This bike offers virtually everything our highly praised Dakar Comp did last year, for a hundred less. Featuring new sealed bearing cartridges at the seatstay pivot, a 100mm travel Manitou Black fork with externally adjustable rebound and Hayes disc brakes. Dakar Sport is as good as it gets in double-disked dual suspension for under a grand.
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Snellville, Ga. USA
Date Reviewed: December 26, 2004
Strengths: This is a follow up review of the last year of ownership. i still enjoy the bike, and plan on riding it in 2005.
Weaknesses: Contrary to other reviews, I have had very few problems. My main problem was the crappy fork that blew. I was so unimpressed with the fork blowing after 4 weeks that I replaced it with a Rockshox Duke. Problem gone. I have broken no other parts, including the chain.
Bottom Line:
This has beem a wonderful bike for the last year. I strongly recommend replacing the wheelset. After replacing the wheelset with Sun Singletracks, the bike rode different. It was smoother, and more responsive. I checked the old wheels, and they were alittle tweeked. (I believe they were like that from new- they are cheap afterall.) Overall, it is a grat bike. You may have to tighten the pivot bolt every ride, but not a biggy. Also, if you remove the wheels, you may need to setup the disc brakes. My bike won't fit into my car unless I remove both wheels, so i am an expert at disc setup. Now, would I buy another Jamis? Yes, I probably would. I would try a few other brands as I am not married to the Jamis name, but I am impressed.
Similar Products Used: Still miss the Gary Fisher.
Bike Setup: Stock, less the crappy fork, crappy wheels, amnd replaced the aweful tires with Geax Blades. The Blades Teal sidewall compliments the bikes clor scheme.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Rod
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: December 25, 2004
Strengths: Full suspension, disc brakes, looks
Weaknesses: Coil rear suspension, forks
Bottom Line:
I think it is a great value. The front shock is too springy and I am asking the store to look into a stiffer spring. The adjustment is nearly useless and climbing out of the saddle and peddling is like being on a carnival ride. Really, I prefer my old Stumpjumper in that situation. First full suspension bike so I am not use to it yet. The rear squirrels alittle on the downhill runs. Again I'll had the bike for only a few days so I can't be a good judge of it yet. My ass is not adjusted to the saddle either but in theory it has got to be more comfortable than my hardtail Stumpjumper. I don't I'll sell that one just yet...
Bike Setup: Stock except Titec L-Bends handlebar ends.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Andy
a Cross Country Rider
from Wise, VA
Date Reviewed: December 17, 2004
Strengths: Great all around bike. In my price range I couldn't decide on full suspension or disk brakes. A trip to the bike shop found a leftover 03 model that gave me both. The bike handles great and rides smooth.
Weaknesses: Stock tires don't grip anywhere but hard pack. They will wear out fast on hardpack. Swap them for some better rubber. The Wellgo pedals lack in quality as well.
Bottom Line:
Overall this has been a great bike. I've put lots of miles on it over the summer and loved every minute of it. The overall rating would have been 5 chilis if the tires and pedals had been better. If you ride smooth hard trails the Hutchinson tires may work for you, get on anything slick upgrade to something with more agressive tread. If your on a budget and looking for a great cross country bike, this is the bike for you.
Similar Products Used: Various Trek, Specialized, Raleigh, Giant, Cannondale.... Previously owned a '94 Schwinn Moab SS
Bike Setup: stock other than a Thomson seatpost (crash bent the stock one), a WTB saddle, Time pedals, and Michelin Hot S tires.
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Submitted by
Marcus
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: October 15, 2004
Strengths: Price. This bike is awesome for the price. Reasonable quality components and the bike just has a nicely balanced feel to it. Fun is the best way to descript this bike.
Weaknesses: Rear shock could have pro-pedal or spv. It bobs a bit too much when pedalling.
Bottom Line:
I rode this bike while on holidays in NZ. I ride a pretty price bike usually and i didnt expect much from hire bikes. When i saw it i was impressed to be able to hire a dual suspension but wasnt overely blown away by the compenents. Yet i have to admit after riding it, the bike just felt right. It wasnt quite as good at the bigger drops and didnt shift quite as smoothly as my cake but at less than 1/3 the price i didnt really expect it to. Though, at the same time i havent had this much fun on a bike in a long time. It was just an absolute blast to ride. So much so that if i can find one going cheap im thinking of picking it up as a second ride. If your looking at bikes in this catgory i dont think you'll find any better than this.
Submitted by
Andrew
a Cross Country Rider
from Uxbridge, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2004
Strengths: Shock's great, good sturdy frame, light, double wall rims, good components. and jeez, the thing is damn quick on the trails
Weaknesses: Tires wore down pretty quick
Bottom Line:
I LOVE THIS BIKE! AS soon as i get on it at my cottage, I'm gone, hours of riding every weekend, considering the fact that I spend all week riding the new Specialized P1 on the street, it feels so good to get on the thing and just fly.
