A man named Adam Sklar.

Photo & Text by Shige

Adam Sklar of Sklar Bikes, whom I first learned of last year and met in person for the first time at this year's NAHBS. My first impression was that a young man with a fresh and cool sensibility had arrived on the scene, evident not just in the bikes he builds, but in the way he set up his booth as well.

Winner of the Best Mountain Bike award at the show, he possesses remarkable skill at the young age of 24 and can be called a rising star among today's young builders. During my stay in America as a SimWorksUSA correspondent, there was one thing I absolutely had to do: reunite with him. And, of course, to see with my own eyes exactly where and how he creates his work.

And so, at 5:00 a.m., I left a still-dim Portland and hopped onto I-84. The eastern sky, gradually brightening, was stained a deep red. My destination was Bozeman, Montana.

It’s fresh in my memory how I took a long drive to Salt Lake City for NAHBS 2017 this spring, but unlike that trip, this time I was driving solo. I was actually a bit traumatized after having a flat tire last time, but I focused on driving safely as I headed east.

On the way to Bozeman, I stopped by Missoula, where FairEnds has their studio, and I didn't arrive at my lodging in Bozeman until after 10:00 p.m. Relieved to have finished the long day safely, I dove straight into bed.

When I woke up, it was already morning, and my host was already skillfully brewing coffee.

Yes, he was Adam Sklar himself.

Hailing from Boulder, Colorado, he grew up in a city home to renowned handmade builders like Moots, Kent Eriksen, and Mosaic. He was raised in an environment where craftsmanship was always close at hand, and naturally, he spent his summers riding the countless trails and his winters skiing and snowboarding.

When he went to college, he left his parents' home and moved to Bozeman, where he continued to ride the bikes he loved while studying engineering. Montana, sitting at the foot of Yellowstone, is a wonderful environment filled with great nature, and with skiing available in the winter, Adam fell completely in love with the place. He launched Sklar Bikes in 2015 while still a student. The fact that Mystery Ranch, among others, is in this town, along with various other outdoor manufacturers large and small—garage brands unknown in Japan, fly fishing reel makers, and more—all creating things in this region, was another major factor that gave him a push.

Although I had met him at NAHBS, meeting him here in the place he calls home shattered the image I had of him—in a good way.

People who ride, people who build, people who repair. For those of us involved with bicycles, community is an essential and very important thing. Here in Bozeman, he has built that community firmly, spending his days with bikes by his side.

Bozeman is the home of Strong Cycles, headed by Carl Strong, and Adam often went to him to ask for guidance. There is also a bike shop right next to Sklar's workshop; they help each other with mechanical work, assemble Adam's bikes, and maintain a close, cooperative relationship.

There is a delicious bakery right in front of the workshop with a constant stream of customers, and a coffee shop and a brewery are just a block away. On Friday nights, during "happy hour," pints of beer are served at Adam's shop, and in return, he might get coffee or a sandwich in a sort of barter system. At SimWorks' home base, Circles, we have long operated with the image of a co-op in mind, and I truly resonate with what they are doing here in Bozeman. I could feel right away that they have built a very good neighborhood relationship.

Since you can't start anything on an empty stomach, we started with a meal at one of Adam's favorite spots.

Personally, it was a simple American breakfast that made me miss Aliwa. Even in its "simple is best" nature, each item was carefully prepared, and although I wanted to savor every bite, my brain didn't let me—it just went into consumption mode. Combined with my hunger, I devoured it in an instant.

Now that our stomachs were full, it was time to return to the shop and get our hands and minds moving.

His DIY workshop is a cool space based on black-painted walls and plywood, with tools organized in an orderly fashion. He makes frames here every day. I've visited many builders' workshops, and I always feel the individual ingenuity and the desire to create an environment where it's easy to work. Personally, that's one of the joys of visiting a builder's shop, and I saw many such ingenious touches in his as well.

He meticulously files each part, checking carefully, while simultaneously moving his hands with a brisk, dynamic energy. It was a delight to watch it take shape at such a pleasing tempo.

What an incredible young man!

His frames are characterized not just by the rear triangle, but also by the boldly curved front triangle, yet there is no artless eccentricity to be found—they are truly sensuous. Original details, such as the disc caliper mounts, evoke a functional and snappy atmosphere, and the understated logo and paintwork balance the whole thing out perfectly.

Not overdone, yet ambitious. He has a clear image within himself of what is cool, and the bikes he makes seem to radiate an invisible heat—a passion to create exactly the kind of bike he envisions. "I'm nothing but jealous. He's just too good!" said Paul Component's Travis at the NAHBS venue, and indeed, Adam is still only 24.

The bikes, overflowing with his stance on craftsmanship to create things he finds beautiful, are focused on dirt riding, which is his own favorite and specialty.

He says he finds great fulfillment in his days spent holding the torch, trying to translate into bicycles the inspiration he gains from his experiences in his hometown of Boulder and his adventures riding through the vast nature of Montana where he lives now.

And that day, I almost teared up at the view I saw from the summit.

To make what you love your job. It's easy to say, but it takes strength to actually keep doing it; it's not that simple. Yet he learns much from his predecessors, digests it firmly within himself, and faces the work of frame building.

When he’s not holding the torch, he’s just a normal 24-year-old guy. He’s sensitive to trends, loves music, and cooks for himself. By the way, it seems he drinks LaCroix every day without fail.

Revered by Rick Hunter and Curtis Inglis as a mentor, and supported by wonderful friends, he is pursuing his ideals as a builder and as Adam Sklar with his own strength.

Adam loves to place himself in nature and be active outside—not only through cycling, but also skiing and camping. His bikes are built on the belief that it’s important for them to be fun tools that you want to ride every day. Every single frame is handmade by him in this Bozeman workshop.

He has a firm vision of what he wants to do and how he wants to do it, and although my visit was short, we had many conversations and spent a very meaningful time together. Beyond the idea that he has potential because he is young, I truly feel that we simply cannot take our eyes off what he creates from here on out.

The 750 miles back to Portland were long, but as I thought about what was to come, following my Montana trip, they passed in the blink of an eye.

Sklar Bikes

The promising young frame builder who won the Best Mountain Bike award at NAHBS in Salt Lake City at the age of just 24 is none other than Adam Sklar, the man behind Sklar Bikes.

Originally from Boulder, Colorado—a town with many renowned builders—he draws on his experience riding bikes from a young age to build frames based in Bozeman, Montana. They are focused on dirt riding, including cyclocross, all-road, and mountain bikes, each one handcrafted in his workshop.