Jamis' focus over the last few seasons has been on their trail and cross-country mountain bikes, but for 2016 they've turned their gaze to the all-mountain / enduro race side of the sport with the introduction of the Defcon series.
There are a total of three bikes in the line, with prices ranging from $2,799 USD on up to the highest end option, the Defcon 1 tested here, which comes well spec'd with a Shimano XT 11-speed drivetrain, a 160mm Fox 36 Float fork, Shimano Saint brakes, and a healthy dose of parts from Loaded Components, all for $4,899 USD.
Defcon 1 Details• Intended use: all-mountain / enduro
• Rear wheel travel: 160mm
• Wheel size: 27.5''
• Head angle: 66.5°
• Frame material: 6061 aluminum
• 73mm threaded bottom bracket
• Sizes: 15,17,19, 21
• Weight (as shown, 19" w/o pedals): 32 pounds (14.5kg)
• MSRP: $4,899 USD
•
www.jamisbikes.com Frame DetailsThe Defcon's bright orange paint job combined with the anodized blue bar, stem, and wheels from Loaded Components met with mixed reactions out on the trail. Some riders loved it, and it certainly stands out from the crowd, but others found it to be a little over the top. Personally, I fall into the latter camp, but my view may be tainted by my trips to the Taipei Cycle show, where bright color schemes like this seem to be lurking around every corner.
The frame itself is constructed from 6061 aluminum using a process called SPF air forming. This involves using air, rather than the water used during hydroforming, to create the desired tube shapes once the aluminum has been heated up to a specific temperature. US-made Enduro Max bearings are found at all of the Defcon's pivot points, and even the Shimano XT crankset's bottom bracket bearings are supplied by Enduro, a testament to Jamis' confidence in the company's products.
Internal routing is in place for the KS Lev DX dropper post, but oddly, the housing runs through the top tube, rather than exiting further down the seat tube, which means that a traditional stealth routed post isn't compatible with the Defcon. Ports on either side of the head tube allow the derailleur housing to be hidden inside the frame, leaving only the rear brake housing to run externally along the downtube. Our test bike was equipped with a 1x11 Shimano XT drivetrain, but it is possible to run a front derailleur, and there are also ISCG tabs for riders who want to toss on a chainguide for a little extra security.
Amidst the latest round of new standards, Jamis chose to go with a threaded bottom bracket shell and 12x142mm rear spacing. The number of Boost equipped bikes is increasing, but Jamis was able to achieve their desired chainstay length and tire clearance without adopting the new standard. There's also room to mount a water bottle cage inside the front triangle, a design feature that seems simple, but is all too often overlooked.
Suspension DesignThe Defcon uses Jamis' MP4 suspension design, a link-driven single pivot layout. This design provides a fairly linear suspension curve, with a slight ramp up towards the end of the stroke to prevent the shock from bottoming out too quickly or harshly. A one piece bellcrank connects the seat stays to the rear shock, which Jamis says provides enough stiffness to eliminate the need to for a seat stay bridge.
GeometrySpecifications
Specifications
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Price
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$4899 |
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Travel |
160mm |
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Rear Shock |
Fox Float X Factory Series EVOL |
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Fork |
Fox 36 Float Factory Series 160mm travel |
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Headset |
FSA Orbit 1.5 Zero-Stack |
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Cassette |
Shimano M8000, 11-speed, 11-42T |
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Crankarms |
Shimano XT M8000 |
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Bottom Bracket |
Enduro® BSA |
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Rear Derailleur |
Shimano XT M8000 Shadow Plus 11-speed |
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Chain |
KMC X11SL DLC, 11-speed |
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Shifter Pods |
Shimano XT M8000 |
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Handlebar |
Loaded Precision AMX Riser, 760mm x 25mm rise, 35mm diameter |
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Stem |
Loaded Precision AMX Trail, 45mm |
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Grips |
Jamis lock-on |
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Brakes |
Shimano Saint M820 |
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Wheelset |
Loaded Precision X-Lite X30 |
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Tires |
Vittoria Goma 27.5 x 2.4" front, Morsa 27.5x2.3 " rear, TNT |
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Seat |
WTB Volt Comp |
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Seatpost |
KS LEV DX,125mm travel, handlebar remote, 385mm x 31.6 |
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ClimbingWe're entering an age where it's becoming less unreasonable to expect bikes with 160mm of travel to behave almost as well on the climbs as they do on the descents. To that end, there are now a number of bikes (Yeti's SB6 and the Santa Cruz Nomad for example) whose suspension designs allow them to be run with the rear shock in the fully open position the vast majority of the time. However, the Defcon doesn't fall into that category. With the shock set at 30% sag and in the fully open position there's a very noticeable amount of pedaling related suspension movement. This is especially prevalent when standing out of the saddle, causing the Float X shock to rhythmically dive into its travel like an oil pump plunging towards the earth. Thankfully, the shock's compression dial is relatively easy to reach, and there's a drastic improvement in the bike's pedaling performance when it's in the middle or firmest compression setting.
