Submitted by
bob_fairlane
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas TX USA
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2008
Strengths: simple and effective high traction design, looks good, Fox Air shock is durable. Bushings are strong.
Weaknesses: Not a "free ride" or "downhill" bike. Air shock requires air-pump. If you keep it clean, you only have to air/adjust between rides to suit temperature and conditions. Use loctite on the bushings! Short travel design.
Bottom Line:
If you want a faster hardtail, there isn't one. If you want a cushy suspension bike, there are lots and this isn't it! brutal.conversions yahoo
Bike Setup: Old Marzochi coil&oil 80mm, Shimano/Gripshift mix, austrailian deep dish wheels, cane creek "direct curve" brakes and levers.
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Submitted by
Chris Businsky
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore, MD
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2006
Strengths: $200 for the frame new in 03
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
Anything looking for a solid bike for a great price. I bought my bike in pieces. Everything was so over priced. After doing some research and talking to different people and reading about them in various magazines I came across Jamis. I probably would have bought a full bike, but I couldn't get the parts I wanted in the price range I wanted. I just bought everything in pieces and took it to my LBS to assemble it. I love it. I will most likely be a Jamis customer forever.
Bike Setup: was stock then i changed sping in fork rims ryno lites seat wtb tires wtb then panaracer fire xc pro[great tire]pedals crank bros egg beaters rear derailer LX XT broke [crashed]
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Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland Maine usa
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2004
Strengths: Components are great stock. Hayes full hydraulic Disk Brakes, FS, clipless, Pro-taper bars, Thompson post,..Stock. yeah. Rear suspension has useful adjustemnts that can dial the ride just the way you like it.
Most full suspension rides at this price point will come with full hyd. disks, you usually get the cheesy cable actuated disks with no-name components for stem, bars and headset.
Weaknesses: Fork Spring rate too soft stock. Why put medium rate springs on a bike with a 22in frame? I switched to the extra-stiff aftermarket springs and have not touched the fork since. Be careful with disk brakes, any sort of oil contamination can ruin their performance requiring new pads.
I have managed to trash the clipless pedals that came stock. I have broken one side of each pedal so that the front part of the pedal where you clip in is gone. Suks because you effectively have one-sided pedals, good because you can at least clip in and keep riding.
Bottom Line:
This is a great performing CC and trail riding full suspension bike. Its a little too mello for racing (Depends on how serious you are) and now quite enough for true Free Riding but the brakes are excellent, the rear suspension is air so you can make it as soft or as firm as you need. ONce the rear is dialed its wicked supple and doesn't bottom out. the damping adjustments on the rear shock work well. The Manitou Black fork works well once the spring rate is dialed for you weight. Compared to my old Judy and Marzocci Bomber its far more compliant and has needed zero bs. I do think that the Marzocci was more rigid and it was an air fork so you expect that it wouldn't be as good on little hits. This bike has lots of nice details that combine to make it a pleasure to ride. For instance the bars are Answer Pro-taper bars that have held up well, and have a nice bend to them. The headset is by Cane Creek and has shown zero problems. The component spec is also very effective and has given me no problems except for the rear free-hub body which recently broke a pawl causing the cassette to drag when free-wheeling. But that can be attributed to normal wear and tear (plus its by shimano and is no fault of Jamis) because I'm a big guy (6ft 5in 220+lbs) and when i stand on the cranks i can really torque the drive train. I had doubts about the 9spd setup but it has worked as well as my old 8spd setup in terms of durability and it shifts far better than my old 8spd gripshift/shimano franken-drivetrain BS that I used to run.
Similar Products Used: Older Jamis dakar. specialized enduro.
Bike Setup: Switched to Ritchey z-max 2.35 tires. These tires are great for trail riding. Combine the larger tires with full suspension and you have one smooth riding machine. the one downside to these tires is that they will roll on the rims when side loaded. Swapped grips for ODI Longnecks (bmx grips), changed saddle to Bontrager berzerker DH because its longer and fits better. Recently got a Michelin rear tire, so far so good.
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Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary, Alberta
Date Reviewed: April 20, 2004
Strengths: I upgraded the shifters and the rear derailleur and the bike shifts infinitely better than my Rocky Oxygen Race ever did. I've abused this bike and never had to fix a thing on it yet. Price was right. Disc brakes with Panaracer Fire XC Pro's stops in a hurry.
