Jamis launches three-pronged attack with 26", 650B and 29" mountain bikes
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The all-new Dakota D29 uses a carbon fiber frame with design features borrowed from the road-going Xenith SL.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The 26" Dakota dXC hardtail is also all-new for 2010 with a low-slung carbon fiber frame.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
29er fans will also have the option of an aluminum frame in the new Jamis Exile.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Jamis's venerable Reynolds 853-tubed Dragon gets a 29er variant for 2010.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Jamis Bicycles will embrace the 650B wheel size wholeheartedly for 2010, saying it offers the perfect compromise between the lighter weight and nimbler handling of a 26" and the run-through-anything steamroller feel of a 29er.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Jamis will use 650B rims from American Classic and WTB.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The new Jamis 650B full-suspension bikes will feature the company's familiar mp3 linkage design.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The long-travel BAM gets an all-new chassis for 2010 with more standover and more durability.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Built-in adjusters on the Sputnik rear dropouts allow for precise wheel placement and chain tension.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Jamis will offer the Sputnik in four frame colors but all will come with chrome forks.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The Jamis Sputnik is billed as a stylish urban commuter with a flip-flip rear hub, Reynolds steel tubing and classic styling.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Some will see the chrome housing clamps as a classic touch (which they are) but they also make for a clean look if you decide to ditch the rear brake.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The 2010 Jamis XAM frame now uses thru-axle rear dropouts for better wheel tracking.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Jamis aims its XAM models at all-mountain riders looking for 150mm of rear wheel travel and do-anything durability.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Jamis already redid its XAM all-mountain platform last year but beefed it up again for 2010 with a burlier rear end and new thru-axle dropouts.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The battery attaches to a dedicated mount just ahead of the BB30-compatible shell.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Jamis has updated its top-end Xenith SL frames with a new molding process that yields cleaner internal surfaces and more consistent performance.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The Xenith SL Di2 uses internal routing specially designed around Shimano's electronic drivetrain.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
While countless other companies continue to debate the merits of 26" vs 29"-wheeled mountain bikes, Jamis will not only offer both for 2010 but also a third format, 650B. According to Jamis, the in-between wheel size strikes an ideal balance between the lighter weight and nimbler feel of 26" and the steamroller capabilities of 29".
Jamis will include just two 650B-equipped bikes in its stable for 2010, the Dakar SixFifty B2 and B1, but it's certainly conceivable that the range could grow for 2011 depending on consumer response this year. Both are based on the company's XCT trail bike platform with 130mm of rear wheel travel via the familiar Jamis mp3 linkage layout, aluminum front and rear triangles, 10mm shock hardware, RockShox rear shocks, and 20mm thru-axle forks from White Brothers.
Other changes to the full-suspension line include a beefier rear end with larger tubing and thru-axle dropouts on the all-mountain XAM range, a stronger front triangle on the big-hit BAM with a hydroformed down tube and increased standover clearance, and a stiffer swingarm and yoke on the cross-country XCT for improved wheel tracking.
Jamis has also devoted a lot of attention to its hardtail range for 2010, highlighted by six new 29ers and a ground-up revamp of its 26" racer. The star of the 29er range is the new carbon fiber Dakota D29 with size-specific tubing, a BB30-compatible bottom bracket shell, asymmetrical chain stays and full-length dual seat stays. The Exile, on the other hand, uses a 6061 Kinesis Superlight triple-butted tubeset and standard threaded shell while the Dragon 29er and Dragon One build upon the success of Jamis's classic Reynolds 853-tubed hardtail platform but with updated geometry to accommodate the bigger wheels.
The all-new Dakota dXC 26" carbon hardtails borrow their tri-oval top tube and down tube shaping and size-specific tubing diameters from the road-going Xenith SL for directional stiffness and a similar ride quality across the range plus a decidedly low-slung layout for lots of standover clearance. Also like the Xenith SL, the Dakota dXC will feature BB30 bottom bracket shells and asymmetrical chain stays.
The Xenith SL and Team platforms themselves also get updated for 2010 with tougher resigns and new Near Net Molding construction techniques that yield increased fiber compaction and smoother interior surface finishes for more consistent performance and additional strength. According to Jamis product manager Steven Fairchild, impact strength has actually increased a substantial 40 percent relative to last year.
Frame weights are unchanged with claimed figures ranging from 850-970g for painted production models but new for '10 is a Di2-specific Xenith SL Di2 with internal wire routing plus a dedicated battery mount beneath the down tube.
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Urban riders will also get the new Sputnik and Beatnik, both features Reynolds 631 or 520 steel tubing, classic lines, horizontal rear-entry dropouts with integrated adjusters, and versatile flip-flop rear wheels.
