The annual Sea Otter Classic is the world’s largest bicycle festival, drawing riders, racers and fans to the Laguna Seca Recreation Area in Monterey, California. If you love bikes, this should be on your life list.
Named after the southern sea otter, an indigenous mammal which lives nearby on the Pacific coast, the gathering pulled in about 75,000 riders and fans this year, April 10-13.
Sea Otter is an excuse to debut products, and many companies show off items that won’t be in stores for months. We were there to get the scoop on market trends and see the best new products in the world of bikes.
From my view, meeting with companies and testing gear, the items below are the 10 most exciting products and trends at the fest this year. —Tom Puzak
- Bosch eBikes legitimize electric bike market
- Fat bikes become a real summer option
- Razik’s open lattice bikes are radically different
- Road bikes with rear suspension are becoming a reality
- Integrated transmission compatible with full suspension must be seen to be believed
- Fat bikes get full suspension
- 29er wheels get huge upgrades
- Shimano unviels new weapons grade XTR components
- Kitsbow pushes MTB clothing ahead
- Ergon’s poor man’s rear suspension is not poorly designed
