|
|
|
| |
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from British Coumbia
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Strengths: | Great ride, very solid, long lasting components | | Weaknesses: | Chain stay weak at horst link, however after 3 replacements I now have one that has been perfect for the last 2 1/5 years. | | Bike Setup: | Stock, except King headset, better tires & shimano SPD's | | Bottom Line: | Excelent bike, very little maintenance, components last. I have riden this bike for 4 years and just replaced cassette & granny after 1000 hours, with 1 new chain per year. Hayes a little fussy, but after a few rides and slight adjustments, perfection. Susension is easy to dial in. Honestly I didn't think I'd have it this long, now I think I'll keep it, besides it knows the way to the trail head. Happy riding
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim Kyryluk
a Cross Country Rider
from Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Ingolf | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Jenson USA | | Strengths: | Everything! | | Weaknesses: | Rear skewers, no locktite on small swingarm pivot. | | Similar Products Used: | None, used to ride a Kona Fire Mountain hardtail. | | Bike Setup: | Full XT XTR drivetrain, XTR v brakes, Monkey lite riser bar, Thompson post and stem, blah blah blah. | | Bottom Line: | Wicked ride right from the start! Love everything about the bike except for my rear hub slipping out under stress. Fixed with some Shimano LX skewers. Also the bolt from the small pivot behind the shock wiggled out and ovalized the cheap aluminum round thingy it was screwed into. Went to a welder guy I know and he cut me a piece of round steel and cut some threads into it. Put it together with blue loctite, hasn't come loose in a year. Sweet ride. Buy it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kev karl
a Racer
from reno/tahoe
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | tahoe's flume trail- nevada side | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | backcountry-tahoe city | | Strengths: | Solid performer all around. | | Weaknesses: | Same as others had noted. Rear skewer and rear bolts were coming loose. Easy remedy. Threw away stock SDG saddle. | | Bike Setup: | XT and XTR. Put XT chainrings on Hollowtech LX crank. Changed to a synthetic oils in fork and brakes. Mavic Cross-Link wheels | | Bottom Line: | Superior design and handling for the $$$, and not too heavy for xc riding. Potential is there to get yourself in trouble because the bike will absorb what you aim it at so you find yourself trying to play superman at greater speeds. Good thing for the one finger disc brake stoppies to bring your ego down to earth safely. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Booch
a Downhiller
from Upstate New York
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything at Gore Mtn. | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Strengths: | The bike just flat out rips. For the price and the components you can't go wrong. I got a hell of a deal on the price but even if you didn't its still worth every penny. | | Weaknesses: | I had the same small problems that others have written in about.....the rear scewer came loose and i have had a few screws in the linkage back out on me. With any upgrade in scewer and some locktight, problem solved. | | Similar Products Used: | Schwinn 4-banger, Gary Fisher Sugar 3 | | Bike Setup: | All factory except the new rear scewer | | Bottom Line: | Once you go to disk brakes there is no going back. The few little problems i had were easily solved. I have ridden a schwinn 4-banger with almost identicle components which cost easily $500 more than the Jamis. This bike can handle anything you point it at. I just wish there was a Jamis dealer closer to my new residence. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bijan Yeganegi
a Racer
from Irvine CA
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Big Bear Slalom | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo.com | | Strengths: | Good suspention system | | Weaknesses: | Weak Linkage. Bushings are badly designed. Welds are not Inspected Correctly. Horrible Tubing. Bad Paint (Yellow ended up to be a light orange and only 1 layer thick). | | Similar Products Used: | S-Works Slalom, Intense Tazer, Storm Team DS | | Bike Setup: | Psylo SL, Mr. Dirt 36T-40T Chain Guide, DeeMax Wheels, Gremica System 8's Azonic Bars/Stem. XTR Shifter/Cables/Housing/Rear Der., Easton Carbon Seat Post Titec Berzerker DH Seat, AC Holeshot Chainring. $ | | Bottom Line: | PIECE OF CRAP! Jamis did notinspect their Welds. Right Before a race, on a practice run, a endo'd into the back of a jump and Snapped the Headube off at the Welding. Inside the Tubing was nasty black dirty welds. This was the Smallest Jump and softest landing. My Old Tazer would have just gone OTB. The worst part? No Point for that round of the race... no frame for 4 weeks and Jamis will only send me the same frame back. Now i have to ride the new frame knowing it will brake AND.... here is the Kicker... i Broke my frame right infront of Joe Lansing of Team Profile and April Lawyer (GOD SHE IS HOT!) of Team Maxxis/Intense. Dont buy this frame unless you are doing Snail's pace XC Riding. Email me with any questions or to see pictures. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Patrick Brady
