The Final Round of Randoms - Sea Otter 2022
Abbey Bike Tools always has some eye-catchers to check out.
New this year, Abbey has a couple of those tools that have very specific but undoubtedly useful purposes. The Saw Guide slides around, not over the top of the steerer tube, and it has notches for both toothed and non-toothed saws. The DUB Self Extracting Cap Tool has pins for each of the four holes to fit the dustcap on DUB cranks.
More Abbey beauties.
Maxxis knows how to grab our attention. We might as well all be kids in a candy shop at a place like Sea Otter. (And yeah, thank a nerd.)
Kali Protectives was onsite with helmet cross-sections to explain different foam densities and protection strategies. The (very generalized) takeaway, according to Kali? Put softer stuff next to the head.
A little preview of a bike I'll be testing in the upcoming months.
Revel Bikes wasn't the only Revel at the show. Revel Rider makes women's clothing without the "pink it and shrink it" approach, and while I haven't had the chance to ride in their products, the fabrics felt really, really nice.
Ever seen freshly-cooked chain lube? Mountain Flow was at the show cooking up some wax lube.
Mountain Flow's bike wash and chain lubes are biodegradable and plant-based, and the brushes use recycled plastic.
Of course, we have the perennial appearance of the Structure linkage fork.
Working it.
Pit Viper raffled off a minivan at Sea Otter. And in terms of new product, the Utah brand announced the Brapstrap goggles.
Smanie has the new DH/DH/BMX Sport saddle on display, which uses a similar design to the brand's DH-specific saddles but trickles down to a lower price point.
And SDG was showing off the women's Allure V2, which comes in a surf-inspired colorway.
While we're on saddles, SQ Lab - the makers of my all-time favorite 611 saddle - had a new saddle material to show off that promises to be elastic, tough, and abrasion-resistant.
I recently wrote about Lazer's new KinetiCore rotational protection system, so it was neat to check out the Jackal KinetiCore helmet in person.
Dynaplug's Covert bar-end tool has become refined, without the cap it used to have over the plug. It's also become compatible with more than just the ODI grips it used to use, and replaces nearly any bar-end plug. And Dynaplug nearly always has interesting display bikes.
Endura has some new bib shorts that feature the "DropSeat" function. Ladies, rejoice.
POC's latest full-face helmet is out now and it's packed with safety features despite its clean, straightforward appearance.
We already admired this little Honda Monkey at the Yoshimura tent last fall, but it's still a crowd-pleaser.
The new Otso Waheela C is gorgeous, with little paint flecks that shimmer in the light.
The bike uses an adjustable dropout system and can fit up to 700c x 54mm or 29" x 2.1" tires. Frame and fork: $2700. Complete bike: $3950 and up.
Factor Components is based in North Georgia and offers a wide range of products.
HT Components has fully overhauled its clip pedal lineup, including the M2 pedals used by Nino Schurter and his Scott-SRAM teammates.
I can think of many, many times I could have benefited form CushCore's new Bead Bro, which locks the tire bead in place for that last little bit.
Chrome, known mainly for its urban offerings, has been moving back toward mountain biking with some new apparel and shoes.
While not hardcore riding shoes, the idea behind these is that they can be worn while riding but also casually off the bike. 'Trail to town' or something like that.
USWE, known for its unique front closure that promises to limit pack movement, has introduced a sporty new two-liter pack.
4iiii recently launched the Precision 3 power meter, which can fit a wider variety of cranks than the previous models thanks to its low profile.
Moots has something to announce in the next few days, though it's embargoed for the time being. Sweet headbadge, though.
Abus has been working on helmets with the Quin fall-detection system. The system has also introduced a feature that allows users to tap the helmet four times to send an SOS signal, even without falling.
How good are kid's bikes these days? This YT Jeffsy Primus 24" has 140mm of rear travel and a 130mm Manitou Machete JUNIT fork.
The Pro Taper JUNIT bars have a taper to allow for a narrower clasp on the tiny grips, but a plastic sleeve protrudes from the grip so that standard controls can be used without sourcing shims. The Hayes Dominion brakes spec'd also have a different lever for short fingers.
OneUp has every size of post from 90mm, all the way up to a whopping 240 for those extra long legs. This killer Chromag Minor Threat 24" wheel bike for groms had their 120mm V2 Dropper Post and lever, Carbon bar, 35mm length stem, EDC Light tool, Composite flat pedals, and 30mm diameter grips.
MicroShift hasn't forgotten about the youth market either and launched 8 and 9-speed drivetrains that are specifically built for downsized bikes a week ago. The clutch derailleurs have a much shorter cage since they ride closer to the ground. The shifter length and throw is also reduced, but is still easy for tiny hands to actuate.
Prevelo's stack of legit aluminum frame youth bikes had wheel sizes from 26" all the way down to 14" laced with disc brakes.
1UP USA took home the largest truck award with their Chevy Silverado that was sitting on 38" tires.
Pro Taper's 20/20 carbon bar has, you guessed it, 20-degress of backsweep and a 20mm rise. The 195-gram bar uses a PFL (Plastic Foam Lamination) process which results in less resin and fewer plies needed to reduce weight.
Reynolds Black Label carbon rims are worthy. The proof is in the pudding judging by the collage of Enduro World Series stickers.
The Flume BOA is a new women's specific premium shoe with a velcro power strap and BOA lacing system. They come in at $190 for the flat sole and $210 for the SPD version.
