I love how in the the original LWB review you said it was a “non-drop bar drop bar mountain bike for dirt roads and green to easy black single track”, but now you say it’s best for “blue and black trails and more technical aggressive riding”, because I’ve had pretty much the same journey with the bike. I struggled on blue and above single track at first, but after getting a dropper, a Duro Crux on the front, and lot more experience on the bike, I can now handle trails that a large portion of mountain bikers would label as under biking on hardtails or short travel full sus’s. It really is a bike like no other. Also, I implore you to use your semi-insider status with Jones to convince Jeff to make a Jones geometry fat bike. I know that a lot of people, myself included, who would kill for one. I would make a very poor financial decision if he were to release one. Love the review!
Hahaha yeah I went back and watched my original review and while I still agree with it, I definitely hadn’t “unlocked” its full potential. Tire choice is everything with these bikes. Also, funny you say that about the fat bike…I was just thinking the other day how much I would love to be able to fit a fat tire on the rear.
@@RideYearRound Funnily enough, the primary reason(money aside) I haven’t gotten a fat bike is because I’m too spoiled by the extremely comfortable and capable Jones Geometry. Getting a Jones in a way was kind of a curse because all of the other mountain bikes feel too uncomfortable to imagine going back! Since Jones is a smaller company, I wonder if Jeff would consider making a fat bike if enough people asked. The reason he hasn’t probably has something to do with the q-factor, considering how particular he is about bike fit.
@oliverascher213 RSD gets away with an 83mm bottom bracket clearing a 27.5x4 on the Sergeant. I bet if you geared it toward “narrow” fat tires with a bit longer chainstays (more LWB than SWB) you could possibly use a 73mm bottom bracket.
@@RideYearRound I personally don’t have a problem with wide q-factors(as far as I know), I’m just speculating that q-factor issues is why Jeff Jones hasn’t released a fat bike.
Why buy one when you can get two at twice the price! Already a happy Jones LWB rider. Always wanted to try an SWB and now I know what to expect! Thanks!
Thank you for the great reviews and comparison. I am lucky to have both of these bikes but have found them the opposite. My SWB is playful and rowdy on all trails with 27.5 x3 tires. It’s a fantastic commuter with 29x2.5 Surly Extra Terrestrials. The LWB is a fantastic tourer on and off road, but I always prefer it on roads. I wish Jones made tandems!
I can totally see why you say that. If you watch my SWB review I did find it really capable with 27.5x3.25 and even more so with a 29x3.25 up front. It took me a little while to figure out how to ride the LWB on rowdy trails but once I did it definitely suits my riding style more.
I had an additional thought - You really should try putting slicks on your LWB and riding it on road and gravel. Something I realized is that if I know I am going to be on roads or mild gravel I could forgo 29+ tires and their additional mass. I have tried Schwalbe G-One Speed as well as Maxxis Hookworms with great success when riding around town. The difference in speed is mind blowing. So much so I am considering a lighter weight wheelset to go with my slicks. I love riding my LWB on the road so much that I more or less neglect my endurance road bike. It's not nearly as fast, but it makes up for it with comfort and endurance. Not only due to it's comfortable riding position, but because it's riding characteristics reduce a lot of fatigue that builds up over longer trips. Literally the only thing I don't like about my LWB is that it does not fit on most local mass transit options mostly due to wheelbase, so I can't use our local mass transit system as backup. At most it's an occasional inconvenience, but it means there is one thing I cannot do with the LWB that I can do with literally every other bike I've ever owned. This is why I was considering the SWB - set it up as my road assault bike (laugh). Thanks again for the thoughtful comparison and reviews. You gave me a lot to think about!
After having a LWB for a while i now have a SWB coming, both will serve different purposes. LWB for touring/bikepacking and the SWB for SS use and my local tight awkward trails.
Awesome video! Thanks for the comparison! The comfortable riding position makes me want a Jones. Is the upright riding position the same between both bikes? Looking for a comfortable do it all bike: lots of dirt roads, commuting around town, loaded up with a rack for beach trips , beginner level single track (rarely). Any recommendations between the two? Also I’m 6’3 Thanks!
