Elkat

Elkat was born from the belief that a mountain bike could be created to deliver a more enjoyable experience throughout the entire ride for every different type of rider.

Designed and built in the pursuit of performance and capability across the board with modern geometry and the acclaimed Orion Dynamics suspension platform – Elkat will allow you to enjoy the climbs in a whole new way and get you even more excited to drop the saddle and confidently rip back down even the roughest trails with confidence and speed.

150mm rear travel +150mm 29" wheel fork
- Mixed Wheel (MW complete build)

162mm rear travel +170mm 27.5” wheel fork
- Long Travel (LT complete build)

27.5" or 27.5/29" wheelset with up to 2.6" wide tires

148mm Boost rear hub spacing

Orion Dynamics suspension design by the famed Dave Weagle

With Dave Weagle’s patented Orion Dynamics suspension platform and Esker’s "Slack and Steep" modern take on geometry, tied together with the striking aesthetic and details of our carbon fiber frameset - Elkat truly has it all and comes together to deliver a balanced ride that challenges you to confidently climb the toughest sections and shred back down the most technical descents with ease.

New for 2023 we are now offering Elkat in two distinctly different versions to even further meet the demands of every type of rider.

The “Mixed Wheel” version boasts a 150mm travel 27.5” rear wheel matched up with a 29” front wheel and 150mm 29’er fork for that dynamic balance of nimble rear end handling and front-end rollability.
The “Long Travel” version bumps the rear up to 162mm of travel, matched with 170mm 27.5" fork to dig deep into the terrain and point the bike downhill for big hits and rough riding. This new setup keeps everything spinning and balanced on the most technical features, allowing for precise handling in the tightest corners but stable in the air on the big gaps.

With Elkat you truly get to choose your own adventure. From a Frameset built to your personal taste, and either Mixed Wheel or Long Travel build spec - this bike can take on different personalities to suit the needs of all types of riders.

Esker Cycles - Built for the Back Country
We here at Esker enjoy long rides into the wild spaces and are proud to say our bikes are truly Built for the Backcountry. They are designed and built on three tenets:

Durability

Our carbon layup is designed to provide maximum strength in those key areas that really need it while staying light enough to keep overall weight down and give it the dampened and silky smooth feel that carbon fiber is known for. We intentionally design, engineer, and test our carbon frames higher than industry standards, because we want a frame that truly lasts.

Refined Geometry

Our “slack and steep” geometry is a design approach based on years of research and experience fine tuning the perfect balance of rider weight positioning, power transfer, and stable handling at all speeds. Some call it "progressive", but we call it "just right" after years of ride experience.

Ride Quality

The Orion Dynamics suspension keeps things planted and stable while maintaining an incredibly lively, active, and nimble feel on the trail. From breaking bumps to bottom outs, it takes the harshness out of the ride and makes the bike disappear beneath you so you can focus on the trail ahead.

Upgrades!

Wolf Tooth Upgrade!

Add color-matched Wolf Tooth Premium bits!
Package includes:

Premium Wolf Tooth headset with upgraded stainless steel bearings
Seat post collar - color matched
Grips - Upgrade to Wolf Tooth Echo Lock-on grips - color matched
Rear Axle - upgraded to Wolf Tooth axle plus:
Wolf Tooth Axle Handle Multi Tool -color matched

More Upgrade Options - see Build Specs below
(add a note to your order or contact us: info@eskercycles.com)

Geometry

Frame Geometry
Geometry Explained

	S1	S2	S3	S4
A - Effective TT Length	554	587	609	632
B - Reach	410	440	460	480
C - Wheelbase	1146	1183	1208	1235
D - CS Length	425	425	425	425
E - BB Height	345	345	345	345
F - Effective ST Angle	75.9	75.9	75.9	75.9
G - ST Length	380	410	450	490
H - HT Angle	65.46	65.46	65.46	65.46
I - HT Length	99	115	126	143
J - Fork Offset	42	42	42	42
K - Fork Length	555	555	555	555
Trail	115.4	115.4	115.4	115.4
Stack	590	605	615	630
Standover	738	740	742	754
Rider Height	5'0"- 5'6"	5'5"- 5'10"	5'9"- 6'1"	6'0"- 6'4"
Max Insertion	250	250	250	250

