Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
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Esker Cycles just announced its refreshed hardtail lineup, which includes the 2025 Hayduke and Japhy in steel and titanium and the updated Lorax Ti and Hayduke LVS mid-tail. Find everything you need to know here…
It’s been a few years since Esker Cycles updated its hardtail lineup, so we’re excited to see some small but promising changes for two Esker classics and bikepacking favorites: the Hayduke and Japhy, as well as the Lorax Ti and Hayduke LVS. Dig into all the details below.
2025 Esker Hayduke
The Hayduke was originally made by Advocate Cycles but was relaunched in 2018 by Esker Cycles as a versatile hardtail mountain bike. In the time since, it has become a fan-favorite as a versatile mountain bike for bikepacking, trail riding, and everything in between. The 2025 Hayduke sees a number of updates, but the biggest include updated geometry (longer wheelbase, increased BB Drop, taller stack) and the move from six sizes down to just four (S-XL). The tire clearance has been expanded to clear 29 x 3.0” tires (depending on rim/tire/dropout position), the chainstay heel clearance has been slightly improved, and they added mid-mount chainstay rack mounts and top tube bosses for bolt-on bags.
The titanium Esker Hayduke gets the new Hitching Post seat tube bottle mount that provides a gear strap location and pushes bottle cage bolts outward to increase seatpost insertion. The dropper post port has been moved up the seat tube to improve cable routing, all Hayduke models get a custom chainstay protector, and the titanium model receives a new logo/finish, while the steel Hayduke is available in three fresh color options.
The 2025 Esker Hayduke steel is available as a frame only starting at $1,000, complete geared builds start at $3,000, and singlespeed builds come in at $2,700 USD. The 2025 color options are Sundry (green), Lunar (grey), and Metal Flake Blue. The Hayduke Ti frame costs $2,500, complete builds start at $4,500, and singlespeed builds start at $4,200.
2025 Esker Japhy
The Japhy is slightly longer and slacker than the Hayduke and doesn’t offer as much carrying capacity due to its lack of rack mounts and top tube bosses. It receives many of the same updates, including revised geometry (increased stack and longer effective top tube) and four frame sizes. The seatstay bridge has been removed to increase compliance, the dropper post routing has been improved, and it has the same custom chainstay protector as the Hayduke. The titanium Japhy has a new, slimmer chainstay yoke and the same Hitching Post seat tube cargo mount/bottle mount found on the titanium Hayduke.
The steel Japhy frame starts at $1,000, complete builds at $3,000, and singlespeed builds at $2,700 USD. The 2025 color options are Paloverde (lime green), Darkness (black), and Metal Flake Orange. You can find the steel Japhy here and the titanium Japhy here.
2025 Esker Hayduke LVS
Launched in 2023, the Esker Cycles Hayduke LVS is a unique and impressively capable titanium mid-tail mountain bike designed around 29 x 2.6-2.8″ tires and a 120mm suspension fork. It’s meant to carry more and go further. For 2025, the Hayduke LVS remains mostly unchanged, but Esker has added top tube bosses, mid-mount seatstay rack mounts, and the Hitching Post seat tube mount. The geometry has been tweaked with increased stack and a longer effective top tube length. Framesets start at $2,950, and complete builds start at $4,950 USD. Check it out here.
2025 Esker Lorax Ti
Available in both steel and titanium, the Lorax is Esker’s do-it-all drop-bar mountain bike with clearance for big tires, the ability to run either a rigid or 120mm suspension fork, and enough mounts and gear capacity to tackle long-distance bikepacking trips. We’ve tested the steel and titanium versions, and it took a top spot in our 2024 Bikepacking Gear of the Year Awards.
The Lorax steel has remained unchanged for 2025, but the titanium version has improved chainstay heel clearance, mid-mount seatstay mounts, and the same Hitching Post seat tube mount as the other titanium models. The 2025 Lorax Ti has a sleeker, redesigned chainstay yoke, a custom chainstay protector, and a new logo and finish. Framesets start at $2,500, and complete builds come in at $4,500 USD. Learn more here.
Esker’s 2025 hardtails will start shipping in April. You can dig into details on all of the Esker models over at EskerCycles.com.
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