Submitted by
alldayrider345
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2010
Strengths: Value, Components, Performance
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the money. This is my first full suspension bike and I was a bit nervous about setup and buying a bike over the phone. The crew at Bicycle Bananas was great and gave me a bunch of pointers and things to adjust and look for to get the ride dialed in. I wish I had bought full suspension before. I can ride longer, faster, and farther than before. There are lighter bikes out there and ones that have more bell and whistles, but not for $1100 delivered.
Submitted by
Desmodromic
a Weekend Warrior
from Chester Springs, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 15, 2009
Strengths: Look, price, frame geometry and quality, weight (32Lbs for the price is ok). Nice wheels and tires. Nice handlebar and grips, nice seat. Derailleur, shifters ok.
Weaknesses: Paint finish fragile. Stock brakes are noisy. Brakes are weak and offer poor feedback. Black paint on crankset is cheap and comes off rightaway. Rockshox rear shock went totally flat and had to be brought back to the dealership (2weeks+ without the bike). Now the front forks (Rockshox Tora) lockout function doesn't work (another 2 weeks without the bike?) Replaced the brake pads (terribly noisy when took the bike for first spin) and rear brake still squeaks a little.
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike because I wanted a full suspension but couldn't afford to spend more than a grand.
I liked the color and the frame geometry fits me very well. This bike doesn't feel heavy at all, it actually feels lighter than my hardtail.
The biggest problem I had with this bike is the brakes. They were squeaking so loudly when I went out for the first ride that me and my buddy had to stop and have a good laugh about it because I felt so ridiculous. Changing the brake pads (under warranty) almost solved the problem, although the rear still squeaks a little. Those Shimano hydraulic brakes are weak, they feel weaker than the mech discs on my older Trek hardtail, the bite is weak and feedback is poor. I definitely recommend upgrading if you can or just get another model. Suspensions are ok but I had problems with both units. The rear shock does it jobs and rebound is adjustable. As for the forks, it's ok but is not adjustable on the fly I have to say that the bike pedals nicely, rarely misses a shift, feels light and that the suspension does not slow you down or require more effort when pedaling, which is a good thing.
Built for the average XC rider who wants to go full suspension the Dakar XCR Sport is a good bike for the money, handling is good and really precise even on tight trails and overall feeling is lighter than I thought it would be, but the weak (and noisy) brakes ruined the deal for me. If I had to do it again I would save more for a bike with better brakes and suspension components offering more adjustability.
Bike Setup: New reinforced tubes with Schrader valves (stock valves are Presta and I don't like them + the tires would loose pressure all the time before the switch).
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
hillslayer
a Cross Country Rider
from Orlando, FL
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2008
Bottom Line:
I am posting again (the above post is from me as well) about this bike after owning it for quite a few more months. Mountain biking has certainly consumed most of my free time. I purchased this bike from a friend who owns Retro City Cycles and have ridden much more than I ever thought I would. I completed my first race and am already planning to do multiple races in 2009. This bike just never quits. I've managed to get the weight down to 27 lbs after upgrading everything (XT/XTR mechs, juicy 5 brakes, Ritchey Carbon bars, FSA OS stem, Stans ZTR Olympic wheels, etc). Possibly the biggest upgrade has come FROM the bike in that I've lost 15 lbs since purchasing it. Jamis has made a great line of bikes with the Dakar series; I've ridden all of my buddies bikes (XC, AM, 29er from GT, Giant, Cannondale, Specialized) and the Jamis is just as good or better. A great frame that has taken everything I've thrown at it. It probably wouldn't hold up to Whistler for long, but for southeast singletrack, roots, stumps, dirt jumps and granite/limestone is has never let me down. I had to upgrade the rear shock through the Rock Shox warranty and am awaiting a Fox F32 RLC for the front.
Submitted by
Dan Martino
a Cross Country Rider
from Orlando, FL USA
Date Reviewed: May 6, 2008
Strengths: nice setup for the price, includes twin piston hydraulic brakes, all mid-line shimano products and I love the beefy tires. Jamis frames are super strong with hefty welds and solid pivot points.
Weaknesses: the stock pedals suck (FPD?). They didn't fall apart like I've read on here before, but are just cheaply made. I added my own shimano pedals. At 32 lbs there are lighter bikes out there, but plan on spending considerably more.
Bottom Line:
A solid mid-level upgrade from entry-level full suspension XC. I highly recommend Gebali products to protect your investment. The blue and white color are strikingly awesome. At 32 lbs you are still getting a great workout with a bike that can fly. I don't race and couldn't justify going ultra-light with a full carbon.
Favorite Trail: anything at Santos MTB park in Ocala, FL
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$1250.00
Purchased At: Retro City Cycles in Orlando, FL
Similar Products Used: Not that it's similar, but this replaced an older hardtail Trek.
Bike Setup: Easton cockpit/seatpost, WTB saddle/grips, Kendra beefy tires, Gebali Chain-away/rear shock cover, Simano LX/Deore shifters/derailleurs/pedals/Rock Shox Tora front and Bar rear.
