Minnesota-based Esker Cycles launched in 2018 with a full-suspension, carbon fiber trail bike, the Elkat. Over the years, the brand added hardtails to the line and clearly found a market, ultimately dropping full-suspension bikes from the lineup entirely about two years ago.
Now, full-suspension bikes are back. But carbon is gone.
“Esker has made the shift away from carbon fiber and put all of its focus on aluminum and titanium frames,” the brand wrote in an email announcement.
I asked the brand what led to the move away from carbon fiber, and Esker owner/found Tim Krueger said, “We have been quietly working making aluminum bikes since the inception of Esker. The durability and value proposition of metal frames is hard to argue with. Through the development process we found the performance to be comparable and the decision to move away from carbon was easy. Plus, it allows us to make really cool titanium front triangles, too!”
Like the Elkat before them, the new Howdy and Woodsy trail bikes utilize Dave Weagle’s patented Orion Suspension design. Orion is said to eliminate pedal feedback through rough terrain while offering a stable pedaling platform. The system features two short links and, due to its compact nature, only works for single-chainring bikes. (Not that mountain bikes are going back to double or triple chainrings anytime soon.)
Both the Howdy and Woodsy are available in aluminum or titanium and feature external cable routing, threaded bottom brackets, clearance for 29×2.6″ tires, and UDH-compatibility. The stated ethos behind the latest Esker bikes is “balanced geometry, simple mechanics, at a good value.”
Esker Howdy trail bike
The Esker Howdy offers 140/125mm of suspension travel front/rear with a 64.8° head tube angle and a 77° seat tube angle. The brand characterizes the 481mm reach and 637mm stack height (size large) as modern “without going overboard.”
The Howdy is named after a character from a 1950s US Forest Service campaign. We’re told that Howdy the raccoon was Smokey the Bear’s companion and worked to teach good outdoor manners.
Esker Woodsy all-mountain bike
The Esker Woodsy is a 160/145mm travel trail/all-mountain bike and the geometry is fairly similar to the Howdy, with a 64.5° head tube angle and 77.5° seat tube angle. This one is named for Woodsy the Owl, who famously encouraged kids to “Give a hoot. Don’t pollute.”
Both bikes will be available to order from Esker dealers. Aluminum Howdy and Woodsy frames are priced at $2,000, and completes start at $4,000. Titanium frames are $3,500, and titanium complete starts at $5,500.
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