Are Steel Bikes Worth It in 2023?

[@sklarbikes]

Thanks for having me over Russ! Excited to see what you think of the bike!

[@Alex_564]

Any reason you not going PBJ for the Tour Divide? FYI a 11-44t will work with a 11spd sram setup as you may know.

[@randallsmith7885]

Loved this interview. It is so rare to hear from the designer / creator of the bike! Much success to you!

[@sklarbikes]

@@BufordDuckworth nope

[@sklarbikes]

@@Alex_564 I love my PBJ for touring, but with almost all roads and going with some fast people I wanted something a little more efficient.

[@c.m.7692]

Post pics of the Ti frame if it ever materializes!

[@nthonyholden]

Adam seems like he'd be a super fun guy to hang out with and do a chill ride.

[@db_cooper3941]

Lots of “production” bikes entering the market but not so many from a designer with tons of hours of designing, welding, and riding their creations. Definitely sets Sklar apart. Love the curved top tube esthetic and logic.

[@robbchastain3036]

I'm a tool for a yellow bike and in all seriousness on costs, I look at all of my cycling expenses as health maintenance and improvement expenditures and at age 63 and fit, I am thankful for that deal of a lifetime. 😂

[@bitchoflivingblah]

Absolutely the way to think about a bike, a bike for a few thousand dollars that is going to last you >10 years then this is going to cost a few hundred dollars per year for your dream bike! But $1600 for frame and forks for a plush ride, if that isn't a bargain I don't know what is.

[@davidwhocares3293]

1600 fer a frame and fork ? Sheesh

[@Big_Red_Dork]

​@@davidwhocares3293right? I built up two "adventure" "all road" "country" whatever you want to call it bike from 2 vintage japanese steel road frames for less than $250 CAD per bike, and could've brought that price down even lower if I wanted to. This is a very nice bike but it's certainly not cheap. The Overton window on reasonable bike pricing has moved waaaaaaay too far towards the high dollar side

[@imbikinghere]

Super worth it to me. All three of my bikes ( gravel, road, and track) are steel because I like the trade off of the more permanent and servicable frames with really pleasant ride characteristics. Willing to deal with extra weight happily to get the benefits

[@gutsglory3625]

Steel is the best because it will not snap in half if ever you crash or fall in a pothole.

[@HeOkayFishing]

After you've owned the All City's and Salsa's you end up at Adam's doorstep. Natural progression yo. Quality and style are always worth more!

[@BradWadeNL]

This is such a rad bike! Adam is such a knowledgeable, but also humble guy. Thank you for making this bike!

[@smokeycanuck8058]

When I got into mountain biking in the 80s there were lots of small builders making awesome steel bikes e.g. Fat City Cycles, Ibis, Fisher, Breezer, Bontrager, Richey, etc. It was awesome listening to guys like Tom Richey talk about his bikes, you could really hear the passion in his voice when he talked about his bikes. This dude reminds me of those OG builders. In this day and age of a market/LBS filled with mass produced brands, this is so refreshing.

[@jeffandersen6233]

A polished interview, a well versed guest and a great bike. The price of the frame did not seem at all bad. Love the steel frame. Adam's explanation of tubing choices and wanting a bike that rides like the bike we had as kids really resonated with me.

[@WollyFatboy]

I ride 2 Huffy cruisers with steel frames and solid rubber tires. 50 lbs ea. Love 'em.

[@billhulley]

Nice looking bike. The way Adam talks about tube selection is very similar to Dom Thomas of Fairlight (another steel bike designer you should be interviewing)

[@curtbrown7967]

Love the outside setting and fresh conversation with Adam. Want that bike

[@LindyLooo99]

I have two steel bikes and I love them..... if you don't wanna pay the big dollas, get a 1990's Trek multitrack and convert it. I'm still riding mine, love that bike~

[@daniellarson3068]

I have my Schwinn Crosscut hybrid from 1991. It sort of amazes me that bikes are coming around to what was popular back then. The few extra lbs of a steel frame don't seem to matter all that much for trail riding.

[@ronwhite8503]

Got my Multitrack, with full STX, in great condition for £40! It is probably the most fun to ride out of all my bikes; makes me feel like a kid on a BMX. And, due to my age, BMX 's weren't invented when I was a kid.

