Help With Jamis
 

I have been out of cycling for about a year because of health issues. I did not think I'd be riding anymore, so I sold my bikes. But after some rehab and stuff I'm able to ride again. I set my sights lower on personal expectations, and also I came to conclusion I don't need a race-worthy bike. Comfort for 2-5 hour rides will suffice. I decided a low-moderate priced steel bike would be great for my needs.

So for last month I've been eBayin' and procrastinatin'. I guess hoping a steel IF Crown Jewel would go up with a BIN of $300. No such luck lol. So I started looking at Soma Smoothies, Surley Pacers, a few REI tour models, and Nashbar tour model. Also some NOS KHS steel, and Jamis. As luck would have it, on my lunch yesterday I took a walk downtown and ran across a bike shoppe in an old building. They had both a Jamis Satellite Sport and older KHS steelie on the floor. Also several Jamis Satellite Comp. So I'm talking to the owner and he says "come on downstairs I have more down there." We go down into this huge old cellar and it's like wall to wall floor to ceiling Jamis steel bikes from the last 5-10 years. With the old price tags on them. I go through each one looking at components and such. I find a rather different one in my size 56; a Jamis Satellite. Not a Comp not a Sport. Script writing on decals. Reynolds 520. Tiagra components and Sora, too. Mavic wheel set. And the color is a metallic dark green that sparkles in sun. It fit me the test ride was great and I bought it at the old original price.

What year do you think it is with a mix of Sora/Tiagra, script decals, dark metallic green paint/Reynolds 520?

You can try looking through the bikes here: http://www.bikepedia.com/

Jamis also has their old catalogs archived back to 2004 here: http://www.jamisbikes.com/catalog_archive/index.html

You already bought it. If a component bugs you, replace it. In the meantime: Ride the heck out of it, and don't worry about it.

That would be cool to see all those bike in one spot. Wish it was around here.
Enjoy your bike! I just purchased a 2012 Jamis Quest on ebay the other day. Can't wait till it comes in next week.

Can I ask y you would buy it at the original price? Its obliviously an older model with old components

Sounds like a great deal!

First of all, very glad to hear you are able to get back in the saddle, so to speak. Been down the road with some health issues myself, so I know how much it sucks to think that you might never ride again. Second, sounds like you got a great deal on a bike that meets your needs (at least for now :)). Safe riding.

Nice bike for the price.

Jamis steel bikes are well regarded. I'm sure he'd have no trouble selling them on eBay.

Thank, Milkbaby!!!! I found the catalogue. Mine is a 2011. Not that old. On the pic in catalogue the paint looks much lighter than my actual bike. It's called Black Forest Green. It's pretty dark on my bike. Nad its a kinda metallic flake; t sparkles. I like the script writing used in decals, and I really like the Mavic CPX22 wheels compared to some wheel sets you get on lower-end bikes. I have a squeak in the rear, not sure why.

If you walked into a bike shop and they had the original price on a Lemond Zurich from, say 1998, or a Masi from 1968 would you buy it? Now, the Jamis don't quite compare to these, but you get the picture. The bike is a few years old I think. The old price tag was $699. The new Satellite Comps are around $850. So it's around $150 less than new model with same components. But prettier paint - the paint on this one is a dark metallic green. It really is metallic and glitters in the sun. It's a lot darker shade of green that the 2011 catalog shows.

Sorry...not sure I get what you are saying. I didn't say any components bug me, did I?

I have about 50 miles on it now (rode it yesterday and again today) and I must say the Sora drivetrain is surprising. Its pretty darn good. I didn't notice any lower quality performance than other higher-end groups from Shimano, SRAM, Campy I have used before. The thumb shifters are actually quite well engineered - I think the only problem may be they're plastic and may break easily. The brakes are another matter. Very weak. Its very hard to get enough leverage to actually stop bike quickly. On the hoods its worse; in drops is a little better. I suspect that's because of the low-end Tektro brakes. So this winter I'll probably upgrade the group. I need gearing that gives me bigger gears for climbing hills - I'm old. We tried a 32 and 34 in back but the Sora derailleur would not do it. So they'll be some component changes this winter, but for now I'll just avoid 15% mountain passes and pray the brakes stop me in an emergency lol.