I dont do many drops, this thing is my xc machine. I've got a monster P1 at home to beat the hell out of, so getting on the dakar is my freedom man. nothing can stop me.
This bike gets every friggin chili pepper I can rate it.
Weaknesses: Heavy coil over shock, low grade drive train (but expected with the price), suspect Hayes disc brakes, crank seems cheap
Bottom Line:
I know you can't buy a "do-it-all" mountain bike, but I'm a college student and I had to not only purchase one of those bikes, it had to be cheap.
Enter my 2003 Jamis Dakar. An affordable, full suspension cross country bike. The modifications I added were a combination of the guy who owned it before me and parts left over from my old bike. Originaly it was a cross country bike, but now I'm hucking it off small drops around town until the trails dry up a little (I live in OR) and it's doing great.
It's very responsive in turning. Pedal efficiency is extremely poor. I think the crank is bent and after careful inspection, I don't see why not. It's a shimano crank and it doesn't say anything else on it, so I'm thinking it's probably pretty low in the company's drivetrain heirarchy. It's not surprising to skimp on a crank with a bike like this. How else can they be priced so low?
All in all, I believe I can crawl up the hills (It's currently tipping the scales at 30 lbs) for some local cross country and smoke back down to the bottom. I'll write a follow up review this summer after some free riding at the local ski resort.
I don't know, we'll see. It's doing fine now and quite possibly the best of the 6 bikes I've owned since 1990. Especially when I purchased it at the end of it's production year for $350.
Bike Setup: WTB velociraptor on the front, GE@X on the rear, Selle Italia Flight saddle, 2001 Marzocchi z.5 130mm travel fork, 700 Lb Rockshox spring for rear shock, Sun Rims single track with XT hub on front, LX front derailleur, Shimano platforms
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Gene
a Cross Country Rider
from Albany, NY
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2004
Strengths: The Dakar Sport is a great bike for the price. This bike is my entry into full suspension and I remain vey pleased. Really wanted the Comp, but was on a budget. Shopped around and could not find a better full suspension for this pricepoint. The bike rides smooth. The front fork does its job and apparently has been upgraded for the '04 Model. I chose the black on black frame color - very sweet. As far as the ride - I am a beginner/imtermediate, the bike is perfect for me. Practically carries you up hill; there is some, but barely noticeable, bob. Going downhill is a new experience now.
Weaknesses: The tires need to go. I am anxious to make this bike lighter - that is my project for Summer 04, starting with new rims. But frankly, this bike has left me with little to complain about.
Bottom Line:
I would reccommend this bike to anyone looking to upgrade to full suspension. This bike has made me a big Jamis fan. I gave it four chilis all around, however, that should be considered in context. Obviously there are better bikes to be found at higher pricepoints - but for the under $1k that I paid - frankly, I dont think one can do any better.
Similar Products Used: Raleigh M80; M60; Trek Hardtails; Jamis Dakar
Bike Setup: XT front and rear derailleurs; Shimano 536 clipless pedals; otherwise stock.
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Submitted by
STEVE
a Cross Country Rider
from Snellville, Ga.
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2004
Strengths: Good frame and decent equipment for the price. PRICE is its strength.
Weaknesses: Tires made from soft compound, I doubt they will last long. Seat post was too short, and needed to be replaced. Frame sizing seems odd, never ridden 15" frame, yet fits nicely.( Usually need 18")
Bottom Line:
If you want a cheap ride, you are looking at it. I wanted a full suspension bike for a hardtail price, and figured I would never get one. I was wrong. Frame seems well made, although made in China. Front fork softer than Judy C and Manitou Mars, but seems to work fine. Brakes are fussy, but when adjusted properly work really well. Tires will be replaced soon. As for the chain, it works, but will change it soon to be safe. Seat post was only 330mm long, so replaced with 400mm long unit, and it seems fine. Frame geometry alittle different than what I am used to (Fisher Genesis) but is quite enjoyable and easy to throw around and control. Climbs like a mountain goat, although it seems alittle heavy. Lose the weight off your body and its cheaper than buying new equipment. In conclusion, buy this bike. Its inexpensive, but good. Buy it, ride it, and have FUN!!
Similar Products Used: First full suspension bike. Ridden a Gary Fisher Hardtail for years, and loved it till injuries forced purchase of full suspension ride.
Bike Setup: Stock. Will replace tires with Panaracers, rear derailler with LX when Deore breaks, Wheels next year. Will upgrade rear shock next year, but servicable for now.
