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Jones steel diamond frame or Canfield Nimble 9

12K views 48 replies 23 participants last post by  Slow Danger 
#1 ·
I know they're not directly comparable - however, having got a Paradox I am appreciating the slacker ha/short stays in woodsy, rooty singletrack. I am going to keep my O-O ti 29er for longer days/endurance events and have a second bike to cover same riding as paradox.

Paradox is great but riding it exclusively ss and would prefer steel so Nimble 9 the obvious choice. However strangely tempted by the production Jones diamond frame. It's geometry is meant to be great for that type of riding - difficult getting ride reports though.

N9 I would run with my current Rebas, obviously Jones rigid (very used to rigid as all I've ridden until recently).

Any thoughts?
 
#2 ·
Clink said:
I know they're not directly comparable - however, having got a Paradox I am appreciating the slacker ha/short stays in woodsy, rooty singletrack. I am going to keep my O-O ti 29er for longer days/endurance events and have a second bike to cover same riding as paradox.

Paradox is great but riding it exclusively ss and would prefer steel so Nimble 9 the obvious choice. However strangely tempted by the production Jones diamond frame. It's geometry is meant to be great for that type of riding - difficult getting ride reports though.

N9 I would run with my current Rebas, obviously Jones rigid (very used to rigid as all I've ridden until recently).

Any thoughts?[/QUOT

Thats a tough one. I have been looking at those same frames and I am going with the nimble 9 due to its adaptability with different forks and better single speed tensioning system IMO. The Jones would be cool too though.
 
#9 ·
Clink said:
Any thoughts?
I think both are cool bikes.

Thoughts/differences: (am assuming the geometry on the Nimble 9 will be the same as the Yelli Screamy with the exception of shorter stays.)

The Jones is non-suspension corrected and you will need to ride it rigid only. It will work best with the Jones fork since it has the correct offset although I guess some production 26" forks would also fit it, they have at least 10-17mm less offset and that will change things significantly in the steering dept. Anyway, you will need to purchase a Jones frame and fork which is $750 for the diamond with two blade fork, and $1100 for the diamond and truss fork. In addition, the Jones fork only uses 135mm spacing on the front hub, so you will also be paying for a new front wheel. The fork can either take a 29", or fat front set up.

If you compare both bikes ridden rigid, I believe the longer head tube and shorter fork A-C used on the Jones means it will be less flexy (all things equal) than the shorter HT, longer fork legs on the Nimble 9. I bounced on a Jones with truss fork in a parking lot and it was pretty impressive in the stiffness department.

Jones only comes in one size, 23" ETT. He also uses a slacker STA. This means that for a given ETT, Reach will be less. When sitting the bike will feel equivalent to a small Nimble 9, but when standing, the Nimble 9 will be roomier.

Nimble 9: you can pick your geometry based on fork length and they will take pretty much any 29" corrected rigid fork or suspension fork.

Jones chainstays are nearly an inch longer.

Jones wheelbase will be about the same as a medium Nimble 9, but the Nimble 9 will have your weight a little further biased to the rear when standing, and a little more biased toward the front when seated.

If you want to get into a frame cheap and use your other parts for the build with no compatibility issues, go with the Nimble 9.

If you think you will ever want a suspension fork, go Nimble 9.

If you want a fine dedicated rigid bike, and don't care about paying at least twice as much to get into it (frame + fork + wheel), go Jones.

If you have the cash, get both and report back.:D

PS: as an addendum, my By:Stickel has near identical geometry to the Nimble 9 and it rides great.
 
#11 ·
Seems risky to buy a Jones. It's a package deal, and if you don't like part of the package you basically have to sell the whole bike, or learn to adapt over time. I would have to demo one first for sure. The last time I bought a "whole package" type of bike it turned out bad. I like being able to swap parts and configure a set up that works for me. One frame size, one fork, one handlebar, and one build for everyone.:skep:
 
#12 ·
"Risky" one of my all-time favorite words. The main reason I went with the Jones is because it is nearly exactly the dimensions a custom would be for me. Aqua is 6'400" or something and he rides one with a 23" ETT, he has a custom Jones and a Wolfhound as well. I really don't have a frame of reference for how it works because mine is not here yet. It would be hard for me to buy the concepts if the frame was not exactly the size I need.
Isaac
 
#14 ·
edgerat said:
"Risky" one of my all-time favorite words. The main reason I went with the Jones is because it is nearly exactly the dimensions a custom would be for me. Aqua is 6'400" or something and he rides one with a 23" ETT, he has a custom Jones and a Wolfhound as well. I really don't have a frame of reference for how it works because mine is not here yet. It would be hard for me to buy the concepts if the frame was not exactly the size I need.
Isaac
Awesome. Which bars are you going with?
 
#15 ·
I took a leap of faith and bought a Ti Spaceframe (Merlin) - no regrets here :D It rides very well. The steel geo is the same - so the ride will be very similar.....I would have thought. I nearly bought a Steel Diamond but there was not enough standover. I'd go for a Steel Diamond with a truss fork.

One question -can you get 2.55" tyres into the nimble 9 ?
 
#17 ·
I am 5'6" in stocking feet with a 30" inseam. My favorite fitting bikes are the small-size Niner's and after a couple different fittings over the years I have determined that 23" ETT is perfect for me. My beef with the Niner was BB height, and I always felt like I was WAY off the ground on the really technical trails with tight switch-backs. The Jones has a low BB of 11.5"(if I remember right) and that should help with that high feeling.

I have a couple different bars to test out. I ordered the loop bar in aluminium, a black sheep mountain mustache at 29" with 32mm of rise, and then several standard bars from 30" and down with as much rise as 50mm down to flat. I am really hoping that this bike is everything that Jeff says it is. I want to develop a kind of relationship with a bike and not keep shuffling through bikes every month or so. I plan on running the 2.55 Weirwolf on the back and the phatty on the front with a Larry.
Since June I have been through the following bikes:
Norco Faze (100mm full sus)
Niner Air9
Niner Jet9
VooDoo Soukri
Salsa Ala Carte(setup as a 650b SS rigid)
Lynskey Ridgeline rigid SS
Norco Fluid 1

The Jet9 is the only bike I wish I hadn't sold. If I cross my fingers any harder for the Spaceframe to work, I will probably break my fingers. :)

To come back full circle, I think if you plan on running rigid the Jones would be the hot setup, if you want more of an AM 29er the Canfield would be a better choice. That being said, I have never ridden either of them but, this is what I gather just looking at the geo of them.
Isaac
 
#24 ·
Thread resurrection!

Having bought a Yelli Screamy I'm sold on slack ha/short chainstay thing.

But the Y-S is 1x9 and I miss ss. So back to Nimble 9/Jones comparison. Thinking of the N9 with a 480mm Singular steel fork, BUT intrigued by any ride reports on the production Jones diamond frame. Jones seems heavy too.
 
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