[Closed] Jones to go steel and Taiwanese

SELL.

OUT.

😡

Jones Spaceframe is still a gopping frame and truly not pleasant on the eye

:lol:@cyn, is ti meant to be fundamental to the spaceframe idea?

For $750 - I could be persuaded to add a Steel Jones 🙂

Is the diamond frame gonna be any different to the other steel frames out there (bar being the priciest Taiwanese frame)?

Stll think he's cool for doing his own thing, would love to try one.

oh dear

well you'd hope so. spacing seems to point toward fat wheel riding.

Cheaper handlebars too! 🙂

i guess if you have a concept you believe in why not spread it further than the nicheistas. plus make some $ for your families future.

It will go out of niche fashion as more people own it.

I have to say, irrationally, but some cycling is emotional, it will devalue the brand but make it more available, however I'm not sure it has that wide an appeal anyway, and that's speaking as a ti space frame owner.

I'm sure the quality is there but the romance may disappear.

I have an email where I suggested to jeff he built an 853 space frame, couldn't understand why not. He responded probably too heavy, different characteristics... 🙄

Rear spacing won't allow a full fat rear wheel though, and 50mm rim is more than enough to spread a 2.55 or even a 3in tyre, 50mm fits easily now.

I have to admit it makes me a little sad, would be better if lynsky made it in my view but the cost is more palatable.

It will give the likes of black sheep and erikson etc. some marketing separation.

I'm glad I bagged a Merlin version!

ooh ... interesting.

Goes off to write out 1000 times "I don't need another rigid 29er!"

The spaceframe ones are still going to be rather pricey and the diamond frame is rather similar (in looks, at least) to many other frames.

Jones frames were getting too common anyway 😉

I'd like to try a jones to see what they're like. A steel version puts that within my reach.

does this mean there's going to be an even bigger jones pile at ssuk next year?

sorry I really don't get it, why would I want to ride and expensive malshaped coathanger?

I'd like to try a jones to see what they're like. A steel version puts that within my reach.

Yup

sorry I really don't get it, why would I want to ride and expensive malshaped coathanger?

Why not? They're still prettier than most FS bikes.

For $750 you can go full custom...?

not riden one and would like to to see what the fuss is about..

but that old adage... 'it is looks right, it is right'

Jones's do not look right complete.

frame looks ok, but forks do not

That's a shame, not the steel element, but the far east manufacture - it is a sell out.

Check out all the "leet nichewhores" going scurrying off to find something even more nicheworthy of their money.

"I'm not buying something if its not made by a man in a shed with a beard"

Check out all the "leet nichewhores" going scurrying off to find something even more nicheworthy of their money.

There you go, belt driven 36er.

[img] [/img]

Check out the nichewhorehaters getting all excited

I do like that 36er though...

at the risk of getting into a 'forum-as-breeding-ground-for-stupidity' discussion: $750 for full custom? err...id be pretty suprised if you could get [i]worthwhile[/i] custom for that.

jeff has *always* wanted his ideas to be more widely available. he truly is egalitarian. he knows full well that the custom ti frames cost an incredible amount of money. the cost of the tubing and manipulation involved is staggering. yes: in a perfect world this would not be the case, but it is. therefore several potential solutions exist.

getting frames made in batches remains a sensible way to bring costs down, and increase availability. using steel vs ti increases that again.

as long as the steel frames stay true to the intent of the design its viable. infact working in steel given the current world financial climate and rarity of high quality ti tubing is probably a more important step: it is *probably* easier to work with steel to make the space frame/truss fork (anyone here ever cold set ti?) and the raw materials are relatively cheap. what you are paying for is the builder to make it - their time and effort. with ti, the only non-hideously-expensive ti is chinese or russian in origin and the quality control and alloying of this is often very questionable. there are VERY few builders who can manipulate high quality ti tubing effectively.

jeff isnt selling out, far from it. he is working hard to make his design work more available. the reason he is doing that is because he believes his designs are great fun to ride. I will second that. they are tremendous fun to ride...from the diamond frames in steel to the full custom ti. some have more than others but they are all good fun.

i can count on the fingers of one hand the *custom* builders who would be willing to make something akin to a jones steel diamond frame *at all*, let alone for the same cost. Getting 16.5" stays on a 29er that can have a full spread of gears isnt easy. most builders dont build outside of the norm for good reason: its a risk to them. if it doesnt work, or the buyer doesnt pay, who loses?

what cost fun? well - now, for this particular brand of fun, its a little less...that is ALL GOOD.

hopefully, this doesnt come across as a tirade, or mindless support of one of the industries current clear thinkers.

nice well constructed rant drjon, i agree, as in, why not spread it around to poorer folks. now more importantly how is that lush vertigo doing?