Weaknesses: suspension, weight, rims
Bottom Line:
This bike is great when the suspension is set up stiff and you find a long downhill (Skogan) that you can do 36 mph+ on. The bike just floats along. The harder I ride the more I bottom out the shocks though, most of this is probably due to rider error though. I've raced this bike and it's on the heavy side for racing especially going up Jumpingpound Ridge and Cox Hill. Bike is a gas on Sulphur Springs, especially at high speed.
I've raced on the stock Hutchinson Python's and like them except they don't corner well at speed. The Panaracers Fire XC Pro's are too heavy, they feel like you have a flat rear tire on long climbs, even at 45 psi. I've also used Geac's on the bike and they are fast and light but unless it's concrete they don't offer much grip.
I'd love to replace the front shock with a Rock Shox World Cup Sid shock to shave 2 lbs off but I think I'll save my money for a new Jamis Dakar XC Pro or the Specialized Epic.
Overall, this is a bike for semi-aggresive trail riders not for racers.
Submitted by
clay
a Weekend Warrior
from orono, me
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2003
Strengths: good xc racer feel. Nice specs for money.
Weaknesses: i'm posting this for andrew in an earlier posting. The crooked chainline is actually the chainstay starting to bend/break. That happened to me too. It will get worse until it's so bad your stay will break or it will start shifting up to the third ring by itself when you put power on the pedals.
Bottom Line:
so so, too many flaws though even for the cheap price. Fork sux, stays suck, very flexy, choppy suspension feel, junk tires, rims and hubs and pedals. You get what you pay for.
Submitted by
LAM
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2003
Strengths: Good geometry for trail riding, Fox Float Rebound is excellent, four bar linkage is very plush, removable der. hanger is a must! Integrated headset is trick.
Weaknesses: Haven't found any yet, but I would have put sealed bearings all around on the rear linkage.
Bottom Line:
The bike is perfect for singletrack riding. The four bar is smooth without bobbing. The travel is right between stiff XC and plush trail bike. Only thing I would wish for is a higher bottom bracket height, you smack the pedals and chainrings alot on technical trails.
Good value for the money. High-end bike ithout breaking the bank.
I bought the frame separately and built it up with the parts from my old Giant hardtail, which was very modified.
No worries on the chainstay. Haven't had a failure yet, but I have a spare in case it does go.
Similar Products Used: Specialized bikes, Giant NRS
Bike Setup: Magura discs, LX shifters, XT derailleurs, Oury grips, low-riser bar, specialized 5 degree stem, LX cranks and casette, IRC Mythos tires, Marzocchi Z5 bomber fork, Kalloy seatpost, and Selle Italia X0 Saddle
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Submitted by
Ben Anderson
a Weekend Warrior
from Whitefish, mt
Date Reviewed: February 9, 2003
Strengths: It was a good riding bike with great brakes (I had the same ones Jamis spec'ed on the dakar.
Weaknesses: Maybe no longer a weakness but something to be looked at ocassionally: the seatstay weld nearest to the disc brake.
Bottom Line:
I am writing this review because of a candid discussion I had with the owner of my former bike shop in which was pointed out to me some of the flaws in my reveiw. It should be known that I was not very happy at the time I wrote that review. That same day I had found yet another crack in the chainstay and was perturbed to say the least. But for the sake of future buyers who are looking to recieve an accurate description of what the bike was like, I'd like to clarify a few matters.
1.The bike i bought was a 2001 model, not a 2002. I was in the wrong place to submit my reveiw. Sorry. In 2002, Jamis put square tubing on the seatstays which they say added quite a bit of stength. I believe this to be true.
2.I have actually cracked 3 chainstays and bent a fourth.
3. The first break did not occur at Fernie B.C. but 3 days before the trip, after hitting a curb. The replacement Seatstay lasted all through my fernie trip.
4. Also, Jan, if your wondering about that whole "never left the ground" statment, Ask my friends about my short-lived, non-existant jumping career.
I would like to note that although my experience with this bike was not a good one, Jamis and my local bike shop did all they could to make me happy. I apologiize to any who I may have offended or detoured from purchasing this bike.
Bike Setup: The $1650.00 Price that i came up with was the price of the frame, (which was $390.00) plus the cost of all the components on the bike.
