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SOC16: Jamis Renegade adventure gravel road bikes just keep getting better

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By now, we’ve reviewed both the original carbon Renegade Elite and the steel Renegade Exploit road bikes, both earning high praise. Now, they’ve made them even better by switching to flat mount disc brakes, adding rack and fender tabs to the fork, multiple-choice thru axle formats, stealth dropper post routing and more.

They also tweaked the rear seatstay-to-dropout junction to give the axle a little more leverage in flexing the stays. That translates to improved compliance, both on the carbon fiber and steel versions. Ride on down for more details…

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Starting at the back, the new modular thru-axle system is quite clever. By using alloy inserts, they can adapt the bike to all three major thru axle standards:

2017-jamis-renegade-gravel-adventure-bike-axle-options

The inserts are used on the fork and the rear dropout, both based on the 12mm size.

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The switch to flat mount brakes cleans up the design. The dropout extends upward from the axle for a bit, pushing the seatstay’s end point up and back slightly. Combined with the lower seatstay placement on the seat tube, the result is better leverage to flex the flattened seatstays over bumps. New rack and fender mounts are stuck directly on the side of the frame rather than using the hidden design from before.

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The Jamis keeps the massive bottom bracket section to drive all of your power rearward with no lateral flex.

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Another change is a hidden seatpost binder bolt for a smooth, flat top surface. Hidden inside the frame is routing for a stealth dropper seatpost.

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The steel Renegade Exploit gets all the same updates, which we’ll use to show off the front end.

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A new fork is sleeker and simpler looking thanks to the flat mount brakes. A small fender mount bolt hole still resides on the back of the dropout, plus two new rack mounts sit on the sides of the legs. Another mounting hole sits on the front and back of the fork’s crown, giving you options for mounting multiple items.

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The flat mount disc brake spacer bolts on from the bottom and gets cotter pins on the tops of the bolts as an extra precaution. Shimano also provides wires to run through the adapter mounts on some parts, which loop through holes in the bolts to prevent loosening.

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Curious how to use all those mounts? This one’s a good example.

JamisBikes.com

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26 Comments
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Heffe
Heffe
7 years ago

Why are flat mount disc brakes better? If they are better, will mountain bikes switch to them as well?

Jeffe
Jeffe
7 years ago
Reply to  Heffe

@Heffe There isn’t a claim of “better”, the term was “sleeker”. Which they are.

John
John
7 years ago
Reply to  Heffe

No, flat mount is a specific design for road frames, vs. jury rigging mountain bike disc calipers on road bikes (which is what everyone has been doing up to this point).

typevertigo
typevertigo
7 years ago
Reply to  Heffe

Personally, I’m waiting for a company to come along and create adapters to run flat-mount calipers on a post-mount frame. I’m no engineer, but I don’t think it should be hard.

Tomi
Tomi
7 years ago
Reply to  Heffe

FWIW there are already a few mountain bikes using flat mount disc brakes. Cannondale Habit comes to mind.

John
John
7 years ago

The best thing about flat-mount disc brakes is they discourage frame builders from mounting rear calipers on the seatstays and forces them to pu them on the chainstays, inside the triangle where they belong.

drosser
drosser
7 years ago

Any idea how much load the front fork can handle when a front rack is mounted?

Brian S
Brian S
7 years ago

Wow look at that. Rack mounts on a carbon TA fork. Ehem Enve and Whiskey 9.

JBikes
JBikes
7 years ago

I keep having a hard time determining why a carbon elite won’t be my next road bike.

Dean
Dean
7 years ago

I still can’t believe the new shimano hydraulic shifters…

Jeb
Jeb
7 years ago

One man’s wine is another man’s poison. I personally would not buy that bike now because of those stupid (deleted) rack mounts on an otherwise sweet carbon frame/ fork.

Burton
Burton
7 years ago

Glad somebody agrees with me that rackmounts are hideous looking. They’re ugly on seatstays too. I would have a stable of bikesdirect.com bikes, if so many of them weren’t blemished by rackmounts.

JBikes
JBikes
7 years ago

Interesting that on a bike that isn’t racy sleek to begin with, nor even close to a single purpose race bike, people are concerned with a few hex head bolts that add loads of functionality when needed, and are relatively out of the way when not.
Next it’ll be how those stems aren’t slammed.

Wes
Wes
7 years ago

In all photos the steel has a new paint job, except the final photo where it’s full loaded, where they seem to be using the 2016 frame but 2017 forks.

Is this correct, or is it camera trickery and all the photos are of the same frame?

Wes
Wes
7 years ago

Was just about to buy one of the steel models, but the new paint job is nicer. Half tempted to wait it out another 6 months for the release of next years model.

Daniel Lees
7 years ago

Those fork mounts look like they would take a couple of extra bottle cages in the event of having a full frame bag. I have the 2016 Renegade Expat and it’s a great versatile bike.

Heffe
Heffe
7 years ago

@Jeffe: No, you are mistaken; there is a straightforward claim of better. “Now, they’ve made them even better by switching to flat mount disc brakes” No one can seem to answer the question – in what practical way are they better? Lighter, stronger, significantly more aero, sexier? What’s the story, why does this standard exist? Is it just Shimano flexing some market-monopoly muscle to push a new standard, or what? I’m not anti flat-mount per se, I’m just asking the question.

JBikes
JBikes
7 years ago
Reply to  Heffe

Simply better integration/aesthetics especially for the rear brake with potential for better aero properties. A strong argument could be made that thin/flexy seatstay design really benefit as making room for a post mount chainstay can compromises frame design. Most modern frames run very thin seats tags that aren’t conducive to supporting a caliper. That’s about it.

Heffe
Heffe
7 years ago
Reply to  JBikes

Thanks for your response, JBikes!

Darrin Filer
5 years ago
Reply to  Heffe

I’m not sure if flat mount is a superior solution but post mount are horrible for 180mm rotors, as are found on a high percentage of mountain bikes. The adapter from 160 to 180, as is required by most forks and frames, results in the mounting bolts not being perpendicular to the mounting surface. This necessitates planetary washers which like to corrode and crack. Also, even with the planetary washers, tightening the mounting bolts causes the caliper to slide ever so slightly because it is being bolted to a non-perpendicular surface.

Put simply, the 74mm post standard needs to go. CPS washers have no place on well made equipment.

Rider X
Rider X
7 years ago

I am curious with the recent trend of front low rider racks that shift the center of mass for the front bags forward of the axel. This will do two things, “lock-in” the steering when straight so it is harder to get the front wheel to initiate a turn, once turning it will interact with wheel flop to drive the turn harder. I personally don’t like that behaviour, but a number of manufactures seems to be moving favouring this.

Anyone know why?

Nick
Nick
7 years ago

Somebody sell me on putting a dropper on my road bike, please.

Amanda JumonvilleOlivier

I’m hoping to purchase either the Renegade or the Slate. The Renegade is much nicer looking. Unfortunately my dealer doesn’t have anything in stock and I have to buy before I ride. Any advice/ opinions? I’m most concerned with the fastest road option of the two.

Matt F
Matt F
7 years ago

I like the new Elite colors. That was the only thing keeping me from seriously considering the current model.

Doug Keeports
Doug Keeports
7 years ago

Where are the steel frame made?

Dan
Dan
6 years ago

The last picture lol
The frame bag is not connected to the downtube

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