Titanium cranks, steel frames, and 3D-printing galore.
With the Interbike trade show now well in the rearview mirror (and absolutely no signs it’ll ever return), the Sea Otter Classic has grown larger than ever, and whereas it was once primarily a mountain bike event, seemingly every major segment is now well represented. Road, mountain, and gravel? Big brands and small ones? Components, clothing, and accessories? You name it, it was here.
This third round of coverage (there will be at least two or three more, FYI) covers a broad range, including Ritchey’s gorgeous new Montebello steel audax frameset, stunning machined titanium and aluminum components from 5DEV, the latest in 3D-printed helmet technology, highlights of Mavic’s resurgent wheel collection, and much more.
Only about 500 more images to sort through! Hope you like eye candy …
Need this new road/gravel crankset and chainring from 5DEV? That’ll cost you a cool US$1,200 – and that’s without a bottom bracket and not a single bit of carbon fiber.5DEV’s new titanium road/gravel crankarms are absolutely striking.5DEV machines each crankarm from titanium billet. The backside is hollowed out and then a separate plate is laser-welded on to create a hollowed, sealed structure. You can just make out the milled-down weld bead in the right light.5DEV has a new aero chainring for road and gravel. It’s only offered in 42T and 52T sizes at the moment, and also only for SRAM 8-bolt interfaces, but more may be added depending on demand. They’re machined from aluminum billet, and then a separate skin is bonded to the backside to follow a hollow lenticular shape.Because aero gravel chainrings are most definitely a thing these days.5DEV says its new road/gravel chainring is compatible with SRAM Transmission, SRAM Eagle, and Shimano 12-speed chains. Note the narrow/wide tooth profiles.5DEV’s machined crankarms are certainly distinctive, but they’re also offered in a super broad range of lengths. The one at left is just 135 mm!The fancy titanium crankset is what initially draws your eye to this Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 that was on display at the 5DEV booth, but notice anything unusual out back? Yep, that’s a SRAM Transmission rear derailleur, and it fits with the help of a custom UDH adapter that 5DEV makes in house. It’ll apparently fit most late-model Tarmac, Crux, and Diverge models, and costs US$180.5DEV also machines in-house titanium (left) and now aluminum (right) mountain bike stems. Interestingly, the clamp is machined in a slightly ovoid shape so riser bars can more easily slide through the two-bolt clamp, and then the pinch bolts tighten everything around the bar.Titanium stems are offered in several finishes, including raw, bronze, purple, and teal. New is a black DLC option.Parlee showed off its new Ouray all-road/endurance road bike, and it’s quite the looker.The Ouray certainly sports a more modern look than Parlee’s tube-to-tube Z-series bikes. Note the fully hidden cabling, too, which may complicate maintenance but also produces the clean look many customers now demand.Parlee has opted for a nude surface finish on the Ouray, fully confident in how well the plies are laid in the mold.Instead of a conventional clear coat, Parlee protects the surface of the Ouray with some sort of “aerospace wax”.Parlee hasn’t bothered to cut molds for the headset, instead opting to 3D-print them in order to provide wider compatibility with various cockpit brands.Bob Parlee is still involved with the company despite ownership changing hands, and the Z-Series is still made to order by hand in Beverly, Massachusetts.Custom paint will apparently be a big story for Parlee on the Z-Series bikes, and this finish was particularly stunning in the California sun.Ritchey’s new Montebello is an audax-style steel road bike designed for long days in the saddle – with maybe one or two snack and/or meal stops along the way. Retail price for the frameset will be US$1,600 when the Montebello becomes available around August. Baguettes aren’t included, sadly.I’m digging the classic fastback-style seat cluster. Ritchey says the Montebello will accept 700×36 mm-wide tires with fenders or 700×40 mm ones without.The custom head tube features direct drop-in headset bearings – and easy-to-maintain external routing. Note the internal wire routing if you want to run a front hub dynamo, too.The gorgeous rear dropouts feature a replaceable derailleur hanger. Fender mounts are included front and rear.Want to carry some extra cargo up front? Have at it.Also sitting proudly in the Ritchey booth at Sea Otter was a new P-29er, a 29″-wheeled steel hardtail frame that can be built up as a proper XC racer or as more of a monstercrosser as shown here.I lusted after a Ritchey P-20 back in the day, and I’m certainly liking the looks of this new P-29er.I’m not sure how I feel about the rear brake mount on the new Ritchey P-29er, though.Mavic’s return isn’t going to be spearheaded by halo models costing thousands of dollars, but rather bread-and-butter aluminum wheels like the Allroad S.
It’s 25 mm-wide internally for use with larger-volume all-road and gravel tires, and interestingly, it uses a hookless format (which, in fairness, isn’t as controversial in lower-pressure applications). Claimed weight is just under 1,800 g, and retail price is an attainable US$530 for the set.
