Sklar Bikes: A Custom Builder’s Shift to “Mass” Production

Author: BLISTER
Published: Thu 21 Sep 2023
Episode Link: https://shows.acast.com/bikes-big-ideas/episodes/sklar-bikes-a-custom-builders-shift-to-mass-production

It’s rare for a small but well-established custom bike builder to make the leap to overseas-built production bikes, but Adam Sklar has done just that. While it might be easy to romanticize the idea of a custom hand-built bike made by a single builder, Adam speaks very openly about the ways running that version of Sklar had ceased to feel like the way he wanted to bring bikes into the world; the challenges (and high points) of building custom bikes; coming up with a production lineup after years of making such varied custom offerings; and a whole lot more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Adam’s founding of Sklar (3:07)

Turning Sklar to a business from a hobby (5:22)

The custom era (6:34)

Surviving as a custom builder (7:58)

The custom bike-building process (9:33)

Evolution of Sklar’s custom business (19:22)

Adam’s North American Handmade Bike Show winning bike (21:28)

Material selection (22:33)

Working with titanium (25:26)

Moving to production bikes (28:06)

Sklar’s stock offerings (31:35)