I have something called M-Wave Double Bars. Shape is similar to Jones H-bar, but also significantly cheaper. I find them comfortable and providing enough control, even on rugged trails (perhaps also thanks to extra long ESI chunky silicone grips), with some limitations only in very steep downhill sections (where the large sweep might mean somewhat less ideal support in "leaning" against the bars). Not planning to change them anytime soon (even as I have switched to this model from more traditional MTB bars, so I have that experience to compare).
I have an M-Wave Double Bar as well, it's identical with the Cinelli Double Trouble and 'nearly' identical with the On-One Geoff Bar they are made by the exact same OEM but the M-Wave/Cinelli is 660mm and On-One opted for 720mm. They are a Jones H-Bar copy with the same ergonomics. I opted for the M-Wave because it cost me a quarter of a Jones SG and is as well cheaper than a Cinelli branded one. I use them on a touring bike with Ergon grips (before I used a flat bar with 12° sweep + Ergon GP5) and will put one on my Surly Pugsley as well. I had some problems with my hands + wrists and those are gone.
Great utility bar, running ergo grips for comfort and considering some mini inner bar ends which are supposed to have a "on the hoods" roadie feel. Found the Sonder bar plenty wide enough 👍
You just are in time for me. I am ordering (trying to) order a sonder bikepacking bicycle. I was in the market for a jones H bar but I can “only” order the sonder Confucius bar. Thank you for the explanation!!
I've enjoyed my sonder bars for about 18 months now on my giant fathom. Which i use for bike packing. I did put some Ergon grips on mine as well. Which work fine for me. I bought these after seeing your Jones bars, which were out if my price range ! Happy Riding !
Great choice! Really liking the look of your rig. I work for a Cargo bike courier firm in London and we run a fleet of Urban Arrow XL. I've retrofitted all of them with the Sonder Confucius over the last 12 months. The loop is wicked for all accessories plus it feels way more playful and fun compared to the classic dutch style bars that come stock with the Urban Arrows
Thanks for the review, i just bought the sonder Confucius! I am on pretty rough terrain and don't want to loose any control for downhill riding. I am excited for the extra cockpit space!
If you're having a bit of wrist trouble with the Confucius, I'd recommend something like the Ergon GA3 - it gives a much appreciated wee bit of extra support but without being too big and awkward for technical trail riding. I've currently got a set of Sonder flat bars on my Dial, but definitely considering putting a Confucius on for bikepacking trips, especially given the price is pretty attractive.
I also have a 2018 bombtrack adv and the tire size is a problem to be honest but I am in love with the 3.00 tire... Although here in Spain it is still possible to get it, I have two brandy new Maxxis Minion DHR units saved because I also think that in the future they can only be obtained from the United States... Even so, it seems strange to me that you can't get them from Bontrager or WTB... I'm watching all your videos, which I love, I want to go to the highlands for a month in the summer... a hug from Spain, you got a friend Every time you come to visit our famous routes of montañas vacías or spanish badlands.
i’m currently using velo orange crazy bars which i’ve modified but do use those bars and you can use bars ends on the insides for another position,i do have others with different sweeps and stem combos 🙂👍🏻
One thing that affects the sense of control is handlebar reach, you should use slightly longer stem for Jones, now your hands are positioned in line with the steering axle, whereas Sonder goes in front of that - makes a big difference for the leverage. I've used both kind of bars from On*One, names "Geoff" and "Mickey Love" and have experimented with those.
@@todd92371 With Jones Bar I'd go easily with 120mm on 6° stem (or equivalent, if rise is preferred). I have ~120mm reach (130mm at 20°) for my On*One Geoff and it feels like a perfect solution, though the reach is slightly shorter to Jones's, but I prefer to lean ahead some aka have somewhat 'aggressive' riding position. Jones has particularly long reach from the bar ends to the stem mounting point, so even longer than 120mm could be of use since the further ahead you lean, the more stable the steering due to the pressure you put out on the bar from behind. Confucius is basically a flat bar and automatically goes further ahead of the steering axle according to the stem length thus making it more stable, while Jones's long structural reach negates the stem length greatly, hence longer stem in relation to that is advisable to gain better stability.
