Answer me these riddles three......

danvannoorden

Hello all as a total noob I keep seeing things like XC, DH and AM ect what do these abbreviations mean?
Also do I need to consider which of these I will be when buying a bike?

I still haven't purchased yet and im undecided wether to go 26 or 29" they both have pros n cons.

Lastly has any one owned or know anything about jamis trail x3? The x2 has got awful reviews in every one ive read so far.

Sorry for the long list but you guys have been very helpful to me so far.

Thanks in advance

Dvn

jimothy78

danvannoorden wrote:

Hello all as a total noob I keep seeing things like XC, DH and AM ect what do these abbreviations mean?

XC = Cross (X) Country (often used as a euphamism for longer distance, less technical riding)
DH = Downhill (not just "riding down hills", but hardcore, fast, technical riding)
AM = All Mountain (normally used to describe a bike that can handle DH, but is lighter than a specific DH machine, so can comfortably be ridden uphill as well)

Also do I need to consider which of these I will be when buying a bike?
I still haven't purchased yet and im undecided wether to go 26 or 29" they both have pros n cons.

yes, consider the type of riding you want to do, then research the types of bike best suited to it.

Lastly has any one owned or know anything about jamis trail x3? The x2 has got awful reviews in every one ive read so far.

very low-grade spec, spending a bit more could get you a lot more bike.

The Rookie

XC=Cross Country (Hardtail or short travel full sus - upto about 120mm)
AM=All mountain - so a bike you can pedal up as well as ride back down (fast), so about 150-160mm travel
DH=Downhill - that's Downhill not just riding downhill, you'd have to be stupid AND a masochist to want to ride one up the hill! About 200mm travel plus.

29er is rare as an AM, non existant as a DH, more XC and trail (trail being between XC and AM).

Jamis, know little. link to specs is a good start, plus the review and we can pass comment if the X3 resolves the issues raised on the X2.

ilovedirt

As the others said
XC = cross country, riding a bike up and down hills
AM = all mountain, stupid name for doing the same thing as above if you want to make yourself seem super gnarly
DH = downhill, riding down trails on a big bouncy bike and pushing or getting a lift back up.

Three wheel sizes now, 26", 27.5" (or 650b) and 29". Try them out and see which you like. Supposedly bigger wheels roll better over the bumps but aren't as nimble in corners/tech etc. 650b are meant to be a good middle ground. I've not tried anything but 26".

Jamis are crap, their frames are made of cheese and they look awful. Do not buy.

rockmonkeysc

29ers aren't rare in all mountain. Specialized Enduro 29, Intense Tracer 29, Trek Remedy 29 and plenty of others. The UK Gravity Enduro series has previously been won on a 29er.
Don't forget about 27.5" wheels.

ilovedirt

I should probably add that if you're getting into the sport, you don't want to start off riding downhill unless you have balls of steel and like falling off a lot. Get yourself an XC hardtail and see where it takes you.

danvannoorden

Thank you everyone for speedy and informative reply, as always! I will provide links when I gt home im on my mobile atm n dont know how to copy n paste links (techno-phobe) lol

I would probably be riding XC with a little AM going for trips to the lake district and peak district so I will look into 29" a bit more.

Once again cheers,

Dvn

benpinnick

For your budget a 26 is going to be better value, but a 29er will be easier to ride overall (faster for the same level of input). A 650b would be a good compromise but its only 1 year old in mainstream brands, so theres not much at a Jamis X3 budget. I would suggest you check out the Voodoo and boardman ranges from Halfords, the Calibre from go outdoors and the Decathlon rock riders. Yes they're all big chain brands but good bikes none the less and you will get great value for your buck. Also be sure to check out the bikes and gear reviews on this site. You can select a price range and sort by rating ... its as good a starting point for buying your first MTB as you will find.

The Rookie

danvannoorden wrote:

I would probably be riding XC with a little AM going for trips to the lake district and peak district

That's XC with a little XC then, PD and LD are not AM.

ilovedirt

The Rookie wrote:

danvannoorden wrote:

I would probably be riding XC with a little AM going for trips to the lake district and peak district

That's XC with a little XC then, PD and LD are not AM.

Aren't they? How do you quantify what is and what isn't all mountain? And why does it matter?

danvannoorden

The Rookie wrote:

danvannoorden wrote:

I would probably be riding XC with a little AM going for trips to the lake district and peak district

t
That's XC with a little XC then, PD and LD are not AM.

I wouldn't know rookie, ive only ever hiked in the LD n it seemed very mountainous then lol

Ferrals

All mountain is not a terrain its a state of mind... in the brains of the canny marketing folk busy fleecing people into having too many bikes.

danvannoorden

I will also be checking the trail section of the forum for routes/trails a little closer to home (Scunthorpe)

The Northern Monkey

Step 1 and step 3.

http://nsmb.com/how-to-be-a-mountain-biker/

danvannoorden

The Northern Monkey wrote:

Step 1 and step 3.

http://nsmb.com/how-to-be-a-mountain-biker/

Lol wouldn't and couldn't justify spending 3g on my first mtb lol funny film tho, brings afew people I know to mind

The Rookie

danvannoorden wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

danvannoorden wrote:

I would probably be riding XC with a little AM going for trips to the lake district and peak district

t
That's XC with a little XC then, PD and LD are not AM.

I wouldn't know rookie, ive only ever hiked in the LD n it seemed very mountainous then lol

AM is about the state of the trail not how up and down it is, in the same way you would still use a road bike to ride up a tarmac road on a mountain, you still use an XC bike to ride up an XC trail on a mountain, but you'd use an AM bike to ride a ' very rough' trail on the flat. Many Downhill courses have flat sections you wouldn't (couldn't being different to wouldn't) ride on an XC bike.