a Cross Country Rider
from Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Compression (Kincaid Park, AK) | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | The Motorcycle Shop | | Strengths: | Plenty to Say Here: Excellent cockpit angle/ride angle (it's comfortable). The bike shifts through the XTR and LX derailleurs quickly and the rapidfire shifters make it similar to blasting a few rounds out of my .22 Marlin semiauto. With the Hayes hydraulics, I can come a 30-foot stop at 20mph with just my middle fingers squeezing the levers. The bike handles like a dream with the wide Titec Hell-Bent bars (I had mine narrowed for tree-riding). The whole Dakar Expert package in general is awesome: stunning team blue/team yellow frame, yellow Hutchinson Alligators, yellow-ringed WTB grips, and the oh-so-comfortable SDG Comp Bel-Air saddle in a very flattering team blue/team yellow color scheme; in other words, LOOK AT ME! This bike climbs, downhills, and stuns onlookers like no other bike for the money. | | Weaknesses: | None (really) | | Similar Products Used: | K2 Razorback RSX | | Bike Setup: | Mix of XTR and LX components; Manitou Xvert fork; Fox Vanilla R shock; dual Hayes hydraulic disk brakes | | Bottom Line: | If you shop around like I did prior to buying this rig, you probably won't find anything even close to this mean-machine for under $2,000, and even then, it may or may not have Hayes disk brakes (which are a great feature, trust me). The only other bike out there that compares is the Giant XTC NRS with dual Hayes; I believe it retails for $1800. When I got my Dakar Expert out of the dealership and rode it the 1 point some-odd miles home, I thought to myself: "Dang! How'd I get a bike this !@#&^*$ sweet for fifteen hundred dollars?" If you're serious about riding and want to spend big money one a "freeride" (isn't all riding freeriding?) full suspension bicycle with the stopping power of a BMW motorcycle, you have to check out the Jamis Dakar Expert. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from British Columbia, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Strengths: | Amasing Ride, Fabulious good looks, no shortcut spec Warranty Service | | Weaknesses: | Nothing, absolutely Nothing | | Similar Products Used: | GT, Marin | | Bike Setup: | stock except shimano SPD's and more agressive rubber | | Bottom Line: | I have ridden my Dakar Expert at least twice a week, the usual 3-4 hour ride each,for almost 1 year and have loved every minute. You can imaging my surprise when I noticed a crack at the head/down tube joint. First you panic because of the stories I have read in this forum. I put a call into Jamis, they said no problem, they estimated approx. 1 month replacement. I figured I'd be lucky to recieve in 6 weeks. In exactly 6 weeks a new frame arrived at my door. Now living here in Canada I had to pay brokerage fees and taxes, I was glad to pay as the service from Jamis is prompt, friendly and first rate. These people obviously must be riders as they apreciated the fact I was missing riding my Jamis. If you want a great bike with no hassles you will be happy you chose a Jamis. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ken Ward
a Cross Country Rider
from Ashland OR
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Catwalk | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Great trail bike. Tough and fun all mountain steed. Good disposition - very natural and forgiving handling. Inspires confidence when pushing the limit. Climbs well for a bike this plush. | | Weaknesses: | Rear suspension pivot bolts require special attention but are OK with proper technique. Jamis customer support unorganized but polite and willing to try. | | Similar Products Used: | Specalized FSR-XC, GT I-Drive XCR, K2?, Fisher? | | Bike Setup: | Full XT drivetrain, FoxShox Float RC | | Bottom Line: | Been hammering on this ride for a year. Holding up well. A little heavy but more than makes up for it in all around performance. Handles long mixed rides (gnarly single track climbing and descending with long fast fire roads)like a dream.
Upper and lower bellcrank pivots are finicky but managable. Jamis recommended "Red Locktite", applied ONLY to thread surfaces (NO excess to seep out on bushing surfaces) and very cautios pivot bolt adjustment. To tight = rapid bushing deterioration. To loose = (slight)rear end slack and chatter. Takes a little practice but easy enough to dial in. DO NOT oil composite bushings.
Blew out XVert part but Manitou was quick to deal with issue. Rear Shock started bleeding off air but FoxShox rebuilt and returned in a week.
Ordered replacement suspension bushings from Jamis and recieved wrong ones, then order was "Delayed". Rode sloppy bushings for a while. Finally one guy swiped some off of a bike in warehouse and sent FedEx and said Jamis wouldn't charge me for the parts because of my inconvenience. OK, its how you handle mistakes that counts - right?
