This bike measures up to the Dakar XLT 2.0 in all ways but one: it doesn’t cost as much. Featuring the same all-mountain XLT frame platform but with 125mm of plush and progressive Fox Vanilla RL coil-sprung suspension fore and aft.
Submitted by
Calebiker
a Cross Country Rider
from Spokane, WA
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2008
Strengths: The Fox air shocks are really great and there is hardly any peadle bob while seated, and the disk brakes are a major upgrade for me, it is such a fun bike to ride. Its really great looking too.
Weaknesses: everybody was saying that it was heavy at 30 pounds, but my old hardtail was 34 lbs.
Bottom Line:
if you find this bike, BUY IT!It made the best mtn. bike of the year in 2003 and is great fun to ride.it's great for light freeriding, but at 5.5 inches of travel there's not enough travel for DH.
Bike Setup: It is the 2005 model and the guy that I bought the bike from had replaced the tires to panaracer XC pros, and put on a b.g. titanium/carbon saddle. As far as I know everything else is stock.
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Submitted by
Alex Ivanov
a Weekend Warrior
from Saint-Petersburg,Russia
Bike Setup: Fox Float R - fork & shock, Juicy 3 truvativ husselfelt stem, dmr V8 pedals
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Submitted by
Peter
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Barbara, CA
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2007
Strengths: Durability, components, great at climbing, stable ride.
Weaknesses: A little heavy.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike. It takes beatings very well. Have taken off 5 ft. drops and it just took em in (although you have to tune the shock first..). Am racing in a few months XC on it and feel like I will do great. Climbs incredibly. If you can find an '03 for the right price, buy it. I demo'd the Dawg, Kikapu Deluxe and an FSR XC. They didn't really compare, I love the lockout. Haven't had any cracks though. Great for all mountain. Buy it if you can find one for 500-750.
Similar Products Used: Kona Dawg & Kikapu Deluxe, FSR XC.
Bike Setup: Stock w/ platform pedals.
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Submitted by
dmb
a Weekend Warrior
from Philadelphia, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2007
Strengths: Climbs great, Fox RL shock is indestructible, horst link, plush over bumps, takes drops like it's a freerider, geometry is great for all-mountain riding, great color. Well balanced, low center of gravity, and stable, stable, stable!
Weaknesses: Name is too long.
Bottom Line:
This review is for the frame only. Frame size: 17", Rider: 155lbs, 5'6"
This thing does it all. Climbs, hucks, XC. You name it, it does it. I don't know if it's the horst link, or the suspension design, or the geometry, or the head angle, or what, but this thing climbs great. Just stay in the seat and keep pedalling. I don't even use the lockout on the shock. My set up weighs in at 33-34lbs, but I still feel more comfortable pedalling it up a hill than my friend's sub-25lb Giant NRS.
If you like going down hills, just sit back, forget about picking lines, and let the rig speed you down. That Fox shock just soaks it all up, while at the same time giving you total control over that rear wheel.
If you want to do drop offs, go ahead. Lean back and keep your elbows up. It's that simple. It almost dares you to use it for free riding.
This frame gives me confidence in all aspects of riding. Uphills, downhills, drop-offs, urban, it truly is "all-mountain" and then some. I sometimes feel more confident on drops with it than I do with my Norco Launch! It's a great ride for someone who wants to progress as a rider, even if you're already a great rider.
An awesome frame for the indecisive rider who does everything and wants to do everything well. I've heard the later models no longer have the horst linkage and that the geometry is a little more slack, hopefully it hasn't affected the climbing ability of this amazing frame. Jamis's suspension design is a great climber, even without a stable-platform shock.
I've had to replace one pivot bearing in the 3 seasons of riding this frame (five bucks), and that was after a full day of urban nonsense.
2003 was a great model lineup for Jamis. Fox was doing the XLT suspensions then, and the XLT was total bang for the buck.
A better value and a better ride than it's Cannondale and Specialized counterparts (I tested those before agreeing to the Jamis).
Value: Cheaper than any comparable rigs of the more advertised brands.
Overall Rating: An all mountain frame that can do more than just all mountains.
Bike Setup: 2003 Jamis Dakar XLT 1.0 size 17", Silver 2003 Marzocchi Z1 Freeride SL, Alex rims on Formula hubs, LX/XT drivetrain, Avid mechanicals, FSA Vdrive Xtreme crankset, Maxxis Mobster 2.5 up front, WTB Velociraptor 2.1 rear, silver Mosh BMX flat pedals, WTB Speed V saddle
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Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from Ontario Canada
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2006
Strengths: Bang for buck
Weaknesses: Service from JAMIS
Bottom Line:
Overall I love the bike, have riden many miles, dont baby the bike at all and it keeps performing. I've replaced a lot of parts due to wear, chains, rings, bottom brackets, rear swingarm (cracked - covered under warranty), bearings.
