Jones Loop bars review

Jones loop bars.

I'd been interested in these strange shaped bars for years. Jones as a brand pops up on my radar now and then, yet I'd not seen either frame or bars in real life. A chance meeting of a fellow cyclist just before Christmas set me straight; he was using a set and found them comfy. So, that's what I ordered from my wife for my present; a set of Jones loop bars, in alloy, black.

Of course things are never that easy. The bars were for my fat bike. That sported 35mm bars and stem. Necessitated a new stem to fit the Jones. No spare, so buy one. Ended up with Hope and their horrid graphics. So they had to be painted. I'd also ordered in some ESI foam grips. Naturally on-line the company were English. The confirmation e-mail suggested Chinese, as did the three week wait. They'll be the genuine thing then.....

So, fitting. Easy as normal bars really. Fit stem, fit bars, fit brakes and gears, push on counterfeit ESI grips. Oh and wrap the remainder of the bars in cork tape.....


Naturally orange everything was in order.


How do they ride?

There is a strangeness to them, fair play. They are solid feeling for a start. Fit them and the front of the bike takes on a different personality. This is not helped by the weight; half a kilo.

Yup, half a kilo.

Your hands are now in a mad position somewhere near your hips. I had to play with my saddle to get things right, and even now think it too low. This even though the bars are more like flats, being way low compared to risers.

In terms of steering they are fine. Things get technical my hands migrate to the ends of the bars for maximum leverage. Of course now the brakes and gear shifters are now out of reach, so you have to develop a slightly different mindset; no more comfort braking.

I'm still playing with positioning, as there is a slight discomfort on my palms and on climbs my upper body seems to get more of a workout than I'm used to.

On a recent ride my mate kept looking at them, so we swapped bikes. He rode off whilst I sat there, bemused. His bars seemed to bend forwards. How odd. I've ridden dropped bars, flat ones, risers and even bullmoose, for over 40 years. One month on the Jones and normal bars feel really, really weird.

My mate? Didn't like the Jones at all. Indeed anybody that rides my bike says they don't get the bars at all.


So there you go.

They are heavy, and in the UK expensive at £130 for basic alloy. The people who have tried mine didn't like them. It's taking me ages to find a totally comfortable position. I'd not fit them to any other bike.

Yet....

Yet they suit the bike, they seem to suit me, and I'm happy with them. I'm guessing you have to buy into Jones theory of life right from the off to get the idea behind why they exist, otherwise bit of a tough sell.

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