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Submitted by
Jan Brunk
a Cross Country Rider
from Whitefish, MT
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2003
Strengths: One of the best values for your mountain biking buck out there.
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
As a Jamis dealer, I can say that this particular model of Jamis over the years has delivered some of the highest value, durability and ride qualities in its price range. As the shop from which Ben Anderson got his bike, it is important for you mtb review readers who use other consummer's comments to make an informed purchase, to know the facts. The customer did not buy a full bike rather a frame set only, for $390 dollars, not $1650. It was not a 2002 model, but a 2001. He did not break 6 chainstays. He had two chainstays crack, both of which were replaced at NC. After the second crack, the entire bike was replace for him. He then returned with a bending stay at the same point, at which time the shop refunded Ben the full amount of his money. The first break occured at Fernie, British Columbia, the most extreme riding area in our region, whether the bike "never left the ground" is questionable. When considering purchasing this bike we believe the other 20+ readers' reviews above most accurately reflect what you can expect from the Dakar Comp.
Bike Setup: As good as the mechanic who assembled it.
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Submitted by
Toddy Hotty!
a Cross Country Rider
from VA
Date Reviewed: December 29, 2002
Strengths: Components for the cost, looks cool, love how it handles, it does NOT weigh 29.75, it weighs 28.75.
Weaknesses: Chain broke within 200 miles, and the rear hub may have too. The Mavic 223 rims are weak, and need truing alot (though my riding may contribute a lot to that). Love-Hate relation ship with the Hutchison Scorpions
Bottom Line:
A little about me first so you know my perspective on this bike. I am 5'11' and about 175 lbs. I rode a completely rigid bike before buying the Dakar Comp. I test rode a Giant NRS and a Specialized , but never got to take them on the trail, so I do not have a great deal of experience with full suspension bikes to compare this one to.
This is a great buy! There are some good components for the price on this bike. I was looking for a full suspension bike, but didn't want to pay more than $1500. After reading bike mag reviews, and checking out this site it became apparent that this bike and the Giant NRS2 were the best choices in this class. I test rode them both, and really liked the Dakar Comp. One problem I had that others have had is the chain braking and a crap load of pinch flats. The chain breaking is a good excuse to buy a SRAM powerlink chain. The pinch flats were a bit of a mystery. I tried raising the pressure, even up to 50 psi, and stayed off of rocky trails, but I still got them. Eventually, they stopped. I now ride between 35-40 psi, ride both really rock and smooth trails and do not get them anymore. I guess my riding improved, but don't know for sure. A few others have experienced this too with the Comp. After 200 miles into the bike, my rear Deore hub started making a clicking noise when I coasted on my bike. My LBS told me it was likely one of the palws (or paws) inside the hub snapped. They told me one day my rear hub would completely break and freeze up on me, or freeze-up and release constantly. I really don't want this to happen when I am way out in the woods, so I will likely have to buy a new rear hub soon...LBS can't replace it for free, because since it still works, Shimano will not pay for it:(
It is very important that before you buy a 2k2 Dakar Comp, you MAKE SURE the rear chain stay has been replaced. From what I have been told, there was a problem in the manufacturing of the frames that has lead to many cracked chain stays on these bikes. Jamis has sent out replacements to bike shops; Performance had already replaced it when I first looked at the bike. Not everyone who has bought this bike has been so fortunate.
I think the rims on this bike are really weak. They appear to be out of alignment all the time, and the reviews of the Mavic 223 rims on this site are not good. I would really like to upgrade these, but always spend the money on something else.
Bottom line: If you want a FS bike but do not have the cash for the top of the line, this is a bargain. If you have the cash, you likely could do better...but I am really happy with mine, and would buy it again.
Similar Products Used: test rode Giant NRS2 and Specialized Stumpjumper FSR XC
Bike Setup: Time Atacs, SRAM PC-99 chain, soon to have an XT rear hub and likely Panaracer XC Fire Tires
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Submitted by
Laurel
a Weekend Warrior
from Coral Springs,Florida USA
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2002
Strengths: Sturdy frame and overall awesome components.
Weaknesses: None!
