Jones Bars

We don’t sell Jones bars online. They’re available on complete builds, or if you wander in to the shop only.

Jones bars are one of the uglier bars out there. We only stock the Full Loop bar, which is the second ugliest one they make. It’s not even cool ugly, like a Crust Jungle Runner, or a Vox Phantom VI. But it is functional. If I were heading out on a big bike packing trip, and needed flat bars because of the technicality of the terrain, I’d pick these bars, or maybe the Surly Molokos. If it was hyper technical riding, and I had a suspension fork, I’d definitely pick the Jones bars. Wider, more leverage, lighter weight. If you want a wide, decently light, strong bike packing bar, Jones Full Loop bars are the ticket.

Why not just use a normal bar? Check out our Fatuous Flat Bar Facts.

Ok, now that you’ve turned your old flat bars into a wiffle bat, let’s look at the Jones bars. Lots of back sweep, 700mm wide for plenty of control. These bars are designed for extra long grips, but you don’t need to use them. They’re fine, but Oury’s work too if you don’t want a huge black grip. If you do like the idea of a long grip (to move your hand around more), and you are putting these grips on a bike that’s an all‘rounder, get the rubber Jones grips. The foam ones feel and look cheap, plus they remind one of lawn mower handles. But the foam has a place: winter bikes. It insulates better than the rubber. So if you're sticking these bars on your fat bike, by all means, use the foam grips.

The forward ‘loop’ portion of the bar wants to have handlebar tape. You never are out there for terribly long, so just use some cotton tape, no gel. The loop itself exists for 2 reasons. Hand positions and bag stability. If you have a sleeping bag in a bike packing stuff sack cradle, the loop allows you to really suck the cradle up into the bars, so it’s not bouncing all around. Four points of contact, instead of 2 or 3. For this particular reason, the Jones cut bars are silly. You give up the bag stability. Back to the first reason: hand positions, for this the Jones bend bars are silly. Why have ergonomic bars with only one hand position when you can have 2 or 3, with the full loop bars?

We sell the aluminum butted full loop bar and the straight gauge one. They’re both tough, but the butted one is lighter and cost a bit more. Silver or black.

No, we don’t sell and won’t sell the carbon bars or the Ti bars. Carbon is the worst material you could possibly make a bar out of, and Ti is ridiculously expensive. Put your money into nicer hubs, ceramic bottom bracket bearings, and a nice case of beer for your quasi-friendly-but-mostly-grumpy mechanic.