The Defcon weighs in at 32 pounds without pedals, but it carries that weight well, and prior to hanging it on the scale I would have guessed it was a pound or two lighter. With a 66.5° head angle and a reach of 436mm for a size large, the bike's geometry numbers are a touch more conservative than some of the sprawling enduro race rigs out there, but they also make it easier to keep weight over the front end on steep climbs, and keep the handling from feeling too sluggish. On the whole, the bike feels well balanced, and once I had the shock flipped into the firmest setting there weren't any problems navigating through tricky root-filled climbs, as long as conditions were on the dry side - in the wet the Vittoria tires would spin and slide out in the blink of an eye.
DescendingMy time on the Defcon got off to an inauspicious start due to a misaligned rear end, which put the tire close enough to one of the seat stays to rub during hard cornering or when landing a drop. According to Jamis, the bike was part of an early pre-production run, and they quickly sent out a replacement. The replacement frame was better aligned, but there was still not much room between the tire and where the seat stays are joined to the shock linkage.
The steep, rooty, and rocky trails surrounding Squamish, BC, served as the main testing ground for the Defcon, the type of terrain where a 160mm bike should shine on the descents. Unfortunately, it wasn't as up to the task as I'd hoped. At slower speeds and on smoother, flowier trails there weren't any issues – the Defcon's handling was very neutral, and it wouldn't be a stretch to call it mild-mannered. At a casual pace the bike would happily pop off bumps and carve through bermed corners without requiring any heavy-handed rider input. Unfortunately, at higher speeds in rougher terrain the Defcon's performance began to suffer. There's a noticeable amount of rear end flex, and when that's combined with a set of underwhelming tires and a very linear rear suspension feel you have a trifecta of performance attributes that makes for a less-than-inspiring ride.
I was never able to get completely comfortable on the Defcon in really technical terrain – there was a skittishness to its handling that made me hesitant to fully open it up. It seemed to have a mind of its own when faced with really chunky, chopped up trail, and it took extra effort to keep on track. Sure, it's laden with high-end components, but on the trail it's just not on the same level as other comparable aluminum bikes – Kona's Process 153 and the Transition Patrol come to mind as bikes in this travel and price bracket that offer excellent stiffness and performance.
Regarding suspension performance, the bike never bottomed out harshly, but there's not a lot of mid-stroke support. My favorite bikes are ones that you can push into and they push back slightly, allowing you to rail through a berm or stay in the sweet spot of the suspension through rough sections of trail, but I had trouble achieving this aboard the Defcon. Even when I reduced the amount of sag to 25% it still lacked the support I was looking for during hard cornering or big G-outs. Adding a larger volume reducer would be a recommended step to help achieve more ramp up at the end of the shock's stroke.
Component Check• Shimano XT drivetrain: Even without a chainguide and with a non-Shimano chain (the Defcon is spec'd with a KMC X11), there weren't any dropped chains, and shifting remained crisp and accurate throughout the test period.
• Vittoria tires: Vittoria speak highly of the four rubber compounds used in their Morsa and Goma tires, and in dry conditions they were quick rolling and predictable, but in the wet they were downright treacherous. Wet roots are their absolute nemesis – they offer minimal grip, and I found myself floundering on sections of trail that hadn't posed a problem with stickier tires.
• Fox 36 Float Factory Series: Fox's 36 is one of the best all-mountain forks currently on the market, and the one mounted to the front of the Defcon didn't disappoint. Stiff and supple, with enough range of adjustments to get it dialed in perfectly, there are absolutely no complaints about the latest iteration of this classic.