Overall - If I had to go get another bike I wouldn't hesitate to get the same bike. Might try the Shimano XT Disk but mounting would require adapter. Bike is a real hoot. Some of the lighter bikes I have ridden seem to climb on smooth stuff a little better. My buddies seem to feel at an overall disadvantage on long hard rides when tough single track and flying fire roads are involved. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
crash maxwell
a Weekend Warrior
from orange co. ca.
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | all of them | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | the path tustin | | Strengths: | climbs well goes down even better | | Weaknesses: | i havent found one yet | | Similar Products Used: | first fs bike | | Bike Setup: | xt brakes,shifters,rynolite wheels,azonic dbl risers,xvert fork,646 platforms spd,fox float r on frame | | Bottom Line: | this bike is the only one you will ever need for trail riding.so what if it weighs 30 lbs.if you want to race up hills get lighter parts.if you chug your way up the mountain,like i do,enjoy the sights and this bike will get you there.as for abuse,i fell onto a huge rock 3 weeks after building my bike.it put a nastey dent in the down tube.after nine months of hard riding,it finaly cracked.the guys at THE PATH are giving me a deal on a new frame.any questions on what it will be ? you got it.another jamis. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from British Columbia
Date Reviewed: November 22, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Strengths: | Name brand parts, Brakes, Strong proven design, Ride and Handling. Finish decals clearcoated, welds excelent. | | Weaknesses: | WTB Skewers won't hold rear wheel straight as dropouts are horizontal, upgrade to Shimano Skewers, problem solved. Service from Distributor very SLOW. | | Bike Setup: | Almost original | | Bottom Line: | What amazes me is how hard Jamis Owners rate their bikes, Almost everyone loves the bike, a few minor problems such as the Rear Skewer [ Shimano Fix ], a couple owners complained of frosen rear hub [ can happen to any brand ], Pivot Bolts loosening [ check before each ride, or lock tight, fixed ] and Slow Service [ unfortunately that's the Bike Industy, but if you keep calling the manufacturer yourself they eventually get the message and you will get service]. Out of all the reviewers only one broken frame part, and yet the average rating is lower than 4 other competitors in this class. Some reviewers of these Brands complain of a 25% frame breakage, complaints of thin tubing, constant chain suck, broken cranks, clearance so low the pedals hit on compression, suspension parts that aren't replaceable and brakes, even Hayes, that are so poorly mounted to the bikes that proper adjustment is impossible, if you don't believe me check in the same price range yourself. These owners overall still see fit to rate their bikes higher, what gives. I will take my Jamis with it's minor quirks any day over some of the real problems I read from the other brand owners in this forum. Why keep this bike a secret, if the company prospers, warranty and replacement parts will always be there when needed. Remember Riden Hard and Put Away Wet is a statement made of something not taken care of. A little TLC afer a hard ride lets you ride harder. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Gatos, CA
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Demonstration | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | The Backcountry | | Strengths: | Awesome ride, Hayes Brakes, Great looking | | Weaknesses: | Rear dropouts, pedals | | Similar Products Used: | None - (my first full-suspension) | | Bike Setup: | Stock , except for Ritchey Logic pedals (from dealer), and Panaracer Fire XC Pro tires, shortened bars 2" | | Bottom Line: | Overall, has been a great bike for me!
This is my first full suspension which I have really ridden, after riding for over ten years on hardtails (88, and 92 Raleigh Chill). I bought it after falling for it at the shop in Tahoe, and reading any reviews I could find.
First impressions with the suspension were that it literally sticks to the trail, on fast downhills and singletrack! Goes over jumps like you are sitting on a pillow! Feels a little heavy on the uphills, but I have to get myself back in shape anyway. the rear shock locks out well though, if you increase the preload all the way.
Brakes stop on a friggin dime! They allow you to stop later than you normally would when blasting singletrack.
Front shock eats up bumps, logs, ruts (has saved me a few times already).
Unfortunately, I have also seen the same problem with the rear wheel shift that others have reported. A Shimano QR seems to do a much better job than the WTB, although I may take the Dremel to it also.
I am still debating with myself if I got the right size fram e (17", and I am 5'11", 175#). It may be the riser bar, or too short of a stem, but I get the front wheel lifting on steep ascents.
I also had to sent the Hutchinson tires back due to cracking on the sidewall. For some reason, I got Ritchey pedals, instead of Time, and have had problems getting into them occasionally. May upgrade eventually.
