An All Mountain bike can be thought of as the go anywhere, do anything machine that can dabble in a little freeriding, but is light enough to take on the longest days. If you can only have one bike, this is the type to own. With its highly adjustable suspension, outstanding parts spec and excellent frame design, Jamis' XLT is the best deal going. Not only does it win the All Mountain Category, it also is our Overall Bike of the Year.

FRAME AND FORK
Jamis builds the XLT 2.0 with 7005 triple-butted Kinesis aluminum on the main frame and uses square tubing on the seat and chain stays. It has sealed bearings at the bottom bracket pivot and the main pivot of the bell crank (shock linkage) while the two other pivots use composite bearings. Jamis incorporated the Horst link (placing the rear pivot below the rear axle as opposed to above it) into their four-bar linkage design that is designed in a way that still allows a full range of seat height adjustment.

Both the front and rear suspension are controlled by Fox components. The rear end's 125mm of travel is regulated by a Fox Float RL shock that has rebound and lockout adjusters. Up front is Fox's new Float TALAS RLC that has adjustable rebound, compression, on-the-fly travel adjustment and a lockout system that has an adjustable blow-off valve. The travel adjuster regulates the fork travel in 3mm increments between 85 and 125mm of travel, covering the full range in 3-1/2 turns.

SPEC
The XLT 2.0 comes with a well-planned name brand parts kit. It runs the essential Shimano drivetrain with XT shifters, derailleurs and cranks as well as Hayes HFX Mag disk brakes. The Thomson seatpost is a nice touch as well as the F219 disc specific Mavic rims on XT hubs. There isn't any inferior part on this bike and there isn't a bike out there of this caliber at this price with a better parts kit. Jamis didn't miss anything.

THE RIDE
The steeper angles on the XLT make it an excellent climber, which becomes more apparent on technical trails. The 74.5-degree seat angle on our test bike helps put the rider farther over the bottom bracket as opposed to having to slide forward on the seat, resulting in a more comfortable climbing position. With the rider able to stay seated more on climbs, the rear suspension is able to do its job of maintaining traction and smoothing out the trail. The Jamis really digs in and sticks to the trail without feeling sluggish or squatting down into the travel on every pedal stroke. We found ourselves amazed more than a few times that we were pedaling over fallen rocks, leaves and branches while still holding our line. Part of that comes from the lack of pedal feedback, allowing you to spin through the roughest sections efficiently.

The XLT 2.0 comes with one of the most adjustable and best feeling forks made, Fox's Float TALAS RLC. The TALAS fork has a travel adjuster that shortens the length of the fork while maintaining its function in a shorter version. The front end is lower for better climbing but the fork still works the same, which is treasured on rough climbs. With the TALAS adjusted down in the travel, the Dakar settles a little into the rear travel for great climbing that is still sensitive to the terrain. The TALAS also has a lockout adjuster on it for those smooth fire roads. Lockout the front and rear on the Dakar and it powers up climbs, but unless we were on pavement, we rarely locked out either end because it was nice to have suspension to take the edge off and because the bike still pedals well when the suspension is active.

The geometry of the XLT is on what we call the cross country end (as opposed to freeride) of the All Mountain spectrum. That means it has steeper angles with more of a cross country-length stem and top tube. It is so nimble on tight trails that it is easy to pinpoint your tires to within millimeters of where you aim them. One of the best rides we had with the Dakar was on a nasty singletrack that is full of eroded rock debris, snaking high above a river and built into a cliff. It is tight. The Jamis dealt with it just fine, or rather let us handle the trail without much worry, allowing us to work our way down it. A tight trail like that would be tough on a burlier bike and almost unridable on a typical XC bike. The XLT is one of the best singletrack bikes that we have ever ridden. We had no problems staying on the eight-inch wide patch, steering around rocks and sticks, railing switchbacks and plowing over logs and ruts strewn across our path. The suspension is so responsive that there is little feedback through the bike from the terrain. The Dakar does get a little twitchy as your speed picks up, particularly if you push it hard on loose trails. Some test riders would have preferred a degree slacker head angle, taking a little bit away from the bike's climbing ability to increase its freeride capabilities. We also managed to bottom-out the TALAS fork way before the rear shock. The TALAS is nice and sensitive, but doesn't quite ramp up as much as we would have liked for some drops and jumps. However, the XLT still handles rough downhills well with its lightweight, aggressive setup; it just doesn't ride like a CR250. When you think about where you spend your time on the mountain, focusing a little more on climbing is a better balance for the Dakar's intended purpose, anyway.

SHORT CUT
The XLT is one of the most qualified bikes to cover every trail on the mountain, in both directions. It is a capable climber and has five inches of cushion to run everything over on the way down. Jamis did a great job refining their already proven Dakar design and you will be hard-pressed to find a better parts spec at this price. MB

CHECK OUT THIS BIKE