Spoke length is identical from left to right and front to back, a common feature across much of Mavic’s latest wheel range.Because the spoke nipples are threaded directly into the rim, there’s no need to pierce the outer wall of the rim on the Mavic Allroad S, making for a much more reliable tubeless setup over time, with no need to ever re-install tape.Mavic’s new Cosmic S carbon road wheelset puts a big emphasis on value. For less than US$1,000, you get 42 mm-deep tubeless-compatible hooked rims with a 21 mm internal width, a respectable 1,595 g claimed weight, and Mavic’s Infinity hubset with a 24-tooth star ratchet-type driver.The Cosmic S uses conventional spokes and nipples, though, so it does require rim tape to run tubeless.The Mavic Cosmic SLR 32 Disc is for riders that want something a little lighter, featuring a 32 mm-deep and 21 mm-wide (internal width) tubeless carbon rim, Mavic’s star ratchet Infinity hubs, and bladed stainless steel spokes. Claimed weight is just under 1,400 g, and retail price is US$2,255.Mavic road wheels are exclusively sold in Center Lock configuration.Once you go tapeless, it’s hard going back.Mavic’s Crossmax SL Ultimate 30 is the sweet spot in its carbon mountain bike wheel range, with 30 mm-wide (internal width) rims, bladed stainless steel spokes, star ratchet hubs, a competitive 1,395 g claimed weight, and a retail price of US$2,250.The Crossmax SL 30 does require tubeless tape, though. Alas, you apparently can’t have it all.The Crossmax XL makes a case for aluminum trail wheels with its 1,930 g claimed weight, generous 30 mm internal width, star ratchet hub, and a tapeless tubeless-compatible rim bed – all for less than US$600.Excess material is milled away in between the spoke holes on the Crossmax XL to save a few grams. Note how the spoke nipples thread directly into the inner rim wall.Because threads are melted directly into the inner rim wall, there’s no need to pierce the outer wall on the Crossmax XL. Again, once you go tapeless …Although Mavic’s road wheels are offered exclusively in Center Lock, mountain bike wheels are offered in both six-bolt and Center Lock splined rotor interfaces.This custom Firefly titanium gravel bike was ostensibly meant to serve as a backdrop for the Mavic carbon wheels that were mounted on it, but the frameset itself was arguably worthy of more attention.Firefly externally butts its tubes in-house. Little reinforcement rings are left at the bottle mounts.The 3D-printed titanium fork crown and dropouts are designed by Josh Ogle, and they’re matched to TIG-welded titanium legs and a bonded carbon fiber steerer.3D printing is also used for the rear dropouts.The frame’s anodized finish is already incredible, but the matching pump? So good.I’ve seen Stein&Fenton’s posts on Instagram, but this is the first time I’d seen one of the company’s bikes in person. Oh my.Are these frames real? Are they vaporware? They seem to always be in a state of development, but they sure are pretty.KAV Sports has continued to develop its 3D-printed helmet technology, showcasing its new Nova model at this year’s Sea Otter Classic.Whereas the vast majority of bicycle helmets use an energy-absorbing liner material made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam – sometimes augmented with cellular structures like Koroyd or WaveCel – KAV Sports exclusively uses a printed polymer honeycomb structure that’s then covered with a separate skin.The honeycomb liner is actually dual-layered, with the outer layer featuring stiffer cell walls to better handle high-energy impacts, and the inner layer built with softer ones for lower-energy crashes.KAV Sports says the dual-layer liner also provides a degree of shear protection to better protect against rotational forces, in addition to the way the cellular structure supposedly acts like a crumple zone during a straight impact. The latest Nova model has earned a five-star rating from Virginia Tech’s independent testing lab.The printed honeycomb liner and sparse padding by itself don’t exactly scream comfort, except for the fact that each KAV Sports helmet is custom 3D-printed for each customer’s head. There are no stock sizes, and at least in theory, every helmet should be a perfect fit.One notable upgrade from KAV Sports’ original model is a flexible (and somewhat elastic) printed cradle to help lock the helmet on to the back of your head.CeramicSpeed’s revamped RS oversized pulley cage assembly definitely looks heaps better than the old one, but it’s also far stiffer and stronger, too.CeramicSpeed’s 3D-printed titanium pulley wheels offer no performance advantage whatsoever as compared to the company’s standard oversized pulleys. And they sure aren’t inexpensive at a whopping US$1,900 for a complete derailleur cage assembly. But then again, objects of lust don’t typically come with logical justifications.Redshift Sports definitely isn’t the first brand to offer a riser drop bar. However, the uninterrupted top section not only looks better in my view, but it also provides a convenient spot for mounting accessories.RedShift Sports is offering the aluminum Top Shelf bar in a bunch of widths and rises, with more already in the works.The double-decker format also makes for a particularly stable foundation for attaching a bar bag.Redshift Sports has added a third ShockStop suspension seatpost model to the range. Whereas the ShockStop Endurance offers the plushest feel with 35 mm of travel and the ShockStop Pro Race offers just 20 mm of movement with a very firm feel (especially off the top), the new Pro Endurance sits somewhere in between with a longer spring stack that includes a mix of elastomers and coil springs.Redshift Sports’ higher-end Arclight LED pedals feature a modular design that can be configured in four different ways depending on the rider’s preferences.Smith’s new Triad helmet is aimed at road and gravel riders, and also features a more strategic Koroyd honeycomb liner placement. Select models also get the Aleck crash sensor (not pictured), which “measures impact forces, confirms your status, and sends an emergency message with your GPS location if necessary.”
Although the crash sensor does need to be paired with a smartphone, there’s no subscription required for it to work.
High-viz models (left) not only get a day-glo color, but the entire lower half is covered with glass micro-beads to boost visibility to approaching drivers in low-light conditions.Smith’s new Payroll trail helmet features very generous coverage around the sides and rear, strategically placed Koroyd panels along with sides, and more open venting down the middle for much better airflow as compared to the older Forefront 2 model.
