The SKLAR Super Something, which was updated last year, is coming back in stock for the first time in a while!
A multi-purpose frame that can do long tours, gravel and city riding, arriving right at the time of year when it's easiest to get out and play on a bike. Now that's hot timing 🔉
Why not come and play on a masterpiece that brings together three elements: Adam's knowledge and experience to date, and volume production?
What is the Super Something?
We've introduced the Super Something a number of times before.
As many of you know, it was updated last year and reborn as more of an all-road / gravel bike.
This Super Something gives form to the "bike for everyone" that frame builder Adam had in mind, further refined with what he learned from the first-generation model.
I'd love to talk specs, but once I start there'd be no stopping me, so for the details please read the blog posts below!
That said, filing it under the "gravel bike" or "all-road" genre risks limiting how people play with it. I don't want to throw away the idea Adam was originally aiming for, a "versatile platform" that answers every kind of need. And this is my mechanic's soul talking too, but precisely because it's a frame that lets you explore all sorts of possibilities, I'd like you all not to get too caught up in fixed ideas.
This time I'll introduce ways to build and ride the Super Something, using staff bikes as examples. Both share the same purpose, "touring," but interestingly the approaches to it are different.
I hope you find it useful!
Each one's build, each one's way to play.
First, my own Super Something.
I mainly wanted to use it as a touring bike rather than a gravel bike, so I built it more as an all-road bike. As introduced in Rui's article, the gravel bike is a "modern-day randonneur," and I had that in mind.
From past touring experience, I knew that on long distances you run into mountain passes and end up shifting again and again as the gradient changes ever so slightly.
Japan is mostly mountains, after all.
Try to cross between prefectures or regions and you will inevitably meet hills.
When that happens I want to reduce the strain on my body as much as possible, and I want lots of gears to use, both high and low.
So instead of the single front chainring that is now the mainstream for gravel, I deliberately chose a front double, with its wide gear range and closely spaced tooth counts.
For reference, here's how the rear cassette tooth counts compare for single and double.
Single: 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-37-42T
Double: 11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-30-34T
They're the same from the top gear down to the sixth, but in the lower gears you use a lot on climbs, the steps on the double are only 2 to 4T. That makes a big difference to your legs once you've ridden 50 km or 100 km.
Also, with the front double the gear ratio in the lowest gear is 0.911, while the common front-single combination of 40T×42T gives 0.952, so the double is lower.
On the manufacturer's own site, by the way, the front double was described in a tone of "well, you can do it if you really want to," but as a mechanic my feeling (my nature) was "then I just have to try it," so I fitted one. (Getting it to work was the moment I was most excited.)
Note that road cranks with an outer ring of 50T or more look difficult to fit because of clearance.
To go off on a slight tangent, I personally have one top reason for choosing Shimano components, and that's the performance of the front derailleur.
Brakes, rear shifting and parts availability are also points to consider, but I think the front derailleur is where they stand a head or two above other component brands.
Shifting across that big a jump so lightly and so reliably is actually quite a feat. Its current form comes out of a long history of trial and error, so I trust it a great deal. If you're thinking about 2x, do consider it.
Back to the subject: next, tires.
I went fairly wide, at 700x44mm.
Of course I'm planning to ride gravel, but more than anything, the stability when the bike is loaded is completely different.
I feel WTB's supple casing and the fact that they're tubeless-ready have a lot to do with it as well.
On several long tours in the past I rode 40mm tires, but with my touring style I don't go all that fast, so having prioritized stability over speed, I chose a wider tire.
If you go all the way to the maximum clearance of 52mm, it then becomes hard to hold your speed, so I think somewhere around 42 to 45mm is best and went with 44mm. (It's working really well.)
Conversely, if you fit 40mm or narrower, you might worry about the gap to the frame opening up too much and looking empty, but thanks to the shaped seat stays it looks far less noticeable than you'd expect.
If you want a more all-road build, fitting tires of around 35mm looks good too!
And although I carry luggage, I also often travel with the bike by plane and train, so I wanted to keep things as light as I could. For the fork I chose the SKLAR BIKES Sklarbon Fiber Carbon Gravel Fork, with wheels built on ASTRAL Wanderlust Gen3 rims.
Saving weight was good, but more than anything, vibration and impact from the ground improved dramatically.
I don't know exactly what prepreg (an intermediate material in which carbon fiber is pre-impregnated with resin) is used, but from riding it, this isn't a fork that piles on stiffness. It's seasoned just right, striking a fine balance between the strength that gives pleasant handling and a moderate softness that takes the edge off vibration from the ground.
That kind of fine-tuning is quite hard to achieve in steel, and is something only carbon can do.
On top of that it has triple eyelets so you can carry a load, and flip-chip dropouts that let you increase straight-line stability on gravel or when loaded. Truly a have-it-all package.
If you want to focus more on the ride, or to pursue light weight and comfort, how about upgrading to this fork?
It has ended up close to the sum of all my touring so far, but I could still go wider or narrower on tires, or build it with a flat bar. It looks like I'll be enjoying it for a good while yet!
Next, the Super Something belonging to Marusawa, a.k.a. Maru-san.
Unlike mine, it has come out with a bright, fresh look!
There are the visual differences, of course, but the detailed specs differ too: a front single, a hub dynamo and so on.
What catches the eye most is, of course, this dynamo light.
A dynamo light, which lights up dark roads at night properly with no charging needed, is about as reassuring an item as you could have for touring, where you ride for long hours.
Add an extension part and you can charge your phone too.
Being conscious of how much battery you have left during a ride is quite a source of stress, you know.
On this summer's tour I forgot my power bank, and the whole time I was riding I kept thinking: with a dynamo I could charge steadily, there'd be no worry if it got wet in the rain, and I'd have less to carry, so a dynamo would be so much better than carrying a power bank.
I think it's a pretty important item these days.
The drivetrain is a front-single setup.
As mentioned above, the steps between gears are bigger, but in return the simpler construction keeps down risks such as dropped chains, so there's less to worry about on tour.
The WHITE INDUSTRIES crank was chosen partly because it goes well with a chromoly frame, but also for reliability, since it is machined from 2024 aluminum, which has excellent hardness, strength and fatigue resistance.
Each has its good points, and what matters is choosing what to take and what to leave.
For the front fork, with the emphasis on expandability for carrying loads and trustworthiness as a tool, he runs the steel rigid fork that comes with the frame set.
I've ridden this fork too, and it has a reassuring feel that a carbon fork doesn't. It's the option I'd recommend if you want to carry heavier loads or are thinking about riding the bike for many years.
A fine balance: leaning toward "the ride" without giving up too much versatility
As I said at the start, the Super Something is not a bike that narrows the answer down to one way of playing from the outset.
Maru-san and I both chose the Super Something for traveling, but I prioritized close gear ratios and light weight so I can keep riding for long hours, while Maru-san values simplicity of construction and the reliability to keep on going.
Neither one is the right answer. Each is one answer to the Super Something that we thought through in our own way, and it's a dependable frame that responds to both.
So, how would you build yours, and how would you play?
With the Super Something back in stock after a long while, let's give shape to a "super something" that's all your own!
