STAINLESS STEEL GRAVEL BIKE!
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- Опубликовано: 3 июл 2024
- Review of the Otso Warakin, a stainless steel gravel bike with adjustable chainstays!
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For more about the bike go here: otsocycles.com
DISCLOSURE: Warakin was provided for review and then sent back.
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My dream bike comes in stainless steel or titanium. I just love that raw, timeless look.
Gotta keep it on the 420 setting to blaze it on the trails
Wow. Was eyeing that bike. Thanks for the review
I've had a Warakin for a little over a year and love it. In the short chainstay setting it accelerates and climbs with enthusiasm and is a blast to ride on smoothish singletrack. I had no issue with sluggish front end steering and found it very responsive. Hard to tell I wasn't on my hardtail race mtb. Very easy to loft the front end up over obstacles. I've used the long chainstay setting for more wheelbase and stability for bikepacking, which has included 2 weeks on the continental divide route and a few overnighter's. Great bikepacking rig. I used a frame bag and rear rack and panniers. A bit light in the front end on downhill corners and I want to change our the front fork to a spork2.0 to get more weight on the front end. I also have the middle position chip, which is how I set it up for all round unloaded gravel riding and racing. I bought the frame and fork and built it up with a 2 x 10 drivertrain (not a 1x fax) and softened the ride with a redshift shockstop stem. A fantastic multi-use gravel bike.
So nice to hear such positive reviews about this bike, I'm eyeing it and there seems not to have many reviews done. Hope to see yours when it's loaded and how you set up the various bags
@@oreyl you can see some pictures included in this article here. I'm going to change the fork out to a Spork 3.0 so I can mount a low rider rack though. I prefer rack and panniers to bike packing bags. bikefitr.com/2019/12/ride-eat-sleep-repeat-14-days-on-the-great-divide/
@@bikefitr Thanks a lot for sharing, the pictures look amazing and the gunk of mud stuck to your frame amazed me even more haha. Have a great year ahead and looking forward to more review on your SS bike if any.
It is 4 years ago, but I think the bike is still available.
I do not like the fork either. IMO, they should offer a normal (traditional) J-fork.
I liked your review! A different point of view on stuff that matters to us that don't care that much about "performance oriented products"
Great review and I have similar opinions on handling and performance. The tuning chip may also allow you to squeeze in wider tires in 650b mode. I have tried the tuning chip in both positions with 700s and prefer the forward position for its zippiness. The team at Wolf Tooth were very responsive to all of my bizarre questions during the purchasing process and sent a replacement part (shipping damage) asap. Their website changed over the winter and appears to allow for way more customization. Totally impressed with their customer service. Very compliant ride even on rough Atlanta roads. Stiff fork but 38 psi tubeless works well for me. I really enjoy the bike and coming from a 3x7 mtb to 1x with a 42tooth max gear I’ll never go back because it’s so simple to use and maintain. Price is completely justified if you ride every day. I commute with it and added a Tubus Logo rack. Stainless for all conditions. I think this bike and wolf tooth products in general are very well thought out pieces of tech. Enjoy the ride!
Doug S What size do you have? I’d pay for your time if you could spare 30 mins one day. I’m close to pulling the trigger, but would love to check one out in person
Really like your references on bike reviews against the Salsa lineup… It gives a good perspective for those of us who have been following your take on the Salsa nuances in comparison. And for suppleness, I like the redshift shout out also, have you had any vids on the KINEKT bike seatpost suspension?
I really like the look of bare metal finishes so I really like that. The welds look neat and the overall quality looks good as well.
Shirt looks good to 👍
Where can I get one? The shirt, not the bike.
Such a good looking bike. Wish I had a chance to ride one in person. I was looking at this frame and considering throwing a fyxation fork on it to add front end options, but now I feel like I really need to get on one first.
No.1 fan here in the Philippines ! Ride safe always sir!
Great review and I appreciate that you are looking at this model, since I’m bias to metal frames. It seems that the big brands are doing the “chip” thing. Obviously a longer or chip set in the back would make a smoother ride. I also think the stiff feel is the generic carbon fork.
So stoked to finally see this review! I've had my Warakin for two seasons now, and it's my go-to almost-quiver-killer. I actually prefer the forward position in the tuning chip, though rn I have it all the way back to fit 650b x 48c rubber. Definitely agree about the fork -- I'm looking to swap it out at some point. Great bike, and always draws attention!
