Salsa Flyway and Otso Waheela R: Comparison review

Josh Weinberg

I’ve been wondering if, and when, mainstream gravel bikes might eventually coalesce around a common design language and use case. Since the beginning of the gravel boom, brands have been experimenting with all sorts of quirky features and architecture – from passive suspension to dropped stays and tire fitments – to make the bikes fast yet comfortable enough during long days on rough roads.

This week, two Minneapolis, Minnesota-based brands have released updated versions of their legacy gravel race platforms, which offer a statement on where they see the segment has landed. At least for now. I’ve been putting lots of miles in on both the Salsa Flyway and Otso Waheela R over the past couple of months. Because the bikes share a similar target rider, I’ll take a detailed look at each in the review below.

The short of it: The Salsa Flyway and Otso Waheela R are largely revised gravel race platforms sharing similar geometries and features with different approaches to build kits and component selection.

Flyway Highs : VRS system actually works for rear-end compliance; wide range of sizing; complete build options for variety of riders; stock carbon fork clears a stated 700 x 57 mm tire

Flyway Lows: Thru-headset routing only; limited parts selection outside of established build specs

Waheela R Highs: Customization available for all build tiers, light and responsive-feeling frame design; versatile cable/hose routing design; competitive pricing

Waheela R Lows : Limited to max of 700 x 50 mm tires; no suspension fork option available; QC issue with bottle bolts on review bike

Salsa Flyway overview

The Flyway is Salsa’s replacement for the Warbird, a bike that was first released in 2012 – a relative eon ago in the discipline – and was an early mover in the gravel race world. Teased way back in November, the Flyway was ridden to the top spots by two Salsa-sponsored athletes at that month's Mega Mid South endurance race. In a landscape of wild gravel bike designs, the Flyway is decidedly normal-looking – seatstays connect at the top tube rather than partway down the seat tube, and the top tube is dropped enough to offer size-appropriate standover while still providing plenty of space inside the front triangle for mounting bottles or bags.

Salsa’s unreleased Flyway gravel bike just won the Mega Mid South ultra raceWill this replace the Warbird, or is it something entirely new?Escape CollectiveJosh Weinberg

It’s meant to appeal to a wide swath of riders; the brand classifies the likely buyer as anyone “who wants a race-capable gravel bike that doesn’t sacrifice comfort, cargo capacity, or the joy of wandering without a finish line.” In reality, however, there is at least one aspect I think will be a turnoff to some of the very customers the brand is trying to attract.

Similarities to the previous generation Warbird are prevalent, including Salsa’s Class 5 VRS (Vibration Reduction System), ample mounting points, and a modified endurance race-focused geometry. Yet the new Flyway incorporates contemporary trends such as thru-headset brake hose routing, T47 bottom bracket UDH derailleur compatibility, suspension-corrected geometry, and relatively wide tire clearance: in excess of 700 x 50 mm, depending on build configuration.

On the topic of builds, I discussed Salsa’s approach to speccing its bikes at length in my recent review of the brand’s short-travel full-suspension Spearfish. In a nutshell, Salsa allocates a specific collection of parts to a designated frame color and carbon layup. In the case of the Flyway, there are six options, each available in six frame sizes from XS to XL. A quick overview of the options per pricing is listed below.

• DLX (Midnight) SRAM Red AXS: US$11,999; CA$16,999
• DLX (Amber) SRAM Force XPLR AXS: US$7,999, CA$11,299
• Standard (Blackberry) SRAM Rival XPLR AXS with suspension fork: US$5,499; CA$6,999
• Standard (Canyon Red) SRAM Apex XPLR AXS: US$4,499; CA$5,499
• Standard (Dark Umber) Shimano GRX 610 mechanical: US$3,499; CA$4,299
• DLX (Midnight) Frameset: US$2,799; CA$3,999

The difference between the DLX (short for “delux”) and standard frameset options is congruent with other bikes in Salsa’s lineup. Delux uses more high-modulus carbon fiber, allowing its layup to be tailored to reduce weight as compared to the Standard frame's blend of carbon fiber. Salsa claims a 150 g weight savings between the Delux frame (1,050 g) and the Standard variant (1,200 g) in size ML.

