Jamis Bikes?



AMartin56

New Member
Jul 13, 2004
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I'm curious to see very little traffic about this brand on this forum and the internet in general. Their bikes seem well reviewed (although it seems like they are more likely mentioned in mainstream mags like Consumer Reports at least in my experience) and their entry level bikes seem to have decent features compared to bikes in the same price range by Giant etc (And I actually prefer their look to some of the Giant bikes). What gives? Just curious...
 
I am actually looking at the Jamis eclipse and comet and was wondering the same thing.
 
I bought a Jamis Quest last August, and I really like it. The handling is excellent - quick without being squirelly, and it had all of the features I was looking for. The comments on Jamis bikes that I've seen on other forums are all positive, and I know two other riders that have Jamis bikes. One has an older Quest and one a new Eclipse. Both are way faster than I am, and the only negative comment was that the Eclipse handles even quicker that the Quest, which can be a minor problem on really fast descents.
 
How does your jamis fit in terms of sizing? I am 6' 1" with a 35 inch saddle inseam. I was looking at a 59 frame. Any thoughts.
 
I'm 5' 10" with about a 33" saddle inseam measurement. My old bike was a 56 and my Jamis Quest is a 55. I could probably have used a 57 also, but I really like the 55. The old 56 bike was also excellent, but I do notice the size diference between the two. A 57 would have been on the upper limit for me, the 55 is definitely a better size for me. I called several Jamis dealers to see what sizes they had in stock, and ended up driving 200 miles (one way) to a dealer that had the 55 in stock so I could test ride it. I had previously test ridden 7 other bikes, and the Jamis was the best one of all of them. Their web site has a list of dealers.

http://www.jamisbikes.com
 
i have an eclipse (pre-carbon seat stays) with a time carbon fork and its the smoothest and most stable bike ive ever ridden. highly recommended.
 
I have a Jamis Aurora and I really like it. It was spec'd out very much like the Trek 520 and the Cannondale T800 for about 70% of the price. It rides great and for a touring bike is very quick. I changed a few of the components, but it would have been fine off the shelf.
 
I tried to send this email complaining about my purchase of Jamis' top of the line breed, but alas: there is no contact link anywhere on their site: no phone number or email to speak of.. no way to contact anyone, actually! I STRONGLY encourage you to read it prior to spending any money with Jamis.

Hello,


I am a REAL mountain biker - I ride the epic mountains of Santa Cruz, Ca about 3 times a week. I do no freeriding (no drops more than 3 feet), just standard all-mountain stuff. I weigh only 150 lbs, and know how to maintain my bike, and how to properly set my fork and shock. I ride with many of the locals, 90% of whom ride Santa Cruz, and Specialized bikes. Last year, upgrading my short-travel Cannondale for an all-mountain breed, I was deeply influenced by Mountain Bike magazine's "Bike of the Year" reviews of the 2003 Jamis Dakar XLT 2.0, and decided to purchase one. Upon receipt, I was stoked - the bike rides like a dream: the four-bar linkage does not move when I crank hard uphill, yet soaks up bumps like a sponge on the downhill. And the fork is just awesome. I took this bike to Downieville, Ca, and Moab Utah, several times and it treated me well in terms of the ride. I bragged to my friends who spent $1000's more for their Santa Cruz Blurs, and Specialized Enduro's; that they wasted their money on name brands and hype. Now, a year later, I feel quite differently..


3 months after I purchased the bike, the bearings blew out in the rear linkage, requiring over $100 to replace. I was told that they were improperly installed, that the torque was incorrect, and that it was builder error. I believed it. About 4 months after the purchase, I broke the rear drop-out, and it took nearly two months to get a new one! A REAR DROPOUT!! I rode my old Cannondale in the interim, which was annoying to say the least. I wrote several emails similar to this one, which I believe actually expedited the shipment!! Now, a little more than a year after the purchase, I noticed substantial sway in the linkage, and spent almost $200 replacing every bearing in the rear linkage. The lateral give is still there. On top of this, I find that the chainstay was cracked through two "weight-saving" carve-outs, and required replacement. The answer: a 2004 chainstay which is grey and does not match, but doesn't have the carve-outs. I don't care about the color, but was insulted when told I would void the warranty if I painted it!! Now my bike is not only funny looking, but doesn't ride!!


So, now I've been waiting for the one bearing that I didn't replace for almost a month (the one closest to the seat) , because it is on "back-order". Heck, even the local shop was talking trash, saying that this is why they don't sell Jamis mountain bikes, just the family units...


Final beef: I've noticed over this past year that the frame bottoms out before the Float shock: an obvious poor choice in shock stroke: this is the only bike I've ever seen to suffer from this. It requires that I set the shock extra stiff so that I don't break my frame. I guess I know where my savings went...


At this point, I'm pretty fed up - I've been a Jamis advocate for a year, despite my woes. I've really tried to support you guys. Now I ride a bike which rides very well, but is perpetually broken, with mis-matched parts, which is only a year old!! It is apparent to me, that this bike was not designed for real riders, and probably does well when used twice a year. Unfortunately, I am not one of those guys. You should understand: this is really bad PR. I have been touting your products, despite my issues, for almost a year, and just can't find one reason to do so any more... the ride alone won't cut it. I'm pretty much ready to dump the Jamis on Ebay, and pick up a Santa Cruz, Specialized, or Rocky Mountain. The dozen or so riders and shop guys I ride with will definitely notice my transition, something I should hope you would be concerned about.
 
pjuarez said:
I have a Jamis Aurora and I really like it. It was spec'd out very much like the Trek 520 and the Cannondale T800 for about 70% of the price. It rides great and for a touring bike is very quick. I changed a few of the components, but it would have been fine off the shelf.

Hi,
I'm considering purchasing Aurora for touring purpose. The bike isn't presented at the shops in my country, so I have to order after only seeing it on the picture. Please advice if there is enough clearance at the fork and at the rear triangle for wider tires (700x32C) with full-length fenders.

Thanks
 
Nikolay said:
Hi,
I'm considering purchasing Aurora for touring purpose. The bike isn't presented at the shops in my country, so I have to order after only seeing it on the picture. Please advice if there is enough clearance at the fork and at the rear triangle for wider tires (700x32C) with full-length fenders.

Thanks

There is plenty of room for both full fenders and up to at least a 38mm tire (probably wider).