I would definitely recommend this bike for any experienced riders looking for great value, and all-terrain rideability. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a Weekend Warrior
from Boulder, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Sports Garage | | Strengths: | This bike,in stock form, is a good deal. The wheels are good and solid, and can cheaply and easily made lighter by substituting alloy nipples. The suspension design is solid, and for the spec is on the whole smart. The tires are fantastic, and so are the grips. | | Weaknesses: | Original stem was too long for the size, Manitou fork quickly blew up (as all manitous do because theyre crappily made), bike is billed as a "freeride" machine, but only has 90 mm of rear travel, and jamis will not support any increase, so if you do, you void the warranty. The original headset sucks, i broke two of the original seatposts before Titec sent me one of their beefier ones. Sub par cassette (LX), and the Real rear hub makes a loud sound under heavy load. | | Similar Products Used: | Lots of full suspension bikes, but few downhill. | | Bike Setup: | I swapped (or broke and replaced), easton scandium handlebars, profile stiffy stem, cane creek cartridge headset, Psylo SL, speedplay frogs, Titec 7005 seatpost (as opposed to the original 6061), serfas lola saddle, XT cassette, hutchinson Python (rear). | | Bottom Line: | When you sum it all up; i think that jamis did ok in its attempt to make a bargain freerider. However, i really think that they should have made it more expensive and substituted some better parts. Having two seatposts fail on me was not good, and by the time I had walked out of the store with it it had already almost cost me 2000 dollars. This was not because I wanted a boutique bike; the only parts I replaced originally were the stem (because it was too long at 125mm), the handlebars (because the scandium bars have a wonderful characteristic that never gets mentioned; they dampen high speed vibration), the headset, and the cassette. But now ive spent much more, especially with the fork falling apart (its damping system just seemed to give up after several hundred miles even though i cleaned and lubed the fork; every manitou ive ever had was finicky and died quickly; stay away from them). At this point I wish that i had sunk my money into a schwinn four banger; at least id have a bona fide 4 inches of rear travel and bearings. The jamis is probably going to need new bushings soon and when i first got it the rear bushings came without locktite, so they almost completely backed out of the frame after a couple of rides; im lucky that i caught it. Furthermore, I think that what others have desribed as "being unable to tell that the suspension is working" is actually friction from the bushings dampening the movement. Yes, the suspension reacts readily to isolated bumps, but it doesnt handle repeated medium/small bumps like braking bumps so well. On a high speed downhill run a lot of "chatter" is transfered instead of absorbed. Finally; Ive found Jamis to be a poor company to buy from. ive contacted them on two occasions. The first time i told them what i was doing with the bike, and asked how long i could expect the bushings to last, and how long i could expect the frame to last. They replied by simply saying that my actions on the bike voided the warranty, and they would be able to tell if i ever sent it in for repair what i had done to it. No mention whatsoever of the questions i asked; they just covered their asses. The second time, i emailed them to ask if i could increase the travel. i provided examples like "could i buy a longer stroke shock, or is there a longer link" and told them not to write me back about stupid warranty issues. Their reply; "sorry, youre at max travel." Thats it. So ill probably replace the frame soon, and i dont think ill ever buy a jamis again. Thats the bottom line; this bike is an xc bike in freeride clothes, so dont expect it to stand up to real abuse, and dont expect any help from jamis on anything. The ideal person to buy this bike is someone who rides rough XC and doesnt have much money. If you are scraping to get the 1600 this bike is a steal; the brakes are amazing, if youre not too hard on the parts theyll last a long time, and so will the frame if you only do XC. If youre going to do more freeriding type stuff (bigger than 3 foot drops, jumps, or just very rough downhills) then save your money up and get something with cartridge bearings, disc brakes, and either a marzocchi or a psylo. Also, this bike tends to make you want to do more freeride type stuff, so keep in mind that you might buy this being an XC guy, and then want something beefier. In general i have to add that i think 2500 is a good price point for a real quality freeride bike. At that price you wont always be breaking or replacing things; itll come withe the better parts. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
heffalump
a Weekend Warrior
from Da Great White Nort'
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | name one, I've ridden it. | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1450.00 | | Strengths: | Great frame design, excellent suspension, killer on the downhills, even though I suck at DH runs | | Weaknesses: | Horizontal dropouts......while great for converting to a single speed if necessary, not very good for removing the rear wheel easily. | | Similar Products Used: | Lots and lots. | | Bike Setup: | Stock frame, Fox RC and Manitou X-Vert, but with a 9.0sl drivetrain, XT hollowtechs Avid mechanical disks, and XT disk hubs laced to Rhyno Lites | | Bottom Line: | I'm in LOVE with this bike.