Had mine on for 6 months now after swapping out from drop bars and I'm getting on great with them. Ergo grips and no inner bar ends yet but Giant Ergo Contact drilled out will fit perfect, as on my full sus. A bar bag fits better too with these bars. Keep on riding.
I've always thought the jones bars looked like they would be hard work on rough trails. I have a couple of riding buddies who ride klunker style bikes and use moto / bmx bars. They have quite a bit of bar real estate and rise. They are on my to try list this year.
Useful review, thanks. Just wondering if you considered the Selcof Expedition Bars. They look very similar to the Confusious Bars so maybe we're on your radar?
I bet you go back to the Jones bar ,I've tried 8 different bars & always go back to the Jones 2.5 . I find the grips my Ake a huge difference I use the Jones H Kraton grips ,& the brakes are tight up against the loop ,Exposure supply an insert so you csn fit their bracket on the loop ,just ask them .
I have a cunning plan ! How about exploring bmx bars mounted upside down ? There are probably a million reasons why not but im a tight arse and see loads of choices maybe. Lovely stuff sir
I have something called M-Wave Double Bars. Shape is similar to Jones H-bar, but also significantly cheaper. I find them comfortable and providing enough control, even on rugged trails (perhaps also thanks to extra long ESI chunky silicone grips), with some limitations only in very steep downhill sections (where the large sweep might mean somewhat less ideal support in "leaning" against the bars). Not planning to change them anytime soon (even as I have switched to this model from more traditional MTB bars, so I have that experience to compare).
I have an M-Wave Double Bar as well, it's identical with the Cinelli Double Trouble and 'nearly' identical with the On-One Geoff Bar they are made by the exact same OEM but the M-Wave/Cinelli is 660mm and On-One opted for 720mm. They are a Jones H-Bar copy with the same ergonomics. I opted for the M-Wave because it cost me a quarter of a Jones SG and is as well cheaper than a Cinelli branded one. I use them on a touring bike with Ergon grips (before I used a flat bar with 12° sweep + Ergon GP5) and will put one on my Surly Pugsley as well. I had some problems with my hands + wrists and those are gone.
Great utility bar, running ergo grips for comfort and considering some mini inner bar ends which are supposed to have a "on the hoods" roadie feel. Found the Sonder bar plenty wide enough 👍
Just what I was looking for…Confucius bar, just bought it and a beerbabe bag to fit the loop…glad I saw the review
You just are in time for me. I am ordering (trying to) order a sonder bikepacking bicycle. I was in the market for a jones H bar but I can “only” order the sonder Confucius bar. Thank you for the explanation!!
I've enjoyed my sonder bars for about 18 months now on my giant fathom. Which i use for bike packing. I did put some Ergon grips on mine as well. Which work fine for me. I bought these after seeing your Jones bars, which were out if my price range ! Happy Riding !
Great choice! Really liking the look of your rig. I work for a Cargo bike courier firm in London and we run a fleet of Urban Arrow XL. I've retrofitted all of them with the Sonder Confucius over the last 12 months. The loop is wicked for all accessories plus it feels way more playful and fun compared to the classic dutch style bars that come stock with the Urban Arrows
Thanks for the review, i just bought the sonder Confucius! I am on pretty rough terrain and don't want to loose any control for downhill riding. I am excited for the extra cockpit space!
If you're having a bit of wrist trouble with the Confucius, I'd recommend something like the Ergon GA3 - it gives a much appreciated wee bit of extra support but without being too big and awkward for technical trail riding. I've currently got a set of Sonder flat bars on my Dial, but definitely considering putting a Confucius on for bikepacking trips, especially given the price is pretty attractive.
