Otso Cycles introduces new Steel Warakin: “Versatile steel all-road bike that carries its rider to any destination”

otso warakin steel review
Otso Warakin Steel

The new Warakin from Otso Cycles is a versatile steel all-road bike that will carry its rider to any destination. It is designed for multi-surface rides, overnighters, gravel races, and commuting. Frame features include adjustable geometry, lots of mounts for cargo and fenders, clearance for 50mm tires, suspension-corrected geometry to run a suspension fork, and can be built with gears or single speed. The new Warakin has three colorway options and is available now.” – Otso Cycles

otso warakin steel review
Otso Warakin Steel

The Warakin features the same geometry as the Warakin Stainless and Warakin Ti, just with a different frame material. A 56cm Warakin frame has a head tube angle of 71.5º, a seat tube angle of 73º, a reach of 383mm and a stack of 596mm. The Warakin geometry has suspension correction – like all Otso bikes – which allows the rider to install a gravel suspension fork without significantly altering the geometry of the bike. The carbon stock, paint-matched fork has an axle-to-crown of 420mm. All of this contributes to a progressive geometry that will comfortably and confidently carry the rider along the road ahead, no matter the terrain.”

otso warakin steel review
Otso Warakin Steel

Sizes 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60cm follow the same geometry of the Warakin Ti and Warakin Stainless. The 49cm frame has been newly designed for an optimized riding experience for shorter riders. This size was developed with 650b wheels in mind, which reduces toe overlap. Frame tire clearance is still 50mm as it is with the other sizes, and all mounts for cargo, rear rack, and fenders are still present on the new 49cm frame design.”

otso warakin steel review
Otso Warakin Steel

The new Warakin frame is Otso custom-butted 4130 chromoly tubing. This steel has a classic, comfortable quality and pairs with the Warakin geometry for a stable, smooth ride. 4130 chromoly is known to be durable and reliable, which makes it a strong option for light touring and afternoon rides alike. The stock fork is the Lithic Hiili carbon fork that is also stock on the Warakin Stainless, Warakin Ti, and Waheela C bikes.”

otso warakin steel review
Otso Warakin Steel

“If a bike is meant to ride any road in any condition, it needs to fit tires and wheels that will get the rider to and from their destination, while handling every bump along the way. The massive tire clearance of the Warakin was built with this in mind. It’ll fit 700c x 50mm tires for that road that doesn’t actually appear on the map, just as easily as 650b x 50mm for forest trails, 700c x 35mm for your next gravel ride, or anything in between. If a frame was designed to ride all roads, it needs the ability to ride tires that are best suited for the terrain ahead.”

otso warakin steel review
Otso Warakin Steel

Like many Otso bikes, the Warakin sports the Tuning Chip rear dropout system, which allows the rider to lengthen or shorten the wheelbase by up to 20mm, raise or lower the bottom bracket by 4mm, and change the head tube angle by +/- 0.5º. For chunky gravel on remote roads, the longer wheelbase of the rear Tuning Chip position is set for stability and comfort. For a quick spin around town or the CX course, the front position makes for snappy handling and agile control. A middle position is also available, which covers the best of both worlds. Changing the Tuning Chip is easiest to do in a home workshop and only requires only a few tools.”

otso warakin steel review
Otso Warakin Steel

The Warakin is compatible with the Single Speed Tuning Chip, just like all metal Otso bikes. This allows flexibility to run gears or just that one speed in the back without a chain tensioner. Similar to other Tuning Chip options, installation of the Single Speed Tuning Chip is simple enough to do at home. An installation guide is available to help.”

otso warakin steel review
Otso Warakin Steel

Beyond the geometry, the frame and fork have design features with versatility in mind. Bottle bosses can be found on the seat tube and triple mounts can be found on the top and underside of the down tube, as well as each side of the fork. The frame is compatible with a rear rack. Fenders for the front and rear wheels can be installed using the mounts on the frame and fork. All cables are externally routed on the underside of the down tube and chain stays; this keeps them out of the way of frame bags, but still easy to access for service. The Warakin is ready to be equipped, no matter how you like to configure your cargo and accessories.”

otso warakin steel review
Otso Warakin Steel

Three colorways are available with the new Warakin: Tangerine, Navy Gold, and Racing Green. The paint scheme is simple and clean, giving a nod to the original Warakin Stainless design that helped launch the Otso Cycles brand in 2016. Like all Otso bikes, the new Warakin can be built to order via the Otso Custom Bike Builder. This allows customers to choose everything from drivetrain, wheel size, tires, handlebar width, stem length, and more. The nine color accent options of Wolf Tooth anodized components are especially fun to build a unique bike. Pair the Tangerine colorway with purple accents, Racing Green with espresso, Navy Gold with orange, or any other combination. All Otso bikes are assembled in the same building as the Wolf Tooth machine shop.”

otso warakin steel review
Otso Warakin Steel

The Warakin can be purchased as a frameset or as a complete build. Pricing for the frameset starts at $1,400 USD and includes frame, fork, Tuning Chip hardware, axles, seatpost clamp, and bottle cage bolts. Pricing for a complete bike built with Shimano GRX 11-speed starts at $2,500 or Shimano GRX 12-speed at $2,800. Upgrades are available for all build options via the Otso Custom Bike Builder.”

Geometry

otso warakin steel review
Click to Enlarge

Additional Photos

otso warakin steel review
.Otso Warakin Steel
otso warakin steel review
.Otso Warakin Steel
otso warakin steel review
Otso Warakin Steel
otso warakin steel review
.Otso Warakin Steel
otso warakin steel review
.Otso Warakin Steel
otso warakin steel review
.Otso Warakin Steel
otso warakin steel review
.Otso Warakin Steel
otso warakin steel review
.Otso Warakin Steel

The new Warakin is available now on OtsoCycles.com and with any bike shop that stocks Otso.

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.