Actually, it's funny how I got what I did, 'cause as other posters have mentioned they're hard to come by. The GF of a friend of mine who owns the local shop wanted the Expert drivetrain on the Pro frame, thought the blue and yellow was tacky. So basically what I got was a mix of the two. She kept the Hayes brakes, which is fine........I really really think the Avids are much better at the slow, technical singletrack around here. Give me Hayes for fast, clean DH runs, but since I don't do those, I'll stick with the better modulation and control of the Avids. Sorry, I digress, but I really found that the Avids added to the capability of the bike.
First thing I noticed, really, is that it doesn't FEEL like an FS bike on the trail. You have to either look down at the shock (and nail the nearest tree) or ride your hardtail again to feel what it's doing back there. Even though it weighs on the portly side, I've been making climbs on it that I couldn't do on my old hardtail. Could be the extra leg muscle from hauling around 30 pounds, I guess. I give the credit to the suspension though.
The X-Vert is really hard to beat. I kinda judge it by this.....it's smooth, no stiction at all, and it's hard for me to bottom it out. Now, my friends who have long travel Bombers and RockShox.....THEIR forks I can hit bottom just by jumping hard off a curb. Granted, they're plusher on the trail, but here's my opinion. I like plush, but I also like to feel what's going on. The Manitou feels bottomless, without sacrificing the "touch" that short travel forks have. 'Nuff said.
Wow.
The only real downside I can see to the frame design is the horizontal dropouts. I've read the posts below, about the wheel cocking in the dropouts, and I've had it happen once.
I like the idea, it minimizes the possibility of the wheel leaving the bike unexpectedly due to skewer failure, and it DOES allow you to make a good singlespeed if you rip your derailleur off (I know this from experience, don't ask.)
However, the reinforcing crossbar at the top of the rear triangle DOES make it hard to remove the rear wheel if you run a tire bigger than a 1.9". With a bit of cussing I can get my 2.1" Velociraptors out, but I really think they should either (a) lengthen the rear triangle by a quarter inch.....it won't affect the handling that much, or (b) design a curved crossbar to allow for larger tires.
I wouldn't trade it for anything, though. Ride hard! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from British Columbia
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Mt. Tzouhalem | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Strengths: | Great Looks, Handling on long downhills,Climbs like a goat,Brakes much more controlable than LX V's on rain soaked West Coast Trails. Definitely a Good Value | | Weaknesses: | Derailleur hanger too hard { Ground slight recess under skewer nut with Dremmel tool, works perfect } | | Similar Products Used: | 1996 GT Pantera hard tail ridden hard 4 years | | Bike Setup: | Original, except swapped Time pedals for Shimano 545 { more predictable entry & exits }, Swapped ugly yellow Hutchisson tires for a pair of agressive Superheats. Added a quick release for the seat. Cut 2" off handlebars | | Bottom Line: | I ride a mountain full of steep single track, littered with rocks, fallen trees, very slick roots and lots of mud. This bike is nothing short of amazing. Decends with confidence and control. Ascends slick rooted terrain with the rear tire chewing all the way, the rear suspension actually drives the tire down and back, producing amazing traction. Pay carefull attention to sizing, if you go by Jamis' Spec's on the web site you will choose a bike one size too big. I'm 5'6",I choose a 15"er ,my Dealer suggested the 13". After a 3 week wait, I got a bike that fits like a glove. As with anything mechanical, always check your bolts, prior to first and after every ride. My suspension linkages I retightened slightly after 6 rides and now they remain tight. I continue to check all bolts after every ride, it only makes sense with how hard we ride these bikes. This bike is Great. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
FoolishHuman
a Weekend Warrior
from NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Value value value. Looks damn cool too | | Weaknesses: | Arrrgh! Rear skewer!!! Jamis customer service. | | Bottom Line: | This is my third review and I'm glad to see so many people have bought this bike. Unfortunately i did encounter a few problems with my bike over the past months. As the other reviewers have stated, there is something terribly wrong with the rear skewer/hub/dropout. I still couldnt figure out which one of those is causing the problem. On steep climbs or when your just mashing on the pedal, the chain torque actually pulls the drive side of the hub out of the dropout. This causes the rear wheel to be misaligned, which is bad for the disc brake!!! very bad!!!
I brought it in to the shop and they called Jamis. Jamis told them they havent heard of anything like that happening (how can they lie like that?). So the shop guys thought maybe the WTB skewer might be the problem. I put on a shimano XT skewer and so far it's alright.(crossing fingers)
Anyways I still love this bike very much despite the rear skewer. It actually climbs better than my old hardtail, i can feel the suspension dig in on those steep rocky east coast trails. Its a great hard core XC bike, i actually do downhill runs with it at the ski resorts. Make no mistake this is not a downhill bike, but this bike can handle more than its share of terrain.
