Tall Tale - Steel Hardtail Mountain Bike

XL Sklar Tall Tale - Lovely and Lively

A lovely and lively bike. I was a little concerned about the short chain stays at my height of 6’4 but after lowering the cockpit and shortening my fork to 140, the bike rides amazing. It’s very compliant over chattery terrain and is eager to pump and jump over everything in sight. It pops up onto the back wheel effortlessly and has changed how I ride! Instead of looking for the fastest lines, I now look for what I can hop over or manual through! The bike is incredible, the attention to detail is amazing, and the build quality of the frame is easily the best I’ve ever seen. I work in a shop and we have other steel focused brands and none of them come close to the Sklar. 10/10 would buy again!

Love my Tall Tale

Playful but stable at speed; responsive climber that can also handle rowdy descents; beautiful and capable and comfortable. The Tall Tale has quickly become the bike I reach for most days.

First ride on the Tall Tale (and why I’m laughing out loud)

Hi Adam and the Sklar Team, I've finally built the Tall Tale, and after the first serious ride I wanted to share a quick reflection on it and thank you again for being so incredibly helpful throughout the entire purchase process. To me, beauty at its best is never detached from functionality. An elegant, beautiful object cannot come at the cost of performance. When I ride the Tall Tale, I can truly feel its character; when I point it down, it does exactly what it's supposed to do with a style that makes the entire experience beautiful. Even its color is an elusive thing, constantly shifting with the hours and the lighting of the day, to the point where I’ve dropped the attempt to categorize it. Yet, for all that elegance, it never shies away. I come from a background of riding heavy, "eat-it-all" enduro bikes. I am probably not actually faster on the Tall Tale, but the sheer elegance and precision of it makes me laugh out loud. Technically speaking, it is unbelievable how well this frame swallows up small trail chatter. At the same time, it keeps you honest (beautiful things tend to demand that): if I resist the bike's natural flow and just harsh-out a drop, it reminds me of its limits. But when I get it right? The smooth reward is absolutely breathtaking and the trail is a quiet playground of speed and happiness. Next up, I’m planning to take it out into the wild for some multi-day bikepacking trips. I still need to fine-tune the components for this. In a way, the bike reminds me of a swan with a long reach. I'm currently hunting for the perfect handlebar to compensate for it, so I can shift my weight a bit further back and dial in the fit. Thank you for making such a phenomenal machine and for the stellar support along the way.