• Loaded X-30 Wheelset: The X-30 wheelset survived the test period without any dents or dings, and they're still running straight and true. However, they're not the stiffest wheelset out there, which may have contributed to some of the Defcon's vague handling. It also took a little extra effort to get the Vittoria tires set up tubeless, but that may have been more of an issue with the tires themselves rather than the rims, and once they snapped into place there weren't any further issues.
Pinkbike's Take:
| There's no denying the fact that the Defcon is well spec'd considering its asking price, but unfortunately that doesn't translate to high end performance out on the trail. It'll get the job done, and less aggressive riders may find themselves right at home aboard the orange machine, but it's lacking the surefootedness necessary to inspire confidence on extremely technical trails. - Mike Kazimer |
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About the ReviewerStats: Age: 33 • Height: 5'11” • Inseam: 33" • Weight: 155lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None Twenty years deep into a mountain biking addiction that began as a way to escape the suburban sprawl of Connecticut, Mike Kazimer is most at home deep the woods, carving his way down steep, technical trails. The decade he spent as a bike mechanic helped create a solid technical background to draw from when reviewing products, and his current location in the Pacific Northwest allows for easy access to the wettest, muddiest conditions imaginable.
- not use preproduction stuff for testing, thus delivering reviews few months later
- lie to us and tell that it was not preproduction
- blame the reviewer for riding too hard
- tell us that yeah, it was preproduction, we don't regret anything and we'll not change anything
Don't companies QC test bikes before sending them to test?
I'll be picking up one of the entry level versions of this bike. I have seen them in person. I'll be the first to admit the rear end isn't stiff on the production version, but it isn't nearly as sloppy as referenced here. I'd put it on par with giant for back end stiffness.
Keep in mind the "pre-production" issue here isn't the flex, it was a misaligned back end. Shit happens. They send these bikes out ASAP and sometimes they get hurt during the rush. The ones I've seen in person most certainly don't suffer that issue.
Do you have beach cruisers in the UK?
Full disclosure, I work with Jamis Canada and have built the only publicly available Defcon up here. I can confirm a few of the issues, such as the flex in the rear triangle. If anyone has any questions regarding the brand or model, please feel free to ask. I'm not going to sugar coat anything with this bike.
I really wish PB had of reviewed the entry level bike. It shares the same frame, has some pretty good parts for the price it sits at, and looks pretty awesome. This bike was never made to be compared to the carbon wonderbikes that are currently on the market. You can get the entry build for what some frames go for. That says volumes.
Also, keep in mind bikes like this bring down the asking price, and bring more people into our sport. Every time a big name awesome bike gets reviewed, people ask for more budget offerings. People also complain about PB's honest. Here we have a very honest budget review. This is exactly what we asked for as consumers.
I plan on doing a first look, a short term, then a long term review. Already got some parts on the way to replace some of the drivetrain.
Eventually hoping to have an onyx wheelset, turbine cranks to a 1x Zee drivetrain, saint shifter, Guide RS brakes, Revel fork, and Inline shock. Should be interesting to see how the spec changes the handling of the bike.
I will totally agree about the flex. I'm not sure if it's the TCS i25 wheelset, the back end, or both, but if you grab that main triangle, and flex the back wheel, you can make contact with the seat stay. I've noticed similar in most bikes I've owned, but as this is a new age, you kinda do expect modern stiffness. Carbon rims and SS flange spacing (11-36, 6 gear setup) should remedy that.
And honestly, I'm no Gwin. The bike will likely serve me awesome. I'll be the first to shit on it if it lets me down.
Also, thanks to everyone for not reaming my a*shole out for saying I have a bias/affiliation. Rock on!
And why bother with Jamis if you can have a YT for a similar price that can arguably compete with a Nomad or Yeti?
I've already admitted to faults with the frame. I have no compelling reason to lie about it. There's two in Canada, one is mine, I'm sure the other will sell, so regardless of what I say, I'm not exactly worried. I understand if you don't want to read the review, it won't be forced on you, but please don't make poor implications about my character.
YT cannot be purchased in Canada last I saw.
@jdendy
There's a lot to be said of materials. At the end of the day, the Defcon will not be as light or stiff as a high end carbon frame. There is no denying it.
Any part that you start to notice will affect the whole ride. The bike could be great, but they stocked a narrow bar and it threw you off. How could you evaluate the whole bike if you weren't comfortable riding it?
