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Bike Trailer Blog is our blog for discussing all things bike trailer plus related topics such as bicycle commuting, advocacy and anything to do with getting you and your stuff there by bike.
Spoke And Word is our new bike blog community website where you can "Submit and Vote for your Favorite Bike-Related Blog Posts".
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Product Reviews |
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James Dirlam - 12/22/2008 
B.O.B. Ibex Trailer ****1/2 “Great trailer...recommended!”
BOB Ibex trailer is a piece of gear I wished I’d invested in years ago. I’d give it 4.5 stars. I pretty much read every online review and article on BOBs and bike trailers before getting my own. As I’ve only used rear rack & panniers and handlebar bag setup in the past, I was a little skeptical about how the BOB would work for me. There is some assembly, but it’s fairly fast and easy. After a short test spin with the BOB unloaded, I took it out for a 600-mile road tour (including a mile of dirt trail). My immediate reaction was that it was more “inconvenient” compared to panniers, but it definitely grew on me. The BOB Ibex is very sturdy and was highly stable hauling my 40-45 pound load, particularly in crosswinds (because of the lower profile compared to panniers.) It also take at least half the weight off your bike, which should prevent broken spokes and bent rims. The BOB tracks the rear wheel almost perfectly, and I tended to forget I was towing it on flat terrain and downhill. Uphill however, it’s like dragging a boat anchor. As expected, you need to anticipate breaking and sharp turns a little sooner than normal. Upon purchase, I upgraded the stock tire with a Schwalbe Big Apple, which was trouble-free—recommended! The BOB is easy to hook up and remove from the included QR skewer, although I only did so after removing the dry-sak/gear load (the recommended method.) It can be hooked up loaded, but it’s tricky and not recommended. The newer retaining pin (w/lanyard) design is so far, so good. (It never came loose, but carrying a few extras is cheap insurance.) The dry-sak held nearly all my gear (rest is in handlebar bag); keeping it dry riding through some really nasty rain storms. The adjustable coil-spring shock absorbed bumps and potholes, and seemed to justify the extra weight and expense over the BOB Yak trailer.
I did notice a few negatives while touring with the BOB, and the most annoying is accessing gear in the dry-sak while it’s seated in the trailer. The dry-sak’s side closure buckles are in an awkward spot situated at the bottom edge (under) the bag; you basically have to (at least partially) lift up the dry-sak up just to reach the buckles to open/close them. Also, all the webbing straps could be longer, as could be the included yellow bungee. The dry-sak is an obvious design flaw, and should have been fixed years ago. (I guess there haven’t been many complaints.) This problem could probably be easily user-remedied by rigging up some extra buckles/web straps extensions. But until then, it’s much more convenient to keep daily touring essentials out of the dry-sak, and only open it up when essential. Parking the BOB can be something of a challenge, as the trailer adds considerable length, but it’s made easier by using a kick-stand on the BOB fork, or turning your bike at a 90 degree angle to the trailer (which is easier said then done.) At 17+ pounds, the Ibex is also considerably heavier than most rack & panniers setups, and doesn’t collapse down for travel on public transportation. (The latter two negatives should be strongly considered for tours requiring international travel.)
Overall, I have to give the BOB Ibex a hearty recommendation, particularly if your bike can’t accommodate racks & panniers. It definitely isn’t perfect, but the pros outweigh the cons. I’m keeping my panniers, and may still use them for ultra-light weekend trips, or as a supplement to the trailer if I needed to carry a ton of gear or extra water. I also considered the “Extrawheel” trailer, which is fairly new on the market, and has an unusual design with its full-sized wheel & cargo netting cradling twin dry-bags. However, the BOB’s numerous positive online reviews and proven design with 15+ years on the market sold me. As someone who has done over 4,000 miles of loaded bike touring, I believe reliability and usefulness are the two most important features in a piece of gear. There’s nothing more frustrating then having gear failure on tour, especially in the middle of nowhere. I also believe a BOB (or any trailer) is definitely a “must have” for off-road touring**(i.e. the Great Divide Trail), over using panniers only. Lastly, the BOB is multi-tasking—good for local shopping jaunts!
