Hello, this is Yoshimoto from Circles Tokyo.
Even in the cold wind, you can catch the occasional scent of spring these days. Now, in the workshops at Circles / Circles Tokyo, you'll see quite a few bikes from SKLAR BIKES. There's the “Super Something” I ride. And there's the “PBJ” that Shige rides, plus the “Custom Handmade Sklar” he also owns.
As mechanics and directors, we handle lots of bikes every day. So why have we chosen SKLAR as our personal partners, and why do we keep riding them?
Over the "design thinking" and "philosophy" that emerged from my exchanges with the builder, Adam Sklar, Shige and I sat down to talk about what makes these bikes so appealing.
The maker's "logic" and the rider's "real feel." This is a record of us checking one against the other.
Shige, you first met Adam at NAHBS in 2017, right? In your look-back blog from that year, you wrote, "I think this will be a long relationship," and that's exactly how it's turned out.
So, to put it bluntly, what do you see as SKLAR's appeal?
Back then, his rise as a builder at just 24 years old was a real sensation.
Of course, his frame design caught the eye, with that distinctive round top tube and beautifully bent seatstays. But his booth also had a bike on display that was still covered in dirt from a trail ride in Moab before the show, and I remember it grabbing my heart right away.
What struck me was that, young as he was, he already had a firm sense of "what's cool."
MTB roots, and great mentors
After Adam's visit to Japan last year, I was able to ask him by email about things I hadn't had a chance to ask in person!
I wanted to share what he told me, and that's how this blog came about.
What I found really interesting was his background. While studying engineering in Bozeman, he trained under none other than Carl Strong. Apparently he also learned from Tom Jungst, who knew the early days of MTB in the '70s and '80s. So his bike building is fundamentally based on "MTB," isn't it?
“My geometry is often influenced by my background in mountain biking. … I focus on dirt-specific bikes.”
(In short: his MTB background shapes his geometry, and he focuses on bikes built for dirt.)
He was born in Colorado and started his career as a frame builder in Bozeman, Montana, so I think MTB runs deep in his backbone.
And the moment he made his name as a builder was right when the big wave of gravel bikes was starting to hit. So his stance back then of focusing only on dirt-loving bikes, as gravel + MTB-only custom frames, was a really smart move.
The experience of building so many custom orders during that time has cast a big shadow over his current production models, and you can really feel that MTB backbone.
The feeling of "steering with your hips"
Personally, I feel that short chainstays are a hallmark of the bikes Adam makes. There are lots of bikes in the gravel genre, but I think this is a big part of what gives SKLAR its unique ride feel.
So I asked Adam what the short chainstays were for. His answer: "I am a short chainstay guy!" Ha!
He says a "tucked-in rear center" works well against the "longer front center" that's practically a SKLAR signature. When I asked about the reasoning, he said it's so you can "steer with your hips."
“I am a short chainstay guy. My background in MTB has led me to like a longer front center on my bikes and to balance that out a short chainstay is really nice. It helps you steer with your hips and makes the bike feel more responsive. I prefer it for most applications.”
(In short: a long front center balanced by short chainstays lets you steer with your hips and makes the bike more responsive.)
That may well be true. With SKLAR bikes, you don't turn by wrenching the handlebar; when you shift your weight in, the bike just pivots neatly underneath you.
Exactly. A long front for "straight-line stability," and a tucked-in rear to keep the "fun of throwing it around." That "contrast between motion and stillness" is the design Adam intended.
Riding my handmade SKLAR, I also feel that he really values "playing on bikes." Not just getting somewhere fast, but the kind of bike that makes you want to pop off a little bank beside the trail. That "fun of bikes when we were kids" feels like it's built in from the design stage.
A partner to spend the rest of your life with
Finally, Adam described a frame as "a partner to spend the rest of your life with." Rather than sticking to one style, it has the room to change with the rider: going singlespeed, adding gears, swapping the handlebar.
“I don’t think it is cool to own a ton of bikes, just a few really nice ones that can serve you well for a long time.”
(In short: what's cool isn't owning lots of bikes, but loving a few really good ones for a long time.)
It's a bit funny for us bike-shop folks to say it, but that's the truth (lol). I've had my handmade SKLAR for ages too, and I rebuild it to suit my mood at the time. The Super Something is the same; SKLAR bikes are really "accommodating." You can ride them hard, or just cruise along.
I think how you relate to your bike changes along with your lifestyle, and his Super Something and PBJ in particular are genuinely fun tools while also having the depth to keep up with those changes. That's the kind of bikes they are.
Exactly. The sliding dropouts on the Super Something and its generous tire clearance aren't just about being multi-functional. I think they're room that Adam has left for us.
There can be a period where you enjoy the self-imposed challenge of a stoic singlespeed, and a period where you fit full fenders and a rack and ride it into the ground as your everyday transport. It stays by your side as you swap parts to match your mindset at the time.
It reminds me of the superb leather jackets that mold to your body the more you wear them, or the vintage denim that stays in your wardrobe forever, things I handled back when I worked in apparel.
Toward the richness beyond function
The context of gritty MTB culture behind a young builder named Adam Sklar. And solid engineering logic inherited from great predecessors. These take the form of concrete numbers and structures like "short chainstays" and a "longer front center," and arrive in our hands.
But the real reason we love SKLAR bikes so much lies beyond that function.
Stepping off the dizzying consumption game called "trends" and building up your own life at your own pace. Not "replace it when it breaks," but fix it, rebuild it and keep using it.
Say you get this SKLAR. What will your view look like 10 years from now? The once-gleaming frame may proudly bear scratches from forest roads and camp tours all over.
Or, as your lifestyle changes, the bike you first rode actively with drop bars may have switched to relaxed promenade bars, with a big basket up front.
A SKLAR bike isn't just a way of getting around. It's a tool that enriches your life by turning everyday trips into little adventures.
Why not enjoy a bit of "lovable inefficiency" now and then, and paint your own kind of richness onto this frame, one that's about more than speed or efficiency?
Both Circles and Circles Tokyo have test bikes of each model. Come to the shop and feel for yourself the "steering with your hips" Adam talks about and the texture of steel that carries the warmth of its maker.
How will it connect to your lifestyle? We'd love to talk it through with you. We'll be waiting at Circles Tokyo!