Submitted by
ilikeflying
a Weekend Warrior
from West Hartford, CT, USA
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2009
Strengths: beastly build, oversized downtube, beautiful shifting for the price. Mine was flawless for a year, without tune-ups. Finally after 3 years, needs tune-up after taking a bad drop and screwing up the rear cassette. The bike's a tank
Weaknesses: Not as plush for smaller riders (friends are 20lbs less than I am and complain sometimes when they borrow it) can have difficulty keeping up while climbing with people with aircans (lockout & such). Some of the cables have rubbed through the paint on the rear linkage.
Bottom Line:
buy it, won't let you down, completely upgrade-able, but i didn't find i needed to.
Submitted by
HarrySkinner
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2007
Strengths: (2006 Jamis Dakar)7005 T-6 Aluminum frame, full suspension, great stock components like, Manitou Splice Comp (which are Answer) Fox Vanilla coil-over rear shock, Shimano Deore, Shimano Alivio shifters, TruVativ IsoFlow crank with TruVativ Power Spline, Tektro Aquila cable-actuated disc brakes front and rear, wavy rotors, Tektro forged alloy levers, WTB Speed Disc rims. All great components for the price. The Dakar full suspension series has been winning awards for years and this is a great bike to start with. The best part is that they made it so you can upgrade. That was the main feature that sold me.
Weaknesses: Suspension is a little soft if you are a tall rider. But firmer fork springs and rear coil springs are available. Answer and Fox have all you need. and it can be done for just a few bucks.
Not all of us are 140 to 170 lbs. but it seems all the bike manufactures don't get that??? in the larger frames they need to up the suspension. From what I found every bikes suspension is to light in the larger frame sizes. Taller = more bone and muscle mass, lol.
Bottom Line:
Great buy, great bike and all upgradeable for the future. I would buy it again without hesitating. But I must say there is no sense buying a bike from a crappy bike shop. No point if you can't get service for what you buy.
Similar Products Used: First full suspension bike I have owned, so I can't really compare. But I can compare the price, I couldn't find anything with full suspension for the price. I was looking at hardtail bikes until I found this one. And if you want a great deal, wait until all the bike shops have their spring clearance sales on. It's like buying a car, wait until the new models come out and get a brand new last years model for way less. And remember to shop around, some shops make it look like a good deal, until you see the same bike for 1/2 the price somewhere else.
Bike Setup: All stock, upgraded the fork springs and rear coil spring to firmer versions.
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Submitted by
Lee
a Weekend Warrior
from Seminole, FL,USA
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2007
Strengths: Stiff, Beefy Construction, Multi-link rear suspension is very cushy on all day rides, longer wheelbase is very stable at speed. Has adequate(Manitou Splice)forks and Fox Vanilla rear, Decent shifting Shimano Deore are all good spec for the price. Good performing,low maintenance(read mechanical) disc brakes You could buy two of these bikes for the price of a Fishes FS bike!
Weaknesses: 7005 series aluminum chainstay that snaps like a twig... Factory saddle and seatpost bent within 3 months of normal trail riding(180 lb. rider) Heavyer than necessary wheelset.Head angle is a couple of degrees too steep for some of the drops that we do and gets a little scary at times but has never caused a crash.
Bottom Line:
Awesome bike for the price...just hope yours doesn't snap in two like mine. BikePros of Seminole was great and handled everything with Jamis no problem. The replacement from Jamis was from another model and is a different color. I wish they sent a can of paint to match existing. This bike would have gotten more peppers i.e.(5/4) had the chainstays not broken like kindling!!!
Similar Products Used: Fisher Cake, Santa Cruz Blur
Bike Setup: Kenda Nevegals compliments of BikePros, Truvativ Hussefelt 50mm riser bar(31.8mm dia), FSA 6degree stem, Lizard Skins Grips
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Submitted by
guy
a Cross Country Rider
from Dirty Jersey, US
Date Reviewed: October 3, 2006
Strengths: PRICE, PRICE, PRICE..