They have a very similar fit, but use case wise I think you’d enjoy the SWB a lot more. Either would work, but the LWB has a more mountain bike feel to it.
Love the content! Especially your jones comparisons. While these are quiver killer bikes, which do you think would compliment a downcountry full sus better as 2nd bike in a two bike stable? Thanks again
I don't love a ton of overlap between my bikes so I'd pick the SWB in your case. Full suspension for all of the mountain biking, SWB for the dirt roads, pavement, and easier trails.
I'm running the LWB HDe (heat treated and a little longer chain stays) without any "e", on the slick tires. Mostly on gravel roads with some paved conections. It has become a quiver killer for me. When I ask myself what bike I want to ride, the answer keeps coming up, "the Jones Bike."
I have an LWB Spaceframe and the standover is actually quite poor. Yes, the top tube is super low, but the bend in the seat tube is up so high that you can't put the seat down very far. A number of times, I've nearly wrecked when jumping off the bike because the seat was so high my foot hit it. Honestly, it is a major letdown for me because it makes technical riding much more dangerous than it could be if they just left the seat tube straight.
@@RideYearRound I can say that the rear end has some give. The long, small diameter, exposed seatpost and unsupported length of seat tube allow quite a bit of flex- you can see it just leaning against the seat. Also, the seatstays have a profile where they're flattened on the top and bottom, which also gives some compliance. Can't compare to a diamond Jones as I've not ridden one, but there is some give on the Spaceframe.
I love how in the the original LWB review you said it was a “non-drop bar drop bar mountain bike for dirt roads and green to easy black single track”, but now you say it’s best for “blue and black trails and more technical aggressive riding”, because I’ve had pretty much the same journey with the bike. I struggled on blue and above single track at first, but after getting a dropper, a Duro Crux on the front, and lot more experience on the bike, I can now handle trails that a large portion of mountain bikers would label as under biking on hardtails or short travel full sus’s. It really is a bike like no other. Also, I implore you to use your semi-insider status with Jones to convince Jeff to make a Jones geometry fat bike. I know that a lot of people, myself included, who would kill for one. I would make a very poor financial decision if he were to release one. Love the review!
Hahaha yeah I went back and watched my original review and while I still agree with it, I definitely hadn’t “unlocked” its full potential. Tire choice is everything with these bikes. Also, funny you say that about the fat bike…I was just thinking the other day how much I would love to be able to fit a fat tire on the rear.
@@RideYearRound Funnily enough, the primary reason(money aside) I haven’t gotten a fat bike is because I’m too spoiled by the extremely comfortable and capable Jones Geometry. Getting a Jones in a way was kind of a curse because all of the other mountain bikes feel too uncomfortable to imagine going back! Since Jones is a smaller company, I wonder if Jeff would consider making a fat bike if enough people asked. The reason he hasn’t probably has something to do with the q-factor, considering how particular he is about bike fit.
@oliverascher213 RSD gets away with an 83mm bottom bracket clearing a 27.5x4 on the Sergeant. I bet if you geared it toward “narrow” fat tires with a bit longer chainstays (more LWB than SWB) you could possibly use a 73mm bottom bracket.
@@RideYearRound I personally don’t have a problem with wide q-factors(as far as I know), I’m just speculating that q-factor issues is why Jeff Jones hasn’t released a fat bike.
Why buy one when you can get two at twice the price!
Already a happy Jones LWB rider. Always wanted to try an SWB and now I know what to expect! Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome comparison! These are the details I've been looking for.
Thank you for the great reviews and comparison. I am lucky to have both of these bikes but have found them the opposite. My SWB is playful and rowdy on all trails with 27.5 x3 tires. It’s a fantastic commuter with 29x2.5 Surly Extra Terrestrials. The LWB is a fantastic tourer on and off road, but I always prefer it on roads. I wish Jones made tandems!