On thing that is deplorable however is the service from JAMIS. I commented earlier how long it took to get a hanger, now I have been waiting 6 weeks for shock bushings. The only part that came relatively quickly (2 weeks) was the rear swingarm that cracked. JAMIS service is the worst I have ever seen from any company.
Bike Setup: Mostly stock other than ALIUM Pedals, Panaracer tires,
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Submitted by
JohnnyB
a Cross Country Rider
from New York
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2005
Strengths: Frame & Parts- fork, strong wheels, brakes work well
Weaknesses: Pedals, tires. Traded them for Mallets and Nokians after a few rides.
Bottom Line:
All around great bike used for 2 years on trails, few drops. Handles all conditions well. Have had no problems with the frame, unlike others on this board and I ride mine really hard and very often. The weight is average for a bike that can handle this much action.
Similar Products Used: Bullit, Heckler, AS-R, Enduro Comp
Bike Setup: stock xlt 1.0
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Submitted by
Tyler
a Weekend Warrior
from Washington, IL
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2005
Strengths: For the components, it's cheap and light weight. Has been able to hit everything I throw at it. I've raced it in beginner downhill and XC races and its competed well in both.
Weaknesses: I've replaces the derailler hanger about 5 times, seems to be flimsy, I'll hope for a after market stronger one. A pivot on the rear shock has come loose twice. Front shock is a little soft. Never even road with stock peddles. Hutchinsons didn't grip a whole lot when they were on there.
Bottom Line:
Very smooth in the trails, you don't have to pay attention to every little detail the single track thows at you like an XC and doesn't have the weight of a downhill when you're climbing plus has lockouts. Hard to beat for the price, Jamis needs to look at some of the fine details to make it perfect.
Strengths: I have the 2004 model and the bike comes with awesome components and is very good for the price. It seems to ride really well and the manitou suspension is great for pedaling uphill as well as doing little 3-5 foot drops.
Weaknesses: the hutchinson tires were designed for mud yet were still put on a retail bike. tires wore out in a month and caused me to crash hard when the sidewall was worn out. Also, this bike is a little bit on the heavy side but nothing you cant easily get used to.
Bottom Line:
A great all around bike for the price, awesome for going trail riding with the friends and good for the person like me that likes to race cross-country and go downhilling a few times a week. Wont win you any cross-country races though but could make you a much better racer for using lighter bikes.
Similar Products Used: gary fisher's 5-by-5 bike test rode, Marin wolf bike test rode
Bike Setup: Continental 2.3 inch tires, manitou 1:00 fork, manitou swinger 3-way rear shock
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Submitted by
BIGRED
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore, MD
Date Reviewed: September 29, 2004
Strengths: Price, was able to upgrade cranks, wheels,tires, FD and shifters without too much extra cost. Very capable bike, high fun facter when ridden aggressively. Climbs pretty good after learning proper spin on cranks.
Weaknesses: None at this time I have put this bike though-out the East and Colorado and the Southwest, Moab, Sedona, Texas and NC
Bottom Line:
This is a follow up review, now I have had this bike for just over a year and the frame has suffered no cracks in frame at all. I'm 6'2" 210lbs and have put this bike though good rides and the only failure has been the BB. I went up to New Jersey for the US OPEN MT biking in June and did some of the downhill course's that sure was fun, but I'm in my 50'ies now so I don't ride real hard I will try to tackel everything the trail throw's my way and I'm pleased that this did and has done everything extremly well. The only thing now is a good rear shock would help the pedel bob.
Similar Products Used: 1st Full Supension, been Mt bike since 80-81 have ridden some GT FS and Klein but didn't like the feel stayed with trusted steel hard-tail. This bike was cheap and it fit good.
Bike Setup: XT drivetrain, CHRIS KING ISO/Mavic F519 Thompson Stem and Seatpost,
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Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from Falls Church, VA USA
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2004
Strengths: Cheap! Got it on mtbr.com classifieds in very good condition used for 900 shipped with SPD pedals and cleats. Very plush (compared to my old POS). Great for xc singletrack as well as free ride. No chain stay or any other problems. The front and rear lockout make it ridable on the road if you need to use it for singletrack and free ride as well as getting to school or work.
Weaknesses: none yet!
Bottom Line:
I've heard about chainstay problems but never had any. I've gotton 5+ feet of air on this thing with NO problems. The chainstay stuff worried me too, but then again I'm only 130 lbs so I probably stress it less then someone thats 200 lbs. The perfect bike for someone who loves to ride and doesn't have alot of money for multiple bikes because it can do it all. All in all, I love it and you'll have a hard time finding anything better then this for $900.
