Fuji Jari gnarmac (n-1)

All of the above STRIFE aside, this bike looks like it'll be a lotta fun!

Argh. Got the front hose threaded through the fork, then went and sheared the head off the barb while removing it from the hose. More LBS rummaging tomorrow..

Internal cable routing is about as fun as they say! Front layering isn't ideal but is workable. Praxis / M30 setup dead easy.

I need to pinch some parts from other bikes to complete (cassette, roadlink, tires) but have to keep one of them intact to get to work next week, so delayed again at least until chain & saddle arrive from Merlin - maybe Monday.

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Maybe next Monday?

Sadly I lost the internet wheel lottery. Rear hub appears to be defective so have to wait for parts or maybe a whole new wheel. Staring at a 90%-built new bike day after day is getting old.

Update: parts didn't fix wheel wobble. Gonna be another few weeks hnnnnngg

New wheel arrived lickety-split and it's a good un, thankfully. I was half afraid it would show the same issue, shifting blame to the frame. Never seen a warped hub shell right from the factory before now..

Might be able to get this thing geared, shod and on the road tomorrow for a test ride.

Bit of space with the 40mm Re-fuses. Hopefully ok with the fenders.. will do that this evening.

Update: sad face. When I first fitted these fenders to a Kona Rove I had to shorten the stays to reach the screw holes.. now they're about half an inch too short to reach the holes on this new frame.

Update update: cashed in my REI credit and a sale 20% off to get some PDW metal city fenders, picking up tomorrow.

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Chain cleaned and waxed (experiment), gears functional (just) and had to shorten a shift cable because the length of it was forcing the bars to an odd angle. But.. rideable at last! Spin around the block before I transfer fenders and rack over to commuter it up.

Otherwise just need to tune the shifting and get that lurid tape on it.

Oh and do a tubeless setup - I put some tubes in just for test ride in case they didn't fit or whatever. Got some of that new Finish Line sealant to use.

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Test ride today went fine, only needed a saddle position tweak. Will soon have a rack on the back and camera bag on the front.

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Nice. What bag will you be using up front for camera duties?

I've got a narrow Ape case that fits my G7x nicely. Going to make a quick elastic strap for attaching the waist loop to the bars - easier to use than the bungees currently employed with it on previous bike.

Second ride, 50 miles 5500 ft 50% dusty dirt roads with a bit of hike-a-bike (and then just plain old hiking to the summit). Handled it like a champ, including 20 mph twisty gravel descent and 40 mph on packed dirt. File-tread tires are a weee bit sketchy in fast corners - but they're super nice on tarmac so I'm keeping them for now.

Still to do:

• go back to tubeless
  
• maybe paint that rack
  
• make a better fitting bag for the rack (canvas fabric ordered)
  

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Prototype rack bag. Could use some kind of thin foam to stiffen the base then will re-make with better fabric & hardware and secure with webbing.

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You could probably elongate the front section up until the seat post. Or was the plan to stay compact?

I'll make this one compact, just 12" long, same as the rack top. Will tweak the end shapes though based on this tester. Should be enough to stuff a light jacket and some food. For overnight trips I've got that weird shaped black bag in the pics above.

I see. Very nice then.

you could probably go a little taller still (and stiffen the whole thing a little with foam) and maybe hide the zipper a little for some resemblance of waterproofing?

True, it could be a couple of inches taller. Can always compress it with a bungee strap. I'll definitely put a larger zipper slide cover - didn't extend it enough on this proto.

I've been thinking about foam but haven't found the right stuff and don't know what to search for. Something low density but stiff, 3-5mm would be ideal. Could maybe bodge it with some pieces of coroplast between the outer and liner but foam would be way nicer and easier to install.

I'd recommend EVA Foam.

It's what the cosplayers use to build their "armor". Lightweight, stiff enough to hold form, easily cut and glued.

And since it's the "new thing" for cosplayers, readily available in a hundred online shops.

Ooh cheers, I see some EVA fairly cheap on ebay. Is that the same as polyethylene foam? PE seems to come in rolls.. looks like what I'm thinking of but would need the stiff sheet type not so flexible.

would neoprene do the job? or is it too heavy / too flexy / not flexy enough?
i've built myself a frame bag recently and wondered what the best way to stiffen it up on the underside would be...

I think PE is something different again.

As with all foams, EVA comes in different densities and varying grades of softness. Sadly that's where my expertise ends, I don't know which one is stiff enough, but some searching around cosplayer/crafter pages should result in some recommendations.

Roll of 2mm EVA foam just arrived from ebay and looks like the business. Thanks for the recommendation. This might be flexi enough to sew under the liner while still firm enough to hold shape. Weekend project ahoy!

@bigshape neoprene could work - this EVA has very similar texture. Reckon PE foam sheet would work too, if you can find it in the right form. I couldn't find what I wanted on ebay and some specialists were charging too much for delivery. Also stopped by a sewing/crafts shop that had Pellon stabilizer by the yard - might be worth a look.

Nice! Let me know how it goes. Looks sturdy enough.

This stuff can also be formed with heat, if you need more complex forms.

Haha, got a bit carried away with the height - this is why I should make a scale drawing before building (it should be a little lower and less of a trapezoid). Might re-make or might just wax the canvas and call it good.

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Apologies, if you've already answered the question. But why not use a framebag and do away with the rack all together?
If you can make a bag like that, surely you could knock out a framebag as well.

Looking at pics at top of this page, there isn't much room for a frame bag with the water bottles in.