The Jamis Dragon Team is Jamis’ highest end race hardtail. It is made of lightweight 853 Reynolds steel. After riding this bike for the last year and a half I am convinced that steel is real!
I doubt that I will ever go back to riding an aluminum bike ever again. The race geometry of the Dragon is long and low and designed for going fast, and go fast it does. This bike will shred singletrack with the best fo them. T he bike is really stable at high speeds and i feel totally confident throwing it into corners at breakneck speed. The 853 Reynolds steel that the Dragon is made of produces the most the most beautifully riding frame that I have ever pedaled. It is supple and compliant over roots and chatter bumps, yet stiff enough to provide snappy, instantaneous acceleration from each pedal stroke. As good as this bike is, there are a few downfalls. The race geometry induces a very aggressive riding position that, while perfect for fast flowing race courses, it isn’t the best for super tight technical trails. The longer wheelbase makes the bike a bit unstable in the air as well. My only other complaint is that the paint seems to chip off rather easily from rock strikes and chain slap. Other than that, this bike does exactly what it was designed to do; putting miles and miles of singletrack behind you as quickly as possible.
