Voodoo Cycles Agwe

Tester: Eric McKeegan
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Price: $650
Weight: 25.65lbs.
Sizes Available: 50cm, 54cm,
58cm (tested), 62cm
Color: Cloudy front/Sky Blue rear
Contact: www.voodoocycles.net

Hmm, what have we here? An odd melding of beach cruiser and hybrid maybe? Perhaps a touring bike and 29er mountain bike with some DNA from an Ibis Scorcher? Regardless of its genetic makeup, the Voodoo Agwe is an interesting bike designed for commuting, light touring, dirt roads and smooth singletrack.

A butted chromoly steel frame is the heart of the Agwe (the name refers to the god of the sea in the Voodoo religion). The frame comes equipped to handle front and rear derailleurs should one be inclined to partake in shifty bits. The stock drivetrain is decidedly singlespeed with an all-around useful 40x18t gear combo. The rear hub is threaded on both sides for a freewheel, but has no lockring threads for those wanting the full fixed scorcher experience. Bummer. Single-wall rims too, a bit of a disappointment to an otherwise solid parts spec. The WTB Speed V saddle and platform pedals make this bike a great choice when riding in casual clothing. Tektro linear-pull brakes are more than adequate stoppers and the nutted front and rear axles are a smart anti-theft spec for a bike that may spend time locked up outside. (Don’t forget to add a 15mm wrench to your tool kit.)

With a 59cm top tube and sweptback bars, the riding position and general attitude is laid back. Handling was surprisingly quick, making for an interesting and fun ride in city traffic and non-extreme off-road conditions. The 40-18t gear ratio is a solid choice for mixed dirt and street at a casual pace; those looking for a more street-y or dirty ratio can easily swap the freewheel or chainring. The fork is a slender tapered steel affair with fender eyelets that has noticeable flex, both forward while absorbing bumps and back under hard braking.

As an around-town bike the Agwe was a hoot. The upright position was comfortable and allowed for a bird’s eye view on the streets. Short jaunts are dispatched with aplomb but longer rides had me wishing for a longer cockpit. The bars do offer other hand positions, which can help, but the upright posture  isn’t conducive to hard efforts or steep climbs. Halfway through the test period I swapped out the scorcher bars for a set of Nitto Albatross bars and a 135mm stem. The Albatross bar is similar to old threespeed bars with a forward bend before curving back towards the rider. This helped to stretch out the cockpit, but I still looked longingly at the WTB Dirt Drops in my parts bin. Unfortunately the stock stem’s wide clamping area and lack of a removable faceplate prevented me from trying this combination.

The rear rack mounts are well-placed, brazed on the seatstays a few centimeters above the rear axle. I was able to fit my old Blackburn rear rack with room underneath for those big 29” WTB Vulpine tires, something that can be difficult with racks not designed with oversize 700c tires in mind. The downside is reduced pannier/heel clearance since the rack sits further forward, but I was able to adjust my bags to clear my feet.

I was impressed with the performance of the Vulpines—rolling fast on the road, predictably in the dirt, and able to handle low pressures due to the big casing. Don’t expect them to last very long on a strict pavement diet; the rear is almost shot on my tester after a few hundred road miles. Not unexpected from a tire designed as a racing semi-slick. The big treads used up all available room in the frame and fork; skinnier tires will be needed for fenders or mud clearance. Combined with the steel frame and fork, these big tires were a magic carpet ride over broken pavement and rough dirt roads.

Once the rear rack was in place I proceed to load it up with a typical commuting load: laptop, change of clothes, lunch and tool kit. This medium-sized load caused noticeable flex, enough to necessitate keeping my pedaling and steering inputs smooth to keep the bike going where I wanted. Can’t really say if the flex was from the frame or the bars or the crazy long stem or all three, and a few miles down the road my reflexes had reset and I could hold a line, but that experience was enough to convince me that loaded touring was best left to a stiffer steed.

So where does that leave the Agwe? It isn’t a touring bike, but lightly loaded it does fine. It isn’t a mountain bike, but on smooth trails it is a ton of fun. It isn’t a road bike, but is does a bang-up job of zipping around the city. The Agwe is the proverbial jack-of-all-trades, able to handle varied terrain and rider set-ups. The versatile frame is ready to adapt to your wants or needs, be it singlespeed, derailleurs, or internally geared hubs. But really what it comes down to is fun. The Agwe is an easy bike to ride and a good choice when you are headed out the door with no particular place to go, no particular route to get there, and no particular time to arrive.