Bottom Line:
After looking at and reading everything about FS bikes, this is the best bike with the best parts for the best price. This is my first FS bike and its awesome. Climbing is a breeze and downhill is even better. I have had no maintenence problems even with the "break in" period. The bike is light and handles well. It's a blast. The guys at Jim's are very supportive and stand behind everything they sell. You can't go wrong with this bike.
Bike Setup: Stock with upgraded Fox Float RL w/lockout.
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Submitted by
Dave Nevrla
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2002
Strengths: Solid performance for price-->Can't find a better deal! Great dualie suspension. The Black and Fox Float R are solid. Hayes Discs- Whew! They can shut you down fast when you need it.
Weaknesses: Tires (Hutchinson Scorps)- weak sidewalls and no lateral traction especially in the Front Range loose stuff- bagged them for some 12-year old Performance Ground Hogs...now Velociraptors.
Shimano chain- blew up just a week ago- replaced with a new SRAM PC-99.
Flats- 6 inside 5 weeks. Combo of tires and no rim tape. Easy fix.
Well-go pedals are adequate, but will upgrade to Time's in the winter.
Bottom Line:
I am 6'2" and 200+. I am not a downhiller, but do enjoy the effects of gravity more often than not. I climb to go down...fast.
The Dakar Comp has shined on the Front Range trails. Both technical and XC. Rode Monarch Crest, bike was execeptional, except for 4 flats (tires and no rim tape).
I haven't had any trouble with the rear chainstay. I just examined it and found no problems. The biggest drop I've done is ~2+ feet.
Who should buy it? In my opinion, anyone who wants a solid dualie without taking having to take out a second on their mortgage. A couple minor upgrades and this bike will take what you give out.
Similar Products Used: Rocket 88 Stage 2 for ~1 month. Manitou Mars Elite on Rocket 88 kept blowing out. Shift problems on climbs.
Bike Setup: Stock except for Velociraptors and SRAM chain
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Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington, DC
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2002
Strengths: Great value; decent climber (not too heavy, no bob in rear suspension); responsive
Weaknesses: High-maintenance brakes
Bottom Line:
Definitely the best bang for your buck. My only complaint is with the brakes, where the calipers seem to get out of alignment too easily (one hard hit and I have to realign them). Otherwise, this bike has stood up well to quite a bit of abuse, including two 24-hour races in two months (Snowshoe and Tahoe).
It's definitely not the lightest FS bike out there, but I can't really call it heavy, either and the rear suspension stays nice and stiff on the climbs.
I did had a little trouble with the bike fit--I'm 5'7", but I guess I have short legs or something, so, while the 15" model gave me a decent amount of standover clearance, the cockpit felt a little cramped. Nothing a new stem couldn't fix, however. I swapped out the stock riser bar because it was just too wide for my tastes (doesn't work too well in the wooded singletrack around here).
All in all, a great choice if you're looking for a raceable full-suspension bike.
Bike Setup: Time ATAC pedals, Thompson stem, Easton composite handlebar; everything else stock.
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Submitted by
josh
a Weekend Warrior
from Minneapolis, MN.
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2002
Strengths: The whole thing. Great all around trail bike.
Weaknesses: None that I can see.
Bottom Line:
This bike has been a blast to ride. I tried many different bikes before buying this one and I must say I made the right choice. For the price I got a good spec and a great suspension design. Climbs well, desends even better. Its not a superlightweight XC racer (witch is good for me) butt it's no tank either, it fits right in between. Great overall trail bike.
Similar Products Used: I was riding an older GT Zascar. Test rode Fuels, Sugers, NRS, Enduros (a close 2nd), etc.
Bike Setup: Stock, except for a stiffer spring in the black fork.
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Submitted by
Derek
a Cross Country Rider
from Bend, OR, USA
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2002
Strengths: Hayes discs are way cool! I have taken a few spills and this bike has withstood a little beating!
Weaknesses: I am 6'2" and a 195lbs and I needed to install a stiffer spring for the front shock...which works great now! The tires wore out pretty quickly(sometimes a little rocky here).
Bottom Line:
If you don't go soaring of cliffs! This is an Awesome bike for XC! Very comfortable, if you set up your shocks just right for your weight, you won't notice the "bobbing"( and that's only when you're standing on a climb, or counter attacking your buddy!! ). If you're not sure whether to get a fs or a hardtail, you won't be disappointed with this bike, whether you race or not!!...Great bike for a Great deal!!:)
