Good Buy - NOS (almost) Jamis Xenith Pro Carbon Ultegra DI2 10 Speed?

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

A local shop has a Jamis Xenith Pro Carbon Ultegra DI2 for sale at £850, this is 10 speed hence 2011-2013 but virtually unused.

If I do buy it the sole reason would be to try something pretty modern with gizmos as I wonder if I am missing out on something.

So I was wondering if anyone would like to offer reasons why I should or shouldn’t buy it.

I am not a club member and have never ridden an aluminium framed bike, a carbon fibre one or tried electric shifting,

I currently ride a 531 Ribble which is mostly new parts some NOS Shimano 600/105 and some new current range Ultegra /105 and Tiagra 8 speed downtube indexed shifters. The wheels are Sora/Weinnman DP18 with 36 big thick spokes that take my 15 stone.

The Jamis has Shimano RS10 without any spokes, or least to my mind. :-)

The Ribble is very race orientated and I am happy with the Jamis’s geometry which is very similar so the question is not about the style of bike much more about this specific bike and its components and its age and lack of use, what has dried up?

Having looked for replacement parts for 10 speed Ultegra DI2 I see that they are pretty much unavailable!

A short test ride is not going to tell me too much as my Ribble is a bit on the heavy side and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Jamis is 4kg lighter and the Jamis has a 50 tooth ring rather than the 52 that I am used to so the gears are going to be a bit lower.

Thanks

Ian

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

It does sound cheap, but the spec of the bits is not really as good as it sounds. As you have noticed, shimano have stopped selling the 10 speed ultegra di2 parts, which isn't the end of the world, the only part that cannot be replaced with 11 speed is the rear mech, but that is also the part you are most likely to damage if you come off the bike! RS010 wheels are shimano's budget wheels. I like shimano wheels and have fitted them to most of my bikes, but the RS500s and the RS010s are the only ones I have got rid of, they flex when you get out of the saddle and I am 3 stone lighter than you.
It will however be a totally different experience to the bike you are currently riding. Take it for a test ride and see what you think.

 

[I like Skol]

I would think there have been a lot of improvements and fault fixing since these early Di2 groupsets so would consider such an early example with much caution.

 

[Cycleops]

I wonder why they haven't sold it before now?
If you like the ride experience and you think it fills a need go for it. You can always replace the Di2 with a cable operated mechanism if it is giving problems.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Morning all,

...the RS010s are the only ones I have got rid of, they flex when you get out of the saddle and I am 3 stone lighter than you.
I suspected as much. :-(

I recently went to the Ribble showroom in Birmingham and the salesman was quite sure that such wheels would be fine for me. :-)

...is the rear mech, but that is also the part you are most likely to damage if you come off the bike
As I understand it the latest firmware doesn't allow the mixing of 11 and 10 speed mechs, so if either failed then I would need a new; front&rear mech, 11 speed wheel, cassette, chain.

This doesn't look too attractive, especially as the mechs are old even if they have no miles on them.

.... so would consider such an early example with much caution.
Definitely, especially as it hasn't been used for a few years so something may have dried up. I had a few pcs that I hadn't used for a few years and the power supplies failed a few seconds after being turned on.

I wonder why they haven't sold it before now?
I could probably have given this a better title, it is an unused bike taken in part exchange and is new to the shop.

You can always replace the Di2 with a cable operated mechanism if it is giving problems.
This sounds expensive and tricky, the frame has no cable guides, so it would mean some messy cabling or some form of glued on cable guides?

As well as the purchase of a pair of brifters.

Originally this was almost an impulse buy, "wow carbon and DI2" that's not too much just for an experiment, especially as it could be ebayed at not too much of a loss, hopefully.

Writing it all down seems to make it clear that if a gear mech fails then I have either a big repair bill or parts. :-(

Thanks for the thoughts.

Ian

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

I would think there have been a lot of improvements and fault fixing since these early Di2 groupsets so would consider such an early example with much caution.

I do not think there have really been any real updates to the basic di2 system since the start, just added gears and options (the firmware can be updated on all the components). The only thing I found a common problem was the 6770 wire that conatins the battery warning light and connects the levers to the loom, which seemed to have a problem that would drain the battery in a day. (I say common, I found about 6 people that it had happened to.)

Morning all,

...the RS010s are the only ones I have got rid of, they flex when you get out of the saddle and I am 3 stone lighter than you.
I suspected as much. :-(

I recently went to the Ribble showroom in Birmingham and the salesman was quite sure that such wheels would be fine for me. :-)

Ian

It may be they are fine for you and your riding style, I tend to put out a fair amount of power on the rare occasion that I get out of the saddle.

Morning all,

...is the rear mech, but that is also the part you are most likely to damage if you come off the bike
As I understand it the latest firmware doesn't allow the mixing of 11 and 10 speed mechs, so if either failed then I would need a new; front&rear mech, 11 speed wheel, cassette, chain.

This doesn't look too attractive, especially as the mechs are old even if they have no miles on them.

I went 11 speed on a 10 speed system by just changing the rear mech, you do not need to upgrade the front. (Obviously I had to change the cassette, the rear wheel was already 11 speed and I even used the 10 speed chain until it wore out.)
There are still 10 speed rear mechs available second hand, they seem to vary in price from £50 for a working second hand mech up to £250 for NOS.
I have a couple of 10 speed rear mechs and a front mech that are now 6 years old and still working fine

 

[Cycleops]

Sounds like you've talked yourself out of it. Maybe best to save the money to towards something more suitable. Decathlon do some great value carbon bikes and you've got the reassurance of buying from the world's biggest cycle retailer.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good afternoon,

On Monday had a beer, uhhmed and aahhed and thought about it and went in with credit card blazing and the *** thing had been sold. :-(

Bye

Ian

 

[DCBassman]

Ah...rats.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

It turns out that the guy that bought it had only placed a deposit and has changed his mind.

I now have a Jamis.

I Went for a hard ride at about 5am today on the steel bike and got the call to say that it is available at 10am so have only ridden a few miles.

I must have made twenty gears changes in those few miles, which are flat!

Bye

Ian