How comfortable is it? Geometry-wise
@@ruworuwo quite plush, imho, especially running 650b. Geo's hard for me to comment on, as I have only had one other gravel bike and I'm not great with the numbers. Seems pretty relaxed to me though, unless you slam it. I'm always super comfortable aside from the stiff front end.
@@ArachnidSentinl yeah, I haven't ridden a gravel bike before and I don't know too much about numbers too. Thanks for the reply, that's what I wanted to know
Cool little fact about the name Otso: It means Bear in Finnish! It's the nickname for the beast that is the king of the forest.
(noticed that they also say this on their website. Must have that Finnish-Minnesota connection)
Sapemies58 that’s interesting. I wonder if it has any link to Latin. In Spanish it is “Oso”, in Italian “Orso”.
Gorgeous bike. Ever seen the Bjorn Stainless Rival Jenson Exclusive? That thing is a jaw dropper. Searched it on youtube and nothing on it, this was the first search result.
beautiful bike
Warakin means "destroy/break" in filipino /tagalog, or a more fitting translation when it comes to this bike is "Smash" meaning this can smash any off-road trail (exceptions for mtb trails ofc)
great looking bike, checked geo, nice stack hight for tall folks, room for 29 2inch tires..... went to pull the trigger and no 60cm :( the search continues
Yes! it's bright!..but I think the price is just as bright. Thinking from our view point of English pounds that price is very good. Just a pity it's over the pond , import duties would push the price much to high. I think being able to tune the rear end would have me playing about with it before going out, then thinking to myself have I got it set right?. I have a habit of listening to my bike whilst riding ( did the same on my motorbike). It's a very nice bike would be on my list. Keep em coming Russ !!
That is one very nice looking bicycle.
Pretty bike!
For anybody watching this in 2021, they now offer a fork with mounts!
The futures so bright I need to wear shades!
🤩😎
That deer was right up on you for the b roll! Was it your #gravelcasual styles? Did it want some la croix? I really like this bike. Great review. I wish it could be singlespeeded too. Never ridden stainless. Would be fun to see if stainless rides much different than cromo with the same tubing butting/profiles. I would get a fork with a 3 pack instead of this fork for sure. Were there any wolftooth products on this bike that you hadn’t tested before? Headset, perhaps?
First time I’ve tried a rear mech with the WT link. Shifts pretty well!
This bike is to fall in love with. STUNNING! Can you please make a video about the best gravel bikes also use on the road like audax or randneur fast rides? Steel prefferably? Please? :)
Thank you, I've been wanting to know more about this bike. Can you please try the Voytek again but with a variety of wheel sets? Also can you try to get a hold of a Nukeproof Digger?
The long chainstay made me remember the retro MTB
Like Surlys, I’m not sure why the frames are designed so they need an ogly stack of spacers! Nice review, Russ-Thanks.
Thanks for the review. Have you reviewed other steel frame gravel bikes? I am looking for comfort and yet playful. You mentioned the Warakin seems to be more towards performance which intrigued me. Thanks!
That bare steel frame is gorgeous.
Hi thanks for this, great review; had my eye on a Ti frame for a while but stainless has piqued my interest too. What’s your thoughts on how ride quality compares stainless steel to titanium? I currently ride a steel Croix de Fer by Genesis and enjoy the compliance that steel allows, so I err towards metal v carbon. Which metal do you prefer?
Highly appreciate the review, are the wheels alloy types ?
I’ve owned a Warakin for almost a year now and absolutely love it. I’ve bike packed over 1,700 miles on it (on and off road) so far and it has been a blast. The etching is awesome and admittedly what caught my attention initially. The Wolf Tooth folks were excellent to work with, very responsive, and very accommodating with numerous changes (it was before their website had all of the options). Both Lynskey and Salsa were non responsive on my questions on email, so I moved on, good for me!
Do you ride it the long or tukt mode? Thoughts on the difference?
I just picked up a used Warakin myself. Rode the short position for a couple weeks, now giving it a shot with the longer chainstays. Initial impression is that it's more suited to rowdy behavior with the longer stays. Pretty smooth bike in both imo. Comfortable and responsive. I'm stoked! Hoping to do some bikepacking with it this summer and fall.
