General Cycling Discussion - Jamis bikes? (price and quality)

Hi All,

I'm still surfing, looking for my ideal hybrid bike. I was looking at getting a TREK 7100 and putting a smaller chainring on it. However, someone here recommended that I look at Specialized and Jamis.

Specialized has a bike (Expedition, I think) that looks about perfect except that it does have a suspension fork (as does the 7100), which I would prefer to avoid. Also, I'm not crazy about the shape of the tubing on their aluminum frames as it seems like it would be pretty difficult to stap anything at all to them.

I looked at Jamis' website and they have a bike that may be my perfect bike (Explorer 2.0) -- it even has a rigid fork -- but the website doesn't list the MSR prices and I haven't had a chance to get to the dealer yet. So, how do the Jamis bikes generally compare to Specialized and TREK regarding price and quality? Does anybody here happen to know the going price for a Jamis Explorer 2.0 (aluminum frame).

Also, there seem to be a lot fewer dealers for Jamis (only two in my area, Ft. Worth, vs. at least a half a dozen for TREK and Specialized). Is there a sinister reason for that or just a coincidence?

John

How about http://www.bicycleblowout.com/jamis.htm

Jamis bikes are generally a good buy, with more bang-for-the-buck than the more heavily promoted brands like Trek and Specialized. The low-end frames of all three companies are made in the Far East. One of our best-respected local shops in Philadelphia sells a lot of Jamis, and I have several friends who own them (all MTB's) and are very happy. (Fuji and Raleigh are two more brands that do well in this category.)

Quality and features tend to be pretty competitive in the $300-500 range, and differences between bike brands are often less important than the differences between the shops that sell them.

RichC

Thanks Hillyman, they didn't list my model but comparing features on the ones they did it looks like Jamis is in the ballpark with the others. Thanks again,
John

Thanks Rich. I guess I'll drag my butt over to the two dealers in the Ft. Worth area in the next couple of days. I especially like that the Jamis has a fixed fork and the lowest gearing of any of them (22 up front and 34 in back).

John

One of my friends really likes his $500ish Jamis mountain bike.

One of the nice things about Jamis bikes is, unlike some other brands, you aren't paying extra for the badge on the headtube. On the other hand, you are never going to hear anybody say "Wow, that's a real nice Jamis you got there!"

As with any of the other lower priced oriental name-brand bikes, the frame is nearly always well made (even if the welds are sometimes ugly), so the components used are the main thing to determine value. Some bikes have better quality rear derailleurs, then cheap-junk hubs, junk BB, headset, etc. If the Jamis is considerably cheaper than the Trek or whatever, see whether they are cheaping out on the bearings, before you buy.

Originally posted by D*Alex
One of the nice things about Jamis bikes is, unlike some other brands, you aren't paying extra for the badge on the headtube. On the other hand, you are never going to hear anybody say "Wow, that's a real nice Jamis you got there!"

Actually, I see that as an advantage. If I ever buy a really top end bike I'm going to repaint it as ugly as possible and find some Huffy stickers to put on it...

John

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2702531517

Originally posted by D*Alex
"Wow, that's a real nice Jamis you got there!"



That’s not true. People who are in the know complement me on my Dragon all the time. (it’s a custom build)

I have a really nice cannondale hybrid with less then 5000 miles i will sell you.

I've ridden a Jamis Durango for about a year. Very pleased with the ride /quality for the price. I would not hesitate to buy another Jamis bike if I was in the market to get a new bike. Got the bike in Cleburne. Not to far from where you are

Originally posted by eyebike
I've ridden a Jamis Durango for about a year. Very pleased with the ride /quality for the price. I would not hesitate to buy another Jamis bike if I was in the market to get a new bike. Got the bike in Cleburne. Not to far from where you are
Thanks, the Cleburne shop is one of the two dealers I was going to look at (the other is on University in Ft. Worth). What did you think of the shop in Cleburne?

John

I like it. If we are talking about Southwest bike on Henderson St. I have had no problems there at all. In fact my son's roadie and my wifes touring bike have all come from there (3 bikes which is why I am not looking for a new bike just yet)

On the other hand, you are never going to hear anybody say "Wow, that's a real nice Jamis you got there!"


Man, I dont know... I know a guy with a Dragon, and every one loves it... full XTR, Mavic Crossmax wheels, and a SID Race... Sweet! Plus, the boy makes her go real fast too!

Originally posted by Scooby Snax
On the other hand, you are never going to hear anybody say "Wow, that's a real nice Jamis you got there!"


Man, I dont know... I know a guy with a Dragon, and every one loves it... full XTR, Mavic Crossmax wheels, and a SID Race... Sweet! Plus, the boy makes her go real fast too!

22 1/2 pounds of real steel love baby!!!!

I think Debos in Arlington sells them also. Just South of I-20 on Matlock.

I stopped in to the shop in Cleburn once. They were very nice and were going to bendover backwards to help me.

eyebike, scubagirl,

I called the Cleburne shop and the one on University. Neither had the Explorer 2.0 in stock but either of them said they could order it for around $260. The shop in Cleburne just sounded friendlier on the phone so I'll probably go there even though it's a few miles off my usual commute.

I can't believe that the cheapest bike in the class ends up being the one with exactly the features I really want, including exactly the right gearing. Usually my luck runs the other way'round :)

John

They look good on paper... but my experience with Jamis is more of a 'non-experience'. None of the local dealers (SF Bay Area) seem to carry a wide selection of their bikes and they are unwilling work with you if you want a 'not so popular' bicycle (e.g. steel bikes).

I thought about contacting Jamis to see if there was a solution, but for the life of me, I can't find contact info on their website (no e-mail or phone number). Of course, having said that, somebody will reply to tell me exactly where it is on the site :D. Maybe it's there, but it certainly isn't obvious.

Their catalog didn't list e-mail either. Just a traditional address, but I wasn't going to go through the hassle of writing a letter when everybody else has other options. I therefore ended up with a Gary Fisher... Their loss.

I think part of the problem is that locally (for me), the only shops that have Jamis are large chains, and Jamis is relying on their dealerships to be the sole contact for information. Chains are less willing to work with you. However, if you can get a small local shop, it might make a difference.

I have a Jamis Dakota XC and I love it. It was pretty much the only bike I could find with the features I wanted (steel, sized small enough for a 5'1" rider) without going custom. I got it from a small local bike shop for a very good price... it was far better spec'ed than other bikes in the same range. There were some ordering fiascos with Jamis (I guess the forgot to ship it when they were supposed to), but overall I'm very happy with my purchase.

And yes - people who do know their bikes are pretty impressed by it.

I've done another week's worth of research and it seems pretty consistent that the Jamis bikes have about 1 level of upgrade in components over other makes in the same price range. I was going to visit the local shop here in Ft. Worth on the way home Friday but by the time I got to I30 and University it was 5:30, it would have taken me twenty minutes to travel down University, and they close at 6. I'm planning on going by on Wednesday since I have to stop at the coumadin clinic in that area to get my finger stuck anyway.

I have decided to step up to a better grade than the Explorer, though. The Tangier looks real promising with longer chainstays and wheelbase. It's also got a Deore drivetrain. I'll have to change out the chainrings 'cause it comes geared a bit higher than I want, but with the Deore crankset that's not a problem. The frame looks suitable for middleweight touring and at about $550 it's the only long frame I've seen, with decent components, for less than $900 or so. The only drawback is that it has a suspension fork but I guess I can live with that and change it only if I decide to make a long enough tour that I need front panniers.

John