielded quite the same traction as our forum on RoadBikeReview's sister site, MTBR.com. Consequently, I don't check in on the RBR forum quite as often as I do the MTBR one. So, if I seem a little slow answering questions here, just give me a kick by way of an email to info@ibexbikes.com.

We have some interesting projects ahead of us in the roadbike range that I hope will spark a little more activity on the boards here. As you know from this thread, we're coming out with our first full carbon frame this coming year. We're also coming out with a disc brake equipped cyclocross model (IBEX X-Ray Comp Disc). We'll be looking at the possibility of other disc equipped road models for '09. I'm also kicking around the idea of expanding drivetrain offerings beyond Shimano. I almost pulled the trigger on a SRAM equipped version of the Spectre for '08, but decided I'd better wait and see how the reception is to our new frame... and give SRAM a little more time to percolate through the market before we jump in. Additionally, the folks at FSA told me they are planning a full road group for '09. I don't know anything more than that, but if FSA's engineering history is any indication, it may be well worth looking into. Of course, there's also Campagnolo, but I'm not sure if that would fly in the market segment that IBEX appeals to. Any comments?

Regards,
Jack A.
IBEX Bicycles

i do like the fact you hit these forums.

as far as components, i do believe keeping it shimano is a good odea for now. that allows you to keep prices down, which is probably why people shop IBEX in teh first place. SRAM is another sexy choice, but you are wise to let the market shake out a bit. especially considering the release of SRAM Red and the backlash some users are having after feeling like they were a beta test group. nobody wants to plunk that much money down and feel like a beta group. plus, the only components that work with rival or force are rival and force. even the SRAM mtb components wont work. this is a major stumbling block.

as far as campy and FSA, campy will probably put you over the pricepoint. FSA is not yet released, and i would wait the same amount of time you wait for SRAM.

oh, and when i said green would be sweet, i meant like the salsa bike color. that green you have might work, but not with the yellow. it has the aftertaste of phonak and landis.

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/latest-bikes/cyclocross-bike/salsa-cycles/PRD_368636_5670crx.aspx

oh, and when i said green would be sweet, i meant like the salsa bike color. that green you have might work, but not with the yellow. it has the aftertaste of phonak and landis.Don't sweat the color. This is just a Photoshop'd mock-up. The true life color will be a bit more subdued and the green panel will not be nearly as prominent as it appears in the mock-up.

Jack,

I want that bike...I just wrote my letter to SANTA, and it had the IBEX Specter and if you could, we need a cool IBEX shirt to represent! hehehe...when will you start showing the bike online?

Doc

...when will you start showing the bike online?It'll be a few weeks before we start getting the 2008 road bikes up on our site in full force, though I may be able to get the Spectre info out there sooner.

Our MTB's are arriving first, so it made sense to update our website with those before getting into the road revisions (and we haven't quite finished updating MTB pages yet). Frankly, we also still have quite a few '07 road bikes in-stock due to a late shipment of them. We'll be putting out some final close-out prices on them in the next few days and I'd really like to concentrate on moving them out before getting too heavily focused on the 2008's that aren't arrving until March anyway. I won't have photos of the 2008's for a while and in some ways I hate to cloud the issue with too many duplications... same model, different years, different prices. That's the honest truth of the matter!

JA

I'm a proud owner of two Ibex bikes (Aprisa Elite and an X-ray race) and I'd love to add the Spectre/Specter to the collection.

What's the latest news on availability?

I love the green and yellow accents - my only wish (besides immediate orderability) would be that the yellow logos would be a bit less blocky - a more traditional script like those on my current bikes would be nice.

Any word on the geometry of the new frame?

OK, here's a Photoshop'd image of our final decal design. Decals are produced for us by an outside firm, so it will be a while before we have actual photos. We decided to go with decals and clearcoat only (no additional paint), but add a bold splash of color in the graphics. Green and Yellow have been our traditional racing colors, so even though we played with a lot of different color combinations, I ended up favoring this set-up:

103728

weeeeeeeeeee! This bike is exciting!

Just a few days ago, I emailed a few questions to Ibex, and really liked the responses I received... Just don't want to have to buy a different crankset/shifters with the wonky triple crank on the price reduced bikes.

Totally gonna have to save up for this to buy myself a B.A. graduation present

Hate to bump my own post, but any more info/details/news on the Spectre yet?

Hate to bump my own post, but any more info/details/news on the Spectre yet?


Considering that it's April and they don't have a single 2008 road bike yet, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Considering that it's April and they don't have a single 2008 road bike yet, I wouldn't hold my breath.

My guess is that the factory that makes them is busy making bikes for bigger companies right now.

ok, it's now mid June. Whats the latest on the new Carbon bike? or any ibex road bikes for that matter? I've bought 2 roadbikes in the last 2 mos and looked to Ibex 1st in both cases but none were available.

i like the wider carbon weave soooo mutch better than the tight one... gives it some definition!

Maybe I'll throw Ibex on my upcoming roadbike build list... hmmmmm...

The protoype photos look great, but the bright yellow and green Ibex decal looks a little LOUD! I prefer something more tame like white/red.

I'm certainly looking forward to purchasing the frame separately if it becomes available. I have a SRAM red groupo sitting in the corner just waiting to get put onto a worthy frame.

I did notice an eBay sale of a very similar frame plus fork selling for 850+ shipping from China.