[Closed] Jones Bikes - Are They All That?

had lots of different jones bikes, still got a spaceframe after 10 years of hammer and abuse. its the only bike that will have to pried out of my cold dead fingers. it trundles, it does 100kms of gravel, it hoons around trail centres and natural stuff in wales, the peak district and scotland. for the ultimate spaceframe jones experience it needs a fat front to really make peoples eyes vomit.

Asking Jones owners for an unbiased opinion?

Interesting tactic.

I know a lot more Jones ex-owners than current owners.

i will add, its not a bike for everyone, some get it and fits their riding styles. for some gnar monkeys who absolutley must have the latest long low slack thing its the absolute pits and they would hate every last minute on it, likewise if you are a weight weenie xc whippet. But thats the joy of bikes and life, if we all like and got enjoyment from the same thing it would be as dull as #$%#
the main thing is to get what YOU like and enjoy it.

The truss fork I found very direct, which translates to not that forgiving. That’s not all negative however, with a plus tyre and right pressure less of an issue. I also didn’t get on with the slack seat tube. But for all that I did like it and if not for those issues would have been a keeper.
I’ve also owned a stooge and TBH it’s prob the better ride, and a fraction of the price.

Was ok, but not amazing. Was a very short bike just as my full sus bike of choice was going longer. Hated the slack seat tube and rearward weight distribution.

Do a poll of how many owners still have them.

I think they are up there with speaker cable TBH.

Had one (ti space frame), scratched the itch, wouldn't go there again.

Great bike at the time, but things have moved on and a 120mm stem with a very 'out in front' bar makes for a very old school feel. They are unique and quirky, but aren't as fast as a gravel bike or hardtail if you want something other than a full susser. And don't believe the hype about '1 size fits all'. It simply doesn't.

Not the easiest to get hold of either now that Biff has stopped importing them.

Wouldn't get rid of my diamond and got rid of some nice bikes in the time I've had it. Infinitely versatile bike and as fast (faster) than a gravel or hardtail over the right terrain. Really like the look of the Stooges (and will be all over the Rambler if it goes on sale) but to echo Tazzy, I like my Jones and I still enjoy it!

There are lovers, there are haters.
Ride one and see.
I have a few and have sold a few.
The Diamond with Ti Truss is imho one of the best rides ever.
Wasn’t smitten with the original Plus or the steel spaceframe however the Ti spaceframes are rather lovely and ride beautifully.

Asking Jones owners for an unbiased opinion?

Confirmation bias can apply to any rider/bike, right? You'll get a more polarised response on any product that is genuinely different.
It has a unique geometry that works in a distinctive way, the front end hub and truss fork is very different to a traditional fork in many good ways, it's light for how burly it is, you can SS it or adjust the BB to account for tyre sizes. It has a few good reasons why some of us who like them, really like them.

I've had a Jones 10+ years. In that time I've had demo bikes, bikes I've designed and the majority of bikes I could want available at trade price. I still ride the Jones more than any other off-road bike I own and it's a keeper.

Had H bars on my SS, liked my rigid bike's simplicity, wanted to try the Jones as the design interested me. It felt weird when I first rode it, I lost it on a corner during a test ride as it handled quite differently to what I was used to. But a few bits of the trail that I knew well felt so good on it. I thought it handled fast, flowy singletrack incredibly well and it was so easy to go light over roots or bunny hop compared to the 29er I had then. 3hr test ride went from 'hmmmm?' to sold. Took another few months of riding to really get the best I could from it.

For what I ride, where I ride and some of my preferences there isn't a bike to replace it that I'm aware of. I ride SS a lot and for that it's very good, the bars and geometry suit it really well. It helps that I'm about the same height as Jeff Jones so maybe that helps. It's agile in a good way, some might say sketchy, compared to a LLS bike it is. It's not sketchy like a traditionally steep bike is though, the weight distribution is different.