I can totally see why you say that. If you watch my SWB review I did find it really capable with 27.5x3.25 and even more so with a 29x3.25 up front. It took me a little while to figure out how to ride the LWB on rowdy trails but once I did it definitely suits my riding style more.
I had an additional thought - You really should try putting slicks on your LWB and riding it on road and gravel.
Something I realized is that if I know I am going to be on roads or mild gravel I could forgo 29+ tires and their additional mass. I have tried Schwalbe G-One Speed as well as Maxxis Hookworms with great success when riding around town. The difference in speed is mind blowing. So much so I am considering a lighter weight wheelset to go with my slicks.
I love riding my LWB on the road so much that I more or less neglect my endurance road bike. It's not nearly as fast, but it makes up for it with comfort and endurance. Not only due to it's comfortable riding position, but because it's riding characteristics reduce a lot of fatigue that builds up over longer trips.
Literally the only thing I don't like about my LWB is that it does not fit on most local mass transit options mostly due to wheelbase, so I can't use our local mass transit system as backup. At most it's an occasional inconvenience, but it means there is one thing I cannot do with the LWB that I can do with literally every other bike I've ever owned.
This is why I was considering the SWB - set it up as my road assault bike (laugh).
Thanks again for the thoughtful comparison and reviews. You gave me a lot to think about!
I definitely need to give them a shot. I’m sure they make a big difference because it was noticeable how quick they were on the SWB.
They’re both cool rigid bikes, great review.
Excellent overview. Thanks.
After having a LWB for a while i now have a SWB coming, both will serve different purposes. LWB for touring/bikepacking and the SWB for SS use and my local tight awkward trails.
Awesome video! Thanks for the comparison! The comfortable riding position makes me want a Jones.
Is the upright riding position the same between both bikes? Looking for a comfortable do it all bike: lots of dirt roads, commuting around town, loaded up with a rack for beach trips , beginner level single track (rarely). Any recommendations between the two? Also I’m 6’3
Thanks!
They have a very similar fit, but use case wise I think you’d enjoy the SWB a lot more. Either would work, but the LWB has a more mountain bike feel to it.
@ thanks!
Oh man, if only they would be available in Europe ... I would buy the purple LWB in a split second. Even though I have 2 Salsa Fargo's.
Yeah it’s definitely a forever bike for me.
Love the content! Especially your jones comparisons. While these are quiver killer bikes, which do you think would compliment a downcountry full sus better as 2nd bike in a two bike stable? Thanks again
I don't love a ton of overlap between my bikes so I'd pick the SWB in your case. Full suspension for all of the mountain biking, SWB for the dirt roads, pavement, and easier trails.
I'm running the LWB HDe (heat treated and a little longer chain stays) without any "e", on the slick tires. Mostly on gravel roads with some paved conections. It has become a quiver killer for me. When I ask myself what bike I want to ride, the answer keeps coming up, "the Jones Bike."
Havent seen a space frame with unicrown fork
Good point, I don’t think I have either!
199 Howell Lodge
are they both the same size frames? Thanks
Yep they were both mediums
@@RideYearRound Thanks
Buy the Steve Jones
That big offet fork really suites the bike with the loop bar. HWHAHA an xc bike with rigid fork and loop bar looks ugly af 😂
I have an LWB Spaceframe and the standover is actually quite poor. Yes, the top tube is super low, but the bend in the seat tube is up so high that you can't put the seat down very far. A number of times, I've nearly wrecked when jumping off the bike because the seat was so high my foot hit it. Honestly, it is a major letdown for me because it makes technical riding much more dangerous than it could be if they just left the seat tube straight.
Thanks for sharing your experience on it. I’d be interested in seeing how different the ride feel is.
@@RideYearRound
I can say that the rear end has some give. The long, small diameter, exposed seatpost and unsupported length of seat tube allow quite a bit of flex- you can see it just leaning against the seat. Also, the seatstays have a profile where they're flattened on the top and bottom, which also gives some compliance. Can't compare to a diamond Jones as I've not ridden one, but there is some give on the Spaceframe.