(this is for the 2006 dakar)
you cannot find a full suspension xc bike for this price at this quality (unless its a better bike on sale). you get what you pay for and then some, by that i mean your getting a quality full suspension XC bike but it does of course have weaknesses but can be upgraded..
its a good place to start though and either up grade or ride it for a year then sell it for a new bike..
tektro aqulia mech disc are surprizingly good.
stock seat isnt as bad as some other reviews claim, most mtb saddles are fairly uncomfortable for long rides in general.
Weaknesses: weight no weakness
stock fork and shock have very limited adjustability and for a rider my size not stiff enough, the fork in particular is crap since you cant even get stiffer springs.
weight
Bottom Line:
for the cost you get a solid capable bike, considering how hard it is to find a bike that has the component combination that you want this is a good place to start.
i couldnt afford to drop a grand or more to get a bike with the frok, cranks, and wheel set that i really wanted so plan on upgrading the fork next, then cranks then the rest of the shift components eventually all the parts i take of this bike will go onto a hardtail frame to build a solid spare bike.
as long as you dont abuse this bike it will do everything it was built for with out problems and just as well as a bike two or three times the cost, the added weight will just make you a stringer rider in the long run so by the time you can afford a better ride youll be even faster..
for value its has to be a 5 chilis but overall i give it a 3, there are better cheap forks out there that they could have used..
Bike Setup: 06 jamis dakar, cane creek cloud 9 shock the rest is stock
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Submitted by
chris
a Cross Country Rider
from manlius, new york, united states
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2006
Strengths: it is a great learning bike and you get a lot for what youre paying for and it has taken a beating from me as ive grown as a rider
Weaknesses: this bike is not what your looking for if you want to be doing jumps and downhill. if you are rough on this bike stuff might break. i broke the bottom bracket on it 3 times before i got a new one. it came with shimano deore and once i put a alivo bottom bracket on it has worked great. the fork is also a bit soft if youre gonna be doing any small drops, i can max it out just bouncing on the bike and i weigh about 200lbs.
Bottom Line:
the bike is great for people who arent looking to be doing a lot of intence riding on it. the bike is great for any new riders looking for a cheap bike to grow with until they get ready to buy a high end bike.
Bike Setup: Race Face ride XC crank, and maxxis DH tires.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
L33
a Cross Country Rider
from Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2005
Strengths: Unbreakable- This bike is really solid. I can’t imagine what you’d have to pull to break a Dakar frame, but you probably wouldn’t walk away. Confident ride- There’s no hint of instability on steep terrain, up or down, straight or twisting. Reliable- with the exception of the pedals, it’s held together with no maintenance (except adjusting the cables and tightening one frame bolt) for more than six months and has about 1200 miles on it, with probably a quarter of those off-road. Very little bob- The four bar linkage seems to really work. This took some adjustment, which was easy by following the instructions for the shock and fork. Great stopping- One of the first things I do on new bikes is a panic stop in controlled conditions. On pavement it was like throwing out an anchor. It locked its wheels, steered nearly dead straight, and didn’t have the slightest tendency to want nose over. Its dirt performance was roughly the same, though it took more input on the bars to keep it straight, and needed more stopping distance. On insanely steep and crumbly hills (25% or so grade) I tried “one brake” stops to simulate a broken cable. I could slow the bike enough to do a dump it if needed, but I couldn’t bring it to a complete stop. Also note, if you’re doing a lot of twisting downhill on steep slopes (miles coming off a mountain, not just going down a couple of hills) the front rim will get warm, and the rear rim will get HOT. Make sure you let some air out if you keep the tires at high pressure or you could get a blowout. Two water bottle braze-ons- Most bikes have them now, but a good feature is a good feature. Fast for an ATB- When ridden on pavement it just wants to go. Even with a pair of “air brake” panniers, on long, paved, moderately sloped downhills, I’ve gotten my Dakar to cruise at 35 MPH (measured by GPS) and if it had higher gears it would have gone faster. Off-road it’s quite stable at higher speeds, handles uneven terrain without porpoise-ing, and major bumps with aplomb. Impressive- People stare at this bike. It definitely doesn’t look like a Costco special. (That also means you should get a good lock and use it.)
Weaknesses: Owners Manual- it’s generic, not model specific, and so general as to provide no useful information. Someone at Jamis obviously thought they’d save money doing it that way. They would have saved even more if they just didn’t print a manual at all. On the plus side they did include the manuals for the components installed. These do provide some useful information.
