Otso Voytek Review
- Price: $3,990
- Frame: Carbon
- Tires: 26″ Aluminum
- Gear: 1 x 12
What we like about it: Fast, lightweight, and agile riding experience, easily handling tight turns.
What we don’t like about it: Riding the fat-tire bike on flat roads can be more physically demanding.
Rating: (4.8/5)
The Otso Voytek changes the game for fat-tire bikes. It’s fast, lightweight, and agile, capable of effortlessly handling the tightest turns. Think of it as a mountain bike that can accommodate adjustable fat tires.
Below, we’ll analyze the riding experience, key features, components, and specifications of the Otso Voytek. In the latter part of this article, we’ve also chosen several bikes for comparison. If you’re interested in more bike reviews, please stay tuned.
Riding Experience
The Otso Voytek is a fat-tire bike with a carbon fiber frame and fork, offering robust and reliable performance. Its external cable design gives it a rugged appearance, making it suitable for a variety of terrains.
For my test, I packed the Otso Voytek and headed to the gravel bike race track at Barry-Roubaix, booking a nearby hotel through IHG. Most of the route I rode consisted of gravel roads with intermittent climbs and descents. I believed that this fat-tire bike could handle it with ease.
Climbing
While the Otso Voytek’s fat tires may seem quite exaggerated, giving off a sense of bulkiness, the carbon fiber frame and fork ensured that I didn’t feel excessively heavy during the ride.
In climbing, the bike’s rigid frame provided a solid feel while pedaling, maintaining an integrated feel. There was no sense of power loss during my uphill ride. I could maintain a relatively high speed while ascending.
Furthermore, the Shimano SLX M7100 drivetrain with a 1×12-speed setup allowed me to switch to a larger freewheel when encountering steeper inclines. This instantly made pedaling easier and helped conserve more energy during the climb.
In summary, the Otso Voytek, despite being a fat-tire bike, owes its ease of climbing to its lightweight design.
Descending
The Otso Voytek truly excels in downhill riding on gravel roads. The carbon fiber frame and fork exhibit impressive resilience, effectively absorbing some of the vibrations. The large, high-traction fat tires made my descent even more comfortable, ensuring a stable descent.
Additionally, the Otso Voytek is equipped with Magura MT4 hydraulic disc brakes, which offer powerful braking with responsive and comfortable handling. I could better control the bike’s speed during downhill rides, allowing for smooth maneuvering and a safer riding experience.
Even in corners, despite being a fat-tire bike, its excellent geometry brought my weight closer to the bike’s center, enabling precise, agile control. This made cornering with the Otso Voytek remarkably responsive.
In conclusion, the Otso Voytek stands out among fat-tire bikes for its excellent performance on gravel roads, whether it’s fast descents or tight corners.
Specifications
The Otso Voytek features a carbon fiber frame and fork, ensuring a lightweight design while maintaining frame rigidity.
Furthermore, it offers four frame sizes (S-XL) to accommodate riders with heights ranging from 4’9″ to 6’8″. It boasts broad versatility and is available in four color options.
The Shimano SLX M7100 drivetrain has a 1×12-speed setup, delivering smooth and responsive gear shifting. The transmission efficiency is also highly effective.
It’s equipped with Magura MT4 hydraulic disc brakes, providing powerful braking performance. It offers reliable braking even in challenging conditions.
Finally, the Schwalbe Jumbo Jim 26 x 4.0 LiteSkin tires offer excellent traction and puncture resistance.
Video
What do we like about it?
- The Otso Voytek offers agile handling, effortlessly accommodating 4.6-inch tires.
- Multiple color options for more choices.
- The Otso Voytek can transform into a full-suspension bike with a dropper post.
- Its longer top tube, shorter rear triangle, and slightly relaxed head tube angle mean more speed and more fun.
- Compatibility with front and rear fenders and a rear rack, offering more possibilities.
- The patented frame design of the Otso Voytek surpasses all ISO frame safety standards and undergoes thousands of miles of test riding for validation.
What don’t we like about it?
- Riding the fat-tire bike on flat roads can be more physically demanding.
FAQ
- Where is this bike manufactured?
The frames are designed by the Otso engineering team, manufactured by a top Taiwanese manufacturer, and come with a five-year limited warranty. All bikes and frames are inspected and assembled at our headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
- Can this bike be used with a suspension fork?
It can transform into a full-suspension bike with a dropper post and is also one of the narrowest Q-factor fat bikes on the market.
- How do I choose the right size?
We provide a size chart here, but it’s not necessarily a strict standard. The best way to find the right size is to test ride the bike.