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Submitted by
scott
a Weekend Warrior
from sacramento, CA
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2003
Strengths: everything but the tires
Weaknesses: THE WEAK AND STUPID TIRES
IF YOU MUST KEEP THEM ON, AT LEAST BUY SOME MR TUFFY TIRE LINERS!!!!!!!
Bottom Line:
this is a great bike for cross country and light downhilling (i would not reccomend trying dropoffs larger than 3 feet with this bike). But remember, get rid of the crappy ass tires. if you dont, you are guaranteed to get tons of flats. get some specialized tires instead.
Bike Setup: stock except for a specialized rear tire
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Derek Waters
a Cross Country Rider
from San Antonio, TX USA
Date Reviewed: December 2, 2003
Strengths: Great component package for the buck!! Fork is great!!
Weaknesses: Rear could be a little stiffer. The saddle is cheap. The tires are great for muddy terrain, but wear quickly on road or rocks. Brakes squeak a little, but easily adjusted.
Bottom Line:
Great bike! This is my first full suspension, and I love it. I am not a huge guy (5'8", 175lbs), and this bike has great geometry and setup for me. I live in a hilly area and do a lot of climbing and downhills, and it hasn't let me down yet. I does 'bob' a bit under a strong load, but it hasn't reall been a problem. I am a very cautious consumer, and after all of my research I found that this bike is the best FS bike under $1000. Also it was recomended by Bicycle mag last month for FS around $1K. So I can't be a complete idiot? Highly recomended.
Similar Products Used: NONe - first full suspension
Bike Setup: Stock except for panaracer tires and WTB saddle
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Juan
a Cross Country Rider
from Miami, Fl USA
Date Reviewed: November 5, 2003
Strengths: Good front suspension. good brakes. frame feels stiff laterally
Weaknesses: rear shock spring, bike seat.
Bottom Line:
I got this bicycle a little over a month ago. I have been using it almost everyday day since. It rides good. Except for the fact that when I first got it the front fork leaked out all of the hydraulic fluid within the first two rides. The dealer took care of that with excellent rapidity and charged nothing for replacing the parts.
The brakes stop on a dime. I kept doing stoppies mid-trail every time I tried to use the front brake for a week until I learned to feather them better. Though I have seen some other complaints about the chain, tires, and rims, I have had no incidents. The tires are still holding up and still have quite a bit of life in them after over a month of daily 10-15 mile rides. My only problem is with the rear shock. I am a heavier person "215 lbs" and with the stock shock spring, it had to be driven to the end of its preload range and I still had over 1 inch of sag and kept bottoming out the rear shock with nothing but trail riding without jumping. The dealer swapped out the stock shock spring for a higher rate spring and it has been fine ever since. I would have figured that paying more than walmart prices for a bicycle one would get a spring rate that would work appropriately for a larger range of body weight.
The front fork, when changed, has worked just as advertised. As indicated in my earlier comments I am not a trick rider but simply ride trails for the exercise of it and for not other reason. For this purpose I feel the fork does exactly as stated. It keeps the front end from bottoming out, absorbs the major and minor bumps and shocks well and gives no indication of ever running out of suspension travel.
The Only other complaint I have about the bike. Even after several times of riding the bicycle and after realigning the rims and changing tires, I have come to the conclusion of one thing. The bicycle does tend to have quite a bit of chassis flex when hitting bumps while going through corners, so much so that when hitting a bump mid corner you can feel when the entire pivot system in the rear flexes diagonally because of the off camber shock that has hit it. The dealer was nice enough to allow me to try to other Dakar sports overnight to see if it was a problem with my particular bicycle, but all three had the same characteristic. Though seemingly the chassis suffers nothing because of it. It can feel unsettling to the uninitiated if this occurs when you are riding and not accustomed to it. Finally, the bicycle, even with the correct shock spring, does bob a whole lot when pedaling out of the saddle. but if you keep your behind on the seat there is little to no bobbing.
All around the bicycle works for the function it was supposed to do. An entry to mid level mountain bike that handle most any trail riding you throw at it. The bicycle, to me gets only 3 chilis for Value because for the money spent on it, I still believe one can get a bicycle with better suspension technology for the money spent on this, and though the front suspension has one more adjustability point that most other bikes in this range(rebound damping), I believe some other forks do better without this level of adjustability. the auxiliary components would possibly be of a lower rating than these, but there are not many weight savings one is getting with this bicycle. Overall rating is 4 chilis because even though it has its drawbacks, the bicycle is still quite nimble and one can have excessive amounts of fun on this bicycle.
Bike Setup: Schwinn seat, 2 inch rise bar, platform pedals instead of stock clipless pedals.
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Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Collins, CO
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2003
Strengths: Very smooth, good geometry, nice front fork, great buy for the price!
Weaknesses: XT or LX preferred, but Deore will work for now.