Well put DRJon, and I agree on full custom for $750!!!

I agree with the wider availability and steel is a great material to do that with, which is why I was surprised when he said he wasn't looking at it. Perhaps the demise of Merlin as a framebuildig option, the difficulty of finding someone in the US to produce batches and world economics meant necessity became the mother of invention and as a result steel space frame was born, if well manipulated and butted 853 or similar is used I can't see it being materially heavier than the ti version either so fair play.

I hold firm on my romantic emotional attachment to stuff made by long established builders in the US or Europe, I am the person that still seeks out a carbon rad frame actually made in Italy, not because it's better than Asian carbon, but because when I ride it it makes me 'feel' a certain way about my bike, which is important to me.

I now mostly want one of these...

There is a certain beauty about the sweeping lines of the frame, but the fork is, as someone already said, gopping - looks like it should have a wicker basket and a fluffy white lhasa apso on the front.

Never seen a shopping bike with a fork like that, a few vintage motorbikes spring to mind though:-)

Awesome! I keep coming across a fat front tyred Jeff Jones in the woods and it's such a satisfying piece of engineering. Probably not right for my riding but I do like the simplicity of it.

Diamond frame for 750, that will make it my project for a bikepacking bike next spring.

I think it's great that a few more people will be able to ride/own one of Jeffs designs.

Maybe some of the folks out there with their "it looks wrong to me" so must be shite attitude will be able to try one.

You never know [b]some[/b] people might actualy like it after all. 😆

Oh and Al.

We'll be up in Inners for a while soon. If i take my Jones with me you're welcome to try it.

Cheers SSStu let me know when you are up - I'd assumed you'd be on a 8" DH sled with full body armour for 7 Stanes?

I'd assumed you'd be on a 8" DH sled with full body armour for 7 Stanes?

Mmmm maybe i can hire a gnarlsled. Would I have to ride it or could i just park it outside the hub with all the rest of the freemincers 😆

I prefer the rigidcorebike for your scottshoretrails. 😉

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/2473807932/ ]2008_0504scotchland080088[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stu-b/ ]stuartbrettle[/url], on Flickr

Well I have ridden one, and it rides as bad as the photo above suggests.
Individualistic, but completely unsuitable for anything other than fire roads, where it performs rather well.

test

Should I find a few more fire road pictures for you...

😆

Where is that SSS?

Oh dear...more affordable Jones'

My wife is not going to be pleased. 🙂

Al.
On a fire road. 😆

Mabie.

Well, as someone with two Jones' am I disappointed that it won't be as exclusive? A little.
But am I happy that more people will "get it"? Absolutely.

They're great mountain bikes - suitable for all types of trails and fire roads. Just like mountain bikes should be!

Thats Dalbeattie int it Stu

The disappointing part for me is that the diamond frame doesn't come with the truss fork. The fork is, to me, where Jeff's vision of what he's trying to do with his bikes the most clear. A rigid fork that actually is rigid, giving incredible steering precision and control? Ace. The unicrown fork is the bit that doesn't say Jones to me.

Adam - you always could buy a Ti truss fork with a steel Jones- I see no reason why this won't continue. presumably now you'll be able to have an all steel Diamond/Truss forked frame.

And for anyone thinking they're only fit for fire roads - keep taking the tablets, in fact - take more as they're obviously not working 😉

I am a Jones(Jeffmade)rider from Holland an I rode mine in a lot more rough areas than fireroads, such as Houffa and the french Alps and my arms and neck never suffered from riding rigid, because it isn't rigid..the spaceframe is really a different species.

I think bringing this concept to more people is a good thing and perhaps could inspire other companies and framebuilders to overthink the idea of a mountainbike.

The disappointing part for me is that the diamond frame doesn't come with the truss fork. The fork is, to me, where Jeff's vision of what he's trying to do with his bikes the most clear

Its interesting to see what different people feel is the USP for the Jones' designs. I would have said that the number 1 thing is the geometry and the way it is aims to distribute weight for a ligher front end with the rigid fork. And the compliance of the spaceframe, rigidity of the truss fork seem secondary to that to me.

Either way, fair play to Jeff for getting the frames out there at a lower price. I think the steel space frame looks great, could almost be tempted to start getting rid of 26" bikes to make space for one!