Sklar Lightweight Rear Rack Review: A Rack With A Few Surprises

Based on the popularity of our rack reviews, both on our YouTube channel and the website, there’s no denying that rigid carrying systems are the hottest accessory for bikepacking in 2026. One of the newest offerings comes from an unexpected brand: Sklar Bikes.

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As I mentioned in my Sklar PBJ review, Adam Sklar has shifted his focus since first entering the space through custom bikes. He’s scaled the business in a way that seems to give him more room to breathe and time to focus on things other than one-off projects. Over the past few years, Adam has designed and brought to market forks, bars, cages, headsets, stems, and seatposts to accommodate his range of bikes, including the Super Something, PBJ, and Tall Tale. Now, he’s released the Sklar Lightweight Rear Rack.

Given how useful racks can be, focusing on making a unique option makes sense. They give bikepackers and cyclists more versatility, and in this case, an original option that you can’t find anywhere else. Here, I explore the details of his new iteration and share my thoughts on all the specifics. Check out the full video below for my full Sklar Lightweight Rear Rack review, followed by a transcript, photos, and a comparison chart.

Specs

The Sklar Lightweight Rear Rack is touted as a “minimal, sturdy, lightweight rear rack” and was inspired by Adam’s run on the 2023 Tour Divide when he used a prototype of this design. In fact, he’s made a bunch of these over the years. They’re lightweight systems designed to accommodate what many riders want: a rack that can be installed on the bike while still allowing use of a dropper post.

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That’s one of the biggest reasons I use a rear rack today. It lets me use most of the travel on my dropper post, allowing me to ride the bike closer to its intended use. It’s something I’ve mentioned in several reviews, and it’s a feature I value. True to its name, the Lightweight Rear Rack is quite light. It weighs 648 grams with certain elements cut down. It’s made from 8mm chromoly tubing that’s welded and bolted together. Out of the box, it comes in three parts: the bed platform and two side pieces. Its construction means it can be stored flat when traveling.

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Adam says that it’s rated for 30 pounds, which is a lot for bikepacking. That said, it’s not really intended for large panniers. It’s more of a mini-pannier, bottle, or dry-bag-on-top kind of rack, but more on that soon. The rack comes with a top platform that measures 388mm long by 108mm wide, with rounded ends and a single middle strut. It also uses two identical side bars that attach to the top platform on either end. Compared to other rear racks on the market, the Sklar rack holds its own in terms of load capacity, price, and weight.

The rack mounts to the bike using one of two lower positions. The sides measure 334mm from the lower mounting point to the bottom of the platform, or 321mm from the upper mounting point to the bottom of the platform. Finally, there is one fixed position about two-thirds of the way up the forward-most leg that connects to the seat stay rack mounts on the bike.

Installation and Compatibility

I’m not going to focus too much on installation because there’s a great instructional video on the Sklar website. However, when putting the rack together, make sure the end of the platform with the shorter hole spacing is closest to the bike. I didn’t do this at first, and nothing happened. But, it’s worth noting. Depending on your bike’s spacing, the beauty of this rack is that you can mount the side pieces on the outside of the platform for wider-spaced bikes, or on the inside for bikes with a narrower rear end. You only get a few extra millimeters, but that might be all it takes. Once you figure out the orientation, it’s as easy as installing the M5 bolts with the included washers and locking nuts, measuring the struts and cutting them as necessary, and then installing the struts with the included hardware.

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The most important thing to consider before purchasing this rack is compatibility. It won’t fit every bike. If you have a Sklar, you’re good. It’s designed to work with all Sklar frames. But if you want to use it on another bike, you’ll want to make sure the distance from your lower rack mount to the top of your tire is no less than 325mm. I tested a pre-production version that had an additional 10mm of height, and I liked having that extra flexibility. However, I understand why Adam made the production version shorter. It’s optimized to fit his bikes perfectly without looking awkward or unnecessarily increasing the weight.

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I tried fitting this rack on a few different bikes. On the Otso Fenrir, it was just a touch too low, and even on the Bridge Club, the tire clearance was cutting it rather close. This rack seems to work best on bikes with lower rack mounts positioned higher up on the seat stays. Another thing to consider is that the struts need to be cut to length. That helps create a clean fit, but it can also make transferring the rack between bikes with different mounting positions more difficult. However, it’s a standard strut. So it should be relatively easy to come by at your local bike shop.

In Use

This rack saw a lot of use and continues to on my PBJ. I kept the bike after reviewing it because it’s one that can do a little bit of everything, and having a unicorn bike in your stable is a must. I’ve kept the rack installed because it fits the bike like a glove. I’ve used it for everything from fully loaded bikepacking trips to commuting and simply carrying extra gear on day rides. The unique part of this rack, and something I haven’t talked about yet, is the side cargo area, which doesn’t actually use traditional accessory mounts. Adam designed the rack tubing to bend into an oval shape that conveniently holds things like water bottles and dry bags. It also creates a barrier between the tire and a pannier. It’s an interesting design, and it worked exceptionally well on bikepacking trips when I needed a little extra water storage. The oval sections accommodated bottles of various diameters and lengths. I wrapped two TPU straps around each bottle, and they stayed secure, even across some of the roughest terrain I rode. It reminds me a touch of the Rick Hunter rack that Logan reviewed a few years back without the bottom brace.

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I like this feature, and I wouldn’t mind seeing another oval cargo section added to the forward upright. The addition could provide even more storage and potentially distribute the cargo more evenly between the rack’s front and rear. Then again, it might add enough material and weight that it would no longer feel quite as lightweight. Either way, the overall aesthetic of the rack and its curved tubing is appealing to me. Despite not having braze-ons or traditional cage mounts, I was still able to carry water securely, and I like this creative solution for adding cargo to the sides.

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On top, I was able to carry plenty of gear, including a Tyvek groundsheet and a dry bag inside the South City Stitch Works Love Handles, or a dry bag protected by the Rockgeist Armadillo. I used the space for my entire sleep system on some trips and extra layers on others. It worked wonderfully with a few Voile straps. The top platform is wide enough to support a good-sized dry bag, but it also works well with smaller loads. At 108mm wide, it is still a relatively narrow platform, so wider bags need to be packed and strapped down thoughtfully, but I never had an issue keeping my load stable.

While I didn’t use panniers during an overnight trip, I did install the new Revelate Portage Panniers. They fit well, and now that I’ve installed them, I think I’m going to put them back on for a while and see how the setup works over the long term. The complete system looks the part, and the rack’s side sections play nicely with this particular mini-pannier design. Overall, durability has been great. I put most of the miles on the pre-production rack, and aside from the additional 10mm of height, the production version is essentially the same design. I tested it on everything from rough, rocky roads and singletrack to smooth pavement and everything in between. The rack remained extremely stable, the hardware stayed tight, and nothing shifted or budged. That’s all you can ask for from a rack. While this rack won’t work for every bike out there, Adam told me he’s planning on eventually offering two different heights. If that second height becomes available, it could make the rack compatible with many more bikes.

• Model Tested: Sklar Lightweight Rear Rack
• Actual Weight: 648 grams 22.8 oz)
• Place of Manufacture: Taiwan
• Price: $140
• Manufacturer’s Details: Sklar Bikes

Further Reading

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