[@daniellarson3068]

@@charliedillon1400 Take care of it and that bike is good for another 30 years. I'm not so sure you could say that about Carbon Fiber bikes.

[@ovash1]

I have loved steel bikes since the 1970's. I am very happy that not only is the steel bike still around, but thriving. Thank you Russ for the video, and thank you, Adam, for helping to keep the steel bike alive. I wish you all the success in the world, God bless.

[@timothyhoekstra2604]

You gotta do a review of the Fairlight Secan next. Steel still has a lot of potential after everyone took a break developing it in favor of aluminum and carbon. I'm still waiting by my door daily hoping mine will finally show up and would love some more content on it. 😂 Take a look through their website and detailed design notes, it's fascinating stuff for a bike nerd.

[@gerlachsieders4578]

I agree, i own a Secan too and enjoying it 👍 but perhaps a review of the all road Faran is more fitting for this channel

[@lindsaybourke3145]

@@gerlachsieders4578 i agree the Faran is the bike for this channel

[@timothyhoekstra2604]

@@lindsaybourke3145 Yeah, agree with that. Faran is very similar but with a steel fork with great options for mounting things. I chose the Secan because I plan to ride it unloaded usually, and wasn't sure if the geometry would be as good for that, specifically the trail numbers. Splitting hairs at that point though

[@bikenraider99]

Great video! I do enjoy a steel bike, and love a custom one. Gonna have to see what Santa brings for Christmas this year!

[@mytwocoins]

Nice job checking out a cool concept. I would put it in the “all road” category and use it for day long multi surface rides and maybe an overnight. Steel is way worth the price of admission, compared to carbon it may be a little more weight but steel has soul and is unrivaled in compliance and customization. I own several custom made bikes from California builders Retrotec and Fitzcyclez among them.

[@814Taylor]

That top tube was the first thing that caught my eye. Awesome looking frame and fork!

[@austinli6635]

wow! big fan of Adam and what he does

[@Daniel-yf9iy]

I have a 2022 Kona Robe DL And I love it.

[@emtee52]

Love this style/format of video for your channel. Super informative with the builder.

[@jeffreyastjohn]

Such a sweet-looking bike. I'm obsessed.

[@VeloObscura]

I'm one of those people who would want a 2.4" tyre, but other than that - this is such a rad bike! Good work on the brake tabs and tubing selection. Sounds awesome to ride.

[@bikingviking6688]

Next time I'm up visiting my daughter, I'm stopping in 👍🏻. Have had my eye on these bikes for a while

[@Mosely2007]

After 30 years of carbon and way too many broken frames, wheels, seats I returned to steel with a Ritchey Road Logic. Salsa gravel. Aluminum Spec. DIVERGE AND Crockett Cross. Steel rides best and can be repaired. I get miles off pavement and need durable. Weight weenies should .ose a few pounds 😅😅😅 nice bike review.

[@JokingJay]

What a sweet, sincere, and smart guy. Makes me want a Sklar even more than I already did...

[@hankamania]

I'm just digging your Outdoor Afro hoodie. I picked up the same one at REI recently (same color and everything) and just love it.

[@Jacob99174]

Man, this guy is awesome! Love those bikes

[@Highnoonshred]

Bozeman is such a radddd place to live! The people like this guy make our city rock!!!

[@joevuch7981]

super cool bike! Such an underrated shape for a high quality atb and with those Klampers its probably sporty as hell

[@WellsPetras]

Nice Interview!!

[@mattdelcomyn8012]

That’s a VERY COOL steel bike Russ. Looking forward to your review. Good geo. Flexible braze on’s and awesome tubing.

[@infour44]

My Thorn Nomad is a tank. Fully loaded its very comfortable and predictable. I’d opt for belt drive now but other than that it’s a great touring bike.

[@marcterhorst375]

I have one coming!!!!! Can't wait!!

[@SimonCurrey]

I have a Ridgeback World Panorama as well as other drop bar bikes in alloy and carbon. Steel is robust definitely preferred for loads. Rack and panniers allow for locking shopping and restaurants.

[@JohnPilling25]

Looks great and I ❤ the adjustable dropouts. Any chance of a split dropout for a gates belt drive?

