It’s a serious question BTW!

Is there such a full suspension bike that shares many of the virtues of a Jones yet is FS?

Was planning on just building a Stooge with a bouncy front end for a little more comfort for trail centre days but I’m now thinking am I as well looking for a FS that’ll give me twice the bounce?

Suggestions on a post card please!

I would imagine a Geometron or one of the Nicolai G series would be closest. Long stays, slack head angle. Are you talking plus here or traditional? If the latter then something from the mid 90s I suspect, bought two sizes too small 😉

Which one? Plus or not?

Long stays? Not on a Jones.

Jones geometry is pretty much the complete opposite of nu skool slack, low, long isn’t it?

One with lockout, presumably.

Jones geometry is pretty much the complete opposite of nu skool slack, low, long isn’t it?

No, not really. Both Jones geometry are very low of bottom bracket. The original Jones is short wheelbase but the Jones Plus is long, though both are short in reach. Neither are slack in modern terms – 67.5 for the Plus (is it 69 for the original?) – and paired with very large offset on the fork so the trail figure is low (the opposite of the Transition SBG approach).

Key to the Jones design is a really stiff fork that goes where you point it and resists deflection. And big wheels and tyres. And not bobbing when you pump or pedal.

It’s the ‘normal’ or ‘original’ Jones I currently ride.

Anyone know if there is such a thing as a FS design of the same handling characteristics?

Actually it’s a 70 deg head angle on the original Jones and 55mm fork offset. And 441mm chainstays in the middle EBB positions. 1067mm wheelbase. And 292mm BB height.

And slack seat angle – 72 deg. And according to my sums the reach is about 370mm.

Something like an original Santa Cruz Tallboy in their smallest size (medium) with offset bushings to take a degree off the angles and lower the bottom bracket, with a 55mm offset 100mm Pike would be pretty close (stiff fork is critical!)

I had Siren Cycles build me a softtail with exactly that premise. Only 60mm or so rear travel, but big forks and it’s a hilarious bike.

Just get a Spaceframe.

Jones with a flex stem and a thudbuster?

Anyone know if there is such a thing as a FS design of the same handling characteristics?

Not really, almost an impossibility as the Jones is the way it is because it’s rigid, but I’d expect something along the lines of an ST4 or a Blur 4x set up with a short stem + higher rise bar might give you what you’re after. The Jones thing that you could apply to a FS is stability without slack/floppy steering and a short reach / high stack (how far you can push that on a susser though .. I’m sceptical. Long and low is partly about less pitch). The FS will have a longer front-centre and shorter rear end but by going down a size you might get a bit more of that nippy feel.
I know neither of those bikes are 29ers but the Jones doesn’t feel much like any other 29er I’ve ridden either. What you want is a stiff, nippy feeling bike with sus. It won’t be that similar, but similarly the most similar HT I’ve had to my Jones was a 99 Chameleon with Z1s. Very different in spec and actual ride, yet very similar in attitude, use and what I got out of the ride.

This?

I’m kinda serious BTW.