Outbound Lighting makes incredible lights for road, gravel, and mountain biking after dark, but there are a few holes in their lineup they’d like to fill. From eMTB headlights to safer commuter taillights to a more powerful helmet lamp, they had a lot to show at Sea Otter Classic. Above is a concept they’re working on for e-bikes, with mountain bikes in particular focus. Many e-bikes now come with headlights built in and powered by the battery, but most of them are just bolted on to the fork crown or hanging under the handlebar. And most of those are designed for commuting, with a narrow beam ..read more

For years, body armor brands have incorporated D3O’s impact absorbing gel into their elbow, knee, and back protectors. Turns out, it’s also really good at absorbing vibrations, too. So, ODI is using it in their new Vanquish mountain bike grips. It uses a new D3O Grip Compound that, they claim, absorbs 2x the vibrations of standard grip compounds. It’s the same tech used in F1 cars and NASA’s Valkyrie robot, and now it’s for riders, too. ODI then gives the grips a specific pattern and geometry to further reduce vibrations, helping your hands, arms, and brain stay fresher for longer. Available ..read more

Gulo Composites upcoming XC mountain bikes may be the lightest on the market when they hit with a complete 29er wheelset weight around 1,140g. And for gravel, they have a big new idea around matching rim and tire width for optimized aerodynamics. Quick refresher: Gulo makes braided carbon spokes in the US, and designs their rims and hubs around these proprietary spokes. They’re lighter, very strong, and add a bit of damping and radial compliance while keeping the wheel laterally stiff. Check our initial coverage of the brand for a deeper dive. A few years ago, they updated the wheels with l ..read more

You’ve probably seen floating rotors with small, round rivet-like “buttons” connecting the braking surface to the center carrier. But the new Zeno ReactionEX true floating rotors opt for a small clip that acts like a leaf spring to create a “true floating rotor”. The issue with the button is that they are a semi-floating design, where the outer braking surface is pinned to the carrier, which limits how much and how freely the braking surface can slide from side to side. And that lateral movement is one of the big benefits of a floating rotor because it keeps the braking surface perfectly para ..read more

Having just announced their new Invert upside-down gravel fork before the show, Cane Creek’s Sea Otter booth news was mostly about new colors for their existing components. Their best-selling limited edition eeBrakes was silver, so they’ve decided to make it a standard color option. Black bits like the return spring and some pivot hardware add a bit of contrast, but for folks seeking a classic silver brake caliper and enhanced performance, this is it. Meanwhile, their eeWings titanium cranks will get a black automotive finish with matte clearcoat for a stealthier look. Offered in road/gravel ..read more

Ari has a lot more than a name change going on this year, with something like eight or more planned bike launches and updates coming throughout 2024. We got a look at five of them at Sea Otter, and they range from road and e-gravel to an affordable alloy trail bike, plus aluminum downhill and dirt jump bikes, too! Here’s what’s coming… The Ari Suncrest is designed as a climber’s bike, with an average frame weight across all sizes of just 670g! This joins their Empire all-rounder and Veyo aero road bikes, both of which we’ve reviewed positively and carry forward unchanged for now. Details are ..read more

We saw the new DVO Diamond at Taipei Show last month, which got the bump up to 36mm stanchions and their new SL Air Spring. Now, the 38mm stanchion Onyx gets the SL Air Spring, and their shocks get a Prime upgrade option with more external controls. The SL Air Spring replaces their OTT design, which used an adjustable coil spring negative spring. Now, it’s a dual air chamber with a transfer port to self equalize, making setup quick, easy, and familiar. It also saves about 150g. Their Topaz (air) and Jade X (coil) shocks get a new Prime edition adds external high- and low-speed compression k ..read more

Every year, people at the show ask us ‘what’s the coolest thing you’ve seen at the show?’ Usually, it can be pretty tough to recall one specific thing, but this year it was pretty easy. Madrone Cycles is a brand new company out of Ashland, Oregon founded by Aaron Bland. A mechanical engineer by trade, Aaron introduced us to the world of Madrone Cycles which is starting with replacement SRAM derailleur parts, tools to rebuild them, and even a prototype rear derailleur of their own design! Essentially, Madrone Cycles will now offer most of the replacement parts you would need to rebuild either ..read more

I’ll try to keep this one short and sweet heading into the weekend, but we had the exclusive opportunity for a first test of the wild new reverse arch FOX 32 Step Cast XC fork. Although it almost looks smaller than ever without seeing a conventional fork arch up front, this is undeniably a highly capable cross-country fork. Combining a new level of stiffness with an almost silly amount of apparent weight loss vs. the already light original 32 SC, this new fork will be a killer option for ultralight hardtail or short-travel full-suspension XC bikes! MY 2025 Fox 32 Step Cast XC fork: First Ride ..read more

While strolling the booths at this year’s Sea Otter Classic, we made it over to the 1UP USA booth to check out their new Super Duty hitch-mounted bike rack. Building on the success of the previous version, the new Super Duty promises to be more rugged, capable, and versatile than before. (Photo/Ron Frazelle) The new Super Duty brings significant updates to meet the expanding needs of cyclists. Designed to carry bikes up to 100 pounds per tray, the SD is engineered to be durable and reliable. “Since the original Super Duty launched in 2016, it has been hailed as one of the best racks on the pl ..read more