I also have a 2018 bombtrack adv and the tire size is a problem to be honest but I am in love with the 3.00 tire... Although here in Spain it is still possible to get it, I have two brandy new Maxxis Minion DHR units saved because I also think that in the future they can only be obtained from the United States... Even so, it seems strange to me that you can't get them from Bontrager or WTB... I'm watching all your videos, which I love, I want to go to the highlands for a month in the summer... a hug from Spain, you got a friend Every time you come to visit our famous routes of montañas vacías or spanish badlands.
i’m currently using velo orange crazy bars which i’ve modified but do use those bars and you can use bars ends on the insides for another position,i do have others with different sweeps and stem combos 🙂👍🏻
One thing that affects the sense of control is handlebar reach, you should use slightly longer stem for Jones, now your hands are positioned in line with the steering axle, whereas Sonder goes in front of that - makes a big difference for the leverage. I've used both kind of bars from On*One, names "Geoff" and "Mickey Love" and have experimented with those.
How much longer in your estimation?
@@todd92371 With Jones Bar I'd go easily with 120mm on 6° stem (or equivalent, if rise is preferred). I have ~120mm reach (130mm at 20°) for my On*One Geoff and it feels like a perfect solution, though the reach is slightly shorter to Jones's, but I prefer to lean ahead some aka have somewhat 'aggressive' riding position. Jones has particularly long reach from the bar ends to the stem mounting point, so even longer than 120mm could be of use since the further ahead you lean, the more stable the steering due to the pressure you put out on the bar from behind. Confucius is basically a flat bar and automatically goes further ahead of the steering axle according to the stem length thus making it more stable, while Jones's long structural reach negates the stem length greatly, hence longer stem in relation to that is advisable to gain better stability.
@@cycleistic1365 THANK YOU. :)
Had mine on for 6 months now after swapping out from drop bars and I'm getting on great with them. Ergo grips and no inner bar ends yet but Giant Ergo Contact drilled out will fit perfect, as on my full sus.
A bar bag fits better too with these bars.
Keep on riding.
Nice review Josh, looked at both bars for my new build, settled on the Sonders in the end!
I've always thought the jones bars looked like they would be hard work on rough trails. I have a couple of riding buddies who ride klunker style bikes and use moto / bmx bars. They have quite a bit of bar real estate and rise. They are on my to try list this year.
Thanks for the tips josh, it's nice to see a good honest gear review, cheers.
The frame looking well used (or is it patina) there with the paint worn away. I can see why Ti frames are popular with the bike packing fraternity.
Useful review, thanks.
Just wondering if you considered the Selcof Expedition Bars. They look very similar to the Confusious Bars so maybe we're on your radar?
Thanks for the in depth review .
I bet you go back to the Jones bar ,I've tried 8 different bars & always go back to the Jones 2.5 . I find the grips my Ake a huge difference I use the Jones H Kraton grips ,& the brakes are tight up against the loop ,Exposure supply an insert so you csn fit their bracket on the loop ,just ask them .
I love mine. I wrapped up the whole bar in bar tape. And it has countless hand positions.
Great video! I just put out a video on the Sonder Confucious bar as well. I love the bar. It's super convenient for bikepacking
If you rap the loop add pipe insulation under the tape fix for light mounts etc
What happened re: the head tube? Looks lìke some big repairs.
are you able to climb uphill out of the saddle with the jones bars? the sweep seems awkward
You can actually climb really well with them. You're in a very natural, erect stood up position with your hands naturally by your sides.
Having bike packed with Jones bar it’s absolutely possible to climb as per other comments it’s a great neutral position for long days gravelling
I have a cunning plan ! How about exploring bmx bars mounted upside down ? There are probably a million reasons why not but im a tight arse and see loads of choices maybe.
Lovely stuff sir
The one on Shulz mtb is longer!
👍🏻👍🏻🚴
Aitch