Originally Posted by hokiefyd

Welcome! From a technical standpoint, the Jamis has a slightly nicer 75mm NVX fork compared with the Roam's more typical-for-a-hybrid 63mm NEX fork. As a counter to that, the Roam has a slightly nicer drivetrain, with nicer derailleurs and crankset with a 9 speed cassette compared with the DXT's legacy 8 speed drivetrain. The Giant has a more common 31.8mm stem and handlebar, whereas the Jamis uses the older and smaller 25.4mm size. As a counter to that, the Jamis comes stock with 42mm tires, which may be better for you than the Giant's 38mm tires. It's super easy to obsess over technical details, but these bikes are very similar, and it's not likely you'll have buyer's remorse over either one because of the specs.

Don't underestimate the power of the non-technicals! The paint colors and finish, the frame styling and sizing and fit -- all of that is at least or more important than components in my opinion. Within reason, any bolt-on component can be changed or upgraded over time. It's very difficult to change a frame's color with good success (at least not cheaply), and you really can't fix basic frame geometry that doesn't really work for you. Things like head tube angle and trail and chainstay length all influence how a bike "drives", and you can't just bolt-on new chainstays. I think you're on the right track listening to your emotions if you want one bike more than the other for non-technical reasons. You won't get excited to ride your bike knowing it has an Altus level crankset vs. a Tourney level crankset. But you WILL be more fond of it if it's in your favorite color (or if it's not in a color you dislike)!

You aren't in the Northern Shenandoah valley are you? Funny -- one of my local bike shops stocks both Giant and Jamis bikes (which seems somewhat uncommon), and they have Roams and DXTs in stock all the time...

Good luck!