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Guest
I finally got a chance to get an extensive test on the bike I built up this Winter. The cold snap
finally broke and much of the snow melted on one of our local trails.
The frame is a 17"er and I was a little worried that it would be cramped, but it ended up being very
comfortable. I'm about 5'11" give or take a cent. here and there.
Right off the bat I realized that I had the sag setup incorrectly, I should have had about 115 to
120 PSI for my weight, which in full XC gear is at most 180. So the bob was a little more than I
would have liked. Fixed that in a hurry and started down the lower half of the loop, which is easy
to moderate. Most people around here take the upper trail first and then do the lower half on the
return to the parking area to cool down and recover. I decided to do that first in case anything
major happened because the bike wasn't fully tested after being built back around Xmas.
I floated over everything on the trail, but I did notice that the BB height was a bit low, I smacked
it a few times on outcropping rocks. I put an old school set of LX cranks on the frame, which are
much stiffer than the ones on the giant HT. I was hooking up on everything and the roots for a
change were a real pleasure to negotiate. There are a few rock gardens too and a stream crossing
which the suspension handled with no problem.
The Dakar uses a Fox Float R with 3.5 inches of travel and is actuated by a bell crank which
hangs from the top tube. I had the rebound set too slow, three clicks from fast is all I needed
for my weight.
The bushings on the rear were a bit stiff at the beginning of the ride, probably because it was
sitting on my deck (covered) all Winter. About 20 minutes into the ride they worked out though and
became very smooth.
I have a 2001 Z5 on the front which is a great fork. I leave it tuned to 80MM of travel because most
of my riding is XC, that setting keeps things stiff and matches the rear shock well. It's a solid
fork and smooth. Miles ahead of my old Judys' on the first hardtail I had.
My Magura's are a bit of a problem though, I've been meaning to switch the brake fluid. Magura
figured out about a year ago that they original fluid they used was too thick, it didn't return to
the res. fast enough to prevent brake pump. The new fluid I've heard is a big improvement, and I'm
also in need of new pads. I can't be certain but I think my LBS contaminated them the last time the
system was bled.
You can't tell much on the lower trail, but if anything was gonna fall off or break, I figured it
would be easier to get back to the road if I had to walk back to the car.
Once I got on the upper trail the bike showed it's stuff. Your either going up or down, and the
single-track is off-camber for most of the distance. Making things more interesting is the roots
which seem to get higher in number every year. I hooked up really nicely on those, and the steering
was quick. The odd time I felt minor bobbing when I got out of the saddle to **** up a hill. I had
to keep reminding myself to stay seated and spin. When I remembered to do that the bob disappeared
and I got up the hills in much better shape than the old hardtail with much less wheelspin.
Going down the hills was as simple as hanging off the back a little and staying low. The suspension
did the rest without a hiccup. I was considering swapping the Float R for a lockout model, but
changed my mind. Leaving the rear active was much more fun, and forces me to ride better instead of
hopping out of the saddle every five minutes.
The XT front and rear mechs perform flawlessly. I know for some guys/gals XTR is the sh*t, but for
the cost and performance these suit me better for everyday riding.
I had heard of some people experiencing a failure of the disc side chainstay. I contacted Jamis to
enquire about it, and although my serial number didn't match the recalled batch, they sent me a new
part anyway just in case. Even when I stupidly told the rep that I had bought the frame used, he
didn't care. Sent me an original warranty as well. I'm deeply impressed with the level of
professionalism these people have towards their business.
Things I liked:
-Stiff ride -minimal bob under heavy peddling -horst linkage -rebound on the rear shock -cables on
top tube instead of underneath where it can get mucked up with mud
Things I would Change:
-Tires...my Mythos are getting long in the tooth, thinking about some Kenda's next -going carbon
fiber for the seatpost and bars -lighter rims, I'm using some old Zac 2000's which are ok for discs
but are heavy
http://www.jamisbikes.com/reviews/reviewsFrames.html
--
http://members.rogers.com/theblackfoxx/
finally broke and much of the snow melted on one of our local trails.