Similar Products Used: my old bike doesn't even compare. However I did test ride the 2004 in the shop. The 2004 might have been a little more plush, but this was $550 cheaper.
Bike Setup: Pretty much all stock.
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Submitted by
REEK
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore MD
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2004
Strengths: Parts specs, Horst link, cool grey color
Weaknesses: Chainstay integrity, some of the pivots seem sloppy, rear seatstay brace hits seat tube
Bottom Line:
Great parts specs for the price. I parted mine out completely and put my "old" parts on it. That's the way I like it. A few things draw back from a near perfect frame. The rear seat stay brace hits the seat tube on full compression, the pivots seem a bit sketchy - none have given out yet but still seems sloppy. The worst, the chain stay broke near the main pivot. took almost 4 weeks to replace it. I think that was more of a local bike shop problem rather than a Jamis problem. I spoke with the guys at Jamis in N.J. and they were willing to send me a chainstay sight unseen. I just needed to call my Jamis dealer and have them file the warrantee papers. But the LBS not only treated me like a criminal for relaying the message from Jamis but also dragged their feet unbelievably. So I went to my local Performance bike shop and got results. again, unbelievable.
Anyway, the bike rides great with the SPV upgrade. It really didn't need it with the rear suspension design/horst link design but I was going from coil to air anyway so I got a Swinger air 4 way. The more XC-ish head angle is actually nice. I know some say it's sketchy on the downs but overall as a trail bike, I like the quicker steering and better climbing.
New chainstay seems thicker but I'm treating this as a hefty XC bike now rather than taking big drops on it. Love the ride too much to part with the frame just yet.
In my opinion, I'd rather keep the 03 rather than get a new 04 XLT mainly for the rear suspension design and head angle.
An update, broke another chainstay. I have been maintaining my bike religiously, making sure all components are tight and functional. It still broke. Getting nervous about owning this bike, i ride a lot, and somewhat aggressively, but WTF Jamis? I purchased a spare frame just for this reason, now i have a hot swap while I wait to see if I can get another chainstay. I wish i could find an actual Jamis engineer, but their web page is pretty good at hiding their location, customer service, etc. I still love to ride this bike, but starting to think this is a disfunctional relationship!
Strengths: Cheap for what I paid for it. Does the job for most riders out there. Good on tight single track.
Weaknesses: Does not feel plush, and I have a 500# spring on it. It probably feels better with an air shock. Low BB Height, Steep Head Angle for a Freeride Frame, Jamis relaxed it a couple of degrees on the 04 Models.
Bottom Line:
Its a good budget Freerider, Get the 04 model with an Air rear shock, the relaxed Head Angle makes a world of difference and more confidence inspiring on sketchy sh*t!!! Ride On
Similar Products Used: Marin Tara, Gary Fisher Sugar
Bike Setup: Full XTR and all Top of the components
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Submitted by
NOWELL WHITTAKER
a Weekend Warrior
from SALT LAKE CITY UT USA
Date Reviewed: April 28, 2004
Strengths: FUN SUSPENSION BIKE. WAY CHEEP. GOOD WARRENTY.
Weaknesses: SEEMS THERE IS A CRONIC PROBLEM WITH GEARING. ALWAYS SEEM TO BE TUNING IT IN. I HAVE GONE THROUGH 2 SETS OF CHAINRINGS IN FRONT. DONT KNOW IF ITS THE MIX OF COMPONENTRY OR WHAT. ALSO, FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND FROM READING OTHER REVIEWS, THE REAR CHAIN STAY IS EXTREMELY WEAK. I BROKE MINE NEAR THE PIVOT. COULD HAVE BEEN A TOTAL DISASTER IF NOT IDENTIFIED IN TIME. ONE HARD HIT COULD HAVE BROKE IT IN TWO PRODUCING ONE BAD ACCIDENT. MINE CRACKED ON ONE SIDE LUCKLY. ALSO, THE BIKE DOES'NT SEEM AS RESPONSIVE ON TIGHT TURNS. LOVE THE SUSPENSION, JUST NOT A TIGHT FEELING BIKE. I RIDE A MIX OF TRAILS, GROOMED ALPINE MOUNTAINS, TO HARDCORE BOULDER POPPERS. ITS A HEAVY BIKE, WITH THAT WEIGHT I WISH THERE WOULD BE A LITTLE MORE SECURITY IN THE FRAME. JUST A LITTLE GUSHY ON THE TURNS.
Bottom Line:
GOOD FUN FOR BEGINNER RIDER. COMPONENTS ROCK, JUST WORRY ABOUT THE FRAME. IF THE MANUFACTURER PUT A LITTLE MORE TIME INTO IT, THEY WOULD HAVE A KILLER RIDE!!
Hey everyone!
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