Baldy1953

I have recently started riding some "gravel" rides here in N. Fl. They are more like sand rides and I am getting beat to death by the old Trek. I have looked at several bikes and am considering a Specialized Diverge E3 and a Jamis Dragonslayer 11 speed. I know they are 2 very different bikes, but am leaning towards the Jamis. It has larger tires which think will do a better job in the soft sand we have locally.

I have looked at the gearing and should not take too big a hit on speed with the Jamis. I think it will be a more comfortable bike to ride also. Tell me where I am going wrong in my thinking or tell me I am correct.

The Jamis has a price point of 1499 and the Specialized is 1999. Can afford either one.

Hobbit712

I just received a brand new 2018 Dragonslayer last night. 26+ tires. I haven't had a chance to ride yet. Great specs though.

Baldy1953

Please post what you think after you have a chance to ride your new bike. I would be interested in hearing what you have to say.

katsup

The 26" dragonslayers are on sale at jenson for a good price

https://www.jensonusa.com/search?q=dragonslayer

Darth Lefty 

That Jamis looks like a hoot. I wonder why they didn’t sell. The oddball tire size, maybe.

qclabrat

If you are looking at the 27.5+ version, I think that's the way to go and a no brainer compared to the Diverge if riding in sand is a reality.
What's great with that bike, is that you can get a second set of 29" wheels with faster tires if you plan to stick to the road.

qclabrat

probably the manufacturers to blame, this tire carousel has to stop at some point (some out of order, but you get the idea)
26<29<27.5<26fat<29+<27.5+<26+<27.5fat

only combo left is 29fat....lol
wait, I forgot the new 32" standard... it continues

Darth Lefty 

I guess. Surly has been making 26+ bikes and tires for a while now, starting with the Instigator v2 and right now the Lowside.

Hobbit712

Only one ride in so far and I am a total newb to this sport. That said I really like the bike. I rented three bikes recently in an effort to make an informed decision. A Giant Fathom 2, a Rocky Mountain Growler 50 and a Giant Stance. I like the Growler the best and probably led to me making the Jamis my choice. The price and components was to good to pass up.

I went on the local trails and it handled great. I live in FL and was riding along a creek with a lot of roots. The returns to the trails were flat for the most part. The three inch tires were cushy enough to help smooth out the ride.

Highly recommended from the newbie.

Baldy1953

Thanks Hobbit for the report. Before I read it, I had already stopped by my neighborhood bike shop and talking with the owner , he told me the Jenson deal was a good value. I ordered one today and am waiting for confirmation and shipment. It should do well for the style I plan on riding it. We shall see.

qclabrat

don't forget to leave the LBS some tasty beverages. Post up when you get the bike in

Baldy1953

Update on my order from Jenson USA. At this point, it is on some sort of credit hold they cannot straighten out. I have had several email messages back and forth to no avail. I explained I get mail and billing at a PO box and it was to be sent to the house. They also questioned if I had multiple email addresses. I also spoke with one of their representatives on the phone today. He gave me the phone number of their credit department, so will pursue that avenue tomorrow.

The lower price might not be worth the dealing with them . Will update after I get this taken care of , one way or the other.

base2 

Isn't that a Coker unicycle tire? I always thought it'd be fun to lace up some unicycle rims to standard hubs on a custom frame, but the single source availibility never sat well with me.

Where else would you get 32 inch tires other than Coker?
Edit: I was thinking 36 inch but 32 is what my fingers typed. Sorry. Coker 36 inch bicycle tire.

qclabrat

https://dirtysixer.com/
also got 32"r

base2 

Love it.

Darth Lefty 

Well that stinks. You're not going to find another deal like that easily.

If you can find a 2019 Timberjack on clearance, I can recommend it. Salsa has a new frame this year called the Rangefinder with pretty much the same builds as last year's bottom Timberjacks. The frame is de-featured a bit to keep the price down, most notably it is quick release only, there is no thru-axle option. Other than that I'm sure they'd be great.

Baldy1953

Well, the Dragon slayer arrived today and got the front wheel installed and gave it a few spins around the yard. Works well, and feels pretty comfortable.
Do have a question. I have never had a dropper post before. How hard it is to add air to the seat to get it to rise all the way to the top of its travel? It only comes up about 3 inches and I can pull it further up to extend it to its full length. Is this normal?

I can tell this bike is going to be a lot of fun on the trails I have available. Looking forward to many miles.

Hobbit712

You are the second person to have issues with the dropper post. Mine seems to be working fine however. I don't know about the air situation in the post as I am a complete newbie in that department. That said, can the post be lubed and maybe free up the motion? Congrats on the new bike. I love mine so far.

Jenson just dropped the advertised price even more. Sweet deal if you can live with the 26+.

Darth Lefty 

No that's not normal. May have leaked over years in storage? Most posts you can add air but you need to tear it down to get to the cartridge. Or warranty it. Maybe you can get 'em to pay for service at the bike shop. What a pain...

But man, that is a great deal at Jenson. Only two sizes left...

Baldy1953

Read the manuals sent with the bike. From that, I have discerned I can add air to the dropper post. It appears I have to remove the seat to do so. Have sent an email to Jenson to see if that is the case. Probably going to call the dropper post people. They are in Ca. and were closed last night by the time I got around to checking the bike out. Literature says I can put up to 130# in the post. It works freely, just does not rebound all the way to its limit when I pull the lever with no weight on it.

Thanks for the suggestions. Will advise when I get more info.

Baldy1953

Spoke with a Jenson "gear specialist" about the dropper post. I was told there could be 2 problems with it. A kinked tube going to the dropper and low air pressure. With the ease of operation with the cable, I am doubtful of that scenario. Going to check the air pressure in the next day or so. it is only operating at 1/2 of spec'd travel and with it moving smoothly for that distance and a slight upward tug on the seat, goes the rest of the distance, I am comfortable with that being the cause.

Baldy1953

Apparently Jenson gave me incorrect information. After taking the bike the lbs, it appears there is no place to add air to the dropper post. It seems I am going to have to live with a half operative dropper post or replace it. The woman I spoke with at Jenson did not seem to be very informed about the post.

It is a ks e ten i . The bike shop took it completely off the bike and did not find a valve to add air. He is contacting ks to see what they say. This has been a very frustrating endeavor, just to get a new mountain bike. Found a relatively inexpensive dropper post made by PNW. It is a combination dropper , suspension post and has good reviews.
It is the Coast Suspension dropper post. Any on here using one?

Sorry for the rant. I feel better now.

Hobbit712

I would hope Jenson would cover this under warranty. It's kind of sad that two people have had trouble with he dropper post on their "new" bikes. Mine seems to be working fine. I checked again to be sure as I don't use it much on the flat rides here in Florida.

Baldy1953

After speaking with the lbs, we are going to handle it directly through KS. KS was hesitant on accepting responsibility for it as the post was made in 2016. The lbs told him it was on a brand new bike, just bought. KS said to remove the post from the bike and send it to them.

This is what I am going to do after my gravel ride ( bike was bought for) in 1.5 weeks and then we are going to send KS the post and see what they have to say. It does not have any user serviceable parts, much to my dismay.

The owner of the lbs suggested , later on down the road, I might consider getting a better dropper post. I am not sure it is worth the money for riding here in N. Fl. Maybe down the road if I get to where I go riding at Santos, it would be beneficial.