Q - Whats an Esker?

• An esker, eskar, eschar, or os, sometimes called an asar, osar, or serpent kame, is a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America. Eskers are frequently several kilometres long and, because of their uniform shape, look like railway embankments. They happen to make incredible land formations to build singletrack and paths through the wilderness on.

Q - When did Esker start?

• Thats a bit of a loaded question, but the Esker brand officially kicked off in 2018 when the founder, Tim, set forth to bring Dave Weagle's new Orion Dynamics Suspension platform to market along with the tried and true steel and titanium designs that we've all come to love. An evolution of the brand 'Advocate Cycles', Esker aimed to bring a group of riders and like-minded individuals together to think differently about how build a bike brand that not only focuses on creating the bikes that we all love to ride, but does so in a independed and sustainable way that supports not only the riders using the bikes we create, but the communities and like-minded small businesses that we all want to see grow and flourish in the world of mountain biking.

Q - Where are you located?

• Another very loaded question! We all joke that we're a bit 'base-less' when it comes to where we're located, but the truth is that our warehouse is located up in Minneapolis, Minnesota where a small portion of our team lives. Most of the Esker crew spends their time traveling, riding, exploring, and taking inspiration from riding regions all around North America (and beyond).

Q - Can I visit the warehouse?

• Not at the moment. Our warehouse is nothing fancy or special, and we don't have it setup to be viewed/toured by the public. If you order a bike from us a select 'local pickup', theres a good chance we'll let you take a gander around the warehouse and all of the fun things we're working on.

Q - Do you have demo bikes at the warehouse?

• Yes and No. The demo bikes are on the road traveling around North America the majority of the year. If there is a specific model/size that you're trying to swing a leg over, shoot us an email at info@eskercycles.com and we can double check what we have on hand, or help direct you to one of our amazing retail partners that can work with you to get on a demo locally.

• 'Tiny but Mighty' is what we like to say. At the moment, you can count our entire team on one hand...so yeah, pretty small.

• • • A deposit will reserve any incoming frameset or complete. Once your bike is in transit to our warehouse, we will reach out with an update in order to finalize any remaining details of your order. If we miss the initial estimated window by more than 30 days, you can cancel your order for a full refund.  
    • Arrival estimates are included with each pre-order. Estimated dates are based on our incoming inventory timeline, and represent our current best estimate as to when we will receive your bike and begin production.
    • All Esker bikes are proudly assembled to order in the USA. Bike building is a multi-stage process involving many moving parts. Once your bike has arrived, any outstanding details have been finalized, and it has entered into the production stage, we estimate up to 2-3 weeks to build and ship your bike.

Q - How long does it take to get my bike/frame after I order it?

• That depends. If its a bike/frame that you're placing a Pre Order for, the item will have an ETA window associated with it once you select it on the product page. If its a bike/frame that we have in stock, we will email you the shipping eta once the order is placed - that can vary from 2-6 weeks depending on how many orders are in front of yours.
• NOTE: If you want to speed up the delivery of your frame/fork, order it through one of our Retail Partners. They receive priority shipping when orders are placed through them.

Q - How much assembly do I need to do if I order the bike directly through Esker?

• Not much at all. Our complete bikes arrive 90% pre-assembled. For more information and assembly instructions, head on over to our Tech Documents page and click the 'New Bike Assembly Instructions' link.
  
• If you would prefer having your bike assembled through your local Esker Retailer, please order your bike directly through them. They'll help you figure out your size, work with you on spec/upgrade options, and get your bike built for you exactly how you want it.

Q - The Size/Color I was looking at is out of stock, is there a way to find the specific combo I'm looking for?

• Possibly! Shoot us an email at info@eskercycles.com and we'll do our best to connect you with one of our retail partners if they have one in stock.

Q - Do you do custom builds or custom options?

• We do not. We offer a limited menu of upgrade options for all of our bikes, but we do not do custom builds.
• If you'd like to have a custom Esker built up, please reach out to one of our Retail Partners and they'll work with you on getting you exactly what you want!

Q - Do you ship overseas?

• We do! You can check shipping costs by adding the frame/bike that you're interested in to your cart and working through the checkout process.
• NOTE: Shipping costs do not include any import duties, broker fees, or import taxes.

Q - Can I order a bike/frame through my local bike shop?

• Absoluetly. That would be the best way to order one of our frames/bikes! Working with your local bike shop allows you to get great insight on which model is right for you, which size may work best for your intended use, and ensure that your bike gets built up and fit to your exact specifications. Jump on over to our Dealer Locator to see a full map of our retail partners and find the one closest to you.

Q - Can I return my bike/frame if it isn't what I want?