I enjoy long distance rides and bikepacking trips. I chose the Jones to race the Tour Divide 7 years ago and it would be my choice if I did it again. Few bikes manage to be so comfortable as well as being a really efficient position. It handles better with a load on than most - the fork copes with the load and hard braking easily and the agile geometry helps.

I like a fun-handling bike that doesn't shy away from the tech. It's rigid and of course that limits it in some places but it's not as limited as you think. I've bikepacked the GR5 on it and had a lot of fun there. It feels closer to a jumpy 4X hardtail than an XC hardtail on the singletracks here. Different but a similar attitude. Very different handling to the average 29er yet all the advantages of big wheels for XC.

That mix of long distance ability and fun handling isn't something I find in many bikes, esp not rigid bikes. When it's that good as a SS or a bikepacker it clinches it for me.

I rode the Jones Plus a while back, I thought it was brilliant. Too much for my local trails though and maybe lacking some of the agility I like in the old Jones design. If I moved to the Lakes I'd have one though, and a 150mm FS bike. Would be interesting to see which got more use.

On the slack seat angle point - yes the one aspect I don't like at times. It's a compromise that makes other positive aspects of the bike work. Makes the short geometry work overall and that's where the agility and a lot of the technical control comes from, it adds to the seated comfort on rolling trails, is fine as a SS as I climb stood up anyway, but yes there's times when I feel a bit cramped/strained or out of whack when climbing on it (I'm 6' for ref). It's not like climbing on a steeper STA bike and for some that would be an issue.

Given I'm not exactly fast at the best of times on my local trails, and 90% of my riding time is spent on roads/lanes/gravel it sounds like one could suit. @jameso name dropping the TD is a big bonus point too. My Alice is pretty close to an N=1, and I'd previously had a serious toying with a Fargo for the same purpose but the looks of it put me off for now.

So, where in the UK has Jones' for a test ride (once we're all allowed out again)? It's a lot of money to drop based purely on words on the internet.

“ And don’t believe the hype about ‘1 size fits all’. It simply doesn’t.”

That’s changed in recent years. Instead of the old one size one geometry Jones bike, in spaceframe or diamond and ti or steel, there are now three sizes (S/M/L) and two geometries on top of that (SWB for 29/27.5+ and LWB for 29/29+).

I used to ride with a chap who rode his Jones Ti with a fat front for everything. It was properly quick down woodland singletrack, especially tighter twistier stuff - you could always spot new trails he’d made. It didn’t go so well at the faster rougher FoD DH trails but with that bouncy front tyre and lack of wheelbase that wasn’t a great surprise.

name dropping the TD is a big bonus point too.

There's many more Fargos and carbon HTs doing the TD though - I mentioned to back up my belief in how comfortable it can be as well as efficient over long distances.
Having said that I took the loop bars off the steel Jones I have and put the old H bars back on it late last year, it's a stiff bike overall compared to the Ti SF. Though it's a comfy ride position and that stiffness aids load carrying ability, the loop bars also being very stiff was a step too far in the end. Ti SF now has the loops. (this may be largely about the Ti vs steel fork, the frame comes into it to some extent as the steel frame has so little twist/flex to it)

That’s changed in recent years. Instead of the old one size one geometry Jones bike, in spaceframe or diamond and ti or steel, there are now three sizes (S/M/L) and two geometries on top of that (SWB for 29/27.5+ and LWB for 29/29+).

I have a problem with this and its not limited to Jones. It's always been nonsense and now they don't do it anymore which makes me disinclined to believe anything else he says.

I've never ridden one, and i'm really not against a Jones, i'm sure they're great to ride and that is all that should matter. But also they're mind bendingly ugly*

* And that is the most important point when it comes to choosing your next ride.

They have always intrigued me, but remind me of a climbing frame in an early 80’s park or primary school. Would love to have a go on one.