To sum it up, I would still recommend buying this bike. You wont find a better value anywhere. Just make sure the shop put in a new skewer. Oh, and dont blame Jamis because your bike shop screwed up. *cough* Canadian *cough*
| Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Schematic Skip
a Cross Country Rider
from MTB
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | All of them | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Brakes, Looks, Components, Ride | | Weaknesses: | Skewers and tires. | | Similar Products Used: | I-Drive, Aeon | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for pedals and skewers. | | Bottom Line: | This bike rides really well. As for what the guy below me says here, I don't know about how this frame can be engineered incorrectly. He must be talking to an engineer from the local JuCo cause this frame design has been around for a long time, and it continues to be around because of how well it works. GT dropped the ball on upgrading a frame design that didn't need to be upgraded, and I hope that Jamis doesn't do the same. I have ridden bikes that cost a lot more money, and I still find the Jamis to be a good bike.
Another thing I find hard to understand is this, how is it Jamis' fault that the bike shop forgot to build your bike correctly? Just a thought I had.
Another thing, this bike isn't the best climber, but neither am I, but I will tell you what, this bike helps in just about every other riding situation.
As I said, this is a great bike. As for the intelligent person below me, i don't agree with the engineering statement because if that is the case, than Psycle Werks and Jamis have been pulling off the scam of this design for a long time. I saw another genius here that discussed how the GT-I Drive isn't a sound engineering. Well, I am glad that there are so many consumers out there who understand bikes as well as they do, because when I am on the trail, it is always good to know that somone may be able to help you out on the trail with some engineering knowledge.
What a joke people are. This isn't an easy bike to find, and it wasn't when I picked mine up. If you can find one around, more power to ya. Just get ready to build some leg muscle cause it will happen on the uphills. Oh yea, and if you happen to find any magical engineering feats that can be utilized in the bicycle making industry, you should probably go to the bike company first, and not a public forum where the people reading it think you are a tool. It is a waste of our time, and it doesn't add to the fun of the sport...
I give this pig a 5 for value because there isn't anything like it in its price range, and I give it a 5 for Overall because of its EXCELLENT ENGINEERING. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rich
a
from montreal canada
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | price,and components | | Weaknesses: | frame, and skewers | | Similar Products Used: | kona stinky, schwinn 4 banger, fsr big hit | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | buy the bike then sell the frame imediatly and buy any of the frames i mentioned above.
the second day i bought the bike i lost a screw from the rear triangle because the idiot who asembled the dam thing didn't put lock tight on the screws so i had to wait 2 weeks for the retards at the store i bought it at to order me the screw because it was a "special Screw" and then when i went in to pick up the screw they still didn't have the screw(this is 2 weeks later i brought the bike into the store)so they hade to take the screw off one of there bikes in the shop. then about 3 weeks later i broke the axle on the rear hub the F%ckers took 3 weeks to decide that they were again going to take one of the part off one of there store bikes. then when i was at bike camp (check out the site www.mtbcamp.com it's a really cool camp)a week into it i broke the fu@kin rear triangle on the tube going down to the disk brake. a first i thought it was just a manufacturing defect but when a enginer looked at it he said it was an enginering problem not a defect. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
vomitgas
a Cross Country Rider
from Cincinnati OH
Date Reviewed: July 24, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Price, Looks, Brakes, Suspension. | | Weaknesses: | Shifters work damn good, but feel a little cheap. I noticed a "creaking" noise out of the bottom bracket maybe, but it soon went away. I guess I will one day get used to riser bars. The worst thing is that everyone wants to stop and ask how much they cost. | | Similar Products Used: | I drive, Sugars | | Bike Setup: | Stock except 747 SPD's and New rear Skewer on the way. | | Bottom Line: | I had the same problem as the guy below me. I noticed the rear wheel slipping out on the cog side. It seems that the derailleur hanger is almost too strong of a material. The teeth on the skewer don't dig in to keep it in place. It is a minor issue and I intend to have it fixed by the end of the week. This bike is plus, but not too much so. The only real problem with it is trying to find it. I can assure you that you will not find one available for order. If you are looking for one, call every dealer to see if they already have one on the floor. It is worth it.
Overall this bike is a great value and a great ride. I am not planning on any upgrades for this bike any time soon.