Within each of Salsa’s builds, there isn’t much flexibility to change out size-specific components like cranks or handlebars. Salsa essentially locks in each build, so the only way to change parts would be if your local dealer had others on hand and was willing to do it for you. The same goes for parts like tires, drivetrain components, and brakes. What you see is what you get.

That said, I think that most of the options make sense: the top two DLX builds get performance-focused parts like SRAM 13-speed RED and Force XPLR drivetrains with the 10-46T cassettes, while the lower two are a bit more adventure/recreational-oriented with either the Apex XPLR AXS 10-50T gearing or Shimano’s 10-51T 12-speed GRX 610 drivetrain.

The one in the middle, though, with the suspension fork and 13-speed Rival XPLR AXS group that I received to review, is a bit of a head-scratcher. I think this would be the perfect build to spec a SRAM mullet drivetrain with a GX Eagle Transmission derailleur and 10-52T cassette in the rear with a 40 or 42T chainring in the front. It’s a heavier build with the more substantial fork and standard carbon layup, so lower gearing would help push it around.

But more importantly, folks who want the suspension fork are likely riding rowdier terrain with punchy, steep grades over 10%, where the additional low gears are helpful, if not imperative. There is the frame-only option, which will likely be popular for riders wanting a custom build outside of what’s on the floor of their bike shop, but I hope to eventually see more flexibility from Salsa in part selection for their complete bikes.

All but one of the drivetrain options mentioned are wireless, except one (GRX 610), as the Flyway supports mechanical and electronic 1x drivetrains. For 2x setups, of which none are available as part of Salsa’s predetermined builds, the absence of cable routing to a front derailleur means only wireless electronic options are compatible.

While the frame has stated rear tire clearance of 700 x 50 mm, the carbon fiber rigid fork can fit up to 700 x 57 mm (the RockShox Rudy on the Rival build clears 50 mm tires). Additionally, it comes equipped with rack and fender mounts, two sets of three-pack bosses on each fork leg, and internal brake routing from the headset through its carbon steerer tube. It’s designed to mimic the dimensions of a 40 mm suspension fork with the same 51 mm offset and 420 mm axle-to-crown distance as the RockShox Rudy that comes on the Rival build. There shouldn’t be much difference in ride feel between the two options, except for the 40 mm of active travel up front, of course. The carbon fork weighs just 600 g, while the suspension fork is double that, with a cut steerer tube (around 1,270 g).

Otso Waheela R overview

Otso is component brand Wolf Tooth’s bicycle counterpart. Started back in 2016, it shares much of the Wolf Tooth design and marketing teams, and while its bike frames are made overseas (primarily in Asia), they are quality-checked and assembled at the brand’s Minneapolis headquarters. Throughout its 10 years of operation, Otso has widened its catalog to include a variety of models, many of which feature unique or innovative aspects, such as the Voytek fat bike’s narrow Q-factor and the clever “Tuning Chip” adjustable dropout system across multiple bike designs.

Released earlier this week, the new Waheela R sheds some of its overt versatility in favor of race-focused geometry revisions, weight savings, and a more aerodynamic profile. Gone are the Tuning Chip, massive tire clearance, and fork mounts; instead, the new Waheela R offers UDH compatibility, internal frame storage, and shapely carbon tubing embodying a truncated airfoil from the fork to the rear, which Otso claims takes on an aerodynamic shape. It now stands out as the most performance-oriented option available from Otso.

Similar to the Flyway, the Waheela R is designed for up to 700 x 50 mm tires and either mechanical or electronic groupsets with either full or semi-internal cable routing dispensing on personal preferences, favoring a clean look or easier serviceability. Compared to the sort-of bikepacking platform that is the Waheela C, the full-on gravel racer Waheela R loses a few cargo mounting points. But it still has enough for up to three bottle cages, a top tube fuel tank-style bag, a bolt-on partial frame bag within the front triangle, and front and rear fenders.

Additionally, there is an in-frame storage compartment with a latch door that uses the downtube’s internal cavity via included storage bags. It also provides access to the cable and brake hose routing within the frame. Unfortunately, the storage bags were not available yet during my pre-launch test period, but will be ready when the bikes launch this week. Even though I didn’t get to test the bags, I can offer an initial take on Otso’s internal storage system.

