Jamis 2000 Nova

Price Paid:  $1100.00 at Sigie''s

Favorite Ride:
any where I am not sucking exhaust fumes

Bike Setup:
Stock with the exception of Conti top touring 2000 28c tires - heavy but bombproof.

Summary:
A near perfect commuter/ trainer. I use it to ride 30km/day to work year round. It has been flawless in less than perfect conditions. Solid, balanced ride combined with reliable components make for a bike that you "just ride" rather than tweak and repair contantly. Handling is solid and predictable. Ride is spot on with 80psi touring tires. Works pretty well for light duty trail riding and unpaved path / roadways. This is a all purpose city bike for the go fast commuter.

Strengths:
Excellent value and workmanship for the price! Paint is bullet proof. Tiarga works well. Solid rims. Steel frame- nice ride quality's, toughness & so far no rust! Quality components no cheesy budget specs. Barrel adjusters for brake and shifters.

Weaknesses:
Colour - but hey at least it's visible. Weight. Front brake squeal.

Similar Products Used:
Old Bianchi road / touring bikes. Jamis Quest, Specialized Alllez. A plethora of Hartail MTB's.

Price Paid:  $580.00 at bikeusa.com

Bike Setup:
stock with MKS touring pedals

Summary:
i was looking for a nice steel frame mountain bike but couldn't find anything decent in my size (i'm 6'5") & price range so when i found a bargain-priced 62cm nova i grabbed it. now i'm stoked i didn't get a mountain bike because the nova is faster on the road & i can go just about anywhere i would on a XC mtb.
the reynolds 631 steel frame is great for long rides. it's tough too, i take it off-road every weekend & stacked it once (i got a bit banged up but the bike was fine).
when i get some panniers & racks i intend to take my nova touring. although the geometry isn't ideal for this i expect it will be pretty stable when fully loaded. i guess i might want to upgrade to a triple crankset eventually but for now riding with a double in the mountains is really improving my strength.
the bottom line is when i go into bike shops now i never see anything under about $1500 that i would want to swap for my nova.

(note that the rims on the 2000 nova are mavic T221 36H, not 32H as it says on the jamis website)

Strengths:
sweet frame, solid wheels, decent component spec, great value from money.

Weaknesses:
the brakes squealed & needed a bit of adjusting, but they work fine.

Similar Products Used:
various mountain bikes

Bike Setup:
Steel frame/fork, Shimano Tiagra group, Mavic T221 rims, Ritchey parts/tires, Welgo MTB pedals

Summary:
Excellent value! I switched pedals to Shimano 747's and chainrings to 48/36 for racing purposes. Out of the box this makes a great utility bike, it can be used for almost anything! It's my first cross bike and I'm in no hurry to move to another. I will happily ride this bike as is and upgrade parts only if necessary.

Strengths:
Steel frame is more forgiving than aluminum, a plus on a bike without suspension. Excellent value, an inexpensive way to go racing! Name brand (Ritchey) parts kit.

Weaknesses:
Welgo pedals are hard to get into when you get off road. A little on the heavy side (24 lbs).

Similar Products Used:
None

Price Paid:  $820.00 at City Bikes, DC

Favorite Ride:
Patapsco, MD

Bike Setup:
Changed to Speedplay pedals (I have messed up knees),
knobbier tires for better traction up-hill, Gore shift
cable and housing (expensive but VERY worth it if you ride
in mud), and added Shimano flight-deck (which is great for
racing or just being anal about milage/cadence/etc.)

Summary:
No better value out there. If someone held a gun to my
head and said I could only own one bike, this would be
it. When I get old I'll put racks on it (yes it
has braze-ons front and rear) and go touring.

Strengths:
Excellent value for the money. Nice steel Reynolds 631
tubing. Tiagra works great and has held up MUCH better than
expected, even after racing and a few falls. Quick handling
off road, stable on the road. Slightly sloping top tube
increases standover height. The wheels have proven very
durable, even when I underinflate the tires and get pinch
flats. Use of name brand components everywhere is really
great - and almost unheard of on bikes in this price range;
full Tiagra groupo is used. There's no skimping on parts
as with the Surly Cross-Check. Versatility is also a real
strong point. I commute on this bike all week and then
ride off-road or race it on the weekends.

Weaknesses:
Not a weakness, but some things to take note of; it sizes
2 to 4 cm's larger than road bikes; Gearing may be a little
tall if you're riding on tougher mountain bike trails. I
would also have liked top-tube cable routing, but I don't
know how feasible it is with STI road levers. The neon
paint jobs, green for 2000, orange for 2001, are not my
thing, but I wouldn't let it deter me from getting this
bike.

Similar Products Used:
Surly Cross-Check (overpriced and under-spec'd), Gunnar,
Bianchi Axis, Cannondale XR-800.

Price Paid:  $800.00 at jacks broken spoke

Favorite Ride:
any place their aint cars

Bike Setup:
stock except for the rock shox seat post

Summary:
Great bike for the money great rims good pedals and everything works well together. if your like me and are tough on equiptment but want to do the road work and dive off on some single track and fire roads not to mention the occasional huge potthole and curb. then this is your bike. Besides with its color and good looks it stands out from a crowd and you dont look like a real roadie.

Strengths:
BANG FOR YOUR BUCK PERIOD END OF STORY!

Weaknesses:
little heavy but if your a mountain biker youll think you got a really lite bike.

Similar Products Used:
first real mans big wheel