Bike Setup:
Stock (Ultegra, Mavic Helium wheels, carbon fork) Summary:
By far the stiffest and most responsive of the 3 steel frame bikes I tested. This bike has a very smooth ride, but did not show excessive bottom bracket flex under hard pedaling. It is also light for steel at 20.5 lbs with Look road pedals (according to the shop scale). The bike is well equiped with Ultegra components, Mavic Helium wheels and a Time CF fork. Of the bikes I tested, this was my second choice. Ultimately, I could not resist the Trek 5200 (if its good enough for Lance, how could I argue). However, Performance Bikes had a good deal on this bike and if my budget had been a bit more limited, this would have been it. I believe that Performance is selling them for $1,800, but my impression was that a bit of negotiating could get that even lower. My only concerns were the durability of the Mavic wheels (they sure look cool with the straight pull spokes and are very light) and the ability of Jamis to stand behind the bike. Performance is the only Jamis road bike dealer I could find locally and they change brands with some regularity. Thus, if anything ever goes wrong with the frame, I’m not sure how easy it would be to get local support. Overall, an excellent steel bike at a good price. Strengths:
853 Steel, light (for steel), stiff (for steel), very smooth ride, Mavic Helium wheels Weaknesses:
1-2 lbs heavier than aluminum and carbon fiber Similar Products Used:
Lemond Zurich, Klein Quantum Race, Waterford 1100, Cannondale CAAD3 & 4, Trek 5200
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