Finally sratched the Jones itch….

After a recent round of n-1, I have thinned out the collection and got it down to:

A bouncy bike (Transition Scout)
A road bike (Cervelo R3)
A gravel/winter disc road bike (Seven Evergreen)
Oh, and a Brompton.

So that left room for a rigid mountain bike. I wanted something unique and ‘best in breed’, so there was only one choice. I have been mulling over a Jones for literally years, but finally took the plunge last week and fortunately Biff at the importers had just the frame I was after in stock that saved a long leadtime.

Took it out for a shakedown ride yesterday, so it didn’t stay pristine and clean for long. Believe the hype. The Jones Spaceframe is certainly unique to look at, but the ride is amazing, and the loop bars are similarly unusual but make a great deal of sense. It’s a true trail bike. Certainly not an eyeballs out racer, but a wonderful bike for general riding. I now understand why owners are such evangelists for Jeff Jones’ crazy ideas.

The truss fork is massively stiff, but in a good way. It tracks beautifully, and makes you realise how flexy suspension forks are. The 3 inch front tyre adds some much needed cushioning. The spaceframe itself flexes in all the right ways, but again is stiff where it should be. Both are helped by thru axles. The truss fork was an absolute pig to fit, but with a Chris King in place, hopefully it won’t need to come apart very often!

As you know, I have an appetite for Amercian handbuilt ti, so I was a little sceptical about the Taiwanese ti production that Jeff Jones uses, but I have to say, the workmanship and sheer amount of manipulation that goes into each frame is staggering. There isn’t a tube that isn’t squashed, flattened, curved or machined in some way and the weld quality is first class.

The loop bars put your hands in a really natural and comfortable position and offer plenty of choices. I was a little worried about the width, but actually the inside of your hand is as wide as it is on a wide riser, the outside is turned back which gives fantastic control. I have the carbon version on back order that will drop a little weight and change the ride quality (and importantly not be silver!). In the meantime, Biff very kindly lent me a set of aluminium bars to getting on with. Thanks Biff!

Thanks to Phil at Neil’s Wheels in Kingston. A real Jones fan himself, and riding his Jones diamond frame was enough to seal the deal.

Otherwise, it’s all fairly standard stuff. The Derby rims are a bit of an experiment, but having read great reviews, and having now ridden them a few times they do seem like a great bit of kit. Super wide (45mm), true, and very light. I have ENVEs on a few bikes, and dare I say for a fraction of the cost these are better finished, and ride just as nicely.

Still a little fettling to dial in the stem height and spacers and change the bars once they arrive, but otherwise I am really happy with how it has turned out. After years of experimenting, I think I finally have exactly the variety of bikes that I want to suit the riding that I do.

Frame – Jeff Jones Thru Axle Ti Spaceframe
Fork – Jeff Jones Thru Axle Ti Truss Fork
Headset – Chris King NoThreadset
Chainset – Shimano XTR 9000 (175mm, 34t)
Bottom Bracket – Chris King Threadfit 24
Pedals – Shimano XTR Race
Rear Derailleur – Shimano XTR 9000
Shifters – Shimano XTR 9000
Brakes – Shimano XTR 9000
Chain – KMC X-11 SL
Cassette – SRAM XX1 (10/42)
Hubs – Tune Fat King (142 x 15mm)/Kong (142 x 12mm)
Rims – Derby Carbon 29 x 45mm (32 hole)
Spokes – Sapim Race
Quick Release – Jones Maxle/Carbon Ti Maxle
Tyres – Maxxis Chronicle (3.0) and Ardent (2.4)
Stem – Thomson X4 (100mm)
Bars – Jones Carbon Loop Bar (710mm) eventually!
Seatpost – Thomson Elite (27.2mm x 410mm, layback)
Saddle – Fizik Tundra M3
Bottle Cages – King Titanium
Grip – Jones Foam

That’s lovely .

Nice!

Like

They look so weird, but oh god do I want one*

*I actually want a Plus, but no way I can spend another £3k on a bike.

Lovely 🙂 Not sure I’d want one but i certainly loved to try one

Welcome to the club, I’ve got the fat and 29er front wheel change option as well.
Ref
“Believe the hype….. the ride is amazing….. It’s a true trail bike.”

You are so right, I’ve had mine for 8 years and it’s still riding the same, I just wish I was a better rider to use its full potential.

Great bike Solarider – glad you’ve joined the club!

Thumbs up

OP – You’ve left exif data in those photo which might concern you if you are worried about people knowing where you took them. (at the back of the St John Ambulance place).

Dam that’s ugly or maybe odd looking is more faor but I still really really like it. The long grips with the short levers – does that work OK?

Neither brave nor rich enough for a Jones though.

Makes that kona in the eBay nutter ad look pretty.

Really glad you like it but as a longtime Jones owner* I can’t help but think how short and twitchy they are every time I ride mine.
After watching Jeff’s recent vids he also seems to be coming to the same conclusions.
* Bought the first Ti spaceframe that Merlin built for him.
Maybe I’d feel different if I’d not tried a more modern longer and a lot slacker bike. 😕

Thanks Brant. Hopefully fixed that now?

