Light, quality components.

Twitchy steering, bad cable routing

My old Trek 800 rigid frame wasn't cutting it anymore. Big difference between Dakar Comp and Trek. I love it! Still getting used to touchy steering,(cheap Manitou shock causing this?), and had to zip tie a badly routed cable or two. Made it up a hill I'd never come close to making on my first try with Jamis. Quality makes a huge difference. Flying over roots and rough stuff is routine now without worrying about stacking. Look forward to learning to get the most out of this bike before I go even better.

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First "real" quality mountain bike. Still have Trek 800 Sport rigid.

This is a one year update on my bike. It is the white Dakar Pro from 2000.

I have raced about 15 races on it including a 12hour. And trained hard on it for about a year. The bike handles great and I like the advantages it gives me. I have gotten the weight down to under 26 pounds with a SID SL,SPOX Wheels/and Eggbeater Pedals.

On the trail the bike is awesome. It lets you stay seated, it climbs awesome, and the geometry is perfect for XC racing. I love the control it gives me on the bumpy stuff, I can brake later and accelerate sooner.

The only issue I had was after about 10 months the rear end developed alot of slop, to the point that it could not hold the gear I put it in. I spent a lot of time trying to isolate the shifting problem and couldn't. However, I got my bushing kit replaced for 120 bucks, and it is like new.
So check your bushings often, make sure they are snug, loose ones wear faster. And if you ride hard, after about 10 months plan on replacing them.

Great all round bike. Climbs and descends really comfortably.

No real weaknesses to speak of, apart from the poor factory fitted Manitou SX-LT forks.

Great value for money. The bike has a better and much plusher feel than much more expensive bikes i have tried. Some componentry does leave a little to be desired, however with a few tweaks it rides great. Would have been better with a better rear shock. Although the Fox Float does its just quite adequately a lock out would be an advantage.

People looking for a comfortable all-day ride crossed with a bike that can be easily played with (moderate freeride), this is the one.

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Specialised FSR Elite; DDG Godfather

Fox Float is pretty good, i like the longer stem, fork is okay, but needs dampening and needs to somehow get rid of the 1 inch sag (The Manitou SX-LT), umm components are decent

Seatpost sucks, replace it right away, it bent very easily. drivetrain could have been better

Great Bike for the money, the setup of the rear shock hardly steals any of your pedal power because of its location setup. All in all, its a great bike that I like to call a Cross country bike Gone Freeride (sort of, except with a little less suspension travel)

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Cannondale Super V, Kona Bear

basicly everything, its a rare bike i have yet to see another one around. climbs great for the weight. my 19 incher works well for anything, racing, XC, mild downhill. great bike

the fork is crap i wish i could have traded it in when i bought the bike. i hate the fork it leaks oil, it bottoms out super easy and it flexes badly. the seat and seat post are also bad, they bent horribly after 1 crash.

it would get a 5 except for the manitou SX LT fork. also i've had problems with the titec seat post and the sdg bel-air seat. other then that its a great bike

climbs great, lots of travel(well atleast for me)

seems to leak air, heavy but that is because of components i put on it

When I got this bike I didn't expect my uphill riding to get better but on steep technical spots with rock drop ledges it just grabs and goes. One problem that i'm having is that now that I have this frame my front RS Judy XC just seems pathetic(as well as really freakin heavy) One thing to be careful of is if you are just buying the frame to make sure you don't end up with a 30+ lb bike.

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tested santa cruz superlight

I weigh 170 lbs, and have found my 19 inch bike to be extremely durable and reliable. Component selection is an excellent mix of weight, strength and price. The manitou SX LT front fork is not noticeable which is what all good forks should be. It's long travel has yet to bottom out on me. Smooth and sweet ride on all types of terrain, bike feels and is fast. Frame is solid and can take big hits, but remember this is a cross country bike not a freerider.

Only thing I can think of is maybe losing 2 lbs to bring it down to 26.5 lbs. Can easily lose the weight by changing few components and going to lighter weight but price tag just jumped to $1500. I'd rather keep the bike stock, no need to change a thing.

Great ride, lots of fun and fast, will take a beating but you gotta ride accordingly. For the price there is nothing better out there. Next year's Dakar Comp will have a $1400 price tag.

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Specialized FSR

Every thing, barly bobs, well balanced, componets, price, good looks, sweet ride. good brakes!!!

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

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

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FSR Enduro, Rockey mountain element, kona stinky

Tough as nails, great components considering the price, climbs like a billy goat, super smooth ride.

Heavier than advertised, small frame combined with rear shock location doesn't allow room for a water bottle. Tires are too skinny.

I love this bike. I can't believe the hills I can climb with this--the rear end really hooks up. It's also tough--I've taken some hell-acious spills on this thing and while I haven't always fared well, the bike has. Front and rear shocks are great; no leaks of oil or air.

My bike has a small frame and weighed 30lbs stock--heavier than advertised but all the other attributes make up for it. Get in shape and you won't notice it. Also, with the small frame there is not enough room to put a water bottle in a rack. You can mount the rack OK, but you'd need a pretty short bottle to get one in there.

My gripes are few and minor. While the 15" frame feels right for me (I'm 5'8"), the seatpost was a shade too short. The stock tires are skinny. The rear tire works OK, but I replaced the front with a wider tire and it handles much better now, especially in soft stuff.

Overall, this bike kicks ass. If you like to ride XC, this is the ticket. More money will only get you less weight ($200-$300 per pound), so save your money, get off your ass, and ride. Five flamin' turds!!!

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First full-suspension; Trek hardtails

climbs well goes down even better

i havent found one yet

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.

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first fs bike