Esker Cycles Releases Hayduke Hardtail

Esker Cycles, a rider-centered bike brand launched in August with the release of the Orion suspension platform and Elkat model is proud to announce the addition of a newly designed Hayduke to its line of mountain bikes.

Since its creation in 2015, the story of the beloved steel hardtail, Hayduke, has been one of the local singletrack rides, stargazing overnighters, and worldwide exploration. It has been tested on the Baja Divide, taken to the far limits on Peninsula Mitre, and pedaled the entirety of New Zealand, to name only a few.

Thoughts => Esker Cycles is the brainchild of the folks that brought you the excellent Terrene Tires and their recently released Elkat carbon fiber 27.5 with the Orion™ suspension platform. The Esker branded steel hardtail Hayduke can run 27.5″ x 2.3 to 3.0″ or 29″ x 2.3″ tires and has modern and playful 67.6° head tube and 74° seat tube geometry. The Hayduke frame will retail for $675, while kits start at $2,000 with many upgradeable options exist, with three color options Sub-lime, Caterpillar, and Ranchera. Hayduke Lives!

Highlights

• 4130 cromoly tubeset.
• Compatible with 120-130mm forks.
• Portage dropout system allowing to have your choice of 142 or 148mm fixed or sliding dropouts.
• XS-XL sizes.
• Wheel tires – 27.5″ x 2.3 to 3.0″ or 29″ x 2.3″.
• 1/2 pound weight loss over the predecessor.

With the release of the new Hayduke, Esker has updated the geometry to give the bike a more playful and responsive character out on the trail, crafted up a lighter and stronger tubing design, added a plethora of braze-ons to attach just about anything, and in the process has created a steel hardtail that dreams are made of.

Hayduke Lives

Hayduke started as a vision for the perfect hardtail—steel of course—for use as a single speed, a singletrack machine, or a bikepacking rig. The versatile Portage dropout system was originally designed for riders to easily switch drivetrain types, wheel sizes, chainstay length, and accept racks, and this same system will carry over into the newest version.

The original Hayduke, which was branded under Advocate Cycles, used an off-the-shelf high-end tubeset.

Monkey Wrench Gang

With the next generation, Esker was able to spend another two years refining this by creating their own custom drawn, externally tapered, seamless, quadruple butted, heat treated 4130 cromoly tubeset that is specific to each frame size, reducing the weight of the frame by half a pound, as well as reducing the cost to the customer. With the next generation design and a little poetic license from Edward Abbey, Esker was able to improve upon the bike but overall kept the soul of the Hayduke.

“At Esker, we take pride in simply calling ourselves a mountain bike company,” said Esker president Tim Krueger. “There are so many ways to have a mountain bike experience, and the Hayduke is part of our line to offer a different mountain bike experience than our Orion-suspension Elkat. We love spending time on trails, and the Hayduke gives us another way to do that.”

Hayduke frames will come in XS-XL sizes and will cost $675 with a seat collar, rear axle, Wolf Tooth Components headset, and choice of 142 or 148mm fixed or sliding dropouts. Complete bikes will start at $2000, are built to order in the United States, and offer individual part upgrades to allow the rider to custom tailor a bike to exactly how they want it. Bikes are available for pre-order now. Frames and complete kits will be shipping to buyers by November.

About Esker Cycles

Centered on the philosophy that the rider is the most important part of the process, the Esker brand is a fusion of the rider owned dedication of passionate mountain bikers, the cumulative experience of industry veterans, and the desire to challenge traditional methods in order to make top tier products available to anyone and everyone who wants to get out and ride. From the people who built the company, to the design and build of their bikes and emphasis on the user—rider owned and rider centered is who they are. Esker is more than just a bike company; they are a group of riders and like-minded individuals that aim to think differently and encourage a broader, more inclusive cycling community. Esker was built from the ground up to deliver new ideas and exists to influence the future of cycling in a positive manner—not just in the products that they build, but in the way that they think about the sport and the community. As a brand and a collection of riders, Esker seeks to inspire and encourage anyone with the desire to climb onto a bike and enjoy the ride.