Bottom Line:
I have only had it for a bit - but I'm happy so far. Jamis does very little advertising, so you get more bike for the buck. The reviews are true, the brakes rub a bit, but I will go to Hayes and try to open up the calipers a bit. The Manitou Black is a lot bigger than I am used to, which is nice. I'm about 6'3" and 190 - and it's been great so far. I had to do some adjustments on the suspension, but they were simple. Also, a float would have been nice instead of a Vanilla, but again, for the money you can't beat it. Got a hell of a deal at Veloswap too ($650 new!) It's my 1st full suspension, and I would recommend it for anyone looking for something mid-high end to start riding FS.
Similar Products Used: Marin Nail Trail (no full suspension)
Bike Setup: Stock
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Submitted by
Matthew Bartels
a Weekend Warrior
from Evanston, IL, USA
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2003
Strengths: Great components for the price, excellent ride, looks cool too! Mechanical disc brakes are better than rim, by a lot, but cheaper than hydraulics (to buy and to maintain!)
Weaknesses: Would have liked at least LX components, but the standard Deore group has performed well so far
Bottom Line:
This is a good bike at any price, but for the price I paid it is a completely excellent bike! There's nothing that stands out as a cost-cutter to me, everything is well matched and well balanced. I'm a heavier rider (110 Kg) and the suspension didn't have any trouble with me going over logs/roots/rocks.
Similar Products Used: Not super-similar, but a 1998 Specialized Stumpjumper was the predecessor, front susp only. This bike handles as well as stumpy, on the smoother stuff, and the matched 90mm suspensions just eat up the rough stuff.
Bike Setup: Totally stock, except for the addition of a water bottle cage (which will eventually be used to hold a battery for 24-hour events)
Weaknesses: TIRES!!! I CAN"T STRESS THAT ENOUGH THE STUIPD CHEAP TIRES.
Bottom Line:
This bike is worth every penny that i payed for it. The price i payed easily makes up for the horrible stock tires that came with it. I was riding and i guess i was goin like 18 mph and i hopped up a curb but i guess the back tire didn;t make it about 10 yards later i start hearing bump bump bump OH S-H-I-T!!!! i had to walk my bike 2 miles back home. My recomendation: REPLACE THE STUPID TIRES!!!!
other than that WHY THE HECK ARN"T U BUYING THIS ALREADY!!!! =-)
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Bridgeport CT.
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2003
Strengths: Good suspension, effective brakes, solid drivetrain.
Weaknesses: Seatpost, brake setup. Tires hard to seat properly.
Bottom Line:
I felt like I was in between sizes (17 to 19) so I went with the 17 inch frame. My first ride didn't go real well on the original stem (10 degrees), as I needed the seatpost right out to the min. insertion mark. I also didn't realize the fork preload was set to the min. value (I weigh around 200) so the front end felt a little soft. After about 10 minutes, I went over the bars and bent the deraileur hanger (not the bike's fault, I lost it climbing over a big rock). I tweaked the cable adjustment to keep the deraileur out of the spokes, and managed to finish the ride without further incident. As it turns out, the seat post was bent very slightly, I'm not sure if it's from the fall, or from being at the very end of it's extension with me at the other end.
I ordered a 135 mm 40 degree upright stem (which I had always planned on getting), and a 400 mm Weyless seatpost and after cranking up the fork preload the bike rides much better. I may get bars with a little more rise, but otherwise it fits ok. The deraileur hanger did a good job protecting the rear deraileur, and it straightened out quite easily.
Originally, the brakes rubbed the calipers slightly, and made the most annoying high pitched squeal you can imagine whenever you rolled the bike. I adjusted the caliper position using the procedure from the Hayes manual with a little less spacing (2 sheets of computer paper or so) and the brakes have been fine since. Stopping power is very good, and modulation is good too.
After cranking up the fork preload, the suspension feels pretty good. I like the feel of the fork, although I probably need a heavier spring set at my weight. I don't even notice the rear suspension, it does a good job without any noticable bobbing or unwanted motion. I was originally looking for a rear shock with a lockout, but for me this bike doesn't need one.
I pulled off a tire, and when I put it back on in order to get the bead to seat properly I had to pump the tire up to 70 pounds or so. I've heard of this with this tire, but I don't know if the rim has anything to do with it.
Other than the minor problems setting up the bike, I've been very pleased with the way it rides. It's got just the right amount of suspension for my level of riding, and I've had zero problems shifting gears or keeping the chain on the bike. On my last ride, I didn't even notice the bike at all, I can't ask for anything better than that. The service and support at Rad Rob's has also been excellent. They've been right there whenever I have a problem, or need something unusual.
I think this is a great bike for the price, I'd definitely buy another one.
