More than two years after the last release, the Sea Otter Classic is back, along with its usual mass of new cycling goodies to whet your appetite.
After nineteen months at home, I finally broke my moratorium on air travel and went to Monterey, California, and wandered the open-air corridor in search of the strange and wonderful.
Here’s a snippet of what I found on day one, and stay tuned for more.
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The upstart brand KAV are custom 3D-printing bicycle helmets based on your own personal main measurements. It looks unusual, but it reportedly provides a really perfect fit. -
It’s definitely … different. -
Instead of traditional EPS foam, KAV uses hexagonal cells that collapse in one stroke to absorb and dissipate energy. -
KAV’s energy-absorbing lining is similar in concept to Koroyd or WaveCel. Helmets reportedly easily pass various test certifications. -
Some colors would be nice, right? -
KAV measured my head while I was at the fair, and will reportedly give me a tailor-made test sample over the next few days. -
Even the pillows are 3D printed and they have a new “constant pressure” design that can explain changes in hair volume or hats without feeling tighter on the head. -
The several sections of the helmet are tied together and also held together with small dovetail wedges. -
It is so radically different aesthetically that I am not sure how well it will be received. It is also very expensive at 375 US $ and not very light at just under 300 g. -
Moon Sport MX is a computer assembly in front and headlights all in one. -
Moon Sport combines a 1-watt CREE LED emitter to help illuminate the road if you are stuck at sunset, while underneath is a more conventional flashing for “to be seen” visibility. -
The standard setup is designed to attach to four-bolt removable stem faceplates. -
There is also an optional power clamp version. I’m quite fascinated, and hope to bring one of these in for a proper review. -
Redshift Sports’ new Arclight pedals have LED lights at the front and rear to increase visibility. Built-in sensors tell the pedal which way is in front and behind, and automatically change the light color to suit. Indicative price is / US $ 135 per. Couple. -
The “modules” of the light can also be used as independent headlights or taillights. -
More magnets! -
New from Redshift Sports is the ShockStop Pro seat post (left), which replaces the standard version (right) steel coil spring with lighter elastomer together with renewed links. -
The weight drops sharply compared to the standard ShockStop seatpost with alleged weights as low as 379 g for a size of 27.2 mm with 20 mm travel. A good touch is the dust cover, which is attached with magnets. -
Cane Creek’s new eeSilk + sprung seat post (left) has an additional 15mm travel compared to standard eeSilk (right), while adding just 28 grams. Required weight for a 27.2 × 362 mm carbon model is only 323 g. Guide price is $ 320 for the carbon version and $ 220 for aluminum. -
Cane Creek’s new Ancora headset compression plug is exceptionally light at just 24g. -
Cane Creek put a lot of extra effort into shaving grams from the Ancora headset compression plug. The inside of the knurled sleeve is machined, for example, and the bolt is aluminum. -
Tannus has a new tubeless compatible foam tire liner (in pink) to go with its original tube type (in red). -
The unusual shape apparently still provides support for the tire housing and rim protection, but the open rim works with standard tubeless valve stems. -
Alleged weights are quite impressive for Tannus’ new tubeless compatible foam tire inserts. Gravel models are only 70 g each. -
The DT Swiss D 232 One dropper seatpost is aimed at XC mountain bikes, but it can also be a viable option for some gravel bikes if the dimensions are compatible with your frame. Alleged weight is only 369 g. -
Aids for shaving the grams are an inverted head in carbon fiber and a carbon fiber shaft (to which an aluminum bushing is tied to provide a uniform sliding surface). -
Fun detail: the actuator rod for DT Swiss’s D 232 One dropper seatpost is a 150-gauge stainless steel spoke.