Pedals- First, I’m not sure if I like the idea of clipless pedals on a Mountain Bike. Do you really want your feet attached to the bike on uneven terrain? I kept them, and had one close call, but within a month one pedal bearing started to go. A few weeks later, with the first one making so much noise I was about to replace them, the second one started to get noisy. Riding position- The body position just isn’t good for long distance rides. It keeps your butt up and hands down in a very aggressive riding posture. My hands and butt would get numb after a few miles. I replaced the stem with a Zoom adjustable model. Once I got the handlebars up a couple of inches all the numbness went away on anything but 20+ mile rides, and even then it’s greatly reduced. (I’ve seen a couple of people complain about the Dakar’s WTB saddle, but it’s really quite good when you can get in a position to sit on it correctly. In the factory position, even with the “love channel,” you’re bent far enough forward that much of your weight is supported by the groin at the saddle horn, not enough by the butt and pelvis on the wide seat.) Gear ratio- I’ve never ridden a bike with perfect gear ratios, so this isn’t much of a complaint, but I do ride some very steep grades, so more than 30 teeth on the low cassette gear would be welcome. Paint- The slightest hit from anything hard chips the paint. Paint isn’t really needed on an aluminum bike, but they look better with good paint. I’ve seen this complaint on bikes from numerous makers, so I don’t think it’s unique to Jamis. I just wonder why they don’t use modern automotive paint which is really tough. Either that or they’re not prepping the surfaces correctly. Side to side wheel flex- It’s only noticeable in a steep lean on a turn, so it only applies to extremely fast riding on pavement with sharp turns. If you really lean it over there’s enough wheel flex to rub the rim against the outboard brake shoe. It doesn’t really slow you down, but I’ve never had that happen on any bike before. (Even so, the wheels are pretty good. After 800 or so miles the front wheel only needed moderate adjustments to true it, and the rear wheel is still quite straight after 1200.) Lack of Kickstand- I’ve actually seen guys say this as a joke. After all, who needs a kickstand on a mountain bike? I do long distance cross country riding with stuffed panniers- and not romantic, but I also take it to the store for groceries and don’t burn a drop of gas doing it. Not dumping the bike on its side makes it much easier to get to the stuff carried, and easier and faster to get riding again when it’s time to move- and keeps the bike from supporting its weight on its bottom bracket and headset bearings whenever it’s not being ridden. The square chainstay tube makes it difficult to attach an aftermarket kickstand, though I finally jury rigged one on. Now I know, a bike with a kickstand doesn’t look cool, but how cool can you be dumping your bike over if there isn’t the option of keeping it upright? When I was a kid all bikes came with kickstands and there were four levels of cool. Nerds used them. Cool kids just dumped their bikes. Cooler kids took off their kickstands so they had to dump them. But the coolest kids left the mounting brackets on and hack-sawed off the actual stand- thus showing their complete contempt for all kick standy things. If bike makers started putting stands back on bikes we could again tell how cool the rider was by what he did when he stopped. Made in China- I’m not that interested in politics, but from Tibet to its persecution of Muslims and Christians, China has serious human rights problems, and buying Chinese made products only rewards that oppression. I was told that the Jamis factory was in Taiwan, but apparently they recently shifted production to China. Had I known that before I bought the bike I would have bought something else. Generally, I only buy Chinese if I can’t find a similar product made elsewhere for a price I can afford. I’m not saying you can buy a bike in this price range made elsewhere, only that it might be a good idea to look.
Bottom Line:
It’s hard to believe this is an entry level “price point” bike. If it weren’t for the country of origin, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it again.
Bike Setup: Zoom adjustable stem, Stomp platform pedals, Topeak rack with either Delta Compact or Delta Expedition panniers, Cyco-Lite Night Explorer headlight, Cateye LD1000 blinky, Greenfield rear mount stabilizer (kickstand)
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Submitted by
phxrider
a Cross Country Rider
from phoenix, arizona, usa
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2005
Strengths: full suspension with manitou fork, fox shock, deore, truvativ for $600 new.
Weaknesses: tires: I replaced the stock tires. fork: oil seeps out at top cap on one of the fork legs. Performance Bike told me that is normal, but is it really? Forks should not leak.
