Jamis Dakar XC Comp?

[indysteel]

I do not know, have been trying to find a FS bike through my LBS that might fit - the problem is that I need a really short effective TT, and that seems to almost preclude a stock FS. It is easier to find a hard tail that would fit me... I really wish that i had a longer reach I would like to find a 13 inch Dakar for a test ride, don't know how easy that is going to be...

The 15 inch for the FS bike is probably more realistic for everything outside of the effective TT, which is quite long. There is not a "Femme" version.

My LBS has a couple of smaller Durango Femmes they are building for the floor, and I will test ride them to see if either size will fit me. If I go for a hard tail, which is likely, it will likely be the Jamis Dakota XC Race but the test ride of the Durango will give us some good information. I do like Jamis in general and want one if at all possible.

The smallest Dakota XC Race Femme appears to have a longer top tube than the 13 Dakar and they both appear to cost the same. Of all of them, the Durango (in either a 12 or 14 inch) has the shortest top tube. Have you ruled out the Durango? It's price is certainly more attractive.

My two cents is that you should wait until the clinic. You've said it yourself that you need to see if you have the skill set yet for MTBing. It may also give you a feel for just how much bike you really want or need. If you went with the Durango, as a for instance, you could spend a $1k less and still have a very rideable bike for what you plan to do with it, e.g., easy singletrack, fire and grave roads.

Granted, in saying that, I will admit that I'm looking at your decision in the same way I looked at my own. I decided to buy an entry level MTB this past December so that I could try out the sport before investing big money into it. Given where the trails are in Indiana, I'm just not all that confident that I'll do it enough to really warrant dropping a lot of money into it. Plus, I'm honestly not sure how much I'm going to like it or whether I'll be all that good at it. If I really take to it, then I can always upgrade my bike. Plus, I'll have a better feel of what I really want in an MTB by that point. I'm just wondering if that approach would work for you, too.

Obviously, there is a flip side to that argument, i.e., that you won't like the sport very much or be very good at it unless you buy a good bike and one that takes into account any physical issues that you have. I do think that's a valid argument, so if that's where you're coming from, I understand.