What wheel size are you running? 650b in both or 700c? I found the longer position definitely more confidence inspiring on the rough stuff.
@@PathLessPedaledTV 700c for me because this thing came with a killer wheel set on it in that size. Gonna bump from 40 wtb nanos to some 45 Riddlers I think.
Path Less Pedaled I ride it in the long position. I was looking for more stability and a more comfortable upright cockpit for long rides (75+ miles a day) and it’s been spot-on. I’ve also been doing all of these big trips tubeless, which add to the comfort. Downside; people constantly wanting to look at the bike and ask questions. FYI: according to WT, the frame is made in Taiwan.
Wildlife seems to be interested in the bike too :-) MIn.1:45
Threaded bb, for those interested. Seems worth mentioning.
Thanks for the review. A have been interested in that bike for a while, and that review have just made me more interested. I would like to hear your thoughts about the multi wheel size capability, you been critical about that before. This frame is capable of running both wheel sizes, but I guess you have not tried that? But it seems to work great with 650b right?
Interesting gear setup, trying to figure out why they did that, and not just go with SRAM or Shimano GRX 1x . Either they wanted to make it as easy as possible to go to 2x (just get some new chainrings and front derailleur) or they wanted to flash their Goatlink ;-)
Looks like flipping the chip also moved the frame up so that would have steepened the head angle.
I may have missed it, but what did you think about how it handled pavement? Been considering this bike to replace my road bike which is to small and really more of a race bike than I need. The build I've been talking about with my LBS would be using a 2x11 105 and shoeing it with Schwalbe G One. Then put 43 or 47s on my Salsa Vaya to make it my true gravel bike/cruiser. It is a stunning looking bike in person and as you point out in the review rides surprisingly well - something about how the frame is balanced seems to mitigate the weight factor. Otso is a local company and I'd like to support them...appreciate the review...
Don't recall you stating the size you tested. Otso's recommendations seem off. Seems as though they'd have you on a 54 boarderline 56? I'm 5'7" and the 52 seems most in line with my custom cx bike. Your thoughts please on their sizing and specifically if your sample seemed like a good fit.
I love it. Thanks for not saying ‘orientated’. 🙂
You should check out Bearclaw bikes from Michigan. Would love to see you review their titanium bikes.
Yes please, I've been lusting over their instagram for a while now, their bikes looks so damn good.
Just found them myself. Didnt realize they are from my home state!
@@markmarlatt1105 Lucky you. I'm from Ontario and have been seriously considering making a trip over there just to check out the bikes.
@@wanderingsailor5503 I'm in Ohio now. Maybe I can find an excuse to visit.
I've been lusting over their Instagram for a while now. Seriously considering a Beaux Jaxon.
Sharp lookin’ ride.
Bend
The bike I loved (past tense, sadly) the most was my Salsa Vaya, the stainless steel Travel version with S&S couplers. It was hands down the most comfortable bike I've ridden, used for all road surfaces and light touring. How would you say this bike compares?
The Warakin in the short chain stay position feels a little zippier than the Vaya. In the long position probably par.
Do you think Velo Orange would send you a Neutrino Mini to review! I am on the fence about getting one. They look so cool and are compact and so easy to transport but I want to see what someone has to say about riding it before I decide to buy the frame.
Care to offer your thoughts on this specifically vs the midnight special? Have you tried the chumba terlingua yet?
Thanks for the review. This is very much what I have been looking for - a zippier bike for day rides on rail paths and gravel roads. First I love its looks - raw metal gold accents, carbon fork. I have been researching titanium gravel bikes - Moots, Litespeed, Lynskey, Sonder Camino but they can get expensive. I like the dampening of Ti and the durability - bike for life. I have a steel gravel bike and it is very plush riding soaking up buzz so to hear this bike is stiffer and maybe needs a ShockStop stem makes me pause. Russ do you know how such a raw steel frame might age? Rust? Is a special stainless steel?
The frame is made from austenitic stainless steel which is the type with the highest corrosion resistance. It should easily match the longevity of a Ti frame.
Great review as always. I especially appreciate the granularity with which you compare this bike with the Salsa line - helps me get an idea for how it rides with reference to other bikes I've tried.
That's a cool looking bike - doesn't weigh much more than an equivalent carbon bike, and costs about the same. Sorry if I missed this but - I assume the bare steel must have some kind of clearcoat on it to keep it looking fresh in the rain / after getting scratched up a bit?