The frame is a 17"er and I was a little worried that it would be cramped, but it ended up being very
comfortable. I'm about 5'11" give or take a cent. here and there.
Right off the bat I realized that I had the sag setup incorrectly, I should have had about 115 to
120 PSI for my weight, which in full XC gear is at most 180. So the bob was a little more than I
would have liked. Fixed that in a hurry and started down the lower half of the loop, which is easy
to moderate. Most people around here take the upper trail first and then do the lower half on the
return to the parking area to cool down and recover. I decided to do that first in case anything
major happened because the bike wasn't fully tested after being built back around Xmas.
I floated over everything on the trail, but I did notice that the BB height was a bit low, I smacked
it a few times on outcropping rocks. I put an old school set of LX cranks on the frame, which are
much stiffer than the ones on the giant HT. I was hooking up on everything and the roots for a
change were a real pleasure to negotiate. There are a few rock gardens too and a stream crossing
which the suspension handled with no problem.
The Dakar uses a Fox Float R with 3.5 inches of travel and is actuated by a bell crank which
hangs from the top tube. I had the rebound set too slow, three clicks from fast is all I needed
for my weight.
The bushings on the rear were a bit stiff at the beginning of the ride, probably because it was
sitting on my deck (covered) all Winter. About 20 minutes into the ride they worked out though and
became very smooth.
I have a 2001 Z5 on the front which is a great fork. I leave it tuned to 80MM of travel because most
of my riding is XC, that setting keeps things stiff and matches the rear shock well. It's a solid
fork and smooth. Miles ahead of my old Judys' on the first hardtail I had.
My Magura's are a bit of a problem though, I've been meaning to switch the brake fluid. Magura
figured out about a year ago that they original fluid they used was too thick, it didn't return to
the res. fast enough to prevent brake pump. The new fluid I've heard is a big improvement, and I'm
also in need of new pads. I can't be certain but I think my LBS contaminated them the last time the
system was bled.
You can't tell much on the lower trail, but if anything was gonna fall off or break, I figured it
would be easier to get back to the road if I had to walk back to the car.
Once I got on the upper trail the bike showed it's stuff. Your either going up or down, and the
single-track is off-camber for most of the distance. Making things more interesting is the roots
which seem to get higher in number every year. I hooked up really nicely on those, and the steering
was quick. The odd time I felt minor bobbing when I got out of the saddle to **** up a hill. I had
to keep reminding myself to stay seated and spin. When I remembered to do that the bob disappeared
and I got up the hills in much better shape than the old hardtail with much less wheelspin.
Going down the hills was as simple as hanging off the back a little and staying low. The suspension
did the rest without a hiccup. I was considering swapping the Float R for a lockout model, but
changed my mind. Leaving the rear active was much more fun, and forces me to ride better instead of
hopping out of the saddle every five minutes.
The XT front and rear mechs perform flawlessly. I know for some guys/gals XTR is the sh*t, but for
the cost and performance these suit me better for everyday riding.
I had heard of some people experiencing a failure of the disc side chainstay. I contacted Jamis to
enquire about it, and although my serial number didn't match the recalled batch, they sent me a new
part anyway just in case. Even when I stupidly told the rep that I had bought the frame used, he
didn't care. Sent me an original warranty as well. I'm deeply impressed with the level of
professionalism these people have towards their business.
Things I liked:
-Stiff ride -minimal bob under heavy peddling -horst linkage -rebound on the rear shock -cables on
top tube instead of underneath where it can get mucked up with mud
Things I would Change:
-Tires...my Mythos are getting long in the tooth, thinking about some Kenda's next -going carbon
fiber for the seatpost and bars -lighter rims, I'm using some old Zac 2000's which are ok for discs
but are heavy
http://www.jamisbikes.com/reviews/reviewsFrames.html
--
http://members.rogers.com/theblackfoxx/