Strengths: Light, looks cool. Decent components for a beginner like me.
Weaknesses: Tires and fork. Tires seem to wear out easily and they wobble and it drives me nuts. The rims are fine. I took it back to the shop and they fixed up the wobble though. The fork can be better because this one seems to make this rubbing noise whenever it hits an obstacle or needs to be used for suspension.
Bottom Line:
I'm a beginner and I haven't ridden the bike too long yet so I can't say much about it. Since I'm not sure the type of riding I do, this bike will have to do. I haven't really been out to trails, but I've been doing some urban riding, it seems to do okay as long as you're not rough on it. The rubbing sound of the fork annoys me, and I'm sure it's just because the fork isn't that great. The pedals went right away. The seat post clamp broke on me after 2 days so I got the shop to replace it. The seat itself is hard, but I ended up getting some biking shorts and that seemed to do the trick (much cheaper than buying a new saddle at the moment for me). So far, the bike has performed really well, especially during climbs. The tires may wear out too fast, but right now, I'm only on the street so it's not a big issue. May get wider tires later on. I'm hoping the frame will remain good enough as I can see myself upgrading some of the other components within the next year or so.
Similar Products Used: I tested a Kona Firemountain, Norco Wolverine, Specialized Hardrock.
Bike Setup: Stock, new pedals. Soon to have rhyno lite rims w/ deore hubs.
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Submitted by
Michael
a Cross Country Rider
from Winston-Salem
Date Reviewed: October 7, 2003
Strengths: Light, comfortable, turns very precise, breaks work ten times better than what would be expected for price. Road for a year stock except pedals, upgraded and now it is unbelievable. Friend owns a bike shop, so I got it for close to cost originally.
Weaknesses: Pedals, Original Front Derailleur slips often, only 24 gears, tires wore out quick
Bottom Line:
For anyone that doesn't do really hard riding, and isn't too heavy (I weigh 185), the bike stock is fine. I bottomed out the fork on some of the more technical trails, but overall absorbed pretty well. Once I started riding harder, I switched out the manitou for the Marzocchi which never bottoms out, and takes a lot of abuse. I also switched the drivetrain to 9 Speed XT. After getting it dialed in right the ride is so smooth and fast, like butter. Although I am starting to ride full suspension (Jamis Dakar XLT 2.0), I would put this hardtail up against all but the fully tricked out race bikes. I can't emphasize how much difference the XT components make...I feel like I can take this thing anywhere. The only limitations are my own ability. As I said before, if you aren't doing really hardcore riding, and aren't too heavy this bike is a fantastic deal. And if you want to start hitting it hard, a few uprgrades are all you need (fork, and drivetrain).
Bike Setup: Marzocchi MX Comp w/ ETA fork (badass), XT Cranks, BB, Cassette, Shifters, chain, rear derailleur, XTR front derailleur, IRC Mythos Kevlar tires, Cane Creek S-2 headset and Shimano M959 pedals
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Submitted by
Don Hicks
a Weekend Warrior
from Everett, WA USA
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2003
Strengths: Great components for the money. I looked at bikes costing $520 and above that didn't have as good components. Fork is very nice too.
Weaknesses: Saddle and pedals which I planned to replace anyway.
Bottom Line:
I ride my road bike everyday and this bike for fun on the weekends. Being an old timer and having ridden suspensionless bikes, this handles like a dream. It has great styling, good components, and is light for the price. I love the mate black finnnish. I would recommend this to the non gonzo crowd who realize they aren't indestructible and have some fear of crashing.
Similar Products Used: Giant Iguana and Specialized hard Rock
Bike Setup: shimano clipless pedals, specialized seat and bar ends.
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Submitted by
Adrian
a Weekend Warrior
from NSW Australia
Date Reviewed: March 21, 2003
Strengths: Cheap price, good for normal trails with some rough stuff. If you don't push really hard then this is a bike that will last a while. Rear derailer is fine if you don't get into some mud. Frame is tough and has taken drops without a prob.
Weaknesses: Rear wheel is prone to buckling (i weigh 90kg), either don't hit rocks hard or buy a new stronger rear rim. Peddles are crap, replaced them. Front shock has no oil dampening, found going off a 4 foot drop that it bounced bigtime and flings the bike out from under you.
