Returning to Cuenca Los Ojos: Sarah Swallow’s Otso Voytek and Ruta del Jefe Updates

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…

A Guide to Photographing Bicycles

Radar

A Guide to Photographing Bicycles

A lot of readers have asked for a guide to photographing their bikes. Be it for Readers’ Rides or for their Instagram. Here, John walks us through the process he uses, which we can all agree is ‘dialed.’

Over the past 15 years, I’ve documented hundreds of bikes both in situ and in my makeshift studio setup at events like the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, the ENVE Builder Roundup, and the Chris King Open House. While it might seem daunting at first, it really is easy and like everything photo-related, it’s all about the setup. Let’s look at my process in detail below…

Introducing the Flat or Drop Bar Otso Fenrir Stainless Touring Bike

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!

More Than Just a Fat Bike: John Reviews the Otso Voytek

Reportage

More Than Just a Fat Bike: John Reviews the Otso Voytek

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 of 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″+ setup and now in its chonk 29+ form and have pulled together a comprehensive argument for why I hope that bikes like the Voytek will stay around for a while…

The Otso Waheela C Gets New Paint and Frameset Updates

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!

Got an Otso Frame That You Want to Run Singlespeed? Check This Out

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.

Otso’s Voytek Gets a New Look for 2020

Radar

Otso’s Voytek Gets a New Look for 2020

First released in 2016, the Voytek broke the fatbike mold with its narrow Q factor and unique ride quality. By pairing a narrow pedal stance with a progressive XC race geometry, the Voytek isn’t the slow and cumbersome fatbike you’re used to. Its capabilities don’t end with a narrower Q factor and XC race geometry. The wheelbase of the Voytek can be extended or shortened by up to 20mm, which also changes bottom bracket height by up to 4mm. In the forward position, you’ve got an aggressive, responsive Voytek for your next race. In the rear position, you’ve got that same intuitive handling but with added stability to make it easier to ride in deep snow or adverse terrain. In the middle, well, that’s the best of both worlds. All Otso bikes are equipped with the versatile Tuning Chip.

Is it a fatbike that can run multiple wheel platforms or a plus bike that can handle fat tires? That’s up for you to decide. For 2020, the Voytek received new colors, and build kit options, offering Shimano SLX to SRAM AXS.

Head to Otso for more!

Otso Waheela C Gets a New Two-Tone Paint Job and a 12mm or 15mm Fork

Radar

Otso Waheela C Gets a New Two-Tone Paint Job and a 12mm or 15mm Fork

Otso’s Waheela C is a crowd-pleaser all-road bike that checks a lot of boxes for lovers of gravel. For Autumn 2020, it gets a new slate and gray matte paint. After customer feedback, Otson has decided to launch this bike now instead of next year and will come with an option to have a fork with a 12mm or 15mm axle. The Waheela C has been covered here before on the Radavist but here’s a refresh for y’all:

-Massive tire clearance. 29” x 2.1” tires (700c x 53mm equivalent) with ample space. The same clearance can be found with 650b or 27.5” wheels.
-Adjustable geometry. A Tuning Chip rear dropout allows the rider to change the wheelbase by up to 20mm. This chip has three positions: the rear position makes for a long wheelbase and stable ride, the front position is a shorter wheelbase for CX racing or singletrack riding, and the middle position is kind of the best of both worlds.
-EPS molded carbon frame. It’s light, strong, and ready for the next race, climb, or spirited ride.
-Dropper compatible. 60mm and 100mm travel options on Otso’s custom bike configurator.

See more at Otso!

Otso’s Waheela C Gets New Paint and Spec Upgrades for 2020

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.

Her Knight in Shining Armor: Brenda’s Otso Warakin Stainless

Reportage

Her Knight in Shining Armor: Brenda’s Otso Warakin Stainless

Returning to Minneapolis from my solo bike trip in Scotland, the last thing on my mind was riding bikes. Turns out pushing your fat bike through rivers, bogs and pouring rain for three weeks makes you want to never look at a bike again. I needed a break and I had planned on recovering by a lake for the rest of the summer. That is until I received an email that my new gravel adventure bike was ready in Bloomington, Minnesota.