BOB Ibex Plus Review

With over nineteen years of experience making excellent bike trailers, BOB does it again with the Ibex Plus. The BOB Ibex Plus offers three inches of extra suspension in the back making it one of the smoothest rides of all the cargo bike trailers we tested. One of the features we liked about the BOB Ibex Plus is that is has a really solid frame design. It consists of a tubular 4130 Chromoly steel construction and has aluminum cartridge bearing hubs. The BOB patented quick-release attachment system allows for easy attachment on and off your bike. The bright yellow dry sac keeps your cargo safe and dry from the elements. It also stands out among the rest of the cargo bike trailers due to its ability to move easily from paved to dirt roads with little resistance or strain on you, or your bike. So whether you are just running errands, commuting or bike touring, this trailer is fully capable of handling the job.

Performance Comparison

Capacity

The BOB Ibex Plus offers a weight carrying capacity of 70 lbs. and a cargo area of roughly 25" x 16" x 18" (64cm x 41cm x 46cm). The volume of the dry sac allowed for easy packing and unloading of your gear and also gave us peace of mind while traveling with it through inclement weather. The large dry sac did allow for the possibility of overloading though, so be aware of what you are packing for longer trips. Make sure you actually need and what fits in the dry sack because an overloaded bag can be much harder to handle on longer trips.

Ease Of Use

The patented quick-release attachment system of the BOB Ibex Plus makes for quick and easy attachment to and from your bikes back hub. This cargo bike trailer is compatible with most full-suspension bicycles and most other bicycles with solid-axle hubs. We found the single wheel design to be a little tricky when trying to attach a fully loaded trailer to the bike by ourselves.

It's best to attach the trailer empty, then load it. This trailer comes disassembled in four parts but has an easy to follow instruction manual and quick assembly time. It only took about 15 min to fully assemble and attach it to a bike. A quick note to remember is to have two 10mm wrenches to attach and assemble the rear shock and front fork to the trailer body.

Ease Of Towing

The BOB Ibex Plus is a single wheel cargo bike trailer design. This made for excellent tracking behind the bike in almost every scenario we put it through. Even with heavy cargo, the Ibex offered a steady and well-balanced ride. Throughout testing, we noticed that some of the two-wheeled bike trailers that they stuck out a little on both sides and seemed to have a bit of a steering lag. This causes you to become more aware of your riding style, but the single wheel BOB Ibex Plus is so streamline that you hardly notice you are pulling anything at all. With its low center of gravity, most of the weight of the trailer is kept off your bike's frame, improving the performance and overall handling.

Smoothness of Ride

The BOB Ibex Plus was a top contender for the smoothest ride, with three inches of adjustable travel it was hard to beat. It handled well while traveling on paved roads and even better when there was dirt involved.

The BOB Ibex Plus also managed to pass over uneven railroad tracks without slowing down. The dry sack easily attaches to the trailer frame so even when hitting the dirt trails, your cargo remains safe and secure.

Versatility

We found the BOB Ibex Plus to be a very versatile bike cargo trailer. Not only could the large capacity dry sac fit and hold a weeks worth of groceries, it also managed to keep them safe on the 10-mile trek home from the store. This trailer can easily hold all the necessary gear for a week-long bike tour with a little room to spare.

Best Applications

From the paved roads of the city to the dirt single track trails in the mountains, the BOB Ibex Plus can handle the task. We found ourselves using the BOB Ibex Plus for commuting more than anything else. When we went on longer adventures, we were also happy we had this trailer with us. The tubular design of the frame allows you to safely secure the trailer and your bike with a lock. Leaving it outside unattended was no problem, unlike some of the other models we tested that didn't have a good way to lock and secure them safely. The easily removable dry sac made a great grocery bag too. We just took it right in the store with us to pack full of goodies.

Value

The Ibex Plus has a fairly high price point of around $439, but we believe for the quality and design of this cargo bike trailer it is worth every penny. One nice thing is that the BOB Ibex Plus does include the dry sack. The durable and sturdy frame design of Chromoly steel tubing makes it lightweight and reliable. This trailer, in particular, took a beating through testing and still managed to perform like it was new.

Conclusion