Bottom Line:
A good bike to start out on. If you don't want to go off bigger drops( 3 foot ++) and you don't ride aggressively then it is an excellent bike. I'm ready for a duelie, but this would be a great bike for an XC rider who doesn't mind having to straighten the back wheel on occasions. Bike performs alot better with 2.3' tires. Feels like it has more shocks.
Submitted by
tom mcroy
a Cross Country Rider
from portland, or, usa
Date Reviewed: February 25, 2003
Strengths: great components for the money!!! i would definitely buy a jamis again based on the performance of the durango so far..
Weaknesses: i have the matte black finish..its pretty but it has a tendency to scratch easily...other then that, my only complaints are fairly petty..I think at least an alivio front derailleur would have been nice but the acera front and deore back seem to work just fine....
Bottom Line:
the bottom line is that i love this bike...i commute to work on it and the combination of a manitou shock to smooth urban bumps, clipless pedals, and 1 inch slicks make for a really fast ride...you could pay 1000 bucks and get a cannondale bad boy with all the bells and whistles, but I would almost guarantee that the jamis with a stiff fork would perform just as well....I love this bike!!!!!!!!!
Similar Products Used: gary fisher aquila, trek 9000 single track
Bike Setup: stock with the following exceptions...wtb rocket saddle with chromoly rails, wtb grips, ritchy 1" slicks, zefal fenders, performance brand clipless pedals
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Submitted by
Allan Caldwell
a Weekend Warrior
from St. Johns Newfoundland!
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2003
Strengths: Great Frame,Good drive train, RapidFire Shifters and almost every thing else!
Weaknesses: Seat is un-comfy and i broke it. toe clips arn't half as good as clipless
Bottom Line:
I think a good rider who wants a trail hardtail, for a great price should Buy this awsome bike! it is sweet for trails jumps and a bit of XC. Jamis is value leader (up there w/Giant) and has excellent value an' Qualitie. If you get this you won't be disapoined.
Similar Products Used: Old Dept. Store tool-of-devil.
Bike Setup: Stock exept: WTB seat and Clipless pedals (chabged what every one else did)
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Submitted by
wil barrett
a Cross Country Rider
from bendigo, victoria, australia
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2002
Strengths: Excellent value, good components for the price. Rides very well, brakes are fantastic. Good entry level comp bike.
Weaknesses: heavy and soft wheels, tyre wear out quite quickly. crank was a bit loose, front derailleur a bit sketchy, front suspension could have been stiffer.
Bottom Line:
Awesome value, fantastic bike for serious beginner, probably needs some better shocks- some Answer Skarebs would go down well. The bike feels so responsive with the new wheels, much lighter than the alex rims. Front derailleur could be upgraded, some clip pedals and even new bars, stem and crank would make the bike even lighter than it is.
Strengths: Well built, great price, good components, light weight compared to other bikes at this price.
Weaknesses: Tires wear out quickly. Handle bars bent easily, seat is uncomfortable.
Bottom Line:
Great bike, rims need some adjusting, I bent the handle bars with my ribs on a drop off (didn't think my ribs were that tough!) the bars came off second best. I had to change the seat as it was incomfortable. The specialised body geometry seat is much better. Great bike for beginners and upgradeable as your skills are upgraded. Overall though, the Jamis is a great bike to ride at a great price. I'll probably upgrade the forks, rims and components over the next few years but as is it does the job well.
Bike Setup: Rictchy SC bars, Shimano clipless pedels, specialised body geometry seat
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Submitted by
Stephen
a Weekend Warrior
from Flower Mound, TX
Date Reviewed: November 26, 2002
Strengths: Excellent for the money and components are better than equally priced competitors.
Weaknesses: Lots of chainslap - but I'm assuming this is fairly common in MTBs???
Bottom Line:
This is my first MTB and I love it! I can’t get enough riding. This bike was a great deal, you get very good components for the money. I’ve ridden pretty hard, been muddy, been hot & wet, crashed a few tims, etc... but never had any mechanical problems. Everything has been holding up very well for me, especially with a little cleaning after a ride. I probably won’t upgrade this bike for a long time and I would recommend it to anyone getting started or even those having experience.
