Our Reader’s Rig of the week comes from Tyler Tegtmeier in Idaho, who shares the custom Sklar Bikes hardtail that he had built for loaded bikepacking trips and backcountry day rides. Get to know Tyler and find details on his custom Montana-made Sklar here…

Words by Tyler Tegtmeier, photos by Miles Arbour

Hello, I’m Tyler. I grew up in Wisconsin and went to school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I have always loved bikes growing up, building jumps in the driveway and riding down the biggest hills we could find. I casually got into road biking in high school, but with the lack of community surrounding cycling, it fizzled.

Sklar Hardtail

Once in Minneapolis, I found that biking was the most efficient way to travel, and I got really into city riding and had a job as a bike messenger. After graduating from college, I began working seasonally in the outdoor industry, prioritizing skiing and biking. I’ve spent seasons in the Fraser Valley of Colorado, San Juan Islands of Washington state, and I’m currently split my year spending summers at Galena Lodge, Idaho, and winters in Crested Butte, Colorado.

  • Sklar Hardtail
  • Sklar Hardtail

I work as the summer bike shop Manager at Galena Lodge and as a winter instructor at the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte. I enjoy mountain biking and bike touring/bikepacking the most in the summer.

My Sklar is a custom mountain bike built around 29″ wheels and aggressive geometry. I wanted something that could be ridden hard in the backcountry on day rides and also pedal well loaded up for a bikepacking trip. The color reminds me of the desert varnish found on the high canyon walls on the Colorado Plateau. I built the bike up in 2019 and have not changed much about it since. It was fun working with Adam to design the bike.

Sklar Hardtail
  • Sklar Hardtail
  • Sklar Hardtail
  • Frame: Sklar Hardtail with sliding dropouts
  • Fork: MRP Ribbon 150mm
  • Rims: Industry Nine Enduro305 29”
  • Hubs: Industry Nine Hydra
  • Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF/Maxxis Dissector
  • Handlebars: Deity
  • Headset: White Industries
  • Crankset: SRAM GX
  • Pedals: Shimano XT SPD
  • Cassette: SRAM X01
  • Derailleur(s): SRAM GX
  • Brakes: Hayes Dominion A4
  • Shifter(s): SRAM GX
  • Saddle: Ergon Men’s Pro Comp
  • Seatpost: PNW Loam dropper 170mm
  • Stem: Industry Nine A35
  • Front bags: Salsa Anything Cradle with Sea to Summit dry bag, Oveja Negra fork bags
  • Frame bags: Homemade
  • Rear bags: Oveja Negra Gear Jammer
  • Accessory bags: Oveja Negra Snack Pack

I think this bike is very fun to have where I spend my summers since there is so much flowy singletrack, especially here at Galena Lodge. One of my favorite things to do with the bike is strap my wetsuit to the handlebars and bike up to an alpine lake to go snorkeling.

Sklar Hardtail
  • Sklar Hardtail
  • Sklar Hardtail

You can see more from Tyler on Instagram.

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