[ortho004]

Currently I'm riding a Scott Scale Comp (Small) 29er:

Scale 29 Comp - SCOTT Sports

Considering unloading it to get a Jamis Dragon 650B Sport:

JAMIS BICYCLES

I'm pretty short, and after a season of riding the 29er (and riding a combination of my wife's 27.5 and various 26ers) I feel like a slightly smaller wheelsize is going to work better for me, especially with maneuverability. I recently rode the Jamis and really liked how it rode but there are no trails in riding condition in our part of the world.

Does anyone have any experience with the Jamis Dragon Sport? Reviews online are limited at this point. Obviously the 29 and 27.5 as well as aluminum and steel are apples and oranges, but can someone more versed in components tell me how the specs compare? Thanks!

 

[AndrwSwitch]

What forks, shifters and brakes are on each?

 

[ortho004]

The full info is on the links, but the main points are below:

Jamis:
Frame:Reynolds 520 chromoly main tubes and stays
Fork: Rock Shox XC30 650B TK, Solo Air spring, external rebound, TurnKey lockout, 30mm stanchions, aluminum steerer, 120mm travel
Wheels:WTB Speed Disc i19 650B double-wall eyeleted disc-specific rims, Formula Hi-Lo flange sealed bearing 6-bolt disc hubs, 14g stainless steel spokes
Derailleurs: Shimano Deore Shadow rear and Deore front
Shiftlevers:Shimano Deore, 10-speed
Brakeset: Shimano M445 hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm RT56 rotors
Weight:30.25 lbs

Scott:
Frame: Scale 29 Alloy 6061, custom butted superlight tubing, forged race disc dropouts PM160, bridgeless seatstays, Integ. Headset, replaceable hanger
Fork: Suntour XCR 29 LO, Coil Spring, Alloy Steerer, Lockout, 100mm travel
Rear Derailleur: Shimano SLX, RD-M662 SGS, Shadow Type, 27 Speed
Front Derailleur: Shimano Alivio, FC-M430, 34.9mm
Shifters: Shimano Alivio,SL-M430-9, Rapidfire plus, w/gear indicator
Brakes: Tektro Draco Disc, 180/F and 160/R mm Rotor
Rims: Alex XC-49 Disc, 32H, Eyelets
Weight: 28.63 lbs

 

[AndrwSwitch]

Spec on the Jamis sounds better. If you like the ride, do it.

The XC30 is probably still not a fork you'd want to keep for the life of the bike. Last time I killed a fork, I decided it was Recon Gold or go home in aftermarket forks. If you kill the TK damper, you may only be able to replace it with more of the same.

If you're outside the US, look at some of the European catalogs, like Focus and Cube, before you commit.

I notice the Jamis has a longer travel fork. That's going to hurt the maneuverability and lift up the front end a bit.

 

[AndrwSwitch]

And FWIW, I doubt I could tell aluminum from steel in a blind test. I'm fairly sensitive to tire and suspension pressure, but bike frames all feel the same to me, unless they're broken. Which feels quite a lot flexier.

 

[JP983]

Let me know what you find out,,, I'm in the market for a new bike too. Was thinking of a Diamondback at Dick's, but the sales man told me they are sold in the mart store, and preferred Fuji SE? Any suggestions please.

 

[DiRt DeViL]

The Dragon is a great XC bike.

 

[ortho004]

If you kill the TK damper, you may only be able to replace it with more of the same.

What do you mean by only replacing with more of the same?

Anyone have any other suggestions for 27.5 HTs to get into for the $1500 cap? Looking for a good do-it-all Xc/trail bike with a healthy group of components with room to upgrade down the road.

 

[AndrwSwitch]

As in, instead of getting a damper made of more robust materials, you may have to get another TK damper. You'd just break that too.

But I dunno. Maybe SRAM has made them better.

 

[Triaxtremec]

I'm rather short and have a small 29er Ht that I use for the more flowy trails but I felt the same way as you did. My 650B FS works much better for me in more technical areas where maneuverability is more critical.

 

[ortho004]

What FS did you end up with triaxtremec? What did you consider? I'm leaning towards a replacement ht at my budget, but haven't looked to closely at the similar priced fs.

 

[Triaxtremec]

I own a Santa Cruz Nickel that is designed for 26in but supports 650b so I did the wheel conversion and really enjoy it. This was before SC started making bikes like the Bronson, Heckler, and the Bantam.

This is mine, I pieced it together around $2000 I think.