[@sir_jerhyn]

It beats a fixed gear, I'm getting the Fairdale Ridgemont in two weeks! It's nothing fancy, but it will sure as hell be a fun goddamn ride! The purple rain color was a huge turn on for me, so I had to order it ASAP!!! And it's a 1x8!!!? Oh yeah, I am definitely shredding to the office!!!

[@stevekelly6544]

Love this bike- multi-purpose bikes rule!

[@SuperAnatolli]

My next bike will be one with a steel frame. Very good material, and competitve price.

[@chrisvejnovich116]

I love this bike!! I want a flat black murdered out frame with chrome Sklar sticker and chrome head badge!!! Please Adam, please make that the next color for the next run of frames.

[@event4216]

You'll get bored with all black build after initially being excited about it. I don't even ride anymore my all black bike.

[@steve101968]

That is a good attitude, "we can't compete with them they cant compete with us either"

[@racerx8410712]

I thought $1500 was spendy at first and its not cheap however if your parts savvy (or a hoarder like me) or willing to buy some used bits one could build this, including the frame for not much over $2k. I could probably be under that...he'll I basically have everything on hand.

[@ericmcfarlin4272]

Moving to Billings so Bozeman isn't too far away. Would love a Sklar.

[@Joerides7]

Nice bike. What frame bag is that?

[@tonythetourist2025]

Like the townie type bars. That is my type of bike!

[@harryv6752]

Steel bikes are the shiznit! Love it.

[@kamuelalee]

I like how Adam smacked Rivendell -- without saying their name -- for their Gawd awful 2 year wait time.

[@davetbassbos]

Looks nice, and the guy seems thoughtful

[@the1andonly]

There is no question that steel bikes are worth it, no matter what the year. Steel is the perfect material and the extra weight is totally negligible for 90 % of cyclists. Weight is completely overrated.

[@mumenrider677]

Some of us live in places where rust is a massive issue, and steel has a tendency to do so. Don’t get me wrong, steel is an awesome material that should be used more often, but there is still a time and place for aluminum and titanium imo (if you have the money for the latter lmao). Miss me with that carbon fibre BS though, 99% of people don’t need it.

[@wjcferguson]

I ride with a lot of salt in winter and I've had zero issues protecting steel bikes. T-9 works wonders.

[@wjcferguson]

Yep, weight is hugely overrated, however, simultaneously it's true that lighter weight makes a bike feel more eager and enjoyable. It barely will change your journey times, but the reduced inertia means it surges forward under you. Personally I find steel worth its minor compromises and don't expect to every ride anything else, but lightness is definitely still worth optimizing (among other criteria).

[@the1andonly]

@@soarstar Sounds like fun and it works for you. Many of us do different kinds of cycling and steel bikes are very versatile and durable. They're a great value. Didn't mean to knock carbon. Have fun, that's the main thing!

[@mumenrider677]

@@wjcferguson believe it or not, Florida is worse than Canada for rust due to the climate there. Salt in the winter is barely an issue if you wash your bike regularly in Canada, but in Florida steel can rust if you look at it wrong

[@BryceMtn]

How do you get any speed going with a 28 x 11 as your fastest gear?

[@nerigarcia7116]

I just got an all steel Speedvagen Rugged Road that I setup with 35c road tires as an all-road bike and it feels nicer than any of my carbon road bikes. It's sluggish and heavier in comparison but rides so much nicer and can still go as fast with some effort. Steel is worth it if you can get past all the carbon marketing hype. My bike is still just 19 pounds which is good for steel and could probably get it lighter with a carbon wheelset. But if you don't care about all that then steel will give you a smooth, grounded ride. I attribute it more to a Mercedes with luxury performance opposed to a carbon road bike that may be more like a Lamborghini. To each his/her own, but steel is worth riding.

[@m.d.498]

My 93 steel rockhopper w rigid fork is a "softer" and quieter than my 2017 aluminum trek xcaliber with rockshock front fork.

[@bictorsuave2102]

Saw that they had a klunkr version of this on the radavist if i ever get 1 thats the route I would go 😅

[@clipsandstrapsjounal]

Awesome looking bike, I really like Adam's bikes, way nicer in every way than a surly.

[@Nickescaped]

Dig the frame. Much prefer rim brakes, but I’d definitely do Klampers. She’s an all rounder, all purpose bike. Nice build in steel and American made. Thanks for a great bike.