| Rider height | SIZE |
| 4’9 – 5’6 | S |
| 5’4″ – 5’10” | M |
| 5’8″ – 6’2″ | L |
| 6’0″ – 6’8″ | XL |
Specs
Build
| Frame | Voytek™ patented carbon frame, Tuning Chip™ dropout system, 177×12 rear hub spacing, Plus-Fat Narrow Q-factor design with PF107BB, guided internal rear derailleur routing, accommodates internally routed dropper post, external brake routing, downtube and chainstay protectors, matching allow bottle cage boltsBB Standard: BB86/BB92, 107mm, Press FitTire Clearance: 4″Colors: Pistachio / Navy; Aquamarine / Orange; Charcoal / Black; Pink / Sunflower; Scarlet / Berry |
| Fork | Voytek™ rigid carbon fork, suspension corrected, tapered steerer tube, 485mm axle-to-crown, 51mm offset |
| Bottom Bracket | Race Face, PF107, Ø41mm |
| Headset | IS42 upper, IS52 lower |
| Stem | Race Face Ride (60mm standard. Other lengths available by request) |
| Handlebar | Race Face Ride, 740mm riser |
| Saddle | WTB Volt |
| Seatpost | Race Face Ride, 30.9mm |
| Grips | Wolf Tooth silicone grips |
Groupset
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano SLX M7100, 12 speed |
| Front Derailleur | None, 1x only bike |
| Crank | Race Face Aeffect 83mm with 175mm crankarms and custom offset Wolf Tooth CAMO system, 32T chainring (size Small frame ships with 170mm crankarms, 170mm crankarms are available on other sizes by request) |
| Shifters | Shimano SLX M7100 Trigger, 12 speed |
| Cassette | Shimano SLX M7100, 10-51t, 12 speed |
| Chain | Shimano SLX 12spd |
| Brakes | Magura MT4 |
Wheels
| Rims | Lithic sealed cartridge bearing 6-bolt rotor hubs with tubeless ready 70mm Lithic Rhyolite aluminum rims. tubeless kit upgrade available. |
| Tires | Schwalbe Jumbo Jim 26 x 4.0 LiteSkin |
| Disk Rotors | 74mm post (160mm native, 180mm max) |
Comparison Table
| Bikes | Click view | Wheelset | Frame Material | Brake Type | Drivetrain |
| Salsa Mukluk Deore 11 | Click View | 26″ Aluminum | Aluminum | SRAM Level | 1 × 11 |
| Rocky Mountain Blizzard Carbon 50 | Click View | 27.5″ Aluminum | Carbon | Shimano MT4120 | 1 × 12 |
| Giant Yukon 1 | Click View | 27.5″ Aluminum | Aluminum | SRAM Level T | 1 × 12 |
| Salsa Beargrease C Deore 11 | Click View | 27.5″ Aluminum | Carbon | Tektro HD-M275 | 1 × 11 |
Otso Voytek vs. Salsa Mukluk Deore 11
When comparing these two bikes, the former’s carbon fiber frame and fork contribute to its lighter weight, resulting in a more comfortable riding experience.
In terms of drivetrain components, both bikes use Shimano components. However, the former boasts a higher component grade, offering lighter weight, smooth gear shifting, and enhanced performance.
Regarding the braking system, the former is equipped with Magura MT4 hydraulic disc brakes, providing more responsive and powerful braking compared to the SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes on the latter.
In conclusion, for these two fat-tire bikes, the former’s frame and components are of higher quality, making it the recommended choice.
Learn More: Is Salsa Mukluk Deore 11 A Good Bike? [Salsa Mukluk Deore 11 Review]
Otso Voytek vs. Rocky Mountain Blizzard Carbon 50
Both of them feature carbon fiber frames and forks, making them lightweight fat-tire bikes. However, the latter comes with a dropper post design, allowing for quick adjustments of the riding position to ensure ride continuity.
In the drivetrain department, the latter is equipped with Shimano XT components, offering a higher grade than the Shimano SLX components on the former and supporting four gears in a single shift.
When it comes to the braking system, both bikes have reliable hydraulic disc brakes, making them trustworthy options.
In conclusion, these two fat-tire bikes are both excellent choices, and either one is worth considering.
Learn More: Is Rocky Mountain Blizzard Alloy 10 A Perfect Selection? – [Rocky Mountain Blizzard Alloy 10 Review]
Otso Voytek vs. Giant Yukon 1
When comparing these two bikes, the former’s carbon fiber frame is lighter than the latter’s aluminum frame, and it can absorb more road vibrations, providing a more comfortable riding experience.
In the drivetrain department, the former is equipped with Shimano SLX components, offering smoother gear shifting. The latter’s SRAM NX drivetrain, on the other hand, provides crisper and more precise shifting.
Additionally, the 26-inch wheels on the former offer more agile handling during rides, while the 27.5-inch wheels on the latter provide better overall traction.
Therefore, between these two bikes, I prefer the former. Its lighter weight and superior handling make it the better choice.
Learn More: Is Giant Yukon 2 Worth Buying? [Giant Yukon 2 Review]
Otso Voytek vs. Salsa Beargrease C Deore 11
While both of them feature carbon fiber frames, the former is lighter in weight. Combined with its smaller wheels, the handling experience during rides is more agile. The latter, on the other hand, offers better traction.
In the drivetrain department, the former boasts higher-grade Shimano components. It’s lighter in weight and offers a wider range of speed options, giving it an advantage in terms of gear shifting.
In the braking system, both bikes are equipped with hydraulic disc brakes. The former features Magura MT4 hydraulic disc brakes, which provide powerful braking performance compared to the Tektro HD-M275 hydraulic disc brakes on the latter.
In conclusion, when considering these two bikes, the Otso Voytek stands out with its superior component performance and is a worthy choice.
Learn More: Is Salsa Beargrease C Deore 11 Worth Buying? [ Salsa Beargrease C Deore 11 Review]
Summary
The above is my review of the Otso Voytek. In our opinion, it’s a lightweight and agile fat-tire bike, which is why we’ve given it a rating of 4.8.
Of course, if you’re interested in other fat-tire bikes, we also review a wide range of bikes at various price points, and they are equally fascinating. Feel free to check out our other reviews.
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