I really appreciate Otso giving customers so much freedom when speccing out the complete bike. $250 to add hydros along with some other nice bits. I hate it when manufacturers make you pay an extra $1,200 to move from mechanical to hydro brakes (because they force you to upgrade everything else as well).
Its stainless steel. No paint.
@@davidpayumo23 First of all, a clearcoat is not paint, and it is commonly used for cycling applications to protect bare finishes (e.g. Diamondback Mason Pro)
Even stainless steel should absolutely be protected given this usage (outdoor cycling). It can get scratched, gouged, corroded or (yes) even rusted. Lean your bare stainless steel bike up against a carbon steel bike rack and see what happens.
@@nathanh281 I prefer titanium over stainless steel.
To my knowledge it is just bare metal with no clear coat.
I’d be curious to hear what you think of the Canyon Grail.
Us too. Have been unsuccessful in getting a hold of a Canyon.
I wonder if the tubing is better than the Surly offerings?
but 2019 was supposed to be the year of the utilifork
I may have missed it, but did you think it was closer to the Ritchey Outback you rode in terms of a more performance steel gravel frame. Did it plane?! Thanks!
I think it has similar “racy” handling as the Ritchey, but the Ritchey has more built in suspension in the frame and head tube.
I've been seriously looking at Otso for my next bike and I'm having a hard time deciding between the Waheela S and Warakin, any chance you will do a video about the best uses of each, or could you at least share a few comments?
I believe they are the same geo. The biggest differences are material and the S has a spacer in the headset so you could use a suspension corrected fork. Personally, would get the Warakin over the two since I don’t see myself using a sus from.
How would you say this compares to the Waheela S?
I know this is old...but what size did you review here?
Can we get it in Australia?
Does stainless steel have the same compliance and flexibility as other higher end steels assuming tube wall thickness is the same? Did you notice a difference in ride feel compared to similar geo steel frame bikes?
What we've heard from framebuilders is that SS is harder to get in different wall thicknesses so its harder to tune the ride. It's hard to say without doing a side by side of similar steels to see which is more compliant. For this one in particular, it had a smoothness to it (dulling high frequency vibrations for me), but not necessarily super springy like the Norther-Lyon ultralight rando (but that bike is a rare breed).
I have a Warakin and found that with the tuning chip in the "short" position, the bike really wants narrower tires. Switching from Road+ tires on 650B to some 30mm G-One Speeds on 700C eliminated the handling "oddities" for me. I now set the tuning chip based on which wheels/tires I'm running.
Good to know. I suspected that but only had one wheel set.
It never occurred to me that you change the head tube angle slightly when you move the rear wheel forward and back on frames where the dropouts are angled. I may be up all night thinking about this...
The slot is at a slight angle and isn’t perfectly horizontal.
You also change the weight distribution. When in 440 mode more weight is moved to the front, which is why I think Russ noticed a handling difference. More weight up front should feel more planted.
It's damn small change in angle, haven't done that math in a while
Anyone recognise what handlebars those are?
Im looking for a direct comparison of the Warakin to Salsa Warbird. I wanted him to say more about it . Can anyone elaborate on the head to head of the Otso and Salsa? Im looking for more upright ergos and long distance comfort, both seem to rip on gravel....
cool shirt
No mention that this bike clears 29x2.1 tires in the long position. And I don't think you tested it with the 700c larger wheels? Seems like an important feature to be able to fit tires that big.
They shipped it with one wheel set so I did what I could with what I had. 🤷🏽♂️
What's the cassette range, Russ?
11-42
Saan nakabili ng anyan mtb i love it i like stainless at ganyan tinidor
Russ is this 650b only? Thanks!
Comes in 700 as well.
What would you recommend as far as carbon utility forks go?
Haven’t tried these personally, but there are utilifok options from Fyxation and Rodeo Labs that look interesting.
3T has one as well. Loved by many.
Rodeo Adventure Labs Spork 2.0
Is the frame made in the USA like wolfthooth components?
Good question. Not sure.
Gil Blank I seem to remember reading reviews that said Taiwan, but I’m not positive
If stainless is a good frame material, why is it not often used?
Not a lot of availability from what I understand.
why do they make that bike short ??
Nice mountain bike!
