Jamis Dakota

We're preparing a shrine for the Dakota, one of the few premium steel mountain bikes still in production. Kudos to Jamis for carrying on the 100-year tradition of the ferrous frame and its buttery-smooth ride.

WHY IT'S COOL: Those steel pipes delivered a lively climb and drank up vibrations like no aluminum bike's business, leaving me feeling pretty darn fresh at the end of a two-hour outing that included a long slog down a stone-strewn creek bed. The tubing hails from Reynolds, the most venerable name in chrome-moly.

• The adjustable oil damping on the Manitou Mars fork kept the suspension jerk free-it soaked up big whammy hits and little stutter bumps alike.
• On a group ride that started hours after a heavy thunderstorm, I was the only one who wasn't stomping my feet to clear away accumulated muck. And a bit of shoe-embedded goo didn't rattle the Time Alium clipless pedals.
• Niceties include a status symbol XTR rear derailleur for durability, and bar-ends for wrist comfort.

Hmm...We grudgingly admit that, at almost 26 pounds, the steel Dakota is a pound or so porkier than comparable aluminum bikes.

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