It’s been a while coming, but there’s a new Ti Spaceframe bike from Jones – the new Jones Titanium Spaceframe Plus LWB. While there was already a titanium Jones Plus frame, the development of the spaceframe – the Jones particular look (and performance) – took longer due to the complexity.
These new Ti frames are made in Taiwan, from a specialist builder that Jones says “has far surpassed anything we’ve gotten elsewhere.”
The Spaceframe design allows the frame to flex vertically for comfort, while remaining torsionally stiff, with the precise handling and light weight of the signature Truss Fork to make the most of titanium’s inherent flex, durability, and light weight. This all comes together to create a very special bicycle.
The frameset combines Jeff’s Spaceframe design—which allows the frame to flex vertically for comfort, while remaining torsionally stiff—with the precise handling and light weight of his Truss Fork to make the most of titanium’s inherent flex, durability, and light weight.
Jones Bikes says “While every new frameset Jeff has designed over the years has been a step forward, this is one that he’s been wanting to make for a long time, and it really represents the pinnacle of his thinking and work on how to make a high-performance, non-suspension bicycle.”
We know that Jones bikes are very much a Marmite thing among riders, but the ones we’ve tested have surprised us with their capability. Existing Jones riders are fanatical in their support of this unconventional looking design. There’s noticeable vertical ‘give’ in the suspension and when ridden as a unit with the matching fork and Jones’ distinctive H-bars, the resultant ride is impressively capable.
Jeff Jones was one of the first bike companies to really try to push the whole tyre volume thing, even before ‘Plus’ was a thing and the first test bike we had in, a decade ago, featured wide 2.4 Ardents on a similarly wide, tubeless rim for some impressive traction.
Now the hard part – a complete frame and fork will cost you around US$4,550. And by the time the bike is imported into the UK, the distributor, Biff, reckons that it’ll be a pound for dollar conversion – so don’t expect much change from £4.5 grand. Blame the weak pound.
If you want to find out more behind Jeff’s thoughts on the whole bike development, check out the Jones Bikes Blog
And here are a couple of bikes built-up so you can see how that fork fits in with the frame and headset.
The post £4500 for a hardtail and rigid fork? Jeff Jones reckons the Spaceframe Plus LWB is worth it. Do you? appeared first on Singletrack Magazine.