Bottom Line:
Good looking, good riding bike, for the money.
I got the 17" frame size. I'm 5'6" and 130 lbs. I like this bike and would recommend it to others.
I think the next step up from this bike would be the Specialized Epic (about twice the price of the Dakar).
This bike is a great value so gets a 5 for value. Overall I would have given it a 5, but the tires and fork seeping oil knock it down to a 4.
Submitted by
Me Myself
a Weekend Warrior
from St.paul MN
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2005
Strengths: It has a strong frame and I have not had to replace the crank yet. Looks good. Price.
Weaknesses: Rather heavy, The original front fork bottomed very easly.
Bottom Line:
It's an ok bike that is good for those who can't afored to get anything better. Don't waist any mony upgrading it like I did. Just get a better bike to start with. I'm 6'1 and about 125 and the 19inch frame seems a bit small but it was big 3 years agoe when I was 12 and about 5'8. It's on the heavy side. Mine is about 33lbs. Heavy considering a Giant Raign 2 with six inches of travle is only 32. But if weight isn't an issue then this is a desent bike. The frame is very well built and I do like the feel of the fox vanilla rear. I haven't had any proublems with it at all. It's a supprisingly good climber considering the weight and it will fly down hill. If you want a strong and durable frame with ok parts that you can upgrade as you brake them then then this is a good bike for you. The new modles all have disk hubes so you should put some avid bb7 on as soon as you can and maybe some better tires. After that just ride hard and have Fun.
Bike Setup: IRC mythos xc racing tires, XT rear, Marzocchi MX comp ETA 120, and avid bb7 mech disks on Deore rynolight wheelset
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Submitted by
Jay
a Weekend Warrior
from Plaquemine
Date Reviewed: July 29, 2005
Strengths: It has performed great so far. Comfortable ride. Great price for a full suspension.
Weaknesses: Chain broke 29 minutes into my first ride. The guys at the shop installed a new one and I'm off and running again. No problems so far.
Bottom Line:
Don't think you can beat it for the price. Its a lot nicer ride than the hardtails. Easier on the body as you age. Go out and test ride one, you won't be disappointed.
Submitted by
Conor Boughey
a Weekend Warrior
from Marin, Ca
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2005
Strengths: Value! Disk Ready hubs! This bike gives tremendous value to the consumer. The bike is trail ready for under $600 with tons of potential for upgrade. I would strongly suggest anyone trying to break back into the mtn biking market, or anyone on a budget. I consider myself a good rider, and this bike does NOT hold me back.
Great frame, great value with tons of upgrade potential.
Weaknesses: Tires! This is something i would like to upgrade as soon as possible. This tires lose traction in the corners and are just not a strong part of this bike.
Bottom Line:
I strongly recommend this bike to anyone on a budget or someone getting there first full suspention bike. This bike has treated me well,and it has tons of room to improve as i do.
I plan on upgrading the components as needed, but the tires have to go soon. I plan on replacing them with beefer 2.1 or 2.2 treads with strongre sidewall grip for the turns.
Bike Setup: Added Avid mechanical disks, beefer rear spring and computer. I way 185, and was coming from a front suspention bike, to ease the tranfer i beefed up the rear, i love the way it handles.
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Submitted by
michael piatti
a Weekend Warrior
from San Rafael, CA,usa
Date Reviewed: December 23, 2004
Strengths: Since the seat doesn't hang over the back shox it you have less of a chance to bottom out in the back.
Weaknesses: the chain is hard to get back on if it comes off because it gets caught.
Bottom Line:
It is a great bike for the price. It is a great bike for anyone who does not want to spend a ton of money.
Strengths: Quality is written all of the bike, the pivot joints are beefy and strong, its smooth action rear shock is a great entry shock. Seat is comfortable along with the grips. Great Value and features. ITS DISC READY.
Weaknesses: The tires were not the greatest for my riding, i like to climb rocks :), For more serious departures rear shock only provides only 3.5 inches of travel but the bike is cross country but i like to do just about anything so meh.
Bottom Line:
Sweet machine, great components good streangth.
Good for someone that wants a great bike with out the hassels of constant upgrading and smoke holes in pocketts
