JAMIS DAKAR COMP
2001 BEST BIKE $800 - $1500 CATEGORY
By R. Reese

Whenever they pass out the Nobel Prize for Economics, it's always to somebody nobody's ever heard of who's been toiling away for years in front of a blackboard trying to prove some wild theory about money. What they should really do is give the Nobel Prize to the product managers at Jamis Bicycles for their unbelievable Dakar Comp, which is this year's Under $1500 Category Winner.

Almost every year that we've conducted the Bike of the Year competition, Jamis has almost always had a bike in the running. Honest. Quite a few times the New Jersey-based company has come close to scooping all the marbles, and they've won overall BOY honors enough times to make much bigger manufacturers green with envy.

How Jamis does it, we don't know; but their bikes always represent some of the best value around. Mix an increadible blend of components with a great frame, and put it all together in the best value-for-dollar package possible. That's how you get to be Bike of the Year, and that's why the Jamis Dakar Comp is this year's hands-down winner of the under $1500 Category.

Simply the Best
The Dakar Comp is Jamis's Dakar Expert model of last year, but with a few minor spec changes and a $200 reduction on the price tag. The Dakar Expert was one of our fave rides last year, which makes the Dakar Comp one of our fave rides this year as well!

It's really hard to know where to start with the Dakar Comp, because almost everything about it represents some of the best component spec in the business. There's the RockShox Psylo XC 100-millimeter travel forks, which are totally solid big hit performers. And the new Avid CPS mechanical disc brakes are so good, they should be given the honor of Disc Brake of the Year. Maybe next year!

Shimano LX Hollowtech cranks with splined bottom bracket are works of art and make up an all-Shimano drivetrain, from the shifters to the nine-speed cassette. The rear shock is a Fox Racing Shox Vanilla Air with four inches travel. And the rider's compartment is filled with quality spec such as the Titec X-Wing seatpost, SDG BelAir saddle, Answer ProTaper alloy bars, and DiaCompe threadless headset. The wheels would stand alone by themselves: Mavic 223 rims with Deore disc hubs and Hutchinson Alligator Gold tires.

Any one of these component features you could or would find on a similarly priced bike elsewhere, but you find them all here on the Dakar Comp.

The frame is one of Jamis's proven performers that has been refined over the years, and yet it still does the job well. The main triangle is triple-butted 7005 alloy with a massive triangualted downtube that's gusseted where it joins the headtube. The four-bar link rear suspension is made up of forged alloy and alloy tubing that's been welded to form a very strong design that's stood the test of time. Forged swing-links and machined shock mounts further attest to this bike's outstanding quality.

The overall appearance of the bike is clean and well thought out. And considering that Jamis wants less than $1400 dollars for it should surprise almost any rider who wants a quality dual-suspension ride - but it won't surprise anybody familiar with Jamis.

Out for a Spin
Everything about the Dakar Comp falls neatly into place. Out 17-inch sample fit just right for average-sized test riders, and everybody taller than 5' 10" may want to opt for the 19-incher instead. Still, nobody had anything to complain about; from the saddle to the handlebars, it all looked and felt good.

RockShox has earned the big-hit championship the first year out of the box with the Psylo, and the XC's on our bike were no exception. The Psylo XC on our bike was set for maximum travel and all 125 millimeters soaked up everything they encountered on the trail without so much as a hiccup. Jamis's product managers deserve extra points for spec'ing the Psylo!

The rear end worked equally well too, thanks to the refinements that the Jamis engineering staff and factory riders have made over the years. Therefor, there's no unwanted bobbing that takes away from climbing, and the four-link design worked rock-solid all the time. The Fox Vanilla shock was up to the job and provided smooth suspension performance that could not be beat.

Jamis is very smart to go the all-Shimano route in the drivetrain department, and it did not disappoint. Shifting was butter-smooth and responsive all the time, during all trail conditions.

Likewise, the Avid mechanical disk brakes are probably the new superstars of the year. To say they work phenomenally would be an understatement, and it's hard to imaging how they could be beat or who could possibly beat them. Brake feel, response, modulation - it's all there, and it's the best.

A Bike Worth Loving
If you could possibly love a bike like you love a car or another person, the Jamis Dakar Comp is worthy of love. It has excellent spec and it's an outstanding overall design with lots of character to it. And it's made by people who love to make good, quality bicycles. It all shows through here, and that's why the Jamis Dakar Comp wins the under $1500 Category.

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