The brief

"Wait a minute," you might be thinking. "You don't sell Esker -- why's this bike in your custom builds section?"

You're right—we’re not an Esker dealer. But custom builds are what we do best, and if someone brings us a frame from outside our usual lineup, we’re more than happy to work our magic on it. (Remember that next time you're window-shopping for dream builds...)

On to the build.

Brad has been a touring rider for a long time, with multiple international trips to his name. He had been looking for a 29" off-road tourer with front suspension, and picked the Hayduke as the perfect base.

Now all we had to do was turn it into a world-conquering, trail-eating machine.

The bike

If Brad's previous trips were anything to go by, the Hayduke was going to be visiting remote, challenging areas. Everything that we bolted onto it, therefore, had to be tough enough to withstand the combined punishment of mountain bike riding and loaded touring.

For a groupset, Shimano SLX groupset was the logical choice due to its robustness, not to mention its wide gear spread. A 10-51 cassette would help Brad tackle challenging climbs, run in conjunction with a 30T chain ring in a 1X setup to suit the frame. (No front derailleur = less weight + fewer components to worry about.)

Suspension forks can be a tricky thing on touring bikes; you need something that's hardy enough to handle multiple terrains but also simple to maintain. The Marzocchi Bomber Z2s were the answer: sturdy and reliable, they can handle the rough stuff and don't have fiddly tech that requires specialist maintenance.

Speaking of low-maintenance, a carbon Newmen seatpost was a perfect choice to help absorb bumps and vibrations. (If you've never experienced how much of a difference a good carbon seatpost can make, we highly recommend you get acquainted.)

A hand-built wheelset is always going to out-perform an off-the-shelf option, so we laced up DT Swiss H552 rims and 350 hubs to create a set of super-strong touring wheels that could handle rugged terrain under load.

For the front end, we opted for SQLab 30X alloy handlebars with a 12 degree backsweep and a set of Ergon GP1 grips for proper hand and wrist alignment. After all, the toughest bike in the world is no good if it's not also comfortable, especially if you're riding it all day.

And here it is: a bike that's capable of taking Brad to the ends of the earth and back again. Literally.

Want your own globe-trotting machine? That's what we're here for.

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