I have a problem with this and its not limited to Jones. It’s always been nonsense and now they don’t do it anymore which makes me disinclined to believe anything else he says.

You'd miss out, he talks more sense on bike design than most.

It'd be nonsense to say one road bike could fit everyone. Jones bike is a bit less nonsensical there. He's always said that for such a wide ranging frame with a slacker seat angle the sizing of the frame is less critical. What works for a shorter rider doing XC and a taller rider riding more rocky techy trails is different, makes sense. My OH at 5'4" can ride my Jones SF happily, she can't ride my other MTBs. Plus, the H bars mean your reach changes fore-aft more than a fixed grip position of a flat bar. It does work for a wider range of rider heights than a conventional design normally does. '1 fits all', yeah I'd say that was a stretch. To be fair to him he's always been a talker not a marketer and if you asked him about fit, sizing and use etc you'd get good info.

People wanting a wider range of fits, plus the volumes allowing it mean why not offer 3 sizes now. You'd not want to sign up for tooling for 3 sizes of Ti spaceframes and truss forks unless you were selling good numbers.

Jones motor bikes

Looks like they are becoming available stateside. IG page set up too.

Almost Barfanged mine a couple of years ago. Glad I didn't.

Mate's got one, had a go on it, don't want another

I had one of the first round of merlin Jones. Loved it for ages, once I started riding LLS bikes it started feeling really small, but to be fair I’m 6”4’ so I was always stretching (shrinking?) the one size fits all idea.

Then I found a crack on a weld on the tiny tube that joins the twin top tubes and Jeff wasn’t very helpful. So I picked up a 2017 Bfe and put my Jones forks on that and it’s been brilliant, so I got a newer truss fork so I could run a 29x3.0 tyre and I’ve never looked back.

I’d love to try one as I suspect it would be great on the stuff I ride. But that would mean getting organised…

i have bought and sold more bikes than most. reason being, get a test ride on a xl/xxl bike is pretty impossible.
so i huy em, ride em and if i dont like em, sell em on. no matter what they cost, if you dont like it, get rid.

so i lusted after a jones for years. when the jones plus came available i splashed £3500 on a full build from charlie. i bought into the one bike for everything, one size fits all.
the one bike for everything is spot on. i rode a 100 mile road ride on mine with 3.0 tyres. i also rode nan bield and helvelyn on it.
but, the one size fits all dont work. mine was too small from the off. it was a 25'' xl. i hade to ride it with a thomson post nearly all the way out. it felt like i was gonna ripe the seat tube from the top tube.
also in mud the 3'' tyres where too close to the chainset, the chain acted like a mudscraper causing terrible chainsuck.

i wanted to love my jones, but it left me feeling a lot dissapolnted.
so it went.

Had two of them.
One of the first Merlin built Ti spaceframes then had a steel spaceframe.
Great bikes for smooth woodsy type singletrack not so good for other stuff.
Ti one broke on the downtube and also cracked on the fork.
Steel one seemed a lot stronger.
Thread seems lacking in pictures.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/16979418607/in/dateposted/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/5196170422/in/dateposted/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/4493561695/in/dateposted/

How compulsory are H bars and do normal bars do bad things to the handling?

I had a large LWB with H bend bars, went with the unicrown fork rather than the truss as found the truss far too stiff and lets be honest it looks hideous.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mnPQansARPUPZz3t8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kTyZej4HdvCPsd7W6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dgyDgYdF26EP1zZh7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/epQKiuR9S8TwvaPV9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/44FAFUZsZV75yS55A

Good things:
*very nice to ride, hides its weight well
*very flexible, had it setup as a MTB, but also as a tourer inc. a trailer and kid seat
*H bar shape is comfortable
*Nicely made frame
*29+ is very comfortable and a good mile muncher

