Submitted by
wil
a Weekend Warrior
from bendigo, australia
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2003
Strengths: very good value for money, it has great components and is very light. it is strong as well, and you can thrash it around. tyres are very grippy especially in mud. the seatpost is a lot better than i thought, set it so its really stiff and it'll only flew on really bumpy terrain. the forks are superb, havent bottomed them yet, the adjustments are good but i dont really use them a lot, and the crank and running gear are very smooth.
Weaknesses: the brakes are a little soft, though they are good, compared to a set of discs they are a little sluggish.
Bottom Line:
fantastic value, a great ride to do anyhting. the brakes could be a bit better, perhaps they might just need some grippier pads. a very light bike, i use it for competition. its good uphills, and the wide handlebar and long stem give confidence going downhill. tyres will probably wear out after a while but they are very good at the moment. a good, responsive bike. good work jamis
Similar Products Used: jamis durango sx, giant rainier
Bike Setup: stock except for bontrager race wheelset- very light and very strong
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Nitish
a Cross Country Rider
from Fremont, CA
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2003
Strengths: This Bike has a Solid Frame With an Awsome paint Job.The frame is good enough to upgrade later. 17 inch and lower have head tube gussets. The Components dont give any complaints for most of my rides. Good Value and a great up and coming racers bike.
Weaknesses: The components arent that great, the OE parts should be swapped out.
Bottom Line:
This bike was my first real performance Mountain Bike. So far i have been very pleased with it. The frame has said nothing with the amount of abuse i have given it. If you have the desire to get a bike with no "house brand" Parts, spring for this rig. Jamis doesnt make any crap to slap on to this bike. Overall a real winner.
Bike Setup: Stock except for SLR seat, EA50 post, Egg Beaters, Stans NoTubes, Michelin Comp S, Mostly XT Componentry now
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Kirk
a Cross Country Rider
from Winona Lake IN USA
Date Reviewed: August 26, 2002
Strengths: Great bike for sprinting single track w/ moderate hills and jumps. Bike geometry allows for power up the hills and is very predictable through the trees. A balanced bike, tough to hurt it.
Weaknesses: The Mosquitto tires were replaced with Hutchinson Pythons, this bike is now on a rail in the corners. The Skitters were great in the wet, but left me "washing out" on dry, packed /loose, trail.
Bottom Line:
A fine two wheel investment. Your bud's will have a hard time pulling away from you. The paint, decals and overall finish is supreme. Great job JAMIS.
Similar Products Used: Nothing I had rode compares to this rig, and its right out of the box.
Bike Setup: Stock, w/ SPD's
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Doug
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne
Date Reviewed: February 25, 2002
Strengths: Excellent value, good all round specs, light, looks good.
Weaknesses: Not many shops in my part of the world stock them. I was lucky that I found one in my size on display.
Bottom Line:
This is a great ride. The geometry, quality of the frame and good all round specs make it a killer bike, especially for the price. Jamis haven't cut corners with any of the components. If you're looking for a bike in it's price range do yourself a favour and have a close look at the Dakota AL.
Strengths: nice specs, good geometery, outstanding value, a fork so sweet it hurt your teeth to ride it, super light ( with a few upgrades which can be included in the price that I paid for.)
Weaknesses: Let me see........
Bottom Line:
This is just the budget friendly XC racers dream bike, for under a thousand bucks u get a sub 24 pounder bike. When u buy it u should do some swap out though. Also the S-Stays on the bike make it very comforatble, even for aluminum, they also make it a lot stronger. I can tell because the Giant XTC even thogh it is light I have cracked the frame on the 3 of them. Great specs for the price too. U nee to get this bike as soon as possible. Great value and astounding performance!!!!!!!!
Similar Products Used: Cannondale F-1000, Giant XTC SE2, Jamis Dakota XC (steel version), Trek 5500, Giant NRS, Lite speed, Schwin Homegrown and K2 Ned 5.0
Bike Setup: Panaracer tires, Selle Italia SLR saddle, Time pedals, Easton post(I just hate those d*mn sus. seat posts, they bob like some one is jacking up your ass)
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Hello
a Racer
from Tallahassee, FL Leon
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2002
Strengths: Buy a Jamis if your looking for a great bike but don't want to pay for a name! This is my wife's bike, I ride a cannondale F-900 that cost way more than this bike and they are spec'd nearly identical. Ok...so it's not my Cannon. But come on; for less than 700 dollars it comes with a Deore/XT drivetrain and crisp Deore Shifters (I like Deore shifters nearly as much as LX). To complement that I love the Manitou Mars Air fork and Rock Shox seat post. The handlebar, stem, seatpost, grips, seat, headset, hubs, & wheels are all namebrand. Not to mention the speed dial 5 levers & brakes. I highly recomend this bike to everyone looking to get into XC racing; especially those who are on a budget. If this bike isn't spec'd well enough for you; check out it's STEEL laden big brother the dakota XC w/ cross roc UST tubeless.
Weaknesses: It comes with Deore Hubs and Mavic X/139 wheels (and awesome Hutchinson Air light mosquito tires). However, I wish it came with Mavic 221 wheels laced to deore hubs!
Bottom Line:
For the cost you can save purchasing a Jamis you'll have money to burn on another set of wheels and tires! 5 flaming terds for value!
Hello,
I currently own a '96 Dakota AL and absolutely love it. However, I've been thinking of upgrading to disc brakes, but the frame does not have the mounts for it. It does, Read More »
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