Our Favorite Adventure Bike Just Got Radder

We covered the Hudksi Doggler when it first debuted back in 2020 and it quickly became our favorite adventure bike. It can do pretty much anything. We’ve ridden 40 mile gravel races on it. We’ve bikepacked. We’ve taken on black diamond single track. We’ve ridden one handed through city streets, sixpack of beer cradled in the other hand. It truly and proudly earns the moniker not of road bike or gravel bike or mountain bike, but, simply, “bike.” It will do what you ask of it.

And now it is probably even better.

They’ve lowered the bottom bracket by some 20mms, a significant change meant to “give a more in-the-bike feel, versus on top of the bike,” according to Brian Szykowny, the bike’s chief designer. The Large and XL sizes went from a 57mm to 76mm BB drop. They also slackened the head tube angle a bit to 67.5 degrees, pretty much in line with most progressive “down country” bikes in the shops.

The numbers put the bike in the same category as the Specialized Diverge Evo and the Evil Chamois Hagar, both drop bar bikes. The Hudski smokes those two when it comes to all around fun and capability though. The flat bars, designed by Hudski, with a nice sweep are just far more versatile than drops will ever be.

“Overall the new changes give a more stable feel on loose sweepers, but still holds on to its playful feel on the trail and road as well.”

This reviewer coulda used that more stable feel as I was bucked off my first-gen Doggler last winter on a loose gravel downhill, and destroyed my shoulder. Just nursing way through post-surgery recovery right now as a matter of fact.

But that was my fault, not the bike’s. The new version looks super fun, and of course, we want one of these too.

The price will increase $200, to $2,200, but the spec is fantastic. Shimano SLX drivetrain and brakes paired with PNW dropper and Raceface crankset. Very, very solid stuff. As with the first gen, they will sell three versions of the Doggler: gravel, mountain, and urban, all with slight tweaks to wheel size and or handlebars and tires.

They’re taking pre-orders now, and sold out of everything last time, so get on it while you can.