Bad bits:
*The range of sizes is not sufficient for all riders - Jeff insisted that the large was suitable for my dimensions (i'm 6'5" with long legs), but it only worked with a thomson seat post as they allow only 75mm to be left in the frame
*Tyre/chain clearance is rubbish when using 12sp
*if using the Uncrown you need to make up the gap with stem spacers as the frame is designed about the truss
*Didn't really see the benefit of a 150mm front hub vs the hassle / odd wheelset
*despite all the brazes ons, no internal dropper port
*Rear derailleur cable routing is clearly designed around shimano rather than SRAM, but there is a mod you can do using one of the brazesons
*You can not actually have a conversation with Jeff, he basically just reads out all the stuff from the website / his videos, he is also quite rude about other brands.
*29+ as in 3" wide is clearly a dying std.
*The frame/forks are very very expensive, especially by the time you get one in the UK for they actually are, yes some subtle but complex tubes shapes, but still lots for what it is.

On balance i did like it and if it had been a proper XL size would have kept it, but in the end it was a bit small, don't quite need the flexibility anymore and prefer my hardtail.

I was always intrigued by them, thought it might be a good "one bike for everything". Had a few chats with Biff years back (who used to import them) at events and he offered to come to mine for a long ride out so I could get a decent feel for it. Very good of him, but never took him up, because even if I'd loved it, I'd still not fancy spending the money on one!

A couple of years ago I found a steel spaceframe on Pinkbike for a decent price, so I snapped it up. I'd be able to ride it a fair amount and pass it on for not much loss if we didn't get on. It took me little while to figure it out, I'm not sure what I would have thought after a single 2, 3 hour test ride.

But it's great fun smashing around woodsy stuff, trialsy messing about on banks and logs (riding buddies reported a significant uptick in motorbike noises), feels very confident on steep nadgery stuff with the high bars and precise front wheel. Good long distance machine, done 50, 60 70, 100 milers on it, and it'd be first choice for big rides and bikepacking. Unless the ride was much more fatbike friendly.

But... it's obviously got a speed limit for fast and/or really rocky trails , being rigid. The slack effective seatpost and backswept bars aren't optimised for steep climbing. If you're seated, you're not in a great climbing position, If you're out of the saddle, your hands are either too far back on the grips or too close together around the levers and tube junctions. I need to try pulling the levers out on the bars to give me a better compromise position up on the bars.

*You can not actually have a conversation with Jeff, he basically just reads out all the stuff from the website / his videos, he is also quite rude about other brands.

Met Jeff on a few occasions and ridden with him a few times too and found him to be the opposite of this.
He really enjoys talking anything bike/geo related and found him to be a quite unassuming guy.

I only managed to talk to him via Skype (at his request), it almost put me off buying. perhaps that is just doing things remote - perhaps better in person.

Also when I asked whether it was best to go via the UK dealer, he said "well i ship internationally, so no need" did not seem that supportive of his importers.

def he would be fun to ride with though!

Maybe he's a bit more buisness orientated these days.
Really didn't seem bothered about selling a shit load of bikes a few years back.
My first frame was the first one Merlin built for him and he let me have it at a very good price as it had done a couple of demo rides.
I had to sort out all the payment stuff with his wife Sheila as he just didn't seem that bothered about that side of stuff. Unlike his desire to talk bike, which seemed never ending.
Second one came through Sideways Cycles Tim.

Also when I asked whether it was best to go via the UK dealer, he said “well i ship internationally, so no need” did not seem that supportive of his importers.

Bit shit really, isn't it.

anyway one was good to try one - was good experience.

I love the loop bars as I have them on my Surly Ice Cream Truck. I test rode a steel space frame and although nice to ride, the truss forks felt really stiff and the frame size felt a wee bit small for me at 6 foot 1. I much prefer the basic triangle and unicrown design. I would like one but when I compare it to my Surly, it's nowhere near as flexible in what it can do so I would just be buying one for the sake of owning one.

For me, the loop bars work brilliantly and I would happily buy another pair.

Cheers

Sanny

I think this one looks good