Submitted by
jmknox
a Cross Country Rider
from johnmurawski@hotmail.com Date Reviewed: July 30, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Haw Ridge
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
ETO Knoxville
Strengths:
Great quality for the money especially for full suspension. Rides great and looks good too!
Weaknesses:
None really. Would like to see better tires and maybe a slightly better fork, but satisfied with stock for now.
Similar Products Used:
Diamondback response sport
Bike Setup:
Stock except grips.
Bottom Line:
I looked at Fishers, Specialized, and all the other big names and this was by far the best buy for a quality full suspension bike. Jamis has a future customer! Got a great deal on the bike too since it was an 08. I plan to upgrade as things break and love to ride this bike. Waaaaay better than my DB response sport.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Zoppity
a Cross Country Rider
from Sacto, CA USA Date Reviewed: June 5, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Jenkinson Lake Loop
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Local Shop
Strengths:
Totally descent bike for the amount paid. I ride fire roads close to the house and more technical trails up in the mountains. This bike has no problem with the climbing or decending that I do with it.
Weaknesses:
Rear derailleur did make contact with chainstay. Upgraded derailleur=problem solved. A little heavy. Made a few other changes to the bike which now weighs around 3.5 lb less than when I bought it.
Similar Products Used:
Fisher, Giant, Specialized
Bike Setup:
Pushed Fox Float R, Shimano SLX crankset, Deore front derailleur, SLX Shadow shifting the rear. LX shifters. Shimano XT cassette, upgraded from 24 spd to 27. 2009 Reba fork. WTB speed v comp saddle.
Bottom Line:
I would absolutely recommend this bike to anyone with a budget looking to get on a full suspension bike. I've had no problem getting parts from Jamis. Jersey to CA in about 4-5 days. Go get one.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bozhed
a Weekend Warrior
from Napa, CA Date Reviewed: February 10, 2009
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$735.00
Purchased At:
Calistoga Bike Shop
Strengths:
Great bike for the price. All others were almost double for comparible features.
Weaknesses:
The stock rear derailer does make contact with the frame and as a result is noisy going over bumpier terrain.
Similar Products Used:
NA
Bike Setup:
Upgraded to Shimano Shadow derailer, no problems now with hitting frame and upgraded to hydraulic brakes.
Bottom Line:
Overall great bike and a steal at just over $700.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
debusama
a Weekend Warrior
from Spokane, Wa Date Reviewed: December 15, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Riverside state park
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
Wintersport
Strengths:
Price, feels sturdy, rides nicely
Weaknesses:
Weight, real derailleur knocks on the chain-stay, tires.
Similar Products Used:
Giant AC, Giant Yukon fX, Giant Acapulco
Bike Setup:
Stock
Bottom Line:
I picked this bike up a few weeks ago for $650 on winter sale. When my all mountain bike was stolen and I decided to get an XC bike, I thought I was going to have to spend $1500 for a decent FS bike. I rode the Yukon FX and was unimpressed, I was also able to ride a trance, which awesome, but more than I wanted to pay. I was beginning to come to terms with the Idea that I might have to go back to riding hard tail. I went on a trip to all the shops around town just to see if there were any good sales and came across my 2008 Dakar XC.
I’ve been riding almost every day since (until we got snow and daytime highs fell to single digits a few days ago). So far, the bike has been more fun than a barrel of monkeys (and monkeys are really fun). It climbs well, all of the components are functional, and it goes smoothly down hills. It is particularly good on stretches of trail when high speeds are possible. My criticisms are few and minor, but here they are:
1. It’s a little heavy, but I’ve got 5 or 10 pounds of body fat to loose before I can start splitting hairs about the bike weighing 33 rather than 28 pounds.
2. The chain stay dips down too low, and when traveling over bumps at high speeds, the derailleur rattles against it. (I zip tied a piece of an old tube to the chain stay as a bumper, and I’m happy now)
3. The tires cause a lot of drag on smooth trails and pavement, but don’t provide particularly good traction on dirt (easy to replace).
At the end of the day, however, I’m happy as a clam. I got a better bike than I expected to be able to get for about half what I expected to spend. For recreational XC riding purposes, this bike does so much more than one can expect from a bike <$1000. I don’t think I’ll need to upgrade until (if/when) I get into competitive racing.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
J-
a Weekend Warrior
from West Sacramento, CA - USA Date Reviewed: September 15, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Salmon Falls
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$895.00
Purchased At:
Natomas Bikes
Strengths:
My 2008 beat out the competition with the grade of components that it came with for its price range. The frame also looks more aggressive than other full suspension bikes for under a grand. The very simple graphics on the 2008 look perfect.
Weaknesses:
It weighs in at a hefty 35lbs+/-. The original stem was 120mm on my 19" frame. It felt too long and looked goofy so the shop where I bought it swapped it out for the next smaller size.
Similar Products Used:
Giant Yukon. I like Giants but this one's dorky looking.
Bike Setup:
Stock for now, but looking to change the Fox Vanilla-R coil shock to a Fox Float down the road.
