Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
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Reportage
Returning to Cuenca Los Ojos: Sarah Swallow’s Otso Voytek and Ruta del Jefe Updates
Ruta del Jefe has officially announced the dates and the new venue – March 21-24, 2024 in Cuenca Los Ojos, Mexico – for the next edition of this adventure, education, community, and advocacy event. Cuenca Los Ojos is a protected natural area in the Sky Islands of the Mexican state of Sonora, southeast of Agua Prieta/Douglas, Arizona. Daniel Zaid and Karla Robles recently linked up with, organizer Sarah Swallow and, below, document her new new Otso Voytek, which she has been using for scouting the 2024 Ruta Del Jefe route. Additionally, Daniel and Karla share an update on the work Cuenca Los Ojos has been doing to provide the best platform for Ruta del Jefe in advance of the event’s first season south of the border…
Radar
Radar Roundup: Wilde Rambler Steel Fork, Otso Cycles Waheela C Colors, Restrap Coffee Dripper, Solstice Century, New Knog Blinder Front Lights, Bell Sanction 2 Helmets, and Ride Every Day
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Reportage
The Dirt is Your Oyster: A Longterm Review of the Otso Fenrir Ti
Over the past few months of riding Otso’s titanium version of their previously-released stainless steel Fenrir, I’ve strayed further into the morass of bike categorization than I ever thought I would, along the way asking myself such snake-eating-its-tail questions as: What is a gravel bike, what is a mountain bike, do modern ATBs even exist?
Radar
Radar Roundup: New Otso Voytek Colors, Small Monsters Jersey, Dry Creek Merino Pocket Tee, Pumpkin Spice Latte Holder, Hvala Croatia and How Moots Are Made
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Radar
Photos of The Radavist Otso Voytek in 29+ Mode
Last week, we announced our limited edition Otso Voytek with proceeds going to Protect Our Winters and thanks to Kurt from Otso, we got some exceptional snow photos of the Voytek. Yet let us remind you that the Voytek is a great 29+ platform. While at The Mid South this year, John photographed a sample bike with 29+ wheels, so check those photos out below!
Radar
Announcing The Radavist X Otso Cycles Collaboration Voytek
Otso Cycles and The Radavist have joined forces to share a special new Voytek. This is a bike that blurs the line between mountain bike and fat bike. It handles snowy Minnesota trails just as well as arid New Mexico singletrack with its adjustable geometry, versatile carbon frame design, and agile handling. A small batch of frames and complete bikes are now available in this limited colorway, with a portion of proceeds going to the folks at Protect Our Winters to help ensure snowy trails for generations to come. Check out more on this limited edition drop below!
Radar
Radar Roundup: ORTLIEB Seat-Pack QR, Otso Waheela, Lauf Seigla, Micro Climate Jacket, and Ride Farr Mount
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Reportage
The Otso Cycles Fenrir Touring Bike is a Drop Bar 29er Stainless Steel Monster!
Is it a gravel bike? A drop bar 29er? Or something else entirely? When it comes to the nomenclature surrounding these modern touring bikes, I often scratch my head, pondering an answer to this question. My usual inclination is to envelop these bikes under the umbrella of “adventure bikes” but then this bike landed in my lap. The Otso Cycles Fenrir is aligned with bikes like the Kona Sutra ULTD and the Moots Baxter but Otso did something different – i.e. better – than its competitors. The Fenrir took it up a notch and has utilized boost spacing wheels, which in my mind, put this in the drop bar 29er category.
I’ve had the Fenrir for a while now, have taken it on an overnighter, and have ridden some of my favorite mixed terrain routes here in Santa Fe with it. On washboarded sandy roads to singletrack, doubletrack, and gravel, the Fenrir is a hell of a bike and one that I really resonated with, so let’s check it out in detail below…
Radar
Introducing the Flat or Drop Bar Otso Fenrir Stainless Touring Bike
Otso’s latest bike model is named after a monstrous wolf in Norse Mythology (or perhaps you saw him in Thor Ragnorak?) and begs the question: drops or flat bars? When run with flat bars, an 80-90mm stem is recommended for ideal reach but with drops, you can run a shorter stem and wider bars. This new touring bike has mounts a go-go, a geometry tuned for touring, and is made from stainless steel. The tire clearance is plentiful, offering 29×2.6″ or 27.5×2.8″ tires, and thanks to the unique, proprietary sliding dropout design, Fenrir can be converted to singlespeed with ease. Check out the whole 411 on this beautiful stainless chassis or build up your next complete at Otso Cycles.
Look for our in-depth review shortly!
Radar
Shop Tour of Wolf Tooth & Otso Cycles
Lifting the veil behind manufacturing companies offers an intimate look at what makes them tick. In a little different approach to the standard Shop Visit photos, Wolf Tooth and Otso Cycles takes on an aerial look at its facilities.
Reportage
Otso Voytek Review: More Than Just a Fat Bike
Fat bikes. They’re the cycling industry’s lost children. The forgotten ones. Remember when every brand under the sun had a fat bike in their catalog? Now there are only a few brands still putting in the PR&D required to make these bikes less cumbersome, less heavy, and more like a true-to-form mountain bike. One of those brands is Otso, whose Voytek is all the above and more. I’ve held onto this bike for probably longer than they anticipated, cycling through the winter months, into the spring, and well into the summer. I’ve ridden it in its thicc 26″+ form and now in its chonk 29+ form and have pulled together a comprehensive argument for why bikes like the Voytek hopefully stay around for a while…
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Otso Cycles is Seeking a Bike Builder
Our friends at Otso Cycles are looking to hire a full-time employee with benefits. You can head to Otso to read all about it:
Otso Cycles is seeking an experienced bicycle builder to join the team in our Burnsville, MN facility.
