Ibex Alpine/Trophy Swap

Since Priscilla progressed to her current Motobecane, the Policars were nice enough to sell me Priscilla’s Ibex Trophy. For the past 5 years or so I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get my wife into biking and, after joining this site, I found new hope. Finally my wife came to me and asked if I could find her a bike. She’s a tiny tot so RL gave us a small Ibex Alpine frame along with the Trophy. Thanks RL! Swapping the parts from frame to frame was all I had to do to finally get my wife out riding with me. Needless to say I was excited and happy to do some wrench work!

Nice bike…but a leeetle to big

I could only wish that my first bike came with components as nice as this. Sun DS-XC wheels, Truvativ Firex cranks, Avid BB mechanical disc brakes, 31.8 Truvativ XR bar and stem, the list goes on. After RL lent me a Crank and bottom bracket tool all I had to have the bike shop do was swap the headset and chain.

Half way there!

My friend Ryan came over and put on and adjusted the front and rear derailleur cables. Watching him do this was really helpful. I’m the sorriest wrench there is and Ryan was a great teacher. I’m now considering installing new cables on my Heckler by myself.

Controls…check.

I used an inexpensive cable system called Alligator that I got cheap from Pricepoint. They look nice and the housing is really sturdy. The only things I replaced were the saddle and the grips.

Sette Ergo 2 grips & WTB Speed V Gel Saddle

I wanted to make the ride as comfortable as possible for my wife so I used some ergonomic grips and a Gel saddle to soften the ride. Swapping the parts was really enjoyable. It showed me how far I’ve progressed with my mechanical knowledge, which is not a lot but it’s something. I’ve gone through several bikes of my own and always felt frustrated when I didn’t know how to install or remove something.

Ibex Alpine…wife edition

The finished bike came out looking really clean and I finally get to ride with my wife. Time for a date ride!

If you ever get a chance to buy a new frame and have to swap out parts try doing as much as you can yourself. It’s easy to use your bike shop as a crutch for your lack of know-how, but the only way you’ll learn is by doing it yourself. Or, if you’re lucky enough to have a friend who is technically minded, have them do it and watch. You’ll save money on bike repairs and, oh man, does it feel good to put all or even part of your bike together by yourself.