Trying to rationalise my MTBs as I've accepted I'm back to being a bikepacking roadie and unlikely to use my more trail-orientated bike(s) enough to keep them all.

I'm considering a frame at the unfashionable XC end of the spectrum which I'll mostly run as rigid with my Jones bars.

My 2014ish XL trail hardtail frame is approx 640 effTT (don't have the reach figures to hand) which I've adapted to a bikepacking bike for the last few years with a 90mm stem and Jones loops, but the latest frames seem to be at least that long in Large size and 670-680 effTT in XL size that I would normally go for at 6'2".

Anyone running one of the modern long geo frames with Jones bars? Does it work the same? 50mm stem and loops work ok? Considering whether to go for a Large instead.

Thoughts and experiences please.

The height of the bars seems more important than the reach - I've found that if I run the loops below seat height my shoulders ached. You could use a 50mm stem but this would put your hands behind the steerer axis. No reason why this is an issue but I'd be minded to run a 70 or 80mm stem to put your hands on the axis. I'm probably going to run loops on the fat bike (630 ETT, I'm 6'1") and will use a 80mm stem with a 35 degree up angle.

This one interests me, I've been struggling to resolve how the handling would be affected with a long t-t and shorter stem.
Current setup is Large El Mariachi, 100mm stem and 710mm Loops.
Contemplating changing the frame and going with a longer TT, think it ideally needs to be 10-15mm longer with the current stem.
Like the idea of a shorter stem, 70mm odd, so +40mm on current TT but does that bring the hands too close to the axis?

I use Jones bars on a mk1 Longitude. The Longitude isnt modern LLS geo as it has a slacker seat tube, but it is longish... It has a 638mm effective tt (I think) and I use a short stem.

Anyway, it works really well. It’s super comfy and quite capable all round. My only complaint about the bike is tyre to chain clearance/chainline due to the non boost rear end but that’s another story.

Hamish wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 1:24 pm I use Jones bars on a mk1 Longitude. The Longitude isnt modern LLS geo as it has a slacker seat tube, but it is longish... It has a 638mm effective tt (I think) and I use a short stem.

Anyway, it works really well. It’s super comfy and quite capable all round. My only complaint about the bike is tyre to chain clearance/chainline due to the non boost rear end but that’s another story.

Conversely (and this is not to say that you're wrong, just adding my experience), I had Jones loops on my 2017 Longitude and I couldn't get along with it - felt the frame was too long, and didn't want to go significantly shorter than the 60mm stem. Getting them higher might well have helped (as Bob advised me at the time, and others have suggested above).

I have no other experience of extremely backswept bars (other than some Molokos I tried for a time on the same bike) so it may just have easily been me not getting on with that style of bar. Hard to say.

thenorthwind wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 1:55 pm

Hamish wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 1:24 pm I use Jones bars on a mk1 Longitude. The Longitude isnt modern LLS geo as it has a slacker seat tube, but it is longish... It has a 638mm effective tt (I think) and I use a short stem.

Anyway, it works really well. It’s super comfy and quite capable all round. My only complaint about the bike is tyre to chain clearance/chainline due to the non boost rear end but that’s another story.

Conversely (and this is not to say that you're wrong, just adding my experience), I had Jones loops on my 2017 Longitude and I couldn't get along with it - felt the frame was too long, and didn't want to go significantly shorter than the 60mm stem. Getting them higher might well have helped (as Bob advised me at the time, and others have suggested above).

I have no other experience of extremely backswept bars (other than some Molokos I tried for a time on the same bike) so it may just have easily been me not getting on with that style of bar. Hard to say.

I thought it would be too long too... so I stuck a really short stem on and it has been great. Mine are riser Jones bars so the bars are pretty high.

C796B640-E2FD-4FDF-B67C-A6DF6DE70446 by Hamish Osborn, on Flickr

I have a newish Vitus Sentier, I've put some on-one Jones 'knock-off' bars on. They feel OK to me with a 50mm stem. I may change them back if I went to a trail centre, as they don't feel quite as precise as the originals. But for bridleways and byways they're the business.

Just in the process of switching back to Loops. I built the bike up with a 50mm stem but the Loops didn,t work so tried a Selcof carbon which is fine.
Andrew recommended a 70mm stem for the Stooge so if/when I get one I will change back to the Loops.

htrider wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 11:20 am ... this would put your hands behind the steerer axis. No reason why this is an issue...

Never considered this: what effect does it have, if any?

MuddyPete wrote: ↑Sat May 15, 2021 10:29 am

htrider wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 11:20 am ... this would put your hands behind the steerer axis. No reason why this is an issue...

Never considered this: what effect does it have, if any?

A few old British motorbikes had the bar clamp on the top yoke behind the steerer axis - just done to get the right riding position. In terms of steering effort its no different to the bars being in front of the steerer axis, all it effects is your riding position and weight distribution.

MuddyPete wrote: ↑Sat May 15, 2021 10:29 am

htrider wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 11:20 am ... this would put your hands behind the steerer axis. No reason why this is an issue...

Never considered this: what effect does it have, if any?

Considering this as the most common bike type in the world, it's the norm. Our bikes with grips in front of the steerer are unusual.

I don't think it feels odd at all. Thinking about speedway bikes I can think of reasons why it could benefit off-road bike handling at times but I'm not sure how to explain it or whether it's right, and I've never ridden a speedway bike anyway : )

Twas just such a bike that inspired Jeff Jones