Good luck finding one. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin Roach
a Downhiller
from Newbury Park,Ca. USA
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Cheseboro Cyn. | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Well spected, great looks, ok weight, great handling, very solidly built. | | Weaknesses: | Rear axle sliped at cog side alot in beginning so I switched to XTR skewers and used small grinding wheel on replaceable dropout to cure problem. Note! I went round and round with Jamis to fix problem and they finally sent me a new rear wheel complete. It took more phone calls than I care to mention but the problem is fixed. Weaknesses; WTB skewers, Hutchinson tires, seat, customer service. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale, giant, and more plus alot of research. | | Bike Setup: | Setup is good out of the box although I put on a 120mm stem a Terry titanium saddle and changed the tires. | | Bottom Line: | This is a killer bike for the money, I can smoke on the downhills tecnical or otherwise with control. Hayes brakes are great with zero drag and one finger modulation it does not get any better. The Swingarm bushings are really good but pay attention! do not use grease or oils in this system they ruin the busings. If want a smooth moving system remove bushings every couple of months clean and then use a light coat of dry grafite on bushings and casings they will work like bearings. If your looking for a do anything bike with very little maintenance, great handeling, good looks and no air shocks to pump up buy the Expert. P.S. I ride a 19" frame and weigh 210lbs no fat and it works great for me. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
oliver
a
from las vegas,nv,usa
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | comes with hayes disk,4 bar linkage,runs good stock but runs better tricked out. GOOD PRICE | | Weaknesses: | needs bearings in rear suspension | | Bike Setup: | Manitou x-vert dc,Fox shox vanilla rx makes it get 5.5 inches of travel in rear,FSA orbit XL II,Tompson seatpost,raceface good and evil grips,and Maxxis high roller in front and maxxis skelter in rear | | Bottom Line: | a good all around bike that is a damn good price | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Johnny Jamis
a Cross Country Rider
from Congers
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Hayes Disc Brakes | | Weaknesses: | RECALL!!!! Anyone who has this bike better be aware that I used for 3 months with nothing but problems. I won't get into too much detail BUT get these parts replaced free of charge from the warraty coverage. My bike got new XT front and rear hubs/spokes on my old rims (Mavic 223), New XT skewers, new upper arm of rear triangle, new rotor for rear discs. Why all this? The "Real" hubs that are on the bike does not have enough contact area with the frame to stay on under stress. My rear tire kept coming loose and rubbing along the upper arm of the rear triangle. The rotor got bent and messed up the calipers. Shop tried to fix it twice and couldn't! Get your upgraded parts ASAP. Don't get stuck on a trail with a busted Jamis. I now own at GT I-drive XCR 1500. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek VRX 300, Specialized Enduro Comp, GT XCR 1500 | | Bottom Line: | Don't buy it. If you did...get the upgraded parts ASAP.
Fork is ok but my Xvert seemed to loose it's "action" quickly. Buy another brand with a better reputation for QUALITY as Jamis doesn't know this yet. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
lee rosen
a Weekend Warrior
from salem,oregon
Date Reviewed: July 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | McKenzie River trail | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | color,price,complete package. | | Weaknesses: | bolts came loose,Race hub bearing froze up | | Similar Products Used: | none,my other bike is a 96 voodoo hoodoo | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | when i started looking for a new bike i wanted a bike i didn't have to add anything to. i checked internet,bike shops, friends, mags,spent 3 months looking.this bike has it all.i am very happy with it. point it down hill and go fast.be sure to put locktight on all bolts.i ride 2-3 times a week year around and here in the rainy valley with lots of mud,the Race hubs ( which are sealed!? )froze up,the new bearings i bought i repacked before i put them in,all ok now.great value,ok weight .... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a Weekend Warrior
from everywhere
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | The Beast | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Looks, Price, Strength, The Ride (no bobbing), Being An Individual | | Weaknesses: | NONE!!!!!!!! | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Sugars, Trek VRX 300, GT XCR 4000 | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | This is the best bike I've ever ridden. I ride every trail and condition I can find. There is no bobbing with this bike, I like how it rides and feels better then the Gary Fisher sugars that I have ridden. It handles everything with ease. I taken seven foot drops and insane jumps wiht it, the bike just smiles. I'm very impressed at how well it takes everything with just over 3.5 inches of rear wheel travel, because everyone I ride with has at least 5 inches of rear travel and I have no problems doing anything they do. Everything on this bike works in unison, the Hayes brakes are unreal. The frame is extremely light. The forks are very plush. I just love this thing. This is a great Free Ride and XC bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
FoolishHuman
a Downhiller
from New Jersey
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Planet Earth | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Bottom Line: | Ok, this is an update on my previouse review, and i'm glad to say this bike turned out to be a very satisfactory purchase.
When i first got it i thought the rear spring was too stiff but it turned out the spring and the pivots are just tight from the factory. After several rides they have broken in and now the rear suspension is much much plusher.