Something to consider – check the size carefully. I went by typical sizing and when I get on a tight track or want to jump, I often don’t get the agility I was hoping for and this makes me wonder if I got the wrong size bike (I’m 6ft & the bike is a 19”). I'm not disappointed in the bike, but that’s why I’m going to try a shorter stem.
Similar Products Used: Giant, Specialized, Kona, Raliegh – Jamis beats ‘em all
Bike Setup: Stock, but I’m thinking about a shorter stem, clipless pedals (after a little more experience) & Avid disk brakes
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Submitted by
Mike Young
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin,TX
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2002
Strengths: Great frame geometry, well built, good componentry for an excellent price. Better bike for the buck when compared to some of the others out there.
Weaknesses: Pedals popping and creaking after about a month, front derailleur shifted sloppy, Mosquitos wore down quickly as well.
Bottom Line:
Great "Sport" or beginner bike. Cheap price and easy to upgrade as you progress. Breaks down less than some of my friend's $1000 bikes....
Bike Setup: Stock except for LX front derailleur, clipless pedals, bar ends, Kore stem and Panaracer Fire XC's
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Submitted by
Brenda Wilson
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin Texas
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2002
Strengths: Good fork for price, good components, very light, the seats comfy
Weaknesses: everyone execpt me hates the toe clip pedals, chain slap (get lizard skins)
Bottom Line:
Buy it. It is the best bike you can buy for under 500 dollars.Even for a hardtail the ride is harsh which is why i sugest getting a suspension seatpost. You can take it off almost any drop. Jamis makes the best, and cheapest, bikes of anyone.
Strengths: Great frame for the price. Good Components Excellent value for money
Weaknesses: Tire and rims are a bit cheap
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike for my girlfriend, who hadn't ridden a bike for years, a few months months ago. We were looking for something that was affordable, while still being an actual mountain bike that wouldn't get busted to hell if taken out on decent trails. She's also quite short (5'), so sizing was an issue.
This Jamis was definately the best choice. In the company's line, it is the lowest model to have this great, fairly light alum frame. They also make the frame in a wide range of sizes, which was essential. The geometry is great for a beginner: aggressive enough for proper handling, but not so aggressive to scare the newby off. The components are more than decent, and easily upgradable (the frame even has disc brake mounting bosses, should you feel the need to really trick out this outherwise entry-level bike).
Bottom line: Perfect bike for someone new to mountain biking who wants a good value, and the ability to do substantial and meaningful upgrading without being limited by the quality of the frame.
Submitted by
Carolyn
a Weekend Warrior
from Irving, TX
Date Reviewed: July 24, 2002
Strengths: Good components for the price paid, very light bike, climbs very well, looks great, feels comfortable, good arm reach
Weaknesses: Not great rims; not great tires on it when I got it
Bottom Line:
This was recommended to me as a good entry level mountain bike for $500. I haven't regretted buying it once since I've had it. It rides very well and I can't wait to see how it performs when I upgrade the tires and the derailleurs. :)
Submitted by
sooyoung
a Weekend Warrior
from minnesota
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2002
Strengths: it is pretty light for its price. i was impressed by the fork and the rest of the components on the bike. this is the first bike i have had with any suspension and it is wonderful. it rides like a dream compared to my old bike. i got a very good price and would say that this would be the best value around. i tried many other bikes, but none came close(in the same price range). it fits very well
Weaknesses: front derailer is not working properly, and there is a little bit a chain slap which can be a little annoying, but thats about it.
Bottom Line:
i think that jamis did an incredible job with this bike. i would highly recomend it to anyone on a tight budget that wants a really nice ride. there are surely better bikes out there but for this price, it is a great value. ive done a lot of riding and havent run into any serious problems. im very satisfied with the jamis.
Similar Products Used: giant iguana, and yukon, raleigh m50, and m60, trek 4500, kona fire mountain, specialized hardrock a1 fs,
Bike Setup: all stock
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Submitted by
matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Novar, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2002
Strengths: This is a very nice bike it was about 990.00 cdn with rax. It has very good components on it.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
It is a very very good bike for the price and i highly recamend this bike. If you are looking for a bike like this but not as much you should look at the Jamis Durango SPORT SX. this is a nice bike because of how lite it is and because of the suspension that comes on it (nice)the gear shifters are also very good. this bike is a very reliable and durable bike.
