Hello everyone! This is Daisaku.
Today, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to talk about my personal bike.
I’ve finally stripped down the bike that I’ve spent so many years with—the one that accompanied me day and night, on and off-road, across countless landscapes—and swapped its parts onto a new frame. Please let me introduce it to you!
And for those of you currently thinking about wanting more options from your current ride or seeking a bike that offers more fun, this is a highly recommended frame, so I hope it serves as a helpful reference.
The mass-produced model designed by a handmade builder: "Super Something"
Adam Sklar grew up in a town home to legendary handmade builders like Moots, Kent Eriksen, and Mosaic. Surrounded by a culture of craftsmanship, he spent his youth riding through endless trails and enjoying skiing and snowboarding in the winter.
↑ Shige-san has already written a great blog post with more details, so please be sure to check that out.
The frames he creates, whether MTB or gravel road, are characterized by a simple, minimalist aesthetic, yet they are such fun frames that you can't help but keep pushing the pedals when you're on them.
The value of seeing the maker, learned through handmade bikes
I personally ordered a handmade bike from BREADWINNER CYCLES and rode it for a long time.
Through that experience, I learned that a frame designed by a single person and crafted for you has a significance that goes beyond performance and specs.
The attention to detail, the way it feels when you ride, and the simple fact that it was "derived from the bikes I’ve ridden until now" makes it truly enjoyable—you can even sense the person’s way of thinking and their character.
Super Something is a mass-produced model, so Adam isn't the one welding every single one, but he is certainly the one who designed it and meticulously specified everything down to the type and thickness of the tubing.
You get that same joy at a more accessible price and lead time. While part of me wants to order directly from him, this frame is undeniably his work as well.
I figured I would surely be able to enjoy it while feeling his design philosophy and approach to riding, just as I would with a custom frame.
That was my thinking.
The functionality is spot-on, too
Choosing this frame based on Adam and its background was a no-brainer, but its functionality was definitely another reason for my decision.
The most obvious example would be the eyelets placed throughout the frame.
The bike I was riding before this had absolutely no eyelets. Since it was a racing frame designed for cyclocross, its foundation was built purely for speed. (Just to clarify, I absolutely loved that bike.)
Back then, I was obsessed with gravel riding, heading into the mountains and attacking trails, so its lightweight nature and agility were perfect. Now, however, my usage has shifted toward long rides, touring, and reliable daily commuting.
With that change, I wanted the ability to carry gear with racks and bags, and I wanted the option to run wider tires.
The Super Something features eyelets on the front fork, under the down tube, and on the seat stays. Not only can you attach racks, but you can also mount bags like the OUTER SHELL Pico Panniers using the fork eyelets.
Maybe curry for dinner tonight.
This alone made the frame swap more than worth it.
A ride quality that blends the best of MTB and gravel
The Super Something provides stability while maintaining high maneuverability, resulting in an all-around ride feel that makes gravel riding a blast.
The longer front-center ensures toe clearance and provides straight-line stability, while the lower BB drop gives you a sense of security during cornering.
The slacker head tube angle provides stability on descents and straightaways, but since the fork offset is generous, you get handling that feels more like a gravel or road bike than an MTB.
Thanks to this, you can ride the bike naturally and comfortably, regardless of whether you're on pavement or dirt.
For this build, I swapped the stock steel fork for a Sklarbon Fiber Carbon Gravel Fork.
The reduced weight and improved vibration damping really prove their worth on long-distance rides.
It also has flip-chips at the rear dropouts, which allow you to increase straight-line stability when you're loaded up with panniers and the weight has increased.
The stack height, which affects handlebar height, is on the higher side.
It's designed not so much for speed, but to allow you to enjoy a mindful ride in a slightly more upright, comfortable position.
It also makes it easier to use the drops, which ultimately makes it more capable on gravel as well.
I originally thought I'd be faster with lower bars, but once I actually rode it, it felt surprisingly good.
When Adam visited Japan, he was riding his PBJ, cruising along the coast in a relaxed, upright position. Seeing that reminded me that I, too, could enjoy the scenery and the ride in a more comfortable position than I had been used to.
Swapping over the parts I could use
With the frame as a base, I carried over the parts I could, replaced the ones I wanted to improve, and the build was complete.
It's simple, but I kept his signature design style in mind while adding small touches of detail and keeping the aesthetic flourishes minimal.
For my primary goal of touring, I went with slightly wider bars to accommodate a handlebar bag and improve stability.
For tires, I chose 44mm, an exquisite width that handles both gravel and pavement with ease. (Be sure to check out the previous WTB blog post!)
I also equipped it with that special ASTRAL item I teased the other day.
It'll be released soon, so stay tuned!
I’ve already been riding it as my daily driver and on longer rides, and it has such a smooth, effortless speed, as if it’s pushing me along.
Because of that, I can't stop pedaling.
It feels like Adam is saying "Keep spinning!", making me want to ride forever (lol).
Now, where should I go next?
If you’re looking to make your daily commute more fun, want to go touring, or are interested in gravel riding, please consider the Super Something as one of your options.
And if you'd like to test ride it, please come by the shop and pay us a visit!
SKLAR BIKES Super Something Frame Set
Price: ¥286,000 (tax included)
