Empire

Bought this in June 2024. Overall bike is great. Frame fits and rides nicely along with most of the components. But the wheels have been a complete disaster. Otherwise a five star review. Got them in tubeless mode. After first or second ride, went to the garage for another ride and the tire was flat. Tried to pump them up, but air immediately leaked out. Seems the air was leaking from the tape area around the spokes. Pulled the tire off and all the spoke holes were cupped in full of dried sealant. So much for going tubeless. Decided put tubes in since I wanted to ride. Spent 2 hours trying to reseat the tires and could not get them on. Finally gave up and took the wheels to LBS to get them on. Mechanic with gorilla hands was able to get the first tire on, but then had to use a Kool tire lever to get the second on. Not a simple job. Bought my own Kool tire levers to have on hand for the next time. Next time came much quicker than expected. Not sure cause of flat, but went to change tire and actually broke the first Kool lever trying to get the tire back on. Luckily I bought two. Was able to get it on finally. Got another flat two weeks ago. Stopped to fix it and saw that a spoke had broken also. Had to call my wife to come get me. Luckily just a few miles from home. And this is just a summary of the problems I have had with them.
Basically tires and wheels should not be this much trouble and changing tires should be a rather simple chore. I have now been stranded on two rides now and needed to call for a ride due to these wheels. Just put in my order for a pair of Hunt wheels to replace them and the Alex rims are going in the trash.

I've put about 1,500 miles on my Ari Empire Pro, and it’s exceeded my expectations. No other brand offers this level of quality at Ari’s prices. The SRAM Rival eTap groupset provides smooth, reliable shifting that has truly enhanced my rides. One standout feature is the 32c tires paired with DT Swiss wheels, which add noticeable comfort on rough roads and make the bike feel like it’s floating. The handling is excellent and ideal for riders who want a comfortable, mile-crushing experience. The relaxed geometry and 23-point setup meant it arrived 90% dialed in, so I was ready to start riding comfortably from the start. If you’re looking for a bike that lets you put in serious miles without feeling stiff or sore afterward, this is an ideal choice. Ari’s selection is impressive, and my Empire Pro has been a joy to ride—it makes me want to ride even more. It’s hands-down the best investment I’ve made in cycling, perfectly blending value, performance, and comfort.

I have the Empire Sport, and this bike is fantastic! I love everything about this bike, its comfortable for long days pedaling, its fast, and its smooth! I just completed a 70 mile ride on my empire sport, and legit felt ready to do 70 more! The only issue I had with this set up, was that when I brought it for a pre-event tuning, there were issues with the stock cables and how they were run... I opted to upgrade to the stainless steel cables (less than $100 with labor) and this bike got even better! I love it so much, I just ordered my wife one too so we can pedal together, and if they made one my son could ride, I'd buy that one too!

I had taken a few years off from riding after my daughter was born. You know the story, had a baby, career focused and lost track of my fitness. We moved to a state with no MTB trails, like zero. I had wanted a Rodie for some time, specifically Carbon. I have always been a Fezzari advocate so naturally I started researching here. I am now 1,028 miles ridden in the last 3 months. This thing is super comfortable. I have only ridden it up to 40 miles on a singular ride. However, I foresee my first 50 coming soon (still working on my fitness) anyway 1,000 miles in I’m confident to say that this was a wise purchase. If you are looking for a rodie, grab yourself one of these. Pro tip, don’t cheap out, get the higher drivetrain. I’m currently looking at upgrading, while I have had no problems with the Tiagra mechanically, I find myself wanting faster gearing. Other than my own cheap mentalities. This thing is fantastic! BUY ONE!

Received my bike few weeks ago & got back around to writing a review. First, buying experience was well detailed and precise. Every time I had a question, I usually got answer the same day. The 23 step fitting was a breeze & ARI nailed my bike setup perfectly. The bike arrived in two boxes. All I had to do was install the wheels, handlebars & seat post. Bike finish is flawless - I got the two-tone blue. I did take the chain off to clean-wax it - quick connect made that easy.

First ride was about 40 miles - it was very smooth. The Empire jumps off the line nicely, quite snappy for endurance bike, & I did not notice any flex in the frame when jumping hard on the pedals at a traffic light. No creaks or squeaks. I am very happy with my purchase & I think ARI as a company is doing a bang-up job with pricing, product, purchasing process, & service before & after the sale.