I’m not often afflicted by bike lust, I’d been happy with the ECR for a while but we just grew apart, wanted different things, I tried to change as did ECR but the damage was already done. When I saw the Fargo I knew it was the one, having had my leg over several times I’m just as keen.........but I may just have found the kylie minogue of the bikepacking world... every time I ride the Fargo I’ll pretend its this

http://singletrackworld.com/2018/01/450 ... it-do-you/

It was a very sad day when I had to sell my Jones 3d spaceframe.
But it's gone to a great home and he's a bike packer as well.

I generally like Jones stuff, I like how they ride and how they look. I know there's a lot of work in it but 4.5K It's titanium not unobtanium.

For anyone who's not seen it

It looks like it's got a bushnell ebb but it's also got a split bb shell?

That kind of money will buy a custom ti frame from some builders which would be fitted to your exact measurements. Nice looking bike though, if out of my price range

It's got different valve caps on! Where's your attention to detail man.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:It's got different valve caps on! Where's your attention to detail man.

And different tyres front and back

Nice but all those cables are distracting

I know there's a lot of work in it but 4.5K

Tooling costs vs sales qty ... I'm glad Jeff forges ahead with these bikes and manages to sell a few. Most people wouldn't start faced with those set up costs but he's stuck with something worthwhile. Worth 4.5k, hmm. I might just be persuaded, rather that than 4.5k on a car (or a carbon susser) anyway : )

Nah, I'd buy the steel one wouldn't I.

Tooling costs vs sales qty

I understand the costs against the (probably quite) limited sales but even so ...

I'm glad Jeff forges ahead with these bikes and manages to sell a few.

So am I. It's great that people are willing to do something others aren't.

Nah, I'd buy the steel one wouldn't I.

Now you're talking

Looks like a Speedball only more expensive.

Mariner wrote:Looks like a Speedball only more expensive.

Stooge looks like an On-One Fatty only more expensive.



The Jones is different, that looks gopping.

I realise that I'm risking causing controversy and possibly even being cast out from this wonderful community of buffoons but.....

I'm just not that excited by Jones bikes.

There, I said it!

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with them and I love the ethos as well as the loyalty that they inspire in so many but....

I've ridden a fair few of them and I just can't see what's particularly special about the ride of them.

They ride like a very nice bike. But that's it. No better or worse than other very nice bikes I've owned and ridden.

So there it is. It's out there!

I await the judgement of the masses - please be lenient.

Cheers, Gairy.

I took a steel Jone Plus out for a test ride then bought the old fashioned 29er. I enjoyed the ride but couldn't help wondering what use I'd have for a plus. The extra weight from the wheels was really noticeable, in fact the whole bike was heavy. I love my Jones but do have a couple of minor gripes. The 2 sets of bottle bosses on the down tube and none on the seat tube is a bit weird and anything cage mounts would be nice.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:but even so ...

Yeah, it's still a lot. Not like they get cheaper after the first 100 or so go out either ... a shame ...

gairym, what's wrong with that, I can't think of anything that everyone likes. And some people even like time trial bikes and triathlons what the ---- is all that about?

i lusted after a Jones for years. they were never big enough.
then the Jones plus came out........perfect or so i thought.
so i bought one, and in the dry and dusty 3 month of summer i rode it, it was ok, nothing more than ok.
it rode like any other steel hardtail i had owned over the years, some at a fraction of the cost. £99 on one 29er.
then it rained, and the local west yorkshire trails turned to gloop.
the bike turned into a mud magnet. a 3'' tyre that gave 1mm of clearance when using the largest cog on the back did not work at all.
wrong tyres, maybe. wrong bike, maybe. a expensive lesson, deffo.

now got a cotic solaris max. half the price and a whole more fun/nicer ride...............imho.

Eye watering prices - diamond looks to offer more bikepacking storage options than the spaceframe

Ohh look some of theme are on sale - doesn't make much difference

http://www.jonesbikes.com/framesets-1/

Looks nice


But £4,500 can buy a lot of fun....

I've just fitted a 29 3.0 tyre to the front if mine instead of the fat front. It looks almost normal now lol

I had been debating a plus version but I can't really see the point now looking at mine with 2.4 rear on a wide rim it's not that much smaller than the 3.0 in reality.

Obviously there's more difference than tyre size but for my needs I'm happy with the Jones 29 and the ramin plus

I still want a diamond truss though to go with my spaceframe :)

Bearbonesnorm wrote:It's got different valve caps on! Where's your attention to detail man.

is it a valve core removal 1 on the rear

Bearbonesnorm wrote: I understand the costs against the (probably quite) limited sales but even so ...

The Ti-Speedball frameset was £1400 for a very comparable frame engineering wise.

It looks like it's got a bushnell ebb but it's also got a split bb shell

Looks like a solid insert, looks bushnelly still, though. Interesting that he;'s gone away from the expander. Wonder what the reasons were.

Looks like a solid insert, looks bushnelly still, though. Interesting that he;'s gone away from the expander. Wonder what the reasons were.

Actually you're right, when I viewed it on my phone it was harder to see. One of the reasons I chose the Busnell for my bike was that Jones used them and they came recommended. Perhaps they cant manage to make/source the ti BB shells to the correct size/tolerance for the Bushnell? It can't be for cost reasons on a £4.5K bike

Well done to Jeff, doing what he wants to do.

I've rode several Jones bikes over the years and never gelled with them. But others love them. Which is good.

Bars though...yep, I get them.

Perhaps they cant manage to make/source the ti BB shells to the correct size/tolerance for the Bushnell? It can't be for cost reasons on a £4.5K bike

Why pay money to Bushnell when you can make your own. Bushnell is a great system but not cheap, ime a split shell is equally effective. Would take either over the grub screw type.

Jeff's bikes have spot-on BB tolerances ime, neither of mine have made a sound in years of use. I rarely remove or clean them and they just snug down in there and stay put.

Why pay money to Bushnell when you can make your own. Bushnell is a great system but not cheap, ime a split shell is equally effective. Would take either over the grub screw type.

Jeff's bikes have spot-on BB tolerances ime, neither of mine have made a sound in years of use. I rarely remove or clean them and they just snug down in there and stay put.

It was meant partially tong in cheek But thinking about it, by the time they've made the bosses, cut the treads in one set, welded them on, cut the shell (which would of been bought as a tube) and then made (or bought) the solid insert it's probably more expensive than the Bushnell which they would get trade so less than mine cost me retail. I'm sure Jeff's bikes are made to exacting tolerances, I briefly rode one around the block at Charlie The Bike Mongers and was impressed with how comfy it was, given I'd just ridden my own road bike there from the Isle of Wight (50 miles) and already had sore wrists/neck/behind Based on my memory of how comfy that was I bought the same Jones Loops and Brooks saddle that were on that bike for my own mtb.

I've not had a split shell EBB but the guys at my LBS aren't a fan. Tales of customers who have a creak but don't bother to clean and re-grease and just use ever bigger tools to tighten the bolts to try and stop it until they strip the threads. I have to clean and re-grease my Bushnell when I adjust it (when I change ratios) otherwise it creaks. My personal preference is sliding drop-outs which I think is the best solution. Actually the best solution is Salsa's alternator drop-outs as you can also change them to swap between axle standards.

As for the cost of the bike, it's not that expensive in the grand scheme of things, even though it is a lot of money to me. I know of someone who bought a carbon xc fs race bike, immediately put new carbon wheels on and a power meter cranks, total cost just over £8K