Volagi has just announced their second bike, the Viaje, and it’s both a retro and forward looking version of it’s carbon fiber Liscio.
The frame is double-butted steel, a throwback to classic road bikes and a material that goes hand in hand with the brand’s endurance comfort theme. On the flipside, it uses several new standards that bring it into the future: BB386EVO bottom bracket, tapered headtube and internal cable/hose routing.
Like the Liscio, it’ll use their Longbow seatstay design to give it bump compliance, and it gets a standard 27.2 seatpost, which helps even more. The latter is a deviation from their custom aero shaped carbon post on the Liscio. Lastly, the rear spacing has grown to 135mm. We’re betting this is a taste of things to come for future models from them.
The Viaje will come equipped with rack and fender mounts, clearance for fat cyclocross tires, making it a versatile year ’round bike for touring, racing or just good old fashioned riding. Look for more once Sea Otter kicks off. In the meantime, the PR’s after the break…
PRESS RELEASE: When Volagi introduced its first bike in 2010, the Liscio quickly gained widespread attention due to its revolutionary use of disc brakes. However, many thought that Volagi had set out to do the impossible: to start a new bike company that would compete directly with the industry giants.
However, fast forward to the present and Volagi is alive and well. Sure, they’ve had a few road blocks along the way (lawsuit?), but Volagi’s customer base is quickly growing. There is palpable excitement among many in the industry over the burgeoning trend of road discs, and with Volagi situated squarely at the forefront of that trend, they are excited to be able to offer expanded options to their consumers in the near future…
What is more exciting though, is the opportunity to showcase some of those parts on an all new bike! Volagi is extremely proud and excited to announce the newest member of their bicycle line up, the all-new Viaje!
While the Liscio’s bloodline is clear to see in the new bike, the Viaje (pronounced vee-aye-eh) is an entirely different machine. Literally translated from Spanish, Viaje meaning “trip” or “journey” alludes to the spiritual core of why we all ride a bike – to enjoy the journey.
But just because it’s a journey, doesn’t mean all the roads are paved. In fact, often times leaving that paved road only adds to the adventure. Until recently, you had to choose between cyclocross race bikes, heavy steel “utility” bikes, or something in between. But what if there was something better? A bike that handled as an extension of yourself like a great road bike, a bike that could handle aggressive tires and was able to power through the rough like a great cross bike, and a bike that you could fit with fenders, racks, and lights like your favorite randonneuring bike? It was out of that desire to create the perfect do it all road bike, that the Viaje was born.
Perhaps the most often asked questions with the Liscio are, “will it accept a rack,” and “will it fit cyclocross tires?” On the Viaje, the answer is Yes. The Viaje has been designed to be more of an all around capable machine when compared with the performance and long distance road focus of the Liscio. Want to race gravel road races? Throw on some burly wheels and tires and have at it. Want to tour the country? Load it up with rack, panniers, and dynamo lights and go explore. Just want an amazingly comfortable steel road bike that will eat up the miles at your own pace? Viaje has you covered there, too.
Just like the Liscio, the Viaje is designed for all day comfort in the saddle. With the exception of the head tube, there isn’t one straight tube on the entire bike. That’s due to the fact that each tube was meticulously shaped so that when combined with Volagi’s signature Long Bow Flex Stays, and a standard 27.2 seatpost the result is a primo ride over nearly any terrain. In an effort to keep the weight down but strength up, the Viaje utilizes double butted tubing with the exception of the seat stays. By taking a material already known for its exceptional ride quality, and incorporating the slight give of LBFS, the Viaje will leave you ready for more.
If knobby tires are on your to-do list, Viaje has you covered with clearance for up to 42mm tires. Thanks to the wide shell of the new BB386 bottom bracket matched with a 135mm spaced rear end, and shaped chain stays, the Viaje has clearance for nearly any cross tire you could want. Up front, the 1 1/8 – 1 1/2″ tapered integrated head tube will mate to a tapered carbon fork that will provide matching front tire clearance. More than just added clearance, the BB386 offers a supreme blend of stiffness and performance, while easily accommodating standard 24mm spindle cranksets with a simple adaptor.
It should go without saying, but of course the Viaje will be equipped with disc brakes for the ultimate braking performance. With an internally run hose or cable route, riders can chose between mechanical disc brakes with full housing, or hydraulic systems.
In order to extend your range and riding season, the Viaje includes all the fender and rack mounts you need without the rack weight restrictions of the Liscio. Build it out, load it up, and go.
Life should be a journey. Viaje will take you there.
Disclosure: One of our contributors, Zach, works for Volagi, but had no input on this post other than answering technical questions that he would answer for any other media outlet.
