The Fuji Jari 2.5 is a steel road/adventure bike designed to cope with anything from morning commutes to days out in the countryside. At £779.99 for a full build with seven frame sizes, it’s a very accessible option for mountain bikers looking to try gravel, or for commuters that want to sneak off down that bridleway they ride past on the way home.
The cheapest in the Fuji Jari range, the Fuji Jari 2.5 is a steel frame with a Chromoly fork. With only the slightest slope on the top tube, the geometry is much more on the traditional tourer side of things than the ‘mountain bike with drop bars’ modern gnarmac bikes we’ve been seeing emerge onto the market.
You won’t be adding a dropper post to this, but there are rack and mudguard mounts, plus top tube mounts for those long journeys. External cable routing keeps maintenance (and upgrades) simple. The bars are alloy Oval Concepts 325, 31.8mm clamp, 125mm drop, 25 degrees flare, 4 degrees sweep. The stem offers +/-7 degrees depending which way you flip it.
With Shimano Claris shifters, Altus derailleur and Tektro Mira disc brakes, it’s a budget build. But grind your way through a winter and you’ll be ready to replace many of these components, and you’ve got a steel frame to attach them to.
700c Vera Terra rims with quick released sealed hubs, on Panaracer Comet Hard Pack tyres. The Comets are not as soft and supple as Panaracer’s SK Gravelkings (which are listed on the Hotlines website as being fitted), and will likely take a bit of wearing in to soften them up get the best out of their grip.
If you look elsewhere in the Jari range, there’s another slightly higher specced steel option, as well as an alloy frame/carbon fork series, and the full shebang carbon frame and fork series. We’ll be giving this entry level ride a bashing round the bridleways of Calderdale.
Fuji Jari 2.5 2020 Specifications
- Frame // Reynolds 520, Chromoly rack & fender mounts, triple bottle mount, flat mount disc, top tube bento box mount
- Fork // Chromoly with 1 1/8″ – 1 1/2″ tapered steerer, flat mount disc, low-rider water bottle and rack mounts
- Stem // Alloy, 3D-forged 6061 stem body, +/-7°
- Handlebar // Oval Concepts 325, 6061 Alloy, 31.8mm clamp, 125mm drop, 25° flare, 4° sweep
- Tape // Oval Concepts 300 bar tape, Suede
- Rear Derailleur // Shimano Altus
- Front Derailleur // Shimano Claris
- Brakes // Tektro Mira mechanical disc, 160mm rotors
- Crankset // Alloy, 44/28T
- Cassette // Shimano HG31, 11-34T, 8-Speed
- Chain // KMC Z51
- Rims // Vera Terra DPD18, 32/32h, quick release sealed hubs
- Tyres // Panaracer Comet Hard Pack 700x38c
- Saddle // Oval Concepts 238, Steel rail
- Seatpost // 6061 Alloy, 27.2mm diameter
- Claimed Weight // 13.10kg (approx)