First, the location high on the down tube is beneficial for maximizing space; I can imagine some industrious riders coming up with innovative ways to stash and retrieve gear deep inside the tube, beyond where the included bags will reach.

Additionally, I appreciate that the door is independent of the water bottle bosses. Yet its location renders quick access largely impossible when using the partial frame bags I typically run on my bikes. I suppose the internal storage space could still be for seldom-used items like tire repair and spare parts, but it's just something to keep in mind. Also, it's worth noting that the storage door on my review bike didn’t include any retention mechanism. Even a small piece of cord connecting the door to the bike would be helpful when trying to operate it on the fly with gloved hands.

Another nit with my review Waheela R was the bottle cage bosses on the seat tube. The bike arrived at my house completely built, with only the handlebars and front wheel requiring installation. For the most part, the attention to detail was what I’ve come to expect after years of using Wolf Tooth components and riding a handful of Otso bikes.

Not the bottle bosses, however. Bolts are threaded in at the factory rather than Wolf Tooth’s HQ when the rest of the bike is put together, and both on the down tube of this bike were cross-threaded. I only found out when I went to mount a bottle cage, and the top of the lower bolt snapped off with a single turn of my wrench.

But to Otso’s advantage, their in-house techs will be able to inspect all bikes before delivering to customers during the assembly process. This is different from other brands that receive and ship assembled bikes. According to Kurt Stafki of Wolf Tooth and Otso: “Waheela R customers will have no issues with cross-threaded bolts. The frame in the review had bolts that were installed by the factory. All customer bikes will follow a different process. Our Waheela R bikes arrive in our Minnesota shop as framesets."

"When a customer or bike shop orders a Waheela R from us, we build it to order based on their component preferences in our Custom Bike Builder. One step in this process will be removing the factory bolts and replacing them with bolts from Wolf Tooth. This process will ensure that bolts on the frame will be strong and smoothly installed with no chance of cross-threading.”

Otso offers five build tiers for the Waheela R, with a variety of customizations via its Custom Bike Builder, as Stafki mentioned in his statement above. Quite different from Salsa’s pre-selected builds, Otso offers largely à la carte choices based on parts it keeps in stock. This means that if a customer selects the SRAM Rival XPLR AXS build option, they can customize and/or upgrade components like the cockpit and wheels, and even pick between semi-internal cable routing through the headset top cap or "classic" routing (internal in the frame only). And my commentary above about Salsa's XPLR-only electronic SRAM builds carries over to Otso's spec as well: please offer a Transmission MTB derailleur option for Eagle (1o-52) cassette gear range!

Other components can, however, be customized at the time of purchase, such as different handlebars than what might be originally specced for a given frame size. Otso stocks multiple chainring options, plus handlebars in widths from 40-46 cm (depending on model) and stems from 50-110 mm in its own aluminum model or 90-120 mm in the Enve Aero In-Route bar/stem option.

Builds and pricing

• Complete with SRAM Force XPLR AXS 1x13: starting at $5,450
• Complete with Shimano GRX 800 Di2: starting at $5,250
• Complete with SRAM Rival XPLR AXS 1x13: starting at $4,850
• Complete with Shimano GRX 600: starting at $4,250
• Complete with SRAM Apex Mechanical: starting at $4,050
• Frameset: $2,950

Two takes on through-headset routing

Comment sections were abuzz with chatter surrounding what close observers noticed to be through-headset cable and hose routing when the Flyway was teased at Mega MidSouth. This is seemingly one of the most polarizing design features in off-road bikes, and one that many in the comment sections like to complain about. Personally, I’m not a fan and would likely choose a mountain or gravel bike without it over one with it.

Some of the reasons against it include added setup complexity and the need to replace parts like forks and handlebars, potential premature headset bearing failure, a higher likelihood of kinked or damaged cable housing or brake hoses, and steering issues. The latter three of these can be exacerbated by the introduction of dirt and grime from off-road riding. On the other hand, advocates appreciate the perceived advantages of enhanced aerodynamics, cleaner aesthetics, a lower likelihood of snagging cables on trail features, and cleaner surfaces for mounting handlebar and framebags.

Both the Flyway and Waheela R are equipped with through-headset routing options, though each uses a different system with varying degrees of flexibility between fully internal and partially external.

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