Newbie + Jamis = Good idea?

deanyboy

Hi everyone.

I am very close to buying a new bike. I have a budget of around £450.
I have been looking at the Jamis Durango Sport 2012 & the Jamis Durango Comp 2012. Both are on www.evanscycles.com. Are Jamis a good make? Would these be good bikes for a beginner?
I am having trouble finding reviews for these bikes, so any advice would be great.

Thanks

Adotparker

They're a budget American brand I seem to recall....... specced as you'd expect a cheap bike to be.... you need to decide where your going with biking......... are you planing on taking it on tow paths...... xc....... singletrak etc........ as this forum will no doubt guide you.... with a budget of yours, they'll direct you to Halfords or Decathlon...... Rock Rider or Voodoo or Carrera

deanyboy

Thanks.

I'm looking to do off-road trails, singletrack, cross country, downhill.
Apparently the Carrera Vulcan (2012) is a good buy for my budget.
Jamis not looking such a good idea now :S

warpcow

deanyboy wrote:

Thanks.

I'm looking to do off-road trails, singletrack, cross country, downhill.
Apparently the Carrera Vulcan (2012) is a good buy for my budget.
Jamis not looking such a good idea now :S

Why not? You've described pretty much every kind of mountain-biking there, and no one bike is going to be a master of everything. There's nothing wrong with Jamis, they make some very expensive bikes too. They're just better known in the US. On paper the Durango Comp looks pretty good, though there are other bikes out there that might have different/better/worse parts.

deanyboy

I only had doubt because I cant find any 'deal breaker' reviews for the Jamis bikes i'm looking at.
Been looking at VooDoo & Carrera bikes as they have had good reviews. But I just love the look of the Jamis bikes.

Jamis Durango Sport 2012 (£389) - www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/dura ... 3#features
Jamis Durango Comp 2012 (£449) - www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/dura ... e-ec031772

cooldad

Nothing you are looking at will do Downhill, but I'm assuming that you don't actually mean Downhill.

supersonic

The Sport has a very poor fork, not worth getting that bike.

chez_m356

Adotparker wrote:

as this forum will no doubt guide you.... with a budget of yours, they'll direct you to Halfords or Decathlon...... Rock Rider or Voodoo or Carrera

thats because most people on here are trying to be helpful, is there something wrong with trying to help some one get the most for there money ?

ilovedirt

Jamis make awful frames, it's pretty likely that it'll snap. And even if it doesn't, you would still have to live with the embarrassment of owning a Jamis. Buy something else. Anything else.

supersonic

The frame is the best part of this bike lol!

deanyboy

Okay how about this? Better than the Jamis bikes? - www.decathlon.co.uk/81-2012-id_8168918.html

Bike Rader seemed to love it - www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/m ... 1-10-39599

supersonic

It has a 200 quid fork on it, is a really good piece of kit throughout.