Why not spec a proper rear derailleur that will fit the cassette you are going to fit the bike with. Using a wolflink is a cop out imo.
Well they make the part so why not? Makes sense to showcase what they create.
#love
What gravel bike would you recommend? Sub $1,500, 1x drivetrain ideally.
Journeyman. Steel Rove. Surly Straggler. Some of the new Marin offerings look interesting. Suppose to be testing a 1k Breezer soon.
Path Less Pedaled Awesome, thanks for the quick response! Any more around the $1,000 price point?
Still looking for one we can wholeheartedly recommend. We reviewed the $600 Aventon but it was a tank and had alignment issues.
Rove ST is the best value I’ve seen in 2019. Nice color too.
Path Less Pedaled Cannondale Topstone Sora looks to be a great option as well.
Hey Russ, in your Waheela C video, you essentially did say you got "two bikes in one" -- they both seem to have rather comparable geometry, do you think that another test of the Warakin might have you feel the same as you do about the Waheela C?
Yes. Most likely. Both are great bikes.
@@PathLessPedaledTV appreciate the reply!
Shame about the cable discs. I'd opt for less colorful bolts for hydro brakes it's money thing. It's a beautiful bike though.
Hydros on a mtb are awesome. On a gravel bike a bit overrated.
@@PathLessPedaledTV I like them ; )
@@PathLessPedaledTV Thanks for all the great vids!
Dang I could buy a lynskey Ti gravel bike for that. :0
Yeah but is it any good? Not all Ti is the same just like not all steel is the same. I've ridden some Ti bikes that were fun and lively and others that were a snooze fest and pretty stiff.
You must ride one. Do you watch @ Gravel Cyclist he does a great Lynskey Pro GR review? The Pro GR is one of the best
Watched his review. Looks like a stiff bike! Prob best for racing.
@@PathLessPedaledTV The GR 270 seems great too and not as stiff as the pro; it would be awesome if you could review either of them 😁
May I have a stainless steel bike, please.
I said "please"...
2500,- without hydraulic brakes???
What does price have to do with hydraulic brakes or not? Also severely over rated for road and gravel. You should buy the frame and geometry and not obsess over components IMO.
$2800 for 105 and cable actuated disks? Hmmmmm
How did we ever stop before hydraulics!
What differences did you notice based on the steel frame? Have you considered reviewing the Wabi Thunder? wabicycles.com/collections/ssfixed/products/2018-wabi-thunder-elite
Over 2 Grand and cable brakes, nope!
What’s wrong with cable brakes? I don’t understand the expectation that hydros are always better and should be on every bike over 2k. Would rather have a great riding frame with cables than a cookie cutter frame with hydros.
$700 aluminum frame bikes have hydraulic , but hey your money not mine. ✌️
@@coreyallert1482 Yeah but do they ride any good or is it just putting blingy parts on a meh frame? You could put hydros on a Walmart bike and it wouldn't make the fundamental ride any better.
Path Less Pedaled A $700 bike rides like a $700 bike, over 2 grand is pretty elite by any account and that carbon fork is ‘blingy’. Listen to your review over again did it ride great you used phases like “fairly balanced” and “acquired taste” But again not my $
Some people may love it. I was just being honest. Isn't that the whole point of doing these? Should I just have given it rave reviews because it cost 2k? Also those were my descriptions for the one of the two positions and not the entirety of the bike.
Clearly not deer season. 😂
Heh bear metal
Dude. I love you. I love your channel but.. for what its worth.. I cringe every time you say "Brifter".
That being said. Keep doing your thing.
Isn’t that what they’re called?
@@PathLessPedaledTV I believe they are called STI shifters. even when they aren't Shimano shifters
www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimano_Total_Integration&ved=2ahUKEwjc09CcxpfjAhVshuAKHdTOCHEQFjAEegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw1TgaqIZUe1i6kDlT-iyoCS&cshid=1562115692543
I think that’s a Sheldon Brown term. He pretty much made it a universally accepted name.
Let us all agree on "Flippity shifters" then
23 lbs, seems too heavy.. :(
For a gravel bike, not really...
Price is ridiculous and not justified
How much do you think it should cost? Or rather show me another a stainless frame set and carbon fork that cost less.
How so?
Are they any good?
@@brauljo that sounds like a lot of trading money for time and potentially designing a crappy bike.