Jones Plus

There are those that go with the grain, and there are those that do not. Jones Bikes combines passion, knowledge, and trial and error to make an overall better ride. Jeff Jones has been fabricating and designing bikes for years now, and one thing we have learned about him is that he is a dictionary of bike knowledge, and always a pleasure to talk to. Just before Interbike, Jones Bikes released photos and info on the Jones Plus, a bike that he has been working on since 2009. Originally named the Long Ranger, this bike was made for long days in the saddle, bikepacking trips, or just an overall comfortable ride. Jeff understands the comfort that goes into the design of a bike, and yet again has made that his primary focus in entering the 29+ game.

Jeff wants to make sure people understand that this is not a stretched out Jones 29er. He has spent hours tirelessly testing out the geometry and fit to make the Jones Plus perfect. From the looks of it, the original Long Ranger has gone through a few transformations before the final product – a single tube-top tube, different from the Long Ranger and his popular Spaceframe. The bike is made out of steel, and simply painted in black. Like all Jones Bikes, he went with a long wheelbase and a more slack seat tube angle, this creates a smooth ride, where you ride ‘in’ the bike. He mentions falling is a waste of time, even if you are a non-technical rider, this bike is very stable overall – eating up anything in front of it.

“You ride very much in this bike. There’s no roughness, no “I’m gonna crash” sensation or fears. It’s just smooth! And it climbs. If you stand there’s no wheelie. It’s planted. It delivers excellent traction and a huge sweetspot (and I don’t mean the tire contact area – I’m talking about the big space for the rider to move around (in the bike) and still have their position, the grip and the power transfer working for them).”

The Jones Plus frame is built around the Jones Truss Fork, a unique fork that is supposed to allow comfort, precise handling, and prevent break shutter. The rear triangle and fork far exceed the 3.0 tire clearance, giving ample space to prevent chain slap. He also made use of the eccentric bottom bracket to dial in the fit around different wheel diameters or riders height/inseams. I did get to hop on the bike inside the LAB room at Interbike quickly. The first thing that I noticed was how long the bike was and it gave me a feeling of comfort. When I wanted to turn, it was snappy and quick to do so. It also was quick to respond once I applied pressure to the cranks. The geometry put me upright, and the H-bars made for a comfortable position where I could imagine riding for a very long time. The Jones Plus comes in two sizes, a 24” and 25” which is the effective measurement of the top tube. Also available are frame bags for the large front triangle. Jones works with Porcelain Rocket on all of the bikepacking bags for his bikes. Jones Bikes also recently announced the production of Carbon H-bars. Maybe the most popular product on the Jones line, the H-bars give you endless hand positions – going back to how important comfort is to Jeff. The bars are also available in aluminum and titanium. Want to see how the Jones Plus handles, check out this overnighter jeff went on recently.