Bottom Line:
Best bike that I found in the dually department fot under a thousand! Highly recommended!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Miles Gebauer
a Cross Country Rider
from Niagara Falls, NY, USA Date Reviewed: July 14, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$875.00
Purchased At:
Tom's Pro Bike, Lanc
Strengths:
Really good ride for the price.
Bottom Line:
I ride 12-20 miles every other day. I chose this bike because I have disk problems in my neck. It is a real pleasure to ride. The only change I made was to get the highest yoke (I think that is the correct term) item that hold the handle bars that I could so I can sit up straighter. I ride city streets, country roads and snowmobile trails and have no neck problems.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jbike
a Weekend Warrior
from Jacksonville, FL Date Reviewed: June 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Ft. Clinch
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Great price for a beginner dual suspension
Weaknesses:
rear rim already bent. seatpost is crap
Bike Setup:
stock except upgraded brakes to BB7 and got lighter stem, bar & seatpost
Bottom Line:
Very happy with the Jamis. My buddy has a 2005 and broke his chainstay, looked at mine where his broke & you can tell they'd already done a redesign... The Vanilla shock is squeaky - needed lube. The wheels could be stronger, bent one on a pretty hard log strike. Mine is lighter than the advertised 33.5lbs - my 19" is about 31 lbs.
Just really pleased with the bike overall, look forward to upgrading over time, but haven't had to do much.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Will
a Weekend Warrior
from TX Date Reviewed: February 10, 2008
Favorite Trail:
northshore, grapevine tx.
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$750.00
Strengths:
First and foremost is affordability. I picked up this 07’ bike on winter sale. The component group is very strong for bikes in this price range as well – Shinamo shifters, breaks. The WTB speed disk tires seem to hold up well and do best when they have loose material to bite into – yet have the softness to enable good traction on those rocky accents/descents. As far as performance goes – this bike pleases a newcomer to this sport. The entry level suspension is suited well for all basic xc needs, the rear linkage does a good job at being responsive on drops, but stable when out of the saddle.
Weaknesses:
The rear shock lacks adjustability. Front fork may be weak for larger build people. Both are upgradeable so no real loss for what you pay for.
Similar Products Used:
first full suspension bike.
Bike Setup:
stock
Bottom Line:
Overall this may not be a true race worthy bike, or DH bike for that matter – but it does extremely well in what it is meant to do – XC/trail. If you weigh 200+ you may want to look elsewhere at bulkier frames, but for any in the 150-170 range – this is plenty of bike to get you started mtbing all over the place.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mario Villanueva
a Cross Country Rider
from Greenville, SC USA Date Reviewed: July 31, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$825.00
Purchased At:
Gusto cycles
Strengths:
For the money this is the best entry level full suspension cross country bike on the market. I looked at many bikes, rode a GT, then saw this and rode it out of the shop. I have absolutely pounded on this thing and had no worries other than a faulty rear Maxxis tire that the shop swapped out for me. It has taken the best Pisgah, DuPont, Tsali and Issaqueena has to offer and is none the worse for wear.
Weaknesses:
Little heavy, but to be expected at this price point
Bike Setup:
stock, swapped out the 3rd chainring for a bash guard
Bottom Line:
If you are soreassed from a hard tail and want to step up to a full cush ride for under $1000, this is the way to go.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Simon
a Weekend Warrior
from Wellington, NZ Date Reviewed: April 4, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Makara Peak
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1140.00
Purchased At:
Mud Cycles
Strengths:
Value for money, quality, suited to my purpose of XC and commuting
Weaknesses:
Cable operated discs, I wanted the champagne/black colour scheme but LPB only had blue/black.
Similar Products Used:
Specialised Hardrock
Bike Setup:
Changed the brakes to Deore hydro discs
Bottom Line:
For the money, there was nothing even close to this. When I bought it, the guy checked the prices and said "Way too cheap" and it's been perfect for me. Try and buy the same level of spec from a name brand elsewhere - this bike rocks!
The cable discs it came with (Shimano) were okay, but on long rides became tiring, so I swapped them for Deore hydro discs which are awesome - more power, less effort required and great feel). The swap took 15 minutes.
The fork is great - pliant, stiff although on the list of areas I can lose weight from. The drivechain is fine - you could spend more but I haven't found the need yet and probably never will. The rear shock is fine as well - adjustable only for preload, but suits me. My skill set would need to rise sustantially for it to be a weak point.
I prefer to buy at the lower end of the market and build the bike up where it needs it. Out of the box, this bike is superb. Rides and climbs very well, suspension will suit almost every rider. If you buy a XC bike and jump it repeatedly then slag it off, you're an idiot.
This bike will suit people getting into the sport who haven't got three times the dosh to spend on a bike, but want to enjoy themselves on XC, trail and commuting. You can upgrade parts to suit as you need to. Some people will complain it doesn't match a GT iDrive or a Reign or whatever - you could buy a 2nd hand bike or this brand new Jamis and get out there and have some fun.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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