Duties:
-Assembly of complete bicycles
-Packaging and shipping bicycles
-Packaging and shipping spare parts and accessories
-Kitting parts for bicycle sales and assembly
-Servicing demo bikes
-Aid marketing and sales staff at bike demos
-Flex to Wolf Tooth assembly and machine shop as time permits
Contact brendan@otsocycles.com for more details or to apply for the position.
Radar
Otso Cycles Has Waheela C Completes In Stock
Otso Cycles received a shipment with drivetrain components, so they’ve been able to assemble a handful of Waheela C complete bikes with Shimano GRX 600, GRX 800, and Campagnolo Ekar. In the current bicycle part and frame shortage, this is big news for the brand and its followers who have been patiently waiting for bikes to be in stock all year. Once Otso sells through their current inventory, the next chance to get a new Waheela C complete bike is likely in November. Start building your Waheela C at Otso Cycles!
Radar
The Otso Waheela C Gets New Paint and Frameset Updates
Last week, Otso Cycles announced updates to their most popular gravel bike, the Waheela C. For 2021 it has a new frameset update and four new colorways. This bike was first released in 2019 as the ultimate all-road machine with its massive tire clearance, adjustable geometry, and now Otso has added to its versatility by adding three bottle bosses to each side of the fork for extra storage capacity so cyclists can use the same bike for gravel racing as they do for longer rides like tours and bikepacking.
There are also four new colorways to share: Forest & Coral, Black & White, Burgundy & Red, and Matte Desert & Black (pictured).
Beyond the new fork and colorways, everything we know and love about the Waheela C remains:
-Adjustable geometry: Otso’s patented Tuning Chip rear dropout system allows the wheelbase to be lengthened or shortened by up to 20mm and the bottom bracket height to be raised or lowered by 4mm. This allows the Waheela C to transform from a confident, stable gravel bike (in the rear Tuning Chip position) to a nimble, agile option for CX races or local trails with tight corners.
-Giant tire clearance: this bike can fit 700c x 54mm, 650b x 54mm, 27.5” x 2.2” or 29” x 2.1” tires.
-EPS-molded carbon frame.
-Unrivaled ride quality: the rider is centered over the wheels for extra confidence and stability, while the longer top tube adds an aggressive, racy feel. Meanwhile, bowed seat stays make for a compliant rear triangle that’ll absorb bumps in the road and give you comfort while you’re spending all day on the saddle.
See more at Otso!
Radar
Got an Otso Frame That You Want to Run Singlespeed? Check This Out
If you have an Otso frame that is begging to be run as a singlespeed, then look no further. Wolf Tooth and Otso are within the same umbrella company, so it was easy for the two brands to work together on tricked out hardware kits to convert their popular frames. These kits are available in post and flat mounts, with instructions on Otso’s blog. Both the flat-mount and post-mount kits are $94.95 and shipping now from Otso.
Radar
Otso’s Waheela C Gets New Paint and Spec Upgrades for 2020
While we all dream about gravel races, bikepacking trips, and riding our favorite trails during road trips, the bike releases keep rolling out for all of us to enjoy these days. At least from the comfort of our home and personal devices. Otso’s lineup is impressive and their flagship gravel bike, the Waheela C, received a new look with new paint colors and graphics, as well as upgraded build spec options for 2020.
The Waheela C is available as a frame, fork, and headset for $2,550, or as a complete bike with Shimano GRX for $3,600. Find it on OtsoCycles.com.
The Waheela C’s details:
-Adjustable wheelbase: our patented Tuning Chip rear dropout system allows the wheelbase to be lengthened or shortened by up to 20mm and the bottom bracket height to be raised or lowered by 4mm. This allows the Waheela C to transform from a confident, stabile gravel bike (in the rear Tuning Chip position) to a nimble, agile option for CX races or local trails with tight corners.
-Giant tire clearance: this bike can fit 700c x 53mm, 650b x 53mm, or 29” x 2.1” tires. It’s a quick bike for racing gravel with a 700c x 35mm setup, and it’s been SO much fun riding snowy townie trails with 27.5” x 2.2” tires over the winter.
-EPS-molded carbon frame: it’s a lightweight bike that’s ready for a quick climb up the next punchy hill or sprinting away from the lead group.
-Inspired geometry: the rider is centered over the wheels for extra confidence and stability, while the longer top tube adds an aggressive, racy feel. Meanwhile, bowed seat stays make for a compliant rear triangle that’ll absorb bumps in the road and give you comfort while you’re spending all day on the saddle.
Radar
Otso’s Voytek Gets a New Look
Is Otso’s Voytek a plus MTB that can handle a 4.6″ fat tire? Or is it a fatbike that can roll on 27.5+ or 29+ wheels? The q-factor on the Voytek leads me to believe it’s a MTB frame with ample clearance for a 4.6″ fat tire. With the narrowest q-factor out of any other “fatbike” on the market because of its PF107BB spec, paired with a RaceFace Cinch crank and RF149 spindle, bringing the width to 183mm, the Voytek is designed to handle like a modern mountain bike. That’s because, with its unique Tuning Chip™ dropout system and 177×12 rear hub spacing, you can convert it to a hardtail with a dropper easily or run it as a fat bike. The options are endless.
New for 2020, the Voytek comes in a variety of color options and you can build one up at Otso to fit your fancy. Head on over to Otso to see more specs.