JONES BIKES H-Bar Loop 710 Carbon – By c_g
Since our initial impressions of the very unusual JONES H-Bar in the fancy and extremely lightweight carbon version, a whole month has passed. That month has seen all the use on the PIVOT LES. Accordingly, I can say that the H JONES bar got more than just a fair chance with me to get used to it before I passed judgement.
The various hand positions this bar provides, while initially unfamiliar, have become more and more normal in the course of time and in the final testing phase is something I seldom think about during a ride, although I do use the full range of options depending on the terrain.
At first I was skeptical about how the brake lever has only one position and was therefore not accessible from any hand placement along the grip. Interestingly, this has hardly had a negative impact. For simple trail sections in between more demanding areas, it is sufficient to keep one finger on the lever. Only in the rearmost position of all will not get you more purchase on the brake lever, but more on that later. The whole hand position of the front loop on the H-bars was deemed to be not for trail use under normal circumstances – but I can well imagine that it makes sense for long road stages or over vast, smooth dirt stretches with headwind. For my local forest trails, the most forward hand position was too extreme and that should not be a surprise to anyone.
Overall, the JONES H-Bar makes a lot of sense because of the diverse grip positions which can be used on long trips, relieving the body from one hand position, .
The very extreme bend of a 45 ° sweepback has not bothered me after I got used to it, even when I added the bar to the last test phase on my Rocky Mountain Instinct trail bike. I also have to say, as a counterpoint, that I never found it better than the 20 ° bend of the ANSWER 20/20 or 12 ° angled SYNTACE bars that I’ve previously used, but at least it has never really bothered me or affected the handling.
What did bother me was the limited steering lock to lock range. Depending on the crank position, the legs and the handlebar can argue over the same space in technical sections, especially in uphill switchbacks and when turning sharply. I was often forced to dismount. More than once I’ve been thinking to shorten the 710 mm width to something less by trimming 3-4 cm off the handlebar, where I would only lose the the grip position that I have used least of all.
Even before I got the bar for the test, I had a long conversation with Jeff Jones in which I gave him my exact body measurements and the geometry of the bike they would be mounted on. He said that I should try, instead of the current 80mm stem in use something more along the lines of a 50 mm tiller.
However, even after long rides with that 50mm stem, I never got comfortable with it. That’s why I went back to the previous stem.
At another point, Jeff Jones may well be right and that is regarding the handlebar height in relation to the saddle height. On the PIVOT Less it was about equal, but the with move to the Rocky Mountain I wanted to try something and I installed the H-Bar with a -15 mm Rise. The consequence was that I was constantly riding with a lot of weight on the wrists which nearly eliminated the multiple hand position benefits. No matter how many times I changed the hand position, I experienced numb fingers. It was only when I turned the handlebars back to level with the saddle did the various grip positions came back into use and the long-range character of the H-Bar was restored.
Test Conclusion: In summary, the JONES H-Bar Loop 710 Carbon has upsides as well as downsides. When it comes to long rides, mostly on less technical trails where one is more likely to emphasize the touring experience, then the H-Bar, if you have it set correctly, is a prime example of ergonomics and comfort , As already said about the Lauf Trail Racer fork – if I would ever attempt the Tour Divide, the JONES H-Bar would be my first choice for that event. Through the various options of build material Jones offers, one can easily choose the right model for his needs and budget.
The Jones H Bar Carbon, on my typically technical/rough forest trails, was seldom bad but the fact remains that I have never found it better than other bars either, and together with the restricted steering issues, was not a convincer for me. Jeff’s prediction that I would buy the H-Bar handlebar after the test will not play out to be true.
In short – at present I see the JONES H-Bar therefore as a prime alternative for long tours and moderate trail conditions, but would not necessarily recommend it for the aggressive all-mountain or even enduro rider with most technical trails.
RIDE ON,
c_g
Note: Jones sent over the H Bar for test/review at no charge to Twenty Nine Inches-DE. We are not being paid nor bribed for this review and we will strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.
Is this the first article about the carbon Jones Bar? I do not see a link to the initial impressions. What is cost and weight?
Thanks.
Thanks for the review.
I used the Titec H-Bar for a year. It took a few rides before my body got used to the new setup (had muscle aches for a while), but eventually loved it on the SS. Over time, I found the sweep a bit too much and have now moved to the Ragley Carnegie’s, which I love. Other major negatives of the H-Bar were the weight (heaviest bar I owned) and the harshness (harshest I’ve owned, even though it had a 25.4-mm clamp area).
The intro of the carbon version has piqued my interest in this again, especially since I only own 1 bike which I use for everything. I’m also eyeing the Answer 20/20 but the extra hand positions of the H-Bar would prove useful for long pavement sections.
I’ve always wondered how the H-Bar would fare on a suspended trail bike. Great to see you tried it on the FS bike. Interesting to note how it performed on switchbacks.
I also found the sweep to be too much on an H-bar. Actually gave me bad elbow pain. I find that the Groovy LUV handle to be perfect for me. The Answer 20/20 is not bad either but not as stiff as I would like.
I would agree that this is not the best bar for aggressive riding, however for a different reason. I love my Al hbar, and have been riding it on my rigid salsa el mariachi for almost 3 years. Most of my riding is moderate trail/ST in the east bay hills, with road mixed in to connect trail and open space systems (3-6 hr rides). Great use for this bar. But once the going gets steep, fast, and technical your hands tend to slowly slide up the bar (rigid fork is also a culprit), resulting in thumbs getting pressed against the shifter levers. Given this downside, I still choose to ride them due to the variety of hand positions and overall comfort. Riding the road or smooth fire road in the forward hand positions or even with forearms resting on the bar (mine are fully taped) is a nice feature for my mixed terrain riding style.