Anyone Toured on a Jamis Aurora?

[Banjo]

Quite like the look of these for occassional touring (2 days to a week type tours) but dont know anyone who has owned a Jamis bike so a bit wary.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/aurora-2013-touring-bike-ec041517

 

[vernon]

What is there to be wary about?

 

[Banjo]

What is there to be wary about?

Probably nothing but its a brand I havent come across. Have you ridden one?

 

[vernon]

Probably nothing but its a brand I havent come across. Have you ridden one?

I found myself having to ride an unfamilair brand in France when my Dawes Galaxy fractured a rear drop out. As the Galaxy was close to needing an extensive refurb after the tour, I turned up at Decathlon in Orleans and found a B'Twin Triban 7 complete with rear rack, 24 gears, hub dynamo lighting all for £400 all I had to do was buy pedals and swap over saddles. The bike looked as ugly as sin but I could have spent a day or so trying to get the drop out brazed with no guarantee of the fix or curtailing the tour with additional expense of getting back home a week earlier than on the booked services.

The spec of the bike indicated that it was up to the job and it proved to be the case. It was as comfortable and as fast as my Dawes Galaxy. I used it for touring and audaxing and it's now owned by a pal who came on tour with me in Germany Austria and Hungary this summer.

There's nothing in the spec to suggest that the Jamis won't deliver. If you want to consider something in the same price range look atthe Decathlon Riverside 7. Everything that my Triban, now out of production, was and lots more.

I'd not bat an eyelid at purchasing the Jamis if I was in the market for a £600 tourer.

 

[rich p]

Reviews seem pretty good Banj. It's a steel at that price!

 

[steveindenmark]

It must be worth having because it sounds as though it comes off Star Trek

Steve

 

[billflat12]

Can recommend edinburgh bicycle co-ops revolution country explorer as VFM, if its a better known name you prefer then their 2012 ridgeback voyage is down to 650. from 850

 

[Banjo]

Have bought one, should be in the Cardiff shop within the week .They had a 2012 model in stock which I almost bought until I realized the spec is different.
The 2012 one has 30 tooth smallest chainring and 11 28 cassette which I thought a bit high for loaded touring. The 2013 model has 26 smallest chain ring Which will make a big difference on long uphill pulls with camping gear . Cant wait now, Im like a kid waiting for Xmas

Never ridden with bar end shifters before, I guess I will get used to them.

 

[vernon]

Never ridden with bar end shifters before, I guess I will get used to them.

Bar end shifters encourage a relaxed riding style. I had a Dawes Galaxy with bar end shifters and I often found that I was reaching for phantom ones on my bikes with STI shifters.

They performed faultlessly and if the indexing goes you can always resort to friction changing.

Have a long and happy partnership.

 

[Banjo]

Bar end shifters encourage a relaxed riding style. I had a Dawes Galaxy with bar end shifters and I often found that I was reaching for phantom ones on my bikes with STI shifters.

They performed faultlessly and if the indexing goes you can always resort to friction changing.

Have a long and happy partnership.

Cheers .

Relaxed riding style sounds good to me.

only recently stopped reaching for downtube shifters now I will keep trying to change gear with the brake levers no doubt.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

It looks a good bike for the price. I like bar end shifters. A while ago my tourer's gears needed re-indexing, so I shifted temporarily over to friction shifting. That was about 6 months ago and I like the accuracy of changing gear by ear to keep the chain running silently that I still haven't got round to tweaking the barrel adjuster.

 

[Banjo]

Couple of Pics from its maiden voyage this morning. After usual seat position fiddling etc feels really comfortable and a pleasure to ride. Bar end shifters are easier to use than I thought they would be.

 

[P.H]

Looking good.
I don't understand why a manufacturer who wasn't using combined gear/brake levers would fit canti brakes. V brakes with the right levers are superior in every way, except maybe aesthetics if you're a traditionalist. That aside, it looks very fit for purpose, lets hope the weather continues so you can get the miles in.

 

[Banjo]

I was a bit concerned about how the brakes would perform but after riding it Im quite happy that they stop the bike without undue force on the levers. Havent tried them in the wet yet but suspect they will be ok.

Riding on 32c tyres was like a magic carpet compared to 23 at 120 psi .

Not as nippy as a racer obviously but that applies to the rider as much as the bike.

I am looking forward to doing some Audax rides that I have done before so I can compare times. I have a feeling that overall it wont be that much slower with the extra comfort making up for out and out speed.

 

[steveindenmark]

It looks really good, especially at that price. A rear rack and some leather dye on that lovely brooks and your laughing

Looking at the Evans bike, it actually came with a rear rack. Did you remove yours or did you not get it from Evans in the end?