I hate to bring MX into it, but this is exactly what the dirtbike magazines do: they test the stock trim, then swap out tires so they can properly evaluate the bike as a whole. I wish the mountain bike industry started following this train of thought in testing product.
Sounds like someone justifying their porky girlfriend.
I don't mind a good bit of flex but I suppose it depends on what you're used to. I've got a steel hardtail and a Cannondale Prophet, neither is really stiff. But the flex is also kind of information, you know how much you still have until you break traction. I think it actually allows me to push it a bit more once I feel the flex. I'm so used to it that on a really stiff bike I would be afraid it might wash out without warning. I can imagine rider who is used to a stiff bike and interprets flex as an urgent warning that you're about to wash out may back off too soon and find themselves too deep down in the safe zone. So yeah, it depends on what you're used to how you're going to cope with the flex. It can hold you back but it can also inspire to see how far you can push it. Tyre rub isn't too nice indeed but it isn't too much of a problem either. The same applies as I mentioned above.
Finally, it seems the performance was also let down by the wheels and tyres. Fair of course as the review is about the complete bike, but it would be interesting to see if PB had a pair of their favourite wheel/tyre combo for each discipline to test the bikes with. Rims and tyres will eventually be replaced over time anyway so it seems like a fair thing to do.
Still flex is not a good thing especially lateral flex in the back if you are trying to hold/change lines, landing off camber etc.. you wont have as much control when you need it.
I when from a bike that was that had more flex to less flex and I am much more confident that the bike will do as I want when I want it now than before.
The bike looks like its 5 +year old, and that color combination does not do it any favors.
From the review of the bike it sounds like the tyres were the biggest issue. We've all bought bike with stock tyres and found them to be absolutely woeful - I ride a Jamis hardtail now and it came with GEAX 2.2" tyres that would slip out on any berm I hit with a bit of speed.
This appears to be Jamis' entry into the Enduro/AM style of bike so I think it's fair to say that this release will help them refine the bike for future releases. I think they also have an Enduro team set to compete in EWS this year too? I would quite happily take on one of these given the price point and components that come even on the entry level version of this bike.
I've been thinking that on Enduro bikes heavily offset seat angles aren't very good because you get A slacker angle to the saddle when seated than when dropped - the opposite of what you want. Ideally a steep angle for seated climbing and a slacker one when descending for support would could offer more versatility which is what we all want from our bikes these days. Bike design is always a compromise but if somebody could achieve this I would be impressed, I'd be happy with a straight non-offset design too and even that seems too big a task at the moment.
This angle (disregarding any seat post here) may change for any number of reasons while riding or not depending on tyres, fork length etc.
Now if you have an offset seat tube design as seen on this Jamis here you will get a different angle to the centre of your seat clamp depending on how high you run the post.
In the case of a frame such as the Jamis here with an offset seat tube design your seat post is at a different angle to the 'seat angle' and that is what causes the angle from the BB to the saddle to change dependant on the height of the seat post. And it's really only the angle to the saddle that anyone cares about...though the 'seat angle' is just one piece of the larger puzzle of bike geometry. I'm no expert, but I know this.
The 'effective' angle being the traditional angle from BB to top of seat tube.
The 'actual' angle is the angle that your seat post will be at.
We're left to guesstimate what the real angle to our saddle will be with the amount of post we'll be running - as is the case with this Jamis...only they've kindly left out the actual angle. Which leads me to assume it's about 69°, considering 73.5° (Effective) is pretty tame as it is, and with at least 175mm of seat post hanging out...you're looking at a pretty slack seat angle.
To make an internal routing and still have an unsightly loop of cable exposed is indeed going full retard even if they did get a good deal on ks-levs or whatever.
Honestly, a bunch of other people seem to have very reasonable complaints; this isn't one. You can put the cable where ever you want. Inside, outside, downtube, top tube. Go for it.
So, again, what's the issue here? Is it a spec issue? Are you complaining about a non-stealth dropper as equipped? I'm really lost here.
And full disclosure, I work at a Jamis dealer. I've worked with these bikes. I still plan on owning one. Many of the complaints are completely founded, this one is not.
Also, said tires got very good reviews from PB.
us.yt-industries.com
Kelly passed away!!!
*correction: The linkage is connected, however the seatstays are not.