Jamis has been refining the Dakar Series for a few years, turning it into one of the best suspension designs on the market. Their XC Comp uses the same frame as the expensive race model, but has more travel up front and a smart parts spec that makes it an exceptional value.

FRAME AND FORK
The main triangle of the Dakar XC Comp frame is made with 7005 Kinesis triple-butted aluminum and is mated to the square tubing rear end via Fox's Float R shock. The four-bar linkage has a Horst link and is designed so that it does not interrupt the seat tube. The linkage has sealed bearings at the bottom bracket pivot and the bell crank pivot and composite bearings at the other two pivots. The Float R has a rebound adjuster to control the 90mm of rear travel while Manitou's Black Elite takes care of things up front. The Black Elite has adjustable rebound and compression while the travel is adjustable from between 80 and 100mm with the Rapid Travel II system. Jamis also includes the lockout kit that Manitou makes that can replace the compression adjuster side.

SPEC
The XC Comp comes with a parts spec that has been well chosen for a great XC ride. It uses a Shimano drivetrain with LX cranks, Deore shifters and an upgraded XT rear derailleur to increase performance where it counts. It also comes with Avid brakes and levers and a Thomson post. We like to see name brands like these because they are quality parts that are light and work well.

THE RIDE
With its geometry and slightly stiff ride, the XC COMP leans towards cross county efficiency. The firm ride mainly comes from the rear shock that is valved with a relatively slow compression damping rate. You can setup the Black fork to be quite supple, but then it doesn't compliment the bike as well and it tends to bob a lot, so we kept it a little firm. With this setup, both the front and rear suspension move very little when climbing, especially if you lock down the Rapid Travel adjuster on the fork. With the fork down in the 80mm setting, it pedals extremely well and blazes up fire roads, but even if you can't get to the travel adjuster on a trail, or you just don't care, it still works well with the fork at 100mm. That also means that it isn't the softest ride up the mountain, but it does take most of the edge off and still finds traction on rough climbs. We also left the fork at 100mm on any technical climb because at 80mm, it isn't very sensitive at all.

The changes that Manitou has made to the Black this year has turned it into one of the best feeling forks in its category. Manitou did a great job with the damping rates as well as the progressiveness of the spring rate. At the 100mm travel setting, the fork is sensitive but can still suck up a hard hit and locked down to 80mm, it makes the bike climb extremely well. The Black Elite that comes with the Jamis is loaded with every feature that Manitou makes and the Dakar can take advantage of all of them. Heavier riders will probably want to keep the compression damper as opposed to installing the lockout kit to help tune the fork for their weight, but any rider that wants cross country race performance will want the lockout system.

The XC Comp is very agile on singletrack and lets you attack the trail. You can rail through corners and punch it on the way out. The Python tires hook up well and don't feel like dead weight if you're on rolling singletrack and you have to pedal a lot. They work well on dry terrain and even though they don't have much sidewall bite, if they break loose it is easy to control the slide until they find traction again. The Dakar floats along smooth singletrack with very little input and as long as things don't get too out of hand, it can plow over rough sections with control. There is almost no pedal feedback through the rear suspension even if you pedal through a deep rut. Both wheels stick to the ground in bumpy corners.

SHORT CUT
The Dakar XC Comp is an excellent cross country bike with a little extra travel up front for a more aggressive ride. The firm suspension climbs well and still handles the rough stuff on the way down. This is a bike you want on your nest epic loop. MB

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