The men's version, the Tallac, looks similar and costs the same, but offers more volume inside the shoe. Standard Flume and Tallac models go for $160 with the clip versions costing $20 more and have the same tread as the BOA counterparts.
Ride Concepts had every option under the sun for clip and flat pedal riders.
ODI's latest grip is accordingly named the CF for two reasons. The cushy 130 x 31.5mm grip was developed by BMX racer Connor Fields, whose initials also conveniently double with carbon fiber. The material is used in the end caps to prevent blowouts and retail for $42.95.
Kenda makes more than just MTB tires and had this tricked out Honda 1970 Z50 Mini Trail to cruise around the giant venue.
Intense officially dropped their Tracer mixed-wheeled 170mm travel enduro bike last week and brought all three colors out to show off.
Diamondback has brought back their long-travel 27.5" wheeled bike, the Mission. The freeride rig has 170mm of rear wheel travel and pairs best with a 180mm fork. Two build kits will be back in stock shortly and come equipped with Fox Float suspension at $6,100 or the price point Marzocchi coil option of $4,525.
Troy Lee Designs 2022 colors will be launching in May and has something for the whole family, including the new women's Lilium line.
ION made the zip-off knee pad a popular idea with the K-Pact Zip and has plenty of protection around the sides.The full range, including the K-Pact Select on the far left, with a modular shin protector.
US XC National Champ Keegan Swenson parked his flex-pivoting Santa Cruz Blur, complete with fasting rolling Maxxis Aspen ST tires, remote lockouts, and a fixed seat post.
Reserve Fillmore valves get a lot of flak for their price, but they deliver the promise of no clogs and higher air flow.
Reserve also sells wheelsets that tailor to eMTBs with their 29" 30 rim up front and the stronger, wider 27.5" 31DH for the rear.
Haro dusted off some retro high-pivot frames that could have used some idler action.
How cool is this Star Wars Speeder replica Bowhead adaptive E-bike?! A ton of effort went into building this rig with a superb attention to detail from the paint to the accessories.
Giant Bicycles partnered with Stages Cycling to produce this new computer. The Dash M200 and L200 have exactly the same features, for $279 and $329, only differing by the size of their screens. They use ANT+ connectivity for power and heart rate stats, attach with a Garmin mount, and can see up to 24-hours of run time.
This elastomer stem and coil sprung seat post from Redshift Sports have merit for bike packing builds, hardtails, and fat bikes alike. The ShockStop System sells for $369 from their online webstore.
A red and white light on the pedals, bars, and seat post use the same housing to quickly interchange them. The lights are also "smart" enough to detect the orientation and change color depending on the mounting location and the plug is a simple USB connection for simplicity.
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Thank you.
You wanna send one along so I can replace it?
Overhauled them because it had been half a dozen rides since the last overhaul? Or did the actually fix the durability issues?
Two fit nicely along the bed sides, but I have an Alta racks for trips, and shuttling.
I bought my truck for work, towing, and versatility, not just as an expensive bike rack
"Ah, Webster, Webster, aaand Cohen."
Those are the same size...
I owned one of those Haro Horst bikes, mine had Super T’s I think. They were great for the time.
I’m happy to see diamondback selling decent bikes again. Bonus points for making them long travel 27.5.” I wonder if any of my LBS will get them?
And am I just not trendy when I say that Pit Viper products do absolutely nothing for me? Kinda goofy, off putting 'drunk on natty ice' style about them.
Holy smokes, but if it suits you then it suits you.
I am curious if anyone reading this has gone with back sweep of more than 10 degrees and how they determined what best suited them. I've done some angle measurements of my hands holding onto bar ends and it indicates my hands and wrists sit at about a 20 degree angle, but then I think that can't be right, and I must be calculating/converting something wrong.
Once you try them, going back to regular ~8 degree bar feels so antiquated and awkward.
My one wish is to have a high rise bar with lots of sweep. 60mm+ would be amazing. I bet in ~5 years time they will be widely available.
What method did you use (if any) to measure your hand & wrist alignment?
Hold your arms out like you’re grabbing your bar and then lean forward like you would to weight the front, while in this position, angle your hands back to give more sweep and you’ll feel it in your wrists.
So it probably comes down to your preferred average riding position. More chill, more sweep. I think a lot of people ride their bars forward from level too, so half the sweep is just rise. I run the ends of the bar relatively level.
In hindsight, I'm glad I didn't go with the 16 degree bar and will most likely go 12 with a medium or high rise.
My frame is fairly conservative middle-of-the-road geometry and I'm the last person who will try to race anyone.
I'm just throwing that out there in hopes of more free wisdom.
But even if you've better things to do, thank you again for your insight- you just helped me avoid a poorly calculated purchase.
I plan on building a rigid single speed for cruising so will probably use the 2020 on that with one of the many longer high angled stems I’ve collected over the past 20 years.
Pah! I got an M1 Abrams tank with a bike rack on to carry my two E bikes, comes in handy for when
the 2 miles to gallon diesel runs out on the tank, plus the tank makes its own trail behind it
as you go
I feel like a noob for not knowing about them despite them being based in the same state.
seriously?... That stupidity still works for someone?..
But to be honest, what do I know? SFA.
The percentage of actualy recycled plastic is below 0, so today words on any product like "Recycled material" sounds like ... he he .. joke on people, at least.
Still waiting .
There is a solution. Make a concerted effort to consume less plastic. Some bike companies now use paper to protect bikes.
Now for recycled plastic. Still waiting....
TIA.