It has taken me years to get over the looks, but the ride is definitely worth it. Jeff knows his stuff, but I do appreciate that the looks and ride aren’t exactly mainstream.

And the long grips and levers work surprisingly well. There are lots of hand positions on the loop bars where you can’t reach the levers, but they aren’t necessarily meant to be used in technical stuff where you need to brake.

I have the Transition Scout for the long ‘n’ low modern feel, but the Jones is a contrast for sure. Not sure I ‘get’ the new plus size, and in any case, he isn’t doing a plus space frame (yet).

Super nice bike.

That is proper gorgeous. I’m going to have to have a few moments on my own with a Jones catalogue.

I like that a lot!

V nice, bars apart. A proletarian addition to such an aristocratic frame – does he not make a decent-looking set?

Lovely bike! And welcome to the jones clan.

Lovely bike that. Well thought out spec,too.

The carbon version of the bar is on its way whch is a little more aristocratic! They even do a black alloy version that would look better, but Biff was kind enough to loan me a set, so beggars can’t be choosers. What matters most is that (despite the looks and my own preconceptions) the hand postion really works.

Lovely bike!

After years of experimenting, I think I finally have exactly the variety of bikes that I want to suit the riding that I do.

That’s exactly what I think too, it normally lasts about six months or so each time 🙂

Really glad you like it but as a longtime Jones owner* I can’t help but think how short and twitchy they are every time I ride mine.
After watching Jeff’s recent vids he also seems to be coming to the same conclusions.

Agreed. It was just too short in the wheel base for me at my height (6ft 3) and I’d like a slightly slacker head angle. Unfortunately bought mine before Jeff brought out the plus as it would have interesting to try that as well. Ideally I’d like him to bring out a stretched version of the standard Jones for taller folk. Personal shortcomings aside I miss mine as it was still a brilliant bike and fantastic for round Surrey hills which I suspect is where you’ll be riding it. Hope you enjoy it, be prepared for lots of questions about it as well as the odd dickish comment from the socially inept.

Looks awesome, I always love looking at your builds! What happened with the Lynskey?

My first thoughts looking at the picture were that it looked VERY steep and extremely short.

Super build

Any toe strike when turning?

I have the Transition Scout for the long ‘n’ low modern feel, but the Jones is a contrast for sure.

You’re not wrong there. 😀
Although I find mine twitchy it’s still great fun on tight smoothish woodland singletrack.
Just takes me a while to adapt to it as I don’t ride it that often.
I ‘d been out on my Hightower the other morning then jumped on the Jones to ride to the pub and it just felt so odd.

A Jones is your pub bike after a ride on your Hightower, Stu?

🙂

gorgeous looking bike 😀

😳
It was an off road ride to the pub.

V nice

As a tall chap, my bikes never look well proportioned in photos, but for some reason better in the flesh.

My position on the bike in terms of reach, saddle height, set back etc are identical to the Transition and the Cielo that this replaced in a manner of speaking. The bars muddy the waters a little, but it’s all in the same ballpark. I was a little concerned since the frame is only offered in one size but actually it is spot on, admittedly with a 100mm stem which is long by modern standards but suits the geometry of this bike.

I don’t get any toe overlap at all, and the bike isn’t as steep as it looks. In fact, the seat tube is very laid back.

The geometry is indeed agile and lively rather than relaxed, but that’s the nature of the beast. The new plus bikes go to the other extreme. Jeff isn’t a man of compromises or the middle ground! His ideas really work. It’s an expensive leap of faith to discover that, but this is an amazing bike that does things its own way. It is difficult to compare to anything else, and I think that if you try to measure it directly against other bikes in any respect you aren’t ‘getting’ it. Not to say it is the best bike available, but it is certainly beyond compare because it goes about being a bike in such a unique way.

No chance this is going to the pub. I just bought this little bargain beauty for pub and child seat duties (excuse the blurry photo):

Well written. Good thoughts. Glad you like the bike.

“More modern, longer, slacker ” :O)

Waves at Biff.
While you’re on are there any plus bikes floating around for test?

Try Phil at Neil’s Wheels Kingston. They have a brown plus to build up as a demo.

Head tube is steep, but with a rigid bike you’re not having to compensate for the front getting steeper as the fork compresses, plus the truss fork has a lot more offset. Steering feel is much more consistent, especially in slow steep terrain.
Not fully convinced by the bars though. Mine feels better with a set of wide risers on.

Nice. Really needs an Eriksen seatpost though 😉

Head tube is steep, but with a rigid bike you’re not having to compensate for the front getting steeper as the fork compresses, plus the truss fork has a lot more offset. Steering feel is much more consistent, especially in slow steep terrain.

No shit sherlock. 😉

vorlich – Member
Nice. Really needs an Eriksen seatpost though

Fo sho.2011_0414eriksenpost0003 by multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr
You’d get more out of a Jones with a dropper post though. 😀

Nah. I have run all sorts of exotic seatposts in my time. But Thomson kit is hard to beat on the balance of weight, strength, ease of adjustment and reliability.

I am not a particular fan of their layback design, but having seen pictures of the version currently in development with a straight shaft and more traditional layback head (ooer!), the current version does amazingly look prettier.