Why JONES Bikes Are Making Me Question Everything I Thought I Knew About Bikes

Jones bikes are unlike anything else. I'd seen them around and heard rave reviews. I have friends who sold their entire MTB fleet after buying a Jones. Surely they can't be for me! Aren't they just glorified bikepacking bikes for leisurely rides through the woods? Riding a Jones has melted my brain and shattered everything I thought I understood about what makes a hardtail great.

Gear I use and love:
5% off roost titanium bars and stem: use code "hardtailparty22"

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0:00 Intro
0:55 Jeff Jones and his approach
1:50 How it's different from a modern hardtail
3:00 How we got it wrong
3:33 Challenging the norm
4:38 Don't assume anything with this bike
5:00 My misconceptions about this bike
7:29 The poison of marketing
9:09 SWB Geometry
12:27 LWB Geometry
15:01 Why a Jones makes you stop chasing new trends
16:19 Shortcomings
18:34 Ride review coming soon

[hardtailparty]

Welcome new viewers! A few notes:

1) I strive for accuracy, but I often make mistakes when talkigna bout these off script. Here are some corrections:

Here is the geo provided by Jones:
SWB Geo:
Head tube angle: 69⁰
effective seat tube angle: 72⁰
Fork rake/offset: 55 mm
Chainstay length: 449mm
Size Small, wheelbase 1066 mm

LWB Geo:
Head tube angle: 67.5°
Effective seat tube angle: 71°
Fork rake/offset: 3"/76mm
Chainstay length: 483mm
Size Small, wheelbase: 1150mm

2) Did you know most people watching this video haven't yet subscribed to Hardtail Party? I have a goal to hit 100k before the end of 2025. If you enjoy this kind of info, you belong. Please consider subscribing. It's free and it helps my channel a lot. Thank you in advance.

3) I do ride reviews of all my review bikes. I have a couple ride review videos of both of these bikes coming soon, I just felt like I had to do a foundation information video first before those vids.

4) What assumptions do you have about Jones bikes? Ill bet you're a bit like the rest of us... with some pretty strong preconceived notions (some correct, some maybe not). Let me know what you think below.

5) I'd give my geometer an accuracy rating or +/- 5mm, 0.5*. It's not perfect but it gives us s good idea of what's going on.

6) thank you so much for watching and sharing these videos with my friends. This is my full-time job and every like and subscriber is felt and means the world to me. Thank you for helping my channel grow.

[JustJake]

Steve entering his "Old Man Biking Era".... Welcome to the club young, buck. Simplicity, quailty. Over quantity, excessiveness. We also go to bed early 😅

[davetbassbos]

The Schrader over Presta decision alone deserves a Nobel Prize, lol! I personally prefer a racy feel, but it's great this guy is out there and has been able to sustain this business, cheers!

[johnseely]

I'm not any sort of of a hard core bicycle rider but recently bought a Jones LWB which I love. I'm 67 years old, just over 6 feet tall and weigh just under 200lbs. Based on advice from Jeff Jones, I bought a medium frame. I did go with the 2.8 inch "Speedster" tires to keep the noise to a miniumm on the pavement. Before the Jones, I rode a low end steel drop bar road bike which I used mainly for bike commuting and long organized rides like the Seattle-To-Porrtland. I wanted a more comfortable bike that had room for rear panniers that my size 15 feet wouldn't hit, a much more upright riding position to get my weight off my increasingly arthritic thumb joints and tires that could handle poor road/trail conditions as found on the Palouse-to-Cascades bike trails. So, ordering the Jones was a real leap of faith for me (I had never even seen one before). I'm not disappointed. It is the first bike I've had that is suitable for leisurely rides through the woods and for long road rides at a touring pace as well. What I've appreciated most is the ablity this bike has of handling changes in terrain. I was forced off the road the other day and I surely would of crashed in the ditch had I been riding my skinny tired road bike, but with the Jones, I just rode it up and back out of the ditch and back onto the road. Thanks, Jeff Jones, for building these all around great bikes!

[raceface]

I met jeff in 2003 here in Southern Oregon. I took studio photography pictures for his bikes for his website. I rode many of his bikes and have witnessed first hand his progression into building the perfect bike. He was truly ahead of the curve, and you're right he does think outside of the box. We still keep in touch and ride together from time to time on the great trails in the Pacific Northwest. I currently own 3 Jones.

[FER_DARKO]

I must confess: I've wanted a Jones titanium frame since its firsts models appeared.

[lavapix]

I've only ever ridden hardtails. Been mountain biking since 1990.

[aldenzane]

I ride a Reynolds steel GUNNAR ROCK HOUND custom HARD TAIL, (29"x 2.3" with MAGURA/SHIMANO disks brakes) fitted with a GATES belt drive (which I have on all my bikes) Rohloff speedhub14, & FOX 34 forks. It is fitted with JONES H-BARS which I really like. I live & ride the central sierras & have sold all my full suspension bikes.

[chuckrodgers]

Can’t wait for the actual test, I have been dreaming of a Jones and have been hoping you would get your hands on one . As always best wished to you, Tess and Little Dusty.

[erik-gd]

I sold all of my full squish and bling bikes and kept the budget hardtail parts bike and I have never had more fun--this bike always brings a smile!

[donaldphillips]

I have had one for the last several years, an SWB medium. It is definitely a quiver killer. The only bikes I have left are my Surley Long Haul Trucker and my Surley Ice Cream Truck. All my other bikes have been sold or are in the process of being sold. I mostly ride my Jones, and am keeping the other two for long tours and for the snow. Can't beat the Jones!

[tonymartin]

Love my SWB! I’ve commented on it before, and I always feel like spreading the love about it. It’s hard to buy one without trying it first, but I’m so glad I did.

[chrisc]

4:03 If you rename to "rigid party" you might get an entirely different demographic of followers

[chrisfyb]

Been dying to own a Jones. I think it'd fit my life very well. It can do it all, looks infinitely comfy and playful.

[TheHuester]

Thanks so much Steve for reviewing this bike reviewer. I’ve been aware of the Jones bikes for awhile but I’ve never seen a review by someone other than the business owner that I could trust .
They always seemed interesting to me.
I remember doing a little test ride years ago on a Kona Unit and for lack of a better term it just felt so organic.
Something about it made me feel like a little kid again. I was probably in my late 50’s then . Now I’m 73 .
Thanks again and I’ll be excited to see your ride review.

[shannonwade]

I’ve been waiting a long time for your review of these. So excited to see your ride videos!

[johna]

I love someone who challenges the idea of what a mountain bike has to be and makes it work well. I don't even think I can call my own bike a mountain bike anymore but I love it and it works for me and where I ride.

[andycooke]

I got a LWB, medium last year. My inseam leaves only 1" to the top tube with 29x3.25 tires. It is a touch big, but stable and surprisingly nimble. Definately a quiver killer if needed, but mostly used as a capable adventure machine. So beautiful too. Light blue, I've nicknamed it "Babe" after Paul Bunyan's bestie.

[shaunroach]

Wow what a great first look of the Jones bike!!! Great job being so descriptive talking about this bike. No doubt how you describe it bucks the regular trends and insinuating that it has the potential to be a Swiss Army knife of bikes really pumps up the anticipation of the review video!!! Can’t wait to see you on the trails with it and describe how it rides!!!

[DavidMaruca_]

I love it. I hate it. It intrigues me to no end lmao.

I can’t wait to see you do a ride review on this, what a unique machine!