Mountain Biking - Have a problem, need some help.

I've been seriously getting into mountain biking lately and i chose a bike for me to get for which my skills can develope and grow. I chose to buy a Specialized Stumpjumper M4 because i liked the weight, price and the good reviews, not to mention there is a retailer 20 minutes away from my house but here is where the problem is. They have just ran out of the 19'' size which is what i want and need so i am looking for a new bike to buy. Does anyone have any recomendations on MTB hardtails that are around 1100-1200 dollar range that have comparable components and performance? Thanks any help is appreciated. I'd rather buy a 2002 as i dont feel like waiting 3 months for the 03's since it will be getting cold by the time i get it and the demand would probably be high. Thanks again for any help or suggestions :).

I am a bit biased but I like the Kona ht's. Their frames are very durable and for that price they will have either XT or XTR conponents. Most of the good companies will have ht's with comprable components for that price. I would check out Kona, Giant, Cannondale, LightSpeed , the list just gose on. Most co should have somthing you like. Just remember that each has a bit diff. geometry so a 19" from one co might be like a 17" from another.
Slainte:beer:

Oh yeh, make sure you can try the bike first to make sure you like the fit.

Alright, ive been checking out some bikes and one came to my attention. I was looking at mountain bike review and i came across the Jamis Dakota XC, it got very good reviews and the bike has very nice components, almost completely XT. I did a quick search for Jamis on the forum and i didnt come up with much. The frame is reynolds 631 steel and the complete bike supposedly weighs 24.5 pounds so it seems like the frame is pretty nice. I still feel a little uneasy about straying from a very common manufacturer like Specialized to Jamis but if they are a very good reputable company then i will feel much better about it. The bike also comes stock with tubeless tires, how easy are these to take care of and maintain? Im basically a newbie to MTB, would tubeless tires be worth it for someone starting out? The bike seems like a great deal, great components, good fork, STEEL, tubeless tires stock, decent price, TIME pedals stock and low weight, Bicycling magazine seemed to like it too since they gave it the best value award but i would like to see how some fellow cyclists think of Jamis. Forgive me if Jamis is a really good reputable company, i havent been into MTB very long and its still all new to me. Thanks again and sorry for all of these questions. :)

I have a couple of friends with that bike. They seem to like it alot. So from what I have seen they are good bikes. Again I still say find a place that you can test the bike. If you are buying it through mail order and do not know what it rides like you will be very unhappy with it if the ride is not to your liking.
Slainte:beer:

Theres a store about an hour away from me that carries them and i'm hoping they'll have some on the floor so i can test out the size. Thanks for your help.


As for the tubeless tires, is there any extra maintenance to them or do they basically work the same minus the tube? Thanks

How much is the Jamis you're looking at? I'm guessing it's this one: link (http://www.jamisbikes.com/bikes/spec&geo/dakotaxcspec02.html)

If it's up in the $1400 area then also look at the Kona Explosif for a comparison, if you have a Kona dealer around: link (http://www.konaworld.com/2k2_mht_explosif.cfm) It's another steel bike, looks fairly light and has quality parts.

I almost would recommend against the Mavic "wheel systems" for a mountain bike *ducks a volley of rotten tomatos from satisfied Mavic owners ;)* Mavic's position is found here: click me (http://mavicexploit.mdeo.com/servlet/srt/mavic/mavi-cont?lg=uk) Your warranty remains valid only if your dealer send the wheels to Mavic for service. I'd personally go for a well-built set of standard wheels so the shop (or myself) can fix them with less turn-around time.

Example: I recently noticed my mountain bike's Shimano XT rear hub was starting to not coast smoothly, because the ratchets in the freehub body were damaged. I bought another freehub body, bolted it onto the hub shell, and was back online the same day. No need to UPS my wheel to California and wait 10 to 14 days. Even if I had to have a shop do this, chances are good they'd have a compatible freehub body in stock, and squeeze me into their repair schedule within 2 to 4 days, then warranty the defective part to one of Shimano's warranty centers.

If i do go for that bike i might see if i can trade the tubeless in for some standard wheels. The riding i do isnt that hardcore that i would need them anyway, right now thats the only thing that is worrying me about the bike is them tires/rims.

I haven't ridden tubeless wheels before, but there are those in the forums that like them...

My mate used to have a team ride on Jamis, and loved their bikes..I ride a Kona, and previous to that I rode a Trek.

It's all very much about personal preference...ride as many bikes as you can get your hands on and go on the bike that feels right for you.

Out of the Jamis and Kona, I'd go for the Kona, but only because I like the aggressive riding position, and the fact that I've never ridden a Jamis before :o

Let us know what you decide, and good luck!

Rich

Hey tokus. jensonusa has their 19' dragon on sale for $449 and it's 853 the real deal steel. for the extra money you have left you could build are really nice bike at the xt level.

from their email:

Here is the price you requested:

Item Description
-----------------------------
JAMIS DRAGON 853 FRAME 02
19", RED/WHITE, REYNOLDS 853

Our Lowest Price
-----------------------------
$449

In Stock?
-----------------------------
Yes


How to get this price:
When you order the above product off our website, the price will
automatically be changed when you place your order. No further
action is required by you.


If you have any questions about this product, please email
our sales department at sales@JensonUSA.com.


Thank You for Shopping at JensonUSA.com!

Oh ps i have the 2001 m4 that you were going to buy. It's a great bike but some of the back problems i'm have are related to the stiffness of the ride. Steel is suppose to help a little buy flexing just a bit in the rough stuff.

check out their build kit's. http://www.jensonusa.com/buildkits/ through in a fork of your choice and your good to go.

Wow that seems like a great deal with the dragon, almost too good to be true, but how do you keep the prices so cheap? Well that certainly is something i will think about, i definetely like the idea of a steel frame and for that price it isnt bad at all, especially for almost all XT.

yea cool. if i had the option right now. I would probably do it. i know several people who race the dragon and love it. I also have a jamis dakar sprot. Nice bike but it's a little heavy for racing. If the dragon was a 17" i'd probably buy and build it up myself.

Originally posted by tokus
but how do you keep the prices so cheap?

I have nothing to do with that company. I just do lots of research on bikes and parts because i break stuff a lot. The Internet is a marvelous resource.

The Internet, it's not just for porn anymore:)

Thank you very much for your help, i guess i figured maybe you work for them or something since you had all of that info lol. Thanks again.

Originally posted by tokus
Thank you very much for your help, i guess i figured maybe you work for them or something since you had all of that info lol. Thanks again.

No prob. I had that pricing email because i really was looking to buy it if the deal was good enough and the size was right. the price is right but the size is wrong.

what's your inseam?

Its about 32'', the bike im riding now is a 18'' and its getting a little small and the people i talked to at the bike shop recommended a 19''.