Though if you're trying to channel Rik from "The Young Ones" you're doing a great job:
Secondly, now that I'm back from Bentonville I find myself under great pressure, as I must audition all of my bicycles in order to determine which one gets to come on vacation with me. Now, I know what you're thinking:
"Vacation? Please. You're whole life is a vacation!"
And of course you're right, it is. However, my wife's whole life isn't a vacation, and if you insist on accuracy then let's say it's her vacation and I get to tag along. Be that as it may, the fact remains that deciding which of my many bicycles to bring is HARD WORK, and to that end today I auditioned the Jones Plus LWB Complete:
My ride was a leisurely jaunt up the Old Croton Aqueduct, then a quick turn through some quasi-secret suburban singletrack before heading back home. I do continue to stand by my horse/wild boar comparison between this and the SWB, and I ask you to note that I made this comparison well before feral hog memes were cool. I'm also prepared to say that overall I do prefer the LWB to the SWB, in part because I like the way it feels on the road, and in part because it offers better pedal clearance on the trail. But the question remains:
Do I take it on vacation with me?
Pros:
- I can go anywhere on it
- I can ride it in a t-shirt and jorts instead of putting on a bunch of Lycra, which means I can pack lighter
- It's more comfy if I need to run the odd errand
- It's new and new bikes are fun!
Cons:
- What if it rains a lot, I'm relegated to the road the whole time, and I wish I had a road bike with me?
- That's kind of it, really
So yeah, maybe it's not such a hard decision after all:
Then again, I could see myself pining for my new-to-me "forever" bike:
The ride is as smooth as a chamois slathered in lard.
Clearly I have a lot to think about.
27 comments:
No Brooks on the TiBike?
first off, podio?
second, something I've been wondering is: as I recall, ever since you first put the H-bar on ol' piney, the issue has been the Jones gateway drug/slippery slope problem. you quickly went from that H-bar all the way to the SWB complete, and now on to the LWB complete. and those bikes seem pretty great and all, but, it's not like they have a signature Jones truss fork on them. If you actually took full possession of the LWB complete, I would worry that you would need that fork. and also, now being a full on titanium weenie, you might need that truss fork in titanium. and those things aren't cheap.
"I ask you to note that I made this comparison well before feral hog memes were cool."
This here be the cool feral hogs. Don't now what now "meme" is, is de be good eating?
...really... no comments yet? I don't believe it
With an opening like that one simply must go back and find the offending message.
Did. Read. LOL'd. Was thankful it wasn't directed at me. Reflected on my job and professional integrity. Cried a little inside because I've chosen a career path with no good opportunities to sell out.
So what I'm hearing is that your hate isn't pure: https://www.thenation.com/article/remembering-alex/
What difference does a little rain make since neither bike has fenders. Take the Jones, you will be able to ride it just about anywhere.
Which bike depends on where you are going.
Where you are going should determine which bike you bring. If there are trails, bring the Jones.
Well, if you're going to be in the lovely Lake George area again, any trails might be a little far for riding to, even on the Jones, so a ride might entail some auto portaging, which I understand you to be generally not in favor of, plus that leaves the fam kind of stranded. Whereas there is definitely some nice road riding in that vicinity, no car necessary. Plus, who says you can't ride that titanium chariot in Jorts? Of course, if your vacations are anything like mine when the offspring were small, the bike to choose is the best one for accompanying children, I'm guessing the Jones wins that test.
Some guy from upstate,
There are some jeep trails right by us that I tried on the Milwaukee first time I was up there; they were a little too much for that bike but the Jones would probably be perfect. Could also see using the Jones for a Vermont dirt road jaunt.
Then again, yes, you can never go wrong with a road bike, which is why I'm still undecided. (The focus is more on family time than saddle time anyway.)
--Tan Tenovo
if you had sold out to wally world we would know because your garden hose would be much nicer.
as it sits, you have the shimano claris 2400 of garden hoses.
surprised you can even clean anything with that thing.
bro, they sell these light weight hoses now that will knock your socks off. the weight savings is unreal.
sell out to walmart...pffft... thats some real rich shit right there.
Maybe you need to buy a dedicated holiday bike? A gravel bike might be the go. I don't think you have one of those yet?
For peak family time, I find that going out at seven while all are asleep and returning at nine (bringing treats for breakfast) works best.
Hey Snob, any chance you could share this information about the theft of an e-MTB customized for a wheelchair user? Yeah, the thief will burn in hell. More details here: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/328930-Stolen-Adaptive-Bike-in-Calgary
The uncertainty of knowing which bike is best is bringing a bike that does none of it well, but all of it good enough to get by. With three sets of appropriately levered handelbars and the requisite matching tire choices, a TravelersCheck or other suitable canti-studded SNS-enabled diamond frame rigged with downtube shifters, traditional straddle cables and hangers, can morph from a drop bar road bike with 28mm, sorry cough 23mm tires, into a flat bar monstercrosser with 45mm knobbies, to a british style upright with with some midwidth city tires, in less than 5 minutes. It's a bike setup that hits the sweetspot of mediocrity welded to versatility. And vebosity! Or just pack it up with a drop bar & 32mm T-servs, which gets the thing through about 85% of what people ride most places. Some features a person might need to do the ridearounds. The holy grail I currently see out there, maybe one you brought to light here, is the Milwaukee Bicycle Company Fugitive. 68mm bottom bracket, 1 1/8 headset, 27.2 seatpost, QR, clearance for 29 x 2.1, disc brakes. Add SNS. There's the sled.
Bring the SWB Jones and find some steep and narrow : )
Damn northeasterners! Few of them know to use the word 'take' and use 'bring' instead. Figure out which bike to take with you on vacation. When you get there, you'll be glad you took it.
Don at 9:37 - you took the words out of my mouth.
Well, the answer is in your earlier review of the SWB complete. To quote:
"Let's put it this way: If I had a whole week to spend riding, this is the bike I'd choose. One day I'd ride out to the beach, the next I'd go hit some mountain bike trails, the next maybe I'd hop a train and go ride dirt roads, etc. It's that kind of bike."
After your review, I bought one and frankly love it so much (off-road and on-road) that as a non-racer, I'm finding it less and less appealing to go back to being hunched over on my road bike (yes I've fully drunk the Jones Kool-aid). Depending on how technical the trails are, you could try different tires on the Jones. After reading the bikepacking review of the SWB complete you linked to, I have tried the Scwable G-ones 2.8 as I'm finding I'm riding more mixed terrain than just off-road. They are fantastic on the bike.
Angus
What pbateman said...
@Don 9:37am, Like herd animals bring flies with them wherever they go- they don’t take flies with them.
Off topic. Ban cars!
Angus,
I had a week at home in mind when I wrote that as opposed to an out-of-town vacation with the family where I won't be off wandering for hours on hend, but yes, still applicable in a number of ways. Glad you love the bike!
--Tan Tenovo
*end
(what the hell is "hend"?)
Uptight Luddite - herd animals neither take nor bring flies with them. Wherever the herd animals go, flies follow and/or appear.
Are you equating the Snob to a herd animal or a fly?
(Not for publication) You don't say when and where your vaca is going to take place, but if you will be in the Lake George area on the 16th, and want some company on a ride, let me know. We're planning on being in Stony Creek Fri. & Sat. I can ride sny pace, though I no longer hammer, unless I'm riding alone.
sbarner@gmail
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