[@AndrewDemack]

On what basis are you saying American made? My understanding is that the production runs of these bikes are done in Taiwan.

[@Nickescaped]

@@AndrewDemack Thought I heard they were manufactured in Bozeman.

[@Nickescaped]

@@AndrewDemack Andrew, My mistake. Sklar manufactures custom frames in Bozeman. However, this Super Something is made offshore.

[@CharlieMetcalf]

I really like that type of bike. If I was only rich enough to buy one.

[@senorspiegel]

Thank you, I don't like flat mount. Everyone I've asked says that it helps get rid of brake shudder 😂

[@coryroberts8410]

what frame bag is that?

[@b4oh]

What a great looking bike!

[@gerlachsieders4578]

I love steel bikes, i own the steel Secan gravel bike, designed by the UK based Fairlight Cycles. But i would love to see a review of its sibling, the all road Faran 👍

[@gerlachsieders4578]

Also, it is Fairlight Cycles who started applying a flattened toptube, nice to see others pick this up

[@matthewoppen1602]

What is the flat bar on the supersomething it looks sweet

[@bri9498]

Love the looks of that frame! 😘

[@marcjohnson4884]

What was with those cool handlebars 10 secs into the vid? Drop bars but not like normal.

[@lilbtyt7928]

I like the design. I’ve been looking for a late 90s trek crossover that also cops at the seat post similarly. I like the straight fork

[@randallsmith7885]

Any chance of a double top tube (like Stooge Cycles and some Rivendells and 1950’s Schwinns) for additional style points?

[@mikea479]

May I ask what the specific sweep back bars are on the yellow bike? Thank you.

[@christopherdavis8967]

I love my Surly's but this is pretty cool too ;)

[@MulksBikes]

Is the Discord still active?? I can't find it anymore

[@marcianosanchez517]

ISO! Love it!

[@thomasarana4322]

Excellent video!!!

[@Fatbutnotflat]

Why not sunrace 11-50 , 11 speed? Very nice bike!

[@houseofpizza]

What are those bottle cages

[@indigowendigo8464]

A steel frame IS a shock absorber. Perfect for gravel. Double butted lugged frames are great for 1x setup

[@Rozbujnik_Rumcajs]

It's true for a fork but for a frame its myth. Rear triangle robbs steel of it's spring property.

[@DonLubach]

If I ride a Sklar, will I start looking like a college soccer star like Adam? Dude looks so young. Great video.

[@BennyNeptune]

I would love to know how a brand like retrospec fits into your personal vision for affordable gravel bikes. Are they one of the large corporate companies that make products that are incompatible with other parts? Or do they fall under a lower quality (planned obsolescense) kind of design?

[@mikeflanigan4896]

It has great lines and looks fun to ride. Modern day "Klunker" ❤

[@cphipps1969]

Wow, magic bike switches between drop bar & Mustache bars!

[@gustavoespinozahernandez3600]

What is the size of the small bike

[@andyzacek9760]

Wow, that is a sick nasty beautiful fun looking bike

[@wanderwheelcyclist]

Surly can’t compete with us…brilliant!

[@donbosco9789]

if the top tube is designed to flex, i wonder what happens to the downtube? any issues with the downtube shearing off ?

[@hugobci]

Loved the bike, seems much fun!

[@Alex_564]

Will you review his other steel atb the pbj?

[@stevepark6363]

This looks like such a fun bike... a great frameset for tinkering and part swapping. Nice that it has a curated selection of useful mounts so it avoids the warty look too.

[@josh33172]

On the topic of tube selection and profile, 100%!!! The "Steel is real" tribe love their chant, but the reality is that a lot of steel bikes don't ride that great. I good well-spec'd tubeset makes all the difference. The conversation about Surly, but the reality is that their bikes may hold a massive market share, but they're not the same market, Ritchey and Rodeo-Labs are market competitors for this bike. These are premium non-custom frames.

[@ian_pedalz]

The same goes for carbon too. A lot of carbon frames are heavy and stiff as a board, but some people can’t get around carbon being the “best” although most ride like trash. I can see dyneema being the next big “revolution”. I think what ritchey,Gunnar, (was doing for Gunnar) and SOMA is probably more inline with sklar in terms of providing proper tube selection and not just run of the mill 4130 like surly.

