JAMIS DAKAR COMP
Why Spend More?

amis builds a range of Dakar full-suspension bikes to fit every billfold. We've put in a lot of saddle time on these sturdy performers, and MBA's test riders have consistently praised the Dakar's simple suspension design, quality build and affordable price tag. This is a must-ride for trail riders searching for a trusty bike with top notch features.

Dakar Comp Standout Features
The Dakar Comp may be the best deal in the Jamis lineup. Sure, its flashy yellow paint may be an eye grabber, but its $1,100 price tag is the real shocker. Exactly how Jamis stuffed the Comp full of powerhouse parts like a Fox Float air shock, a Manitou SX-LT fork and a Shimano Deore XT rear dearilleur remains a mystery to us. The Dakar chassis features Jamis' inverted swing-link rear suspension. The downtube has a triangular profile to add strength to the head-tube junction, and the swingarm uses rectangular tubes so the Jamis' tail won't wag under power.

Dakar Comp on the Trail
While the Comp weighs a hefty 29.5-pounds, it feels suprisingly light. A bad bike feels heavy, like you're lugging it up every rise. A good bike, like the Comp, feels nimble under power - as long as you aren't trying to hold a race pace.

Suspension: The beautiful thing about air shocks is the turnability. Riders who want less responsive rear suspension can put in more air, while riders who want a more supple ride can lower the pressure. We ran our suspension a little stiff and had no problematic bobbing on the climbs. Every active design like the Jamis will move to some degree, but adopting a smooth riding style easily compensates for it. Manitou's SX-LT fork levels the terrain without drawing attention to itself - which is how a good fork should feel. We could have used up its travel if we'd really pushed the Jamis down high-speed, rough sections, but for a mid-priced trailbike, the SX-LT is a worthy fork.

Steering: The bike was a little slow in the woods but very stable at speed. This means the Comp begged to be pushed to the speed limit on every trail. Rock gardens and drop-offs could be ridden with confidence, as long as they were within the scope of a cross-country trail bike.

Ascending: The Dakar Comp actually has a good, stretched-out position, making the bike climb well. At the risk of looking dorky, we flipped the stem upside down to put the riser bars in a good position for all around riding - not cross-country-race low, but not downhill-bike high either. Because the bike has a slack front end and a somewhat long stem, the bike tended to wander a bit if the rider got out of the saddle. Switchbacks were best ridden in the saddle.

Descending: Point it and go. Don't expect the Dakar Comp to revel in the woods, but do look for fast, technical downhills and the occasional open fireroad to wring it out. The Comp was a scream to descend on.

The Downside
Jamis designed the Dakar frame concept six years ago and has kept it basically the same. They haven't done much to the geometry, so with today's long travel forks (like the SX-LT), the head tube of the Jamis is slackened to about 69-degrees (compared to the steeper number that Jamis claims). Some liked this for trail riding, but it wasn't optimum for situations where you needed a quick-steering bike - like technical climbs or tight singletrack descents. A shorter-travel fork like the standard Manitou SX would sharpen things up a bit, at the expense of a supple ride. Titec's seatpost head, with the goofy little adjuster wheel hidden at the top of the clamp, is a joke. Get rid of this thing and replace it with any single or two-bolt design seatpost head.

MBA's Thoughts
For the money, the Jamis Dakar Comp is certainly a class leader. It is a low-cost trail bike that can be ridden like a big-buck full-suspension ride. In fact, all this bike needs to run with the big boys is Jenny Craig and a pro-level fork. Its $1,100 sticker price, however should silence any whiners. The Jamis Comp rocks.

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