But if you're looking for a long travel superplush DH/FreeRide bike then this bike is probably not for you. there is only 3.5" of rear travel, which is perfect for most types of riding. I think it's the perfect hardcore xc or slalom bike. I've done 5' drops on this thing with no problem.
Anyways...The more time i spend with this bike the more i like it. I highly recommend it, especially if you dont want to blend in with the masses of boring Treks, Specialized, and Cannondales out there.
ok, bye
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard
a
from Montreal
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | scary ones with trees and rocks | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Every thing, barly bobs, well balanced, componets, price, good looks, sweet ride. good brakes!!! | | Weaknesses: | nothing except for the first week i had it, the shop didn't asemble the bike properly and one of the screws came out so i had to wait a week for a special screw | | Similar Products Used: | FSR Enduro, Rockey mountain element, kona stinky | | Bottom Line: | BUY THIS BIKE, IT IS ONE OF THE BEST FREERIDE BIKES I HAVE EVER USED , THE ONLY PROBLEM IS FINDING A DEALER BUT FIND ONE IT'S WELL WORTH IT | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason Mitchell
a Cross Country Rider
from Provo, Utah
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Navajo Lake, Utah | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | Spec'd out nicely, tested frame design, Hayes hydraulics, price | | Weaknesses: | DEORE shifters, not hand-made frame | | Similar Products Used: | Rocky Mt Element, Pipeline, Specialized FSR Comp | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | This bike is killer for the money. The Discs work great and the bike climbs/handles like a dream. These won't last long in your local shop--IF you can find a Jamis dealer in your area! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Morgan Tanner
a Weekend Warrior
from Beaverton, OR, USA
Date Reviewed: April 4, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Hagg Lake (close to town) | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Well, let's see... $1600 buys: A proven full suspension frame design.. XT/LX Groupo.. Titec stem, seat post, and handlbar.. Hayes Hydrolics front and rear.. Disk specific rims..Fox on the rear and Manitou XVERT the front..BLAH BLAH BLAH! Listen, the bike is LOADED and with looks, and after many hours of researching the competition, only a couple bikes come close for the price... but not close enough!
| | Weaknesses: | Exposure! Look at the amount of reviews the JAMIS line gets, both here on MTBR and MTB magazines alike. This bike is too much fun to keep secret.
There may be some question concerning CUSTOMER SERVICE with JAMIS. I just hope if the time comes that I need something done for me,(God forbid) JAMIS shows me the same attention to detail and patience that they have taken in building their bikes.
JAMIS, get finished with your website already! | | Similar Products Used: | Enough bikes to have dealers threatening to start charging me to test ride their bikes! | | Bike Setup: | Stock (see Product Strengths above) | | Bottom Line: | I test rode the expensive "high scoring" reviewed bikes. (You know, the ones that cost just as much as a motorcycle) I test rode them to find out what I should expect from a good riding bike. Then, I went bargain shopping for a bike that most closly matched their ride, maintenance and adjustability and without me having to take out a second mortgage. JAMIS soon became the only answer.
Now that I actually own and ride the JAMIS DAKAR EXPERT every chance I get, I can honestly say the time I put into research was worth every minute.
Despite possible shortcomings with JAMIS's customer service, I will have to give a rating of 5x5!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
FoolishHuman
a Downhiller
from NJ
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | dont play favorites, trails get jealous you know | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | The value!!! Bitch'n good looks. | | Weaknesses: | Hmm... could always use more travel, but that's just me. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Y22, Trek VRX, Santa Cruz Heckler, Specialized FSR
| | Bike Setup: | Stock (for now) | | Bottom Line: | OK, the thing is I just got the bike last week, so these are just the initial impressions. I will post a more detailed review in a few months. Anyways, this bike is too good a deal to pass up. For $1600 (around $1800 after taxes), you get HYDROLIC disc brakes, not those cheesy cable discs found on other bikes. The Manitou X-vert is an amazing fork, super smooth. Overall a very very nice spec'ed bike. My only gripe for now is that I got the 15" frame and the stock springs on the fox rear shock are WAY too stiff for my 124lb weight. I'm going to have to bring it in for a lighter spring. I mean come on here, isnt it common sense that small riders riding small frames would need lighter springs on the rear shock? I dont know why they spec'ed a 175lb spring on a size 15 frame. Because of that i am not getting full travel out of the bike. If you weigh less than 130 lbs you should definetly tell the shop to swap the spring before you bring the bike home. Saves you a lot of trouble. 4 burning airliners for now....
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
| |
|
Photo Caption Contest
(sponsored by Maxxis)
|
Enter here
|
|
|
$ 1600.00
