【SKLAR BIKES】With My Sklar Bikes MTB

SKLAR BIKES It’s been about four months since I started riding my.

Every time I head out to trails, bike parks, or events like OMM Bike, I’m reminded of how much I love throwing myself into nature and riding. I’ve finally found a bike that makes me feel that way.

Thinking back, it was shortly after I joined Circles.
Visiting a bike park for the first time—the Fujimi Panorama Mountain Course—might have been the direct catalyst for me wanting to get an MTB.

I’ve always loved speeding down descents, whether on paved roads or dirt, and I knew I wanted a bike that would let me fly down mountains and over dirt trails. Since I already knew that my next bike would be an MTB, it didn't take long to start choosing one.

At Circles, we have many MTB options, ranging from mass-produced brands like KONA, RITCHEY, SANTACRUZ, SURLY, and ALL-CITY, to handmade bikes from "earthy" California builders like RETROTEC and SYCIP.

Even with all those choices, I chose an MTB built by Adam Sklar. Beyond the pure desire triggered by the elegant presence of his bikes and the indescribably alluring round top tube that defines SKLAR BIKES, the biggest reason was that I felt a personal connection to the builder, Adam Sklar, being close to him in age.

And since MTBs are at the core of his cycling life, it’s clear that he’s building these bikes based on a wide range of experiences.
The klunker he usually rides also has a sense of playfulness—or perhaps an explosive energy—that made me want to trust him with my build.

A few days after I placed my order, he posted the frame I’d ordered on his instagram.

Seeing the form created by those joined pipes was incredibly exciting.

It was even more beautiful than I had imagined.
While I was certainly exhilarated knowing it would be my bike, just looking at the photos, I was convinced: this is a truly incredible bike. After all, the flow from the top tube to the seat stays was simply stunning.

A few weeks later.
The excitement when I pulled it out of the box that arrived at the Circles office in Nagoya was indescribable. I immediately had it painted at Kyutai Paint, and I was deeply moved when I saw the finished frame. As expected, adding the logo really sharpened the look of the bike.

Then, I installed the parts I’d prepared, one by one, and finally took it out for its long-awaited shakedown. I spent the best time in the early spring mountains, listening to the sound of tires crunching on the ground in the crisp, cool air, feeling a sense of security that I wouldn't expect from a bike I was riding for the first time.

While much of that confidence comes from it being optimized for my own body, it’s also thanks to the tire clearance that accommodates 27.5×2.80 tires, a trend made possible by the ever-growing tire market.

Also, regarding the bike's specs, I felt that opting for the T47 bottom bracket standard provided high stiffness in the drivetrain.

Even when I really pedal hard, there’s no unnecessary flex, making it easier to balance. I was able to truly appreciate the benefit of being able to put my full weight into it.

And thanks to this generous clearance and the robustness of the drivetrain, I was able to "inch up" to 29er wheels for this year’s OMM Bike and zip through the mountains of Hakuba.

Yes, the only requirements I gave Adam for my order were that it be 29er convertible and that it have bottle cage bosses on the underside of the down tube.
That was it.
Everything else, I left up to him.

I had ordered it with the thought of touring on an MTB someday, so it was a happy surprise to be able to ride it in this configuration sooner than expected, which has only added to the trust I place in it as my trusty companion.

When ordering this bike, what I valued most was that it would be a bike I could stick with for a long time.

With activity bikes like MTBs, there’s always a possibility of damage, and of course, being able to "repair" them is one of the benefits of a steel frame.

While I certainly want to spend my time shredding the mountains with this bike now, if I were to break it, or if I could no longer ride aggressively for physical reasons, there are so many possibilities for continuing to use it—perhaps as a bike for simple touring or as a cruiser for everyday life.

Creating such room for possibility, and the fact that I want to keep riding it for years to come, is the charm of a handmade bike, and perhaps one of the reasons why custom bikes exist.

And just like that, I’ve gotten my hands on something that will last a lifetime.