[@josh33172]

@@ian_pedalz Every material can and will ride like crap w/ a bad geometry and poor tube specification/lowgrade material. The bad rep that aluminum gets is actually antiquated. The modern alloys and hydroforming techniques with the right design can make an exception frame. If you want to talk custom, most people have never rode a custom Columbus aluminum frame...its quite impressive! But you have stock frames from the likes of Mason that are exceptional. I ride Rodeo Labs Flaanimal 5.0, and yeah its good, but that bike purchase was more about the bike's attributes more aligning with what I was looking for in adjustable geo and how the bike would fit me.

[@josh33172]

@@warprayer100 So there is a difference between the two metals, but its also the schedule/tube profile/thickness along with the butting profile that make more of a difference.

[@ian_pedalz]

@@josh33172 couldn’t agree more, the design of the geometry is everything. I haven’t ridden mason’s aluminum but the steel frames they design ride like a dream. Aluminum is one of the best materials for sure, some custom builders out their like Dark Moon Fab have made some extremely lively aluminum frames, but they definitely know a thing or two about shaping and sourcing tubes.

[@byronspencer8101]

Love this bike

[@ryanw3058]

'Why does it cost so much more than a Surly?' (My first, first comment😅)

[@ryanw3058]

But in all seriousness hand built bikes are great. This one looks like fun for sure.

[@robbchastain3036]

We need more hard-hitting questions like yours. 😂

[@ryanw3058]

@@robbchastain3036 sometimes you gotta ask the tough questions, sometimes they're really obscure and no one, never, in a million years might think of them. The people need answers.

[@-IE_it_yourself]

the grand dad looks over fondly at what it has set in motion.

[@robbchastain3036]

@@ryanw3058 We need Cycling 60 Minutes and you need to be the host. 😀

[@Henrywildeberry]

That's a steal of a bike!

[@Chungleas]

Oh My Goodness! Finally someone makes sense and still uses IS brake mounts, shame it's a decade and a half too late and the rest of the world has gone stupid and started using Flat mount... Very nice looking frameset.

[@-IE_it_yourself]

100% that is 300g when you are loaded up. the stiffness and tracking will really shine. surly for pope!

[@hank9176]

This geometry reminds me of my ascent

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

Ascent, at least the modern one, has a really long rear in comparison.

[@xaviermoreno2248]

Best bikes are chromoly steel . They are light and strong frames and absorb a lot of vibration without being too heavy like a steel bike

[@davidmoskovitz]

“It’s pretty average, which makes it great.” ❤❤❤

[@chriss6971]

Yes

[@swakemudi8682]

very clean and nice bike

[@paulvanreesch2493]

Hey, this is edited like an Ed Wood movie, alt bars to drops, like day to night🧛🦇

[@alexjohnson6462]

Why would IS or Post Mounts be better than flat mounts? Anybody? He mentions that flat mounts often need to be faced, but couldn't IS or post mounts likewise be slightly 'off' also, due to manufacturing difficulties in making two parts 100 percent paralell? I mean, its not an easy task getting two parts to have a 0.001 degree tolerance, whether you be working with carbon or metal.

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

There is more and easier adjustability. Flat mounts were made for roadies that needed that clean aesthetic :)

[@Lestat1795]

I really don’t get that part. Expensive frame but they don’t want to go that extra mile and face the brake mounts properly. For that price range the extra cost of a perfectly faced mount should be expected.

[@visualpun650]

A lot of recent tech like tapered steerers, OS BB shells and flat mount seem designed for carbon fiber bikes. On steel bikes they tend to add a lot of weight. To drill two holes in a steel fork leg and want it to handle braking forces the leg has to be a lot thicker which not only adds weight but could make it ride harsher. You could also cast a piece and that would be heavy too.

[@chrisnotyourbusines7739]

At least it has thru axles, unlike surly who build frames like in the 80's but demand 2020 prices. Having said that the inability of bike companies to source something as simple as a steel tube and making it THE differentiator in price is pathetic.

[@theovanzyl7133]

I LOOOOOOOVE THIS BIKE!!!!!

[@ssmtb]

Looks sick 🤙