Now in its thirty fifth yr, the Sea Otter Basic is North America’s largest biking competition, drawing over 74,000 attendees, greater than 1,000 exhibiting manufacturers and internet hosting 12 beginner and elite races throughout street and off-road disciplines. Held on and across the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California, this yr’s protection continues with one other tech highlights, written by North American Editor Anne-Marije Rook. Learn Tyler Boucher’s Half 1 right here and do not miss the recap of the opening spherical of the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix.
I’ve been coming to the Sea Otter Basic on and off for the previous 12 years, but pedaling alongside 17 Mile Drive, the beautiful stretch of street that connects Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea, by no means will get previous. This winding, ocean-side street seems like driving by means of a dwelling postcard. To the west, salty sea air rustles the cypress bushes and sweeps throughout patches of purple wildflowers clinging to the rugged cliffs whereas waves crash violently beneath. To the east, meticulously saved golf programs give approach to quiet forests and luxurious estates. Seagulls cry overhead, and as you roll by means of Pacific Grove, deer usually wander throughout the trail. Strava tells me I’ve ridden this route 17 occasions already, and nonetheless, I look ahead to it each single yr.
This yr’s journey to North America’s largest bike expo was temporary and a little bit of a whirlwind, however I nonetheless discovered a approach to justify hauling my bike: an early morning trip alongside 17 Mile Drive and as much as the venue with the nice of us from CADEX, who had simply outfitted my bike with their newest saddle—extra on that beneath. My time on the present was filled with backroom conferences and sneak peeks at thrilling merchandise on the horizon (the primary huge launch drops this Wednesday!), however it left me with little alternative to discover the sunny present flooring in depth. Nonetheless, I did handle to identify a couple of standout items of drugs that I can speak about now. Right here’s a fast roundup of a number of the neatest issues I got here throughout.
An e-bike that takes simply quarter-hour to cost
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
In a media-only sales space hosted by PR agency Echos Communications, we bought an early take a look at Gary Fisher’s long-awaited e-bike model, Morelle.
The corporate goals to revolutionize city biking with a battery not like something at present available on the market. Morelle bikes are constructed round Ionblox’s high-density, silicon-based batteries, that are lighter and cost sooner than conventional lithium-ion packs. The 350Wh batteries in Morelle’s first mannequin will carry you for as much as 30 miles and can reportedly cost from empty to full in simply quarter-hour utilizing a normal outlet.
The debut mannequin will likely be a flat-bar aluminum commuter bike that includes SRAM digital shifting and a compact, high-torque mid-drive motor—rumored to be from Bafang. The total construct is anticipated to weigh round 25 kilos, making it one of many lightest in its class. It’s going to retail for close to $3,000.
The AMP was initially created to supply a flexible, short-nosed saddle for a broad person base versus its Increase saddle, which is made particularly to accommodate an aggressive driving place. After a yr and a half of utilizing the Amp, I’ve discovered that it delivers nice consolation throughout all kinds of terrain and trip lengths—all in a featherlight, performance-focused package deal.
Now, the newly launched Amp 3D retains the identical form and ultralight carbon base however replaces the high-elasticity “Particle Move” padding with a 3D-printed gyroid construction. This G3D padding is designed to adapt to a rider’s motion for focused assist. The padding makes use of variable densities throughout key stress zones for optimum assist and higher weight distribution. At 146g, it’s barely heavier than the unique Amp, however I’m keen to place it to the check and see the way it stacks up.
Mavic’s Hub Silencer
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
Within the Mavic tent, I used to be proven the newest and biggest in its tubeless and tapeless know-how however it was previous tech that basically impressed. I discovered, maybe a tad late, that every one fashionable ratchet-style Mavic hubs have a detachable silencer. It’s a easy ring that sits behind the ratchets.
Personally, I like my hubs to have a delicate and nice buzz or be as near silent as doable. However in the event you like a loud and bell-negating hub, you possibly can merely take away the silencer by taking off the freehub physique, adopted by the spring and the ratchet mechanism. The silencer sits contained in the final ratchet ring. Merely take away the ring and assemble the hub. The entire course of takes lower than 30 seconds.
Whereas some wheel manufacturers advocate dampening the hubs by packing the hubs with thick grease, the Mavic approach is a really neat and clear answer.
Wahoo’s newest
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Throughout Sea Otter week, Wahoo launched the newest era of its Bolt and Roam pcs in addition to a radar rear gentle.
The computer systems have undergone a redesign in and out, and fortuitously, not like the brand new ACE, they continue to be compact. The brand new computer systems can be found beginning Might sixth. What’s new:
ELEMNT ROAM 3 is a feature-rich, mid-size pc made for adventurers. New options embody glove-friendly multi-touch capabilities (pinch, zoom, swipe), a high-resolution and huge anti-glare display, and enhanced navigation and route administration. The latter consists of detailed maps with factors of curiosity, elevation information and street sorts, and voice turn-by-turn instructions. It additionally boasts a 25-hour battery life.
ELEMNT BOLT 3 is the smallest and lightest of Wahoo’s biking pc line-up. It’s meant to supply aerodynamics and precision for performance-focused riders, paired with entry-level pricing and ease of use for these new to biking computer systems. The most recent era has a bigger, high-contrast 2.3” show for crisp readability at any velocity and in all circumstances. It has elevated its compatibility with extra third-party apps and providers, options Wahoo’s new Experience to Experience dashboard, and has a battery lifetime of as much as 20 hours.
TRACKR RADAR: Wahoo’s first entry into radar know-how. Just like the Garmin Varia or Trek Carback, this rear gentle offers car detection and visibility, and even acts like a brake gentle. Options:
– Car warning: the radar system detects approaching vehicles behind, rising the flash sample
– Brake gentle: a built-in accelerometer permits the unit to operate as a brake gentle, getting brighter when slowing down
– Compatibility: the TRACKR will join and combine with most Bluetooth or ANT+ bike computer systems available on the market, not simply Wahoo’s ecosystem.
– Battery extender: When no automobiles are detected, the unit will scale back its luminosity to preserve battery energy and might present as much as 20 hours of use.
A motorbike rack with an app?
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As soon as identified for its cheap and easy-to-use trunk racks, Allen Racks has been steadily increasing its lineup with extra premium hitch-mounted choices—and now, it is diving headfirst into each the suction-mount and “sensible” classes with its $700 Sensible Suction Bike Rack.
SeaSucker has lengthy used vacuum-based programs for vehicle-mounted bike transport however what units the Allen Sensible Suction Bike Rack aside is a extra substantial construct and the mixing of Bluetooth-enabled sensors.
Sure, you’re going to need to obtain one more app however on this case, it would truly be value it.
(Picture credit score: Allen Racks)
The app pairs with the rack’s built-in sensors to actively monitor suction stress at every mounting level, supplying you with the convenience of thoughts of figuring out the rack –and your bike hooked up to it– isn’t going wherever.
The rack may be mounted to roof or rear of a variety of vehicles and RVs (although, sadly, not my pickup truck or Honda Component) and can maintain bikes as much as 35lbs. There’s an adjustable tray for various wheelbase lengths, and it really works with each quick-release and thru-axle forks. A built-in locking cable provides a little bit of theft safety.
