well, I ordered myself up a new Jamis Aurora from a not-so-local bike shop
today. I have had a devil of a time finding one to ride, and I am still a bit
spooked about ordering it up without having actually laid eyes on one, but the
more I looked around and rode other bikes, the more convinced I've become that
this is the right one for me. Thanks to all current and past posters in "what
commuter bike to get?" threads for the great tips and info. Decisive factors
in the Aurora's favor:

- STI shifters vs bar-end -- The other big contender was the Trek 520, and
while I understand now why people (especially tourers) like bar-ends, when I
rode the 520 it just didn't feel right to me. The usual arguments
against STI -- hard to get parts in obscure locations, non-obvious
maintenance, can't throw on just any hub/chainring and friction shift --
don't really apply in my case. Obviously I could swap out the 520's
bar-ends for STI, but at a $300 premium over the Aurora, I should get
exactly the bike I want, and not have to sink more cash to make it
right.

- Eyelets and braze-ons in all the right places -- I hand-hacked fenders on my
current ride last week and the ugliness of not having front eyelets made me
doublecheck all the bikes I've been looking at. The Aurora's got attachments
to support all the stuff I need to slap on. (rear rack and freddy fenders)

- Price -- ultimately, this bike feels like a good value and came in at a
price that won't break the bank.

Now I just have to see how my patience holds up for the week or two till it
gets here

I am going to pick up one of these as well soon. Luckily I live half an hour away from an awesome worker owned bike store that pretty much only carries Jamis bikes.

I'm hoping to find one to test-ride next time I visit the mainland.

I think you'll like it.
I opted for the big brother of the Aurora, the Jamis Nova, as my commuter. Picked it up last December. See pic below.

Ronh your Nova is suh-weet!

Part of me was holding out for one of those bad boys. But it was just outside the price range I could realistically go for.

./~ happy 30th birthday to me... o/~

i woulda bought one myself but i decided to go surly instead...

i did ride one and it felt like a good bike should! i think you made a wise choice! i looked also at the trek commuter/cyclocorss, and compared to the jamis it seemed like crap...

What Trek did you look at... 520?

The Jamis Coda Comp looks like a sweet ticket to me, or the Surly LHT.

Here is my current vintage-80s ride; braze-ons for everything: https://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...chmentid=27324

Jamis is one of the best kept secrets in the cycling industry! You chose well.

Here is my 2005 Jamis Quest. (not used for commuting)

The Coda is a nice ride is you really do not want the cross style and you get the same Reynolds 520 frame. I did cross bikes last year and am now riding a Coda Sport.

I'm glad to see so many others speaking well of Jamis. I had ordered a Raleigh Prestige back in February, and was finally told by Raleigh last week that they wouldn't start production until May 5. I went into my LBS (who always treat me right) and they suggested a Jamis Comet Triple (the Raleigh was a double). Because of these wonderful (I almost said darn) hills in wetsern PA, buying the double worried me a little, being that I'm 47. Hopefully my new Jamis will arrive by Friday - I can't wait! For the money and the full Ultegra group, it seems like a great deal. I refused to buy a Trek!

Love my Jamis Coda Comp!

You missed the most important reason why I purchased my Aurora. Reynolds 525.

If it were not for the frame, I would NOT have purchased the bike but the price at $200.00 dollars was too good to pass up. Unfortunately, the frame is one size too big and I'm trying to make it fit. It feels lighter than my Volpe but the spec is lower. Overall, the frame is solid and feels comfortable. Totally underrated.

I hope I will be able to say the same pretty soon - I haven't gotten on one yet so I couldn't comment on how it feels. It's very encouraging to hear so many people happy about their Jamises!

(Jamii?)

I got my Nova for my 60th birthday. You should celebrate your 30th by getting the bike you want.
Here's a picture of mine without all the reflective tape, if that will help with your decision.
https://home.mindspring.com/~rhorne/Jamis%20left.jpg

I'm considering the Jamis Aurora or Nova myself (3rd alternative is Trek 520). I want touring geometry (rack/fenders with plenty of clearance for panniers to avoid hitting with my feet). From looking at the specs the Aurora has slightly longer chainstay than the Nova. I would have to drive to get to the Jamis dealer, which is the only reason I haven't gone to check them out in person yet. It also looks (to my untrained eyes) that the components on the Nova are slightly better than the Aurora?

I am getting the bike I want. It's too late to tempt me anyway - the aurora's on its way!

My LBS told me it'd be 4-6 weeks when I ordered my Quest. Its now week six...I'm calling him tomorrow to see what's up?

I'm using an '01 Aurora for commuting and its a solid ride, like an old Schwinn, but lighter.
So, yeah, I like Jamis.

Jamis makes a very nice bike. I had a Drango MTB that I rode some last year and was very pleased with the workmanship and the ride. That is one reason I got the CODA and glad I did.

Update:

I just changed the saddle of my Aurora and to my surprise, the bike fits MUCH better. Jamis put a horrible saddle on the bike and now it's almost perfect. Incredible.

I am looking at the picture of the Aurora on the Jamis web site. The bike comes with 28c tires. From the picture there appears to be very little clearance between the front tire and the fork. Will this bike be able to accomodate both 32c tires AND full frenders?

I just spoke to the folks at the lbs where I bought my Nova (they're only 3 blocks from my work ) and they say there is ~1.75" clearance between the curve of the fork and the top of the tire with the standard 700x28 tires. He said there should be plenty of room with 700x32 tires for standard fenders.

Yep, I'd be calling them! The 05 Quest is like a rocket ship. They dropped from Ultegra on the '04 to 105 on the '05, but put a better set of wheels on it. The frame is just supple enough to be good for long rides and responsive enough to a decent climber. Don't know that I would use it as a loaded commuter. The Nova or Aurora geometry is better suited for commuting. IMHO

Sweet looking bike. A new one turned up on the bike rack at work yesterday. Hope it's a new regular!

I took the plunge myself today! I drove 30 miles to the only Jamis dealer in town, and after taking a closer look at the other Jamis bikes and an older Aurora, ordered the '05 Aurora (62cm, largest frame). It should arrive in a week. I ordered it upgraded with 32c tires and fenders. I'll use my existing rack on it.

Gonna be a loooong week.