I recently did a two day trip on a Jamis Roughneck (and some day rides) so I’ll give you a quick impressions write up and later this year a long term review.

Firstly if you look at the Roughneck it has a geometry /spec fairly similar to my much loved Salsa Mukluk (2014/15 model). The 17″ has a 600mm ETT (the Muk 605mm). The standover is just slightly better on the Roughneck which was a pleasant surprise and the only other difference is the Roughneck has a longer chainstay/wheelbase than a Mukluk. This was fine in the snow as it adds stability but I’m curious how it will feel on dry pack trails. Most differences are in a few mm’s so not a big enough issue to notice on such a short ride time. The Salsa frame bag off my Mukluk also fit perfectly in the Roughneck frame.

The first thing I did to the bike before my overnighter was change the saddle, after the first day ride I could not stand the WTB Volt sport that comes stock with the bike. I’m also not a fan of the seat post and will change this out in the future.

The Ritchey Trail handlebar was a bit odd at first try but I quickly came to like this handlebar for the comfortable positioning (I’m used to flat bars). The only annoying thing was it sucked to mount my Blackburn bar bag to as the angle pushed out the mounting brackets and the mount cap didn’t line up (but this is more a Blackburn problem). I’m thinking these handlebars will continue to grow on me.

The feel of the bike was that the cockpit was a little more cramped than my Mukluk (which I will attempt to fix with a longer stem in the near future) and the riding position more upright, which came in handy as a warm wind rolled in and made the snow on the overnight trip softer than any fat biker would like.

Shifting was reliable (Shimano Deore Shadow rear and Deore front) and the gearing was perfect for this particular trip (cassette Shimano HG50, 10-speed, 11-36T and a FSA Comet 36/22T crankset) .

The wheelset was great but I like Sun Ringle (Sun Ringle MuleFut 80 Comp, STR Tubeless Ready, 15×150 Front hub, 12×197 Rear hub, Wheelsmith spokes, Brass nipples) and coming pretaped to set up tubeless was a nice touch.

I was not a fan of the tires however (Kenda Juggernaut Sport, 26 x 4.5″, 60 tpi, folding) and before my trip I switched out the rear tire with a Surly Lou 4.8″. This really saved my trip I think since the Kenda Juggernaut tires grab and hold snow so badly it made downhills extra exciting as my front tire would wash out in the corners. My picture at the top shows what a difference between the two tires when it comes to holding snow, every pic I have of this trip my front tire (Kenda) is jam packed with snow and the rear (Surly) is clear and ready for traction. As an added bonus to the Roughneck frame a 4.8″ tire fit in the rear no problem and with no adjustments, I’m saving up for a 100mm wheelset and by next fall will try out a 100mm rim/ 4.8″ tire to see if it fits.

Finally the brakes which were TRP Spyke 2-piston Mechanical, 180mm front & 160mm rear 6-bolt rotors worked great. I have grown over the last 8 months to hate Sram Avid DB3 hydro brakes with a passion. I was thinking of going back to BB7’s for their awesome reliability (if not a little finicky adjustment at times) but with a long term review in the future if the TRP’s hold up as well as BB7’S I could see them becoming my go to bikepacking brake. My brakes were set up by Doug at coldbike and he had an interesting tip about putting loctite on all the screws as they have a bit of a rep for coming loose over time, then use the adjuster at the lever to fine tune, I’m currently trying to convince him to start adding tech tips to his blog as he is a wealth of knowledge for fat bike set ups.

At the end of the day would I recommend this bike, yeah I think so. I’m obviously a Salsa Mukluk fan but you can find 2016 Jamis Roughnecks for $1,500 or a bit less in Canada on sale and I’ve seen last years models going for just over $1,000 in the US. Mukluks up here (Canada) go for more than twice that ($3,100 the cheapest I’ve been quoted) for the rigid NX model and with such a similar spec quality and geo why wouldn’t you give the Roughneck some serious thought and a test ride.

Until next time, happy riding.