Official Free World Build

Final mock up before taking her out.. Its gonna be a bit of a stretch

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... Out thrifting with the wifey stumbled across some good deals.. Cost less than a trip to Starbucks

And some bridge pics..

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Bars/stem to be used with njs frame..
I will probably test ride the bars with a threadless stem using a shim...

Edit: yeah I done Did it.

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Been out riding the townie bars mixing up saddle/stem configurations... So impressed with the quality and feel of the parts, I have decided to order another variation for the 'Bomber'..

The conditioning program will now include laps at the pool. My wife is quite fond of swimming and we decided to go to a community pool to enjoy some hot/jet tub therapy along with a sauna session. I was winded after swimming the length of the pool only 4 times (2 laps)... My wife swam double the amount but it is easier for her to stay buoyant because due to my lower body fat to weight ratio LoL. We plan to go back once a week to prepare us for the walks/hiking on our Japan trip...

Bars I have ordered from the bike store

https://www.westpointcycles.com/product/bontrager-satellite-trekking-handlebars-20-degree-258622-1.htm

Some cyclepathing shots

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Perfection

Almost there... I have opted to run a staggered tire setup with a 32mm front 35mm rear... So long as it doesn't feel laggy it will lead to less impact on my aging body LoL

Lotsa room in the back but at the limit with 32mm Gatorskinz

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The high rise bars came in this week... I may have found a permanent back pack setup

... It has given me more options of trail without fear of consequence

I think the 46x19 is good for hard packed surfaces but in the loose gravel/dirt its a little tall... Especially with tight steep elevation

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Keep on rocking in the free world! How's that epic coming along?

Skrtlove, Skrtlife. Love that you’re still going dude. Just can’t keep a good man down.

... The epic has been sidelined for the moment.. Been pretty distracted with the upcoming trip to Japan. Feeling anxious to pick up the njs frame

Love the Nardwuar reference.. Doot do dilute do

I appreciate the encouragement

Started to gravitate towards short fit saddles with a center channel vs the Flite shape...

Drops/risers/townie bars so much convenience changing it up without cable brakes/shifters

Still finalizing the initial setup for the Bomber... I'm planning to swap out the square taper bottom bracket for fear of frequent maintenance.. I guess the option to run a sealed BB would negate my concerns... Omniums seem to be the better choice in terms of longevity and ease of care

I've mainly run sealed BB's with both square tapered/splined cranks and don't have any experience with older style system... Other than you tube, is there any opinions on the benefits to running the njs bottom bracket vs switching to more modern tech?.. just trying to get the most out of what I got....

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Looks fun! My experience with SRAM GXP bottom brackets has been pretty poor. They get crunchy quickly. I've not tried anything fancier/ more serviceable but might be tempted when my current one inevitably dies.

Is the Bomber still in Japan? When will you get it?

A sealed Shimano square taper bb will come in the right length for whatever cranks you put on the Bomber but a non sealed one will be fine if you don't ride it in the wet. And even then it's not like it would just wash out if it's packed with enough grease. The main downside of non sealed bb's is if you ride it with some dirt inside it can damage the shell and the whole thing would need replacing so you've got to stay on top of maintenance.

I have not had to change the bb for the omnoms more than once in the last 7yrs of mostly dry/fair weather use... So my experience has been positive with the sram gxp

The Bomber has been sitting at my cousins place in Tokyo since he picked it up... My trip is in less then a month away so final preparations have to be made before I arrive

I have only ran an unsealed square tapered bottom bracket once on my Daily driver.. If memory serves me correctly, it lasted about 8 months between fall spring until the end of summer.. By the time it had to be replaced, the bike shop who did the install showed me the damaged bearing cages no longer holding the spindle in place.. The cranks made noise/wiggled so that was the indicator it needed to be serviced.... I found the sealed Shimano bottom brackets lasted about twice as long.. My assessments are likely not perfect as the quality of the unsealed bmx bottom bracket is in no way at par with the craftsmanship quality of the one currently installed in the njs frame

Yeah, probably fine in the dry! Mine get used all year round which probably doesn't help.

I plan to use the njs frame all year long but plan to have an alternate bike for torrential weather as we get in the Pacific North West.. We have been Blessed with a predominantly dry summer so I can't complain...

More pending news... I noticed a sound in the rear hub at full spin when applying pressure to the pedals so I brought it by the shop. It didn't feel loose in the dropout so I thought nothing of it.. Upon further inspection, it appears that two bearings were damaged... It could have happened anytime in the last year when I decided to run without seals.... They replaced the cone and both bearings/ repacked it with grease.. Smoove as Butta

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Back to back rainy days signals the start to the wet season... My trip is down to weeks.. Picked up a bag for the ride back on the plane

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Travel anxiety starting to set in.. No better time to go for a ride in the Sunshine after a multitude of cold/ rain

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Crabon beater ready for Rain duty...

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looking so good man

Thanks man. It's been an absolute struggle to keep myself from requesting my cousin in Tokyo to ship the njs frame. I'm grateful for the wifeys patience with my obsessive compulsive tendencies concerning fixed riding. She has already warned me about selling some of my back up parts/bikes upon our return from Japan... Thus has forced me to try to determine what is worth saving LoL. I'm leaving for Japan tomorrow, thank the Lord.