“OMM LITE/BIKE HAKUBA 2026” was held in Hakuba on July 25–26.
OMM BIKE is a rogaining-style navigation race in which, map and compass in hand, you ride around by bike searching for designated points and compete on score.
This time I took part for the first time, teaming up with Da-san, a veteran (?) now on a third appearance, and Mohiko, a Circles friend I once rode Mt. Norikura with!
Two people you can count on
Before the event we'd been saying things like, it's our first time, so rather than chasing points let's enjoy the riding, and it'd be nice to get to the taco place, too~, but once the race began we spent both days just reading the map and turning the pedals.
Hakuba was hot, but the humidity was low and it was relatively dry, so we could ride comfortably from start to finish.
As for the result, we came 71st out of 230 teams (17th out of 68 among mixed teams), which I think is a fairly decent result for first-timers.
Toward the end I faded terribly on the climbs, so if I get to enter next year, I'd like to get back in shape by then and take it on so I can ride strongly to the very end💪
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the organization, who put on a truly wonderful event every time. Thank you very much!
Why I chose the SKLAR PBJ
And what I built up for this OMM is the SKLAR PBJ
Partly under the influence of the blog post Shige wrote last year, I'd decided that if I entered OMM it would be on a PBJ. If you haven't read it yet, do take a look at Shige's post, too!
https://circles-jp.com/products-review/194771/
The PBJ is the modern all-terrain bike (ATB) that represents SKLAR BIKES.
While adopting modern geometry, it's designed with the aim of “riding every moment with joy,” from town riding and touring to trail rides.
What I think about when buying a bike is whether I can use it (whether it's easy to use) in my ordinary everyday life as well.
Something specialized performs better, and lets you enjoy its strengths easily and quickly. There's no doubt about that. Until now I've owned and ridden several bikes of that kind.
In my twenties that was fun enough, but since entering my thirties I've been shifting to a stroll-like style of riding: easing off the pace a little and, rather than chasing speed or distance, riding leisurely as if out for a walk and enjoying small encounters with a town's scenery, history, food and so on.
The SKLAR PBJ is by no means a bike for competing to be “the fastest.”
Heading into nature at your own pace and riding while enjoying the scenery. As a bike for enriching that time, I thought it was just right for me as I am now.
A beautiful silhouette with nothing wasted
What draws you in when you first see the PBJ is its unadorned presence.
The frame lines drawn by its slim steel tubes are strong, yet somehow leave a gentle impression.
Production model though it is, Adam Sklar's design, fastidious right down to the type and wall thickness of the tubes, makes itself felt throughout.
Rather than flashy shapes or complicated frame work, it feels as though it straightforwardly expresses the beauty a bicycle inherently has as a tool.
A design that won't date as the years go by truly deserves to be called “a tool that gains character the more you use it.”
The PBJ's ride doesn't hurry the rider
The PBJ's appeal lies in a “pleasantness” that's hard to express in numbers.
The suppleness unique to steel gently absorbs shocks from the road surface, so you can keep pedaling with confidence even on unpaved roads.
When you get out of the saddle and rock the bike about the stem, it surges nimbly up climbs. And on descents it's stable, yet if you feel like it, pretty fast, aggressive downhilling is possible, too. Even on unpaved roads, I find fine line corrections easy to make.
It doesn't shout about flashy performance, but before you know it you've been riding for hours. That natural, unforced ride is a big part of the PBJ's appeal.
OMM LITE/BIKE HAKUBA, now in its 11th year, moved location slightly last year and the route area has expanded north and south. The proportion of paved road has gone up, too, and it was a course of one climb and descent after another, but the PBJ's easy forward motion and stability were a great help.
The ASTRAL SERPENTINE × WTB Macro combination I built for the PBJ also made a good impression. The asymmetric design balances spoke tension well between left and right, and it had a promising feel even while I was building it, but once I actually rode it, it felt solid yet comfortable, and with no sense of the tires squirming when I leaned the bike over, it was reassuring.
For the drivetrain I installed the recently announced MICROSHIFT ADVENT MX. The shifter's click feel is lighter than SHIMANO XT, and it's really nice to operate.
The rear derailleur's shifting doesn't hesitate oddly, either, and it has no quirks, in a good way. The feel is a cut above their previous models; I hadn't expected all that much at first, but my expectations were confounded in the best sense.
I can strongly recommend the ADVENT MX.
You can grow it into a bike that's truly yours
The PBJ isn't a bike with a fixed final form.
You can make it a nimble cross-country build, or fit bigger tires and turn it into a bikepacking build.
Change the handlebar, saddle or bags and the same frame shows a completely different face.
Rather than “buying a complete bike,” this frame offers the fun of “growing a bike that's yours alone.”
Who is it for?
- People who want to enjoy forest roads and countryside hills at a leisurely pace
- People looking for a steel bike to live with for a long time
- People who prefer travel and wandering to racing
- People who want to grow a bike, choosing the parts included
- People who want to enjoy cycling as a hobby, not merely as a means of getting around
On the other hand, to someone who puts the light weight and snap of the latest race-oriented hardtails first, it may feel a little mild.
The SKLAR PBJ isn't a mountain bike for competing on flashy performance, but it's a bike that respects the rider's pace and teaches you to enjoy the scenery and the time.
Comfort over speed.
Enjoying the road along the way over going far.
For anyone who shares those values, the PBJ should be not just a mountain bike but a companion that makes life just a little richer.