Bike geometry is a bunch of moving numbers. Unless you are a math wizard, it's hard to tell just what is going on with those digits. The progression of trail bikes and the advent of dropper seatposts have allowed us to create a veritable multi tool, suited to various forms of mountain biking—something we like to call Slack&Steep. Slack&Steep geometry is just that, a mathematical derivative of proper suspension performance, body placement, and handling numbers designed to give you the best possible ride throughout.

Frame Specs


Frame Material	Proprietary blend of high modulus carbon fiber with Smooth AF molding
Frameset	Custom tuned Fox Float X Performance Elite shock (frame-only gets Fox Factory) Wolf Tooth Components headset, thru axle, custom molded frame protection
Head tube Diameter	44mm ID upper, 56mm ID lower
Rear Dropout Spacing	148mm
BB Type	Threaded 73mm English
Headset lower stack height	3mm
Rear Shock	Metric 230x60mm or 230x65mm, 8x21mm forward mount, bushing-less clevis rear mount
Weight	S1 - 2920g, S2 - 3000g, S3 - 3065g, S4 - 3150g / Weight includes frame, rear shock, axle, seat collar
Seatpost	34.9 Wolf Tooth Components collar, 31.6 post dia, internal routing
Thru Axle	Boost 148 / 171mm / M12x1.5”
Max Chainring	32t round / 30t oval / Boost Chainline

Build Specs

Build	GX Complete	GX Upgrades	XT Complete	XT Upgrades
Frame	Elkat Mixed Wheel (MW) - 150 Elkat Long Travel (LT) 27.5 - 162		Elkat Mixed Wheel (MW) - 150 Elkat Long Travel (LT) 27.5 - 162
Rear Shock	Fox Float X Performance Elite	Fox Float X Factory	Fox Float X Performance Elite	Fox Float X Factory
Fork	Fox 36 Float Rhythm GRIP 29/150 (MW) Fox 36 Float Rhythm GRIP 27.5/170 (LT)	Fox 36 Float Factory GRIP2 29/150 (MW) / 27.5/170 (LT) $500 (incl Factory shock)	Fox 36 Float Performance Elite GRIP2 29/150 Fox 36 Float Performance Elite GRIP2 27.5/170	Fox 36 Float Factory GRIP2 29/150 (MW) / 27.5/170 (LT) $200 (incl Factory shock)
Headset	Wolf Tooth Components, ZS44/ZS56	See Wolf Tooth Upgrades above	Wolf Tooth Components, ZS44/ZS56	See Wolf Tooth Upgrades above
Spacers	30mm		30mm
Stem	RF Aeffect R 50mm		Industry 9 A35 50mm
Handlebar	RF Turbine 35x780		RF Next R 35x800
Grips	SDG Thrice		SDG Thrice
Brakes	SRAM DB8 4-piston Mineral Oil		Shimano XT 4-piston
Rotors	SRAM Centerline 180mm		Shimano RT86 180mm
Dropper / Lever	SDG Tellis S/M: 150mm - L/XL: 175mm		Wolf Tooth Resolve + Remote S/M: 160mm - L/XL: 200mm
Saddle	Custom Esker SDG BA3		Custom Esker SDG BA3
Wheels	Stans Flow S2 Comp	Industry 9 1/1 Enduro S Carbon xD $850	Industry Nine 1/1 Enduro S	Industry 9 1/1 Enduro S Carbon MS $650
Drivetrain	SRAM GX Eagle 12spd 10/52		Shimano XT 12spd 10/51
Cranks	SRAM GX		Shimano XT
Tires	Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.6		Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.6

Build Specs are subject to change.