B.O.B. Yak vs. B.O.B. Ibex
 

I am in the process of deciding between the original B.O.B. Yak trailer, and the newer B.O.B. Ibex trailer with suspension. Has anyone compared these two trailers? I have heard that the Yak can start to chatter at speed over 40mph, and am wondering in the suspension of the Ibex allows for quicker (and safer) descents. Also, the Ibex weights almost 5 lbs more than the Yak, which sounds like a lot, but if the suspension is worth it I'm willing to adopt the weight. My main usage will be on road and light trail in both flat and mountainous terrain. Any info is appreciated.

I have no experience with either. I would say though that the 5 lbs for suspension would not be worth it. Do you intend on traveling faster than 40 mph for extended periods of your trip? You'll probably benefit more by shaving 5 lbs during the majority of your ride rather than being able to bike safely above 40 mph for short periods of time. If you could ride above 40 mph for long enough times to make back the time lost on the flats for carrying 5 more lbs then I would say the suspension is worth it, but I'm going to bet that's not the case. Matt

I have a Yak,and have pulled it all over the place....It does'nt "Chatter" It gets a BAD case of the "Wobbles" at high speeds!!! If you have shock forks (Like I do) then it is somewhat worse. My advice...Go Slower!!! because I pull upwards of 70 lbs I ride a Hardtail Mt Bike with GOOD Disc Brakes and tend to cover a little less ground then some folk (40-60 miles a day as opposed to 60-100 as some do)
This being said I am willing to slow down on the long downhills and to cover less ground as the B.O.B. is so solid and has put up with everything I have ever thrown at it without complaint!
Trust and Believe I have toured with every possable combination you can think of on a bike, and I would sell my Bike before I will Sell My B.O.B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have the Yak Plus, no suspension, but have no hands-on experience with the Ibex. I have had my Yak going 35 MPH with no problems but I wouldn't want to do it on a regular basis. I think where a lot of guys get into instability problems is not keeping the center of gravity low and failure to load heavier items toward the rear of the trailer. I can't think of a reason in the world to have suspension unless you plan to be on the trails. Go with the Yak and forget 40 MPH.

Another vote for the Yak
 

The Yak serves most of my commuting and touring needs (roads, trails). I can't think of spending another $75-$100 for suspension that I don't need and that'll make my already heavy loads even heavier.

GreenAnvil

I have had the Yak and now I have the Ibex.
And it performs fantastic , the suspension takes out the bouncing, works like a damper.
and the extra bottle holders are very useful.

On the rough gravel (Ripio) of South America I was very glad I had the Ibex and not the Yak.

It tracks well at high speed, I maxxed out at 49mph before my bottle went. but there was no wobble from the trailer.

Money well spent IMHO.

george

I have experience with both but not touring. We use B.O.B. trailers to haul in trail maintenance gear to out backcounty worksites. Honestly I can't tell the difference if the trailer has suspension or not. Now granted we are on rocky singletrack with 30 pounds of trail tools. On the up side these things are amazing on singletrack. We roll tight singletrack switchbacks with the BOB and it tracks right around the turn. So much fun to ride with.

http://i14.tinypic.com/2ryhf2x.jpg

Hi I have a BOB Ibex and love it. My Brother also has one and we did the Mawson Trail in South Australia last year.This is a reasonably rough Mountain bike trail over some pretty rocky roads. We both love our Ibexs as they soak up the shock of the trail so you dont get your gear with holes worn through from road shock. I have attached a photo of the gear we had as we did the trail unsupported 763 kilometres

Sorry for bringing up dead threads, but thought it would be better than start a new thread.

I've been trying to decide on which one to purchase. Bob Yak or the Ibex? I was interested to see if anyone else has some more feedback on the comparison?

BFDD I just bought a Ibex from Flaggstaf cheaper than rei in preparation for a tour i want to do from vancour back to phx via wash.,oregon,cal. unfortunately i havent had a chance to test it i live in n-w phx near bell glenn

Let me know when you test it. My girlfriend and I would love to do an around phoenix weekend tour. My main concern is about hills and if the Ibex eliminates the "wobble" that the yak creates at 40 mph +.

I too just got an Ibex

the feedback seems to be that it's well worth the extra $$ if you plan to be riding some off-road

on top of that i have a whole heap of camera gear + expensive lens that will benefit from the suspension

I reckon that YAK would be fine for general use though ...

I was just curious to know the lbs/inch rating is for the shock (perhaps it's printed on the shock itself)- just in the process of building/designing a trailer with suspension.

Many thanks in advance.

If you are going seriously off sealed roads IBEX
But we pulled a over fully loaded YAK through Europe on a tandem (6,500km) as speeds of 40mph plus on long descents. Sat behind us like a shadow. No probs at all. The YAK can take a thump or too as well.

You might check out Extrawheel.com , they have video that might be of interest.