• For details on our return policy - CLICK HERE

• Esker works closely with various manufacturing partners overseas to bring our proprietary frames to life. All of our bikes are designed with input from our team located throughout North America and assembled/shipped from our Minneapolis, Minnesota headquarters.

Q - What kind of steel do you use?

• Our steel framesets utilize a proprietary heat treated 4130 chromoly tubeset that is strong and durable with a fully tuned ride quality specific to each size. We design this tubeset in-house and work with our manufacturing partners to bring it to life. The custom drawn, externally tapered, seamless, quadruplebutted tubeset gives our frames an incredible blend of overall strength while cutting as much weight as possible, yet increasing its torsional rigidity. Did we mention that its size-specific?! So if you ride a Small frame, you won't get the same tubeset as someone who rides a Large. We do this in ensure that riders throughout the size spectrum get the absolute best ride quality that they can.

Q - What kind of Titanium do you use?

• We build our Titanium frames from seamless, double-butted 3/2.5 Titanium for the utmost in durability. This tubeset provides greater strength to weight ration than any other Titanium frames on the market, and was engineered specifically for this application. Titanium is extremely durable and corrosion-proof, so you can load our frames up with gear, strap on as many bags as you can and ride away knowing that your frame will be able to handle any adventure, through any type of weather...for life!

Q - Do your steel frames ride different than your Titanium frames?

• Yes and No. Based on our own riding input, as well as a ton of great input and feedback from our customers, find that our steel frames have a very similar feel when it comes to compliance on the trail in comparison with our Titanium frames. The biggest difference that most individuals feel is the weight savings of Titanium. Our Titanium frames are around 650-900grams lighter than their steel counterparts. This weight savings results in a 'snappier' and more 'lively' riding characteristc when on the trail.

Q - What kind of finish do your Titanium frames have? Is there a specific cleaning procedure?

• Our current Titanium frames utilize a bead-blasted finish that we've found to not only look amazing in person, but still looks amazing after having bags, racks, and bottles strapped to it for months on end. Nothing specific is needed when cleaning this finish, you can use your standard bike-wash and cleaning supplies that you have hanging around the house.

Q - Do I need to 'Frame-Saver' your steel frames after I buy one?

• NOPE! We treat all of our steel frames with an Electrophoretic Deposition (ED) coating inside and out prior to painting them for rust protection.

• No. It is a completely new design that happens to be designed by the same person as the DW Link. It is similar in that it is a short dual link design but it differs in that because of being designed around only a single chainring, the various instant centers (pedaling, braking, mass transfer) can be finer tuned to where they need to be. The shock rate is also more linear leading to excellent early bump compliance and mid travel support.

• Esker suspension bikes that use the Orion platform are able to offer incredible pedaling efficiency while isolating pedal, suspension, and braking forces. We believe the Orion platform provides an incredible overall ride quality and delivers a more enjoyable experience throughout the entire ride. Check out more information on Orion Suspension HERE

• Elkat: Float X 230x60/65- EVOL LV, 0.3 Volume Spacer, CM, RM, Rezi LMB2
  Metric 230x60mm (MW and OG at 150mm rear travel)
  Metric 230x65mm (LT at 162mm rear travel), 8x21mm forward mount, bushing-less clevis rear mount
• Rowl: Float X 210x55- EVOL LV 0.5 Volume Spacer, CM, RM Rezi LMB2
  Metric 210x55mm, 8x21mm forward mount, bushing-less clevis rear mount

NOTE: an un-tuned shock will not behave as well as the custom tuned shock that is intended to be used on the bike along with the Orion Suspension platform so we do not recommend their use. Shock specs are also listed in the frame specs section of each bike page.

Q - Is the Elkat or Rowl coil shock compatible?

• As of now, there are no recommended or approved coil shock options.

• The Elkat and Rowl use post mounts designed around a 160mm native rotor size, and can clear up to a 203mm rotor.
  • 160mm Shimano rotor: No adapter needed
  • 160mm SRAM rotor: No adapter needed
  • 180mm Shimano rotor: SM-MA-F180P/P2
  • 180mm SRAM rotor: 20mm PM disc brake adapter
  • 203mm Shimano rotor: SM-MA-F203P/P2
  • 200mm SRAM rotor: 40mm PM disc brake adapter

• You'll need a part of Portage Rack Mount Bolts and a seat collar with the ability to attach a rack to it. The Portage Rack Mount Bolts will replace the top M8 hardward on your Portage Dropout and allow you to thread in an M5 bolt to help you attach a rear rack.
• This hardware can also be utilized on our hardtails that already have rear rack mounts if you wanted place your rear rack struts further back and lower on the frame.