This year at Grinduro, eight frame builders presented bikes in partnership with Maxxis, Sram/Zipp, Columbus, and Hope Tech. The theme? What is your ideal Grinduro bike? For each gravel bike in the morning, we’ll present a mountain bike in the afternoon. This round, we’re matching the BTCHN’ gravel bike with this Sklar Rigid 29+.

A Sklar with a straight top tube? This bike is a sibling to a project we’ll talk about at a later time but yes, it’s a new thing for Sklar but there’s a reason. For a bikepacking bike, maxing out available space for a frame bag takes precedent over a curved top tube. This titanium frame features a Ti 3D-printed Yoke, with clearance for a 29 x 3″ tire, while maintaining a proper chainline and short stays thanks to the rear Super Boost spacing.

The paint was inspired by a Chevy LUV pickup, down to the white roofline. Adam always wanted a classic pickup, having grown up in Colorado and living in Montana. Bikes like this look great brand new but I can’t wait to see it dirty and dusty after a multi-day bikepacking trip. Adam rode this bike at Grinduro and said it was perfect for the rough and rutted descents while being a blast on the singletrack.

Sklar built his bike with White Industries, PAUL, and Sim Works.