Updated: Introducing Otso Cycles
Update 9/15/2021: After the success of the Otso Voytek, Otso has introduced the Waheela C and Waheela S gravel/bikepacking bikes sharing the same Tuning Chip the Voytek has. This makes the Waheela gravel bike super versatile, giving it the ability to use 650b and 700c wheels with up to 50mm tires on a 700c.
We are constantly on the hunt for the best the bicycle industry has to offer. When looking at fat bikes, there has always been some sort of compromise to be made in regards to fit, performance, or build quality. There are plenty of brands out there that make a good fat bike, but the best can sometimes be hard to find. However, when it comes to Otso Cycles and their Otso Voytek, we think that we have found the future of fat bike design.
First, a bit of history. Otso refers to the Finnish spirit of the bear. Otso was referred to as friend, brother, uncle, or 'forest cousin', and was the most important of all of the spirits. The spirit of Otso is the king of the forest, and reigns at all times, from freezing snow to bright sunshine. When a few engineers and innovators from Wolftooth Components sought to create their first bicycle, they took to the Otso name to represent the do-all spirit of their new brand. 
Calling something, anything, "the future" tends to be pretty heavy-handed, signing checks it can't cash. However, the Voytek delivers. Otso focused on making a fat bike that didn't just feel like a mountain bike but could be equally fun all year long. The Voytek is a bike with multiple personalities, running 26" and 27.5" fat tires, or 27.5" plus and 29" plus tires. Their Tuning Chip rear dropout system adjusts the chainstay length from a nimble 430 mm (about that of an XC hardtail 29er) to a stable 450 mm to fit a wide range of tire sizes. 
The Voytek sets itself apart from other fat bikes by having the narrowest Q-factor of any production fat-tire-capable bike. Otso then incorporated a tuning chip into the rear dropout so the chainstays could be adjusted from 430 millimeters to 450 millimeters. Combine that with clearance for up to 4.6 inch-wide tires, internal dropper post routing, and an ultralight carbon frame, and the Voytek really can do it all. Ride a standard fat bike after riding the Voytek for a season, and you'll notice the difference immediately. 
Other tricks in the Voytek bag include the ability to switch between rigid and suspension forks up to 120mm travel, with a choice of Otso's carbon fork, a Manitou Mastodon Pro or Rockshox Bluto RL fat bike suspension fork, Fox 34 Float Performance fork for plus tires, and the Lauf Carbonara leaf spring suspension fork. The Voytek three bottle cage mounts, an option for custom-made frame bags from Revelate Designs and can be built up as light as 21 lbs. 
Is the Otso Voytek the future of fat bikes? That remains to be seen, as it's more expensive than alloy bikes like the Cannondale Fat CAAD or the SCOTT Big Jon. But the promise of true MTB geometry, low weight, and a narrow Q-factor ensure the Voytek can be ridden all year long, instead of languishing in the garage nine months out of the year. The Voytek is in stock at our shops now. Swing by our shops to take a peek at a Voytek, or demo one from our fleet of fat bikes. You can't go wrong.
