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Josh Reviews His Mash-Up Sklar Sweet Spot: The Sweet Jammer

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Josh Reviews His Mash-Up Sklar Sweet Spot: The Sweet Jammer

The Sweet Spot from Bozeman, MT-based Sklar Bikes is a steel hardtail mountain bike designed to be a venerable quiver-killer. Built around 150mm of front suspension, with clearance for up to 29 x 2.8 tires, its geometry embraces builder Adam Sklar’s mantra of “fast is fun, but fun is fun-er.” Sweet Spots were Adam’s first foray into offering a small batch frame design and sizing, which he hopes will make his bikes more accessible and faster to produce.

I picked up a Sweet Spot of my own earlier this spring after many years of searching for the perfect hardtail. Due to a few requests I had to make it even sweeter, it turned into a custom project that retained the established Sweet Spot geometry and material selection. Below, let’s take a closer look at my build in addition to a brief interview with Adam about these bikes and his design/build process!

AARN Has New Chainrings in Stock!

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AARN Has New Chainrings in Stock!

If you’re on the hunt for a 144 or 110 BCD chainring, look no further. Our buddy Aaron from AARN just released his stock for the year at the AARN webshop, including some very limited pieces like we’re showcasing here. These special edition rings are commemorating over a decade of making unique chainrings in the USA. Hop on over to his shop to check out the stock!

AARN Rings are Back in Stock

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AARN Rings are Back in Stock

AARN, the engineering and manufacturing brand, best known for its chainrings, has just relaunched their web shop with more stock, including these limited-edition faded 144bcd rings. Head on over to AARN to see what’s still there as this stuff sells out fast!

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AARN Plastics: Made in the USA Eyewear

I am always on the look out for domestically-produced products, including everything from kitchenware to cycling eyewear. In my opinion, buying local when you can and buying products made in the USA, or Germany, or Italy will help sustain our country’s and other’s industry from within. Naturally, when friends launch new products and make them in the USA, I’m immediately drawn to them.

AARN may be known for his chainrings, but as an industrial designer, he’s always on the hunt for the next design problem and subsequent solution. That’s where AARN Plastics come into play. He wanted to design a made in the USA eyewear system…

These frames are handmade in New York from the highest quality NOS Italian cellulose acetate, built around precision German hardware, and come stock fitted with Zeiss CR-39 lenses of your choice. Materials are processed using a combination of traditional and contemporary manufacturing processes and mechanical finishing techniques. Each set of eyewear is then hand made, hand inspected and packaged by AARN.

And contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need to wear performance sunglasses on the bike!

AARN 144#47/49/51 Track Chainrings

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AARN 144#47/49/51 Track Chainrings

Everyone obsesses over AARN’s made in Massachusetts 144 bcd track chainrings. To the point where they’re almost always sold out. Well, they’re in stock now and shipping ASAP in 47t, 49t, 51t sizes with black anodizing or raw. Head to AARN to scoop.

Rumor has it, there’s a ‘cross 1x Radavist ring coming down the pipe soon!

AARN 144#N AAMERICA B&W Chainrings in Stock

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AARN 144#N AAMERICA B&W Chainrings in Stock

AARN’s 144#N track chainrings have returned in the AAMERICA anodizing, although this time, they’re black, silver, and gray. Each ring’s finish is hand-applied, meaning each part is unique, and is packaged in a limited edition letterpress printed envelope with a black to silver split-fountain logo fade. These ring are available in 47 and 49t options, with only 100 units in stock.

The Radavist’s readers can use the code “AAMERICA” for 12% off their order of anything in the AARN webshop, including these new rings.

AARN Chainrings Back in Stock

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AARN Chainrings Back in Stock

The AARN chainrings were an instant classic when they launched back in 2011. Each year, designer Aaron Panone restocks the 144#47/49 chainrings in limited batches. The first restock of 2015 is now on 44RN, in a run of 200. Head over now to pick one up.

AARN 144#47/49 Rings in Stock

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AARN 144#47/49 Rings in Stock

AARN just restocked the 144#47 and 144#49 track chainrings at his web shop. These are some of the best track chainrings on the market and the demand is always high, so head over now if you’ve missed out before.

Techical Details:
+Bolt Circle Diameter: 144-mm
+Number of Teeth: 47 of 49 (choose below)
+Supported Chain Type: 1/8-in Track/BMX
+Material: Anodized 6061-T6 Aluminum
+Finish: Black or Clear Anodized

Made in the USA

Quiros Tange Aero Track

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Quiros Tange Aero Track

In the midst of all the NAHBS madness and in between nearly overdosing on Dayquil, I bumped into Armando Quiros, a frame builder I’ve featured on the site before, way, way back. Armando usually pops up at NAHBS with some insane track build. This time, he didn’t disappoint.

Like most builders, Armando keeps an eye out for vintage, rare tube and lugsets. A few years back, he acquired a set of the uber-scarce Tange Aero lugs, knowing good and well that the lugs aren’t worth anything without the tubes, or the post.

Some time passed and a random search on eBay revealed the tubes and the post, with a note stating: please note, the lugs are not included. He now had all the pieces to the puzzle so to speak.

He got cracking to it, built up a mean track frame and got it powdercoated before the show, building it up in the hotel room the night before. I bumped into him, outside the convention and shot some quick photos, which you can see in the Gallery!