**http://www.trek4fun.com/great_divide_trail/gdt_bob_trailer.htm
I have to give major props to biketrailershop.com. They offer unsurpassed selection on bike trailers and trailer accessories. Their prices are very competitive, and offer free shipping on orders over $100. They filled my order quickly, as I received my BOB in 6 days using UPS Ground nearly cross country. Unlike most businesses, they actually return phone messages and Josh was helpful in answering questions and providing info. These guys are the one-stop shop for bike trailers. Highly recommended!
Pros:
+ Great handling and tracking.
+ Sturdy construction.
+ Dry-sak is storm proof.
+ Holds lots of gear (particularly of various/odd sizes).
+ Easy to load and hook up (new pin design is secure).
+ Coil-spring shock sucks up the bumps
+ Takes most of your gear weight off the bike (which can prevent broken spokes, bend rims, etc.)
+ Can be used on nearly any type of bike.
+ 4 mounts for water bottle cages (I didn’t use them)
+ Versatile uses (local shopping trips!)
+ Gets loads of attention from drivers and pedestrians—(this could be considered a ‘negative’, although drivers seemed to give extra space due to the high visibility from the bright yellow bag and flag.)
Cons:
– Dry-sak’s buckle placement is awful (design flaw). Webbing straps and bungee too short.
– Parking can sometimes be a challenge.
– Somewhat heavy at 17 pounds.
– Doesn’t fold up for storage (not convenient for air/train/bus/public travel.)
– Pricey (but equivalent to quality rack & pannier set-up; should last for at least a decade.) |
Harry Brogan - 08/14/2007 
The IBEX is a great way to transport goods. I have found it very easy to pull and, most of the time, don't even know it's back there. If one follows the directions for loading you will notice that it does say to NOT try and hitch the trailer with a full load. Makes it easier if you load it AFTER it's hitched. The bigger issue with the IBEX is the fender. This provided absoultely NO protection from a "Rooster Tail" What I did was add a 20" Freddy Fender to the 16" wheel. I chose to go with a larger diameter fender so it would fully wrap the wheel. This CAN be done and is quite easy with only one extra support holding the fender in place. It cures the "rooster" issue and helps to protect your load. Of course you will need to add a mudflap to the back wheel of the bike to keep the splatter off from that area.
Other than the fender issue I have found this to be quite a useful item and am more than happy with the investment that I made. BOB does need to address the fender issue for those folks out there that want a little extra load protection and are using this trailer on a daily basis. |
Spicer Conant - 08/12/2007
What a find! After a few minutes of searching the Internet, I found BikeTrailerShop.com. Since the order was "rush", I phoned and got Josh. We spent the better part of 30 minutes going through all the equiptment I'd need for my trip: the BOB Trailer, the dry-sack for transport, extra little things I certainly would have forgotten... I made the payment and he had it shipped THAT DAY (UPS was picking up in less than an hour!). I got the trailer with all accessories 3 days later -- it was great! Thanks for making it so easy, Josh. Anyone in the market for Bike Trailer stuff, you've definitely hit the mother lode... :-)
-SC-
(Santa Monica, CA) |
Joshua Grover - 05/31/2006
Pros: I really enjoyed using this product in combination with a Wandertec CELLO. I found that I was able to place large backpack inside the drysak along with a smaller book bag, and the CELLO Parts bag. This was quite useful as my trip itinerary called for some day hikes, cycle touring, and single track. Overall, I am very happy with this trailer as I can ride in urban, open road, and off-road sections with the confidence that the trailer will be hanging-on behind.
Cons: It's difficult to back this trailer up. My bicycle has an assymetrical chainstay, so I can't use a dually kickstand. Therefore, it takes awhile to find that sweet spot for leaning or parking the bike and trailer in a 'L' or 'V' formation.
Overall: This is the real deal, it will go wherever there is a desire to forge on through the elements, the ascents, descents, and the road or lack thereof ahead. B.O.B. it truly is a B.O.B.! |
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