The most important news from the Sea Otter Classic 2016 in a nutshell: mountain bike tyres are getting thicker, fat bikes are not dead and e-mountain bikes are being used for (fun) racing. But first things first.
Sun - California feeling - bikes - Sea Otter Classic. The bike industry traditionally meets in mid-April on the legendary race track in Laguna Seca for the first big show. In addition to a good dose of racing and plenty of show, there were two main trends this year: the E-MTB is on everyone's lips and 27.5+ is growing - without the fatbike dying. Many manufacturers are already taking the second step, especially when it comes to very and almost very fat tyres, and are creating new bikes for a wide variety of mountain biking styles. The pure snow and mud bikes have grown into bikes for the whole season. Trail-orientated, well thought-out and with an ever-increasing range of available parts. The big theme is full suspension and trail suitability.
At the same time, the fatbike is by no means dead - it is enjoying a successful existence and is opening up to a wider range of users. For the first time, an e-MTB race took place as part of the "sports programme" at the Sea Otter Classic. The racers rode their laps along the slope of the former Moto-GP track, sometimes ridiculed, sometimes greeted with well-meaning banter - but also admired with wide eyes. From disguised jokers to elite MTB racers, everything was represented, just like the e-mountainbikes. Motorised hardtails with e-fullys and electric plus bikes as well as DH-oriented e-bikes with double bridge forks raced on the course. Some of them really competed against each other, but they all actually raced together. And there was also a good cause - Mike Kluge, the winner of the industry classification, was able to hand over his prize money of 5000 US dollars to a local charitable organisation dedicated to promoting youth cycling.
The most exciting new bikes from Sea Otter:
Underground Bike Works
John Parker is back! The founder of the cult brand Yeti retired from the bike business after selling it and was involved in motorbike racing, among other things. Now he's back and has a new mission: to build fun bikes out of aluminium! The first step is a hardtail with strong trail genes. And Mr Parker has two MTB legends in his luggage: The welding god Frank "The Welder" and the DH queen Missi Giove! Almost like in the old days - with a mixture of history, sympathetic chaos and a dash of racer blood - Underground is being created as a direct mail order label in the USA. We wish him the best of luck and can't wait to see what else John Parker has in store.
Open One+
It has been four years since Open presented its first bike at the Sea Otter Classic. The One+ is now the successor - wider, but still light and efficient. Tyres up to 2.4 inches wide now fit in the 29er frame - or you can build a 27.5+ wheelset and run tyres up to three inches thick. This turns the XC machine into a modern fun hardtail. Thanks to the new Boost standard, there is enough space for both thick tyres and modern cranksets. And Open wouldn't be Open if they didn't think about optimised solutions down to the last detail. In frame size S, for example, the wheel diameters are reduced by one size each (29 to 27.5 inches and 27.5+ to 26+) in order to offer perfect handling here too. Naturally, the One+ is prepared for mechanical and electronic shifting.
Intense Spider
Spider is the name of the latest addition to the range from Southern Californian high-end manufacturer Intense. A light and playful trail bike with adjustable suspension travel between 115 and 130 mm and 27.5 mm tyres. Whether uphill or downhill, racing or fun - the Spider is an everyman, every day bike. With four different equipment options and two different carbon frames, Intense offers the Spider for a wide range of budgets. For the first time, the Californians are differentiating between two different carbon layups on one model and using different fibre types in the two top models. Together with the titanium parts, this results in a weight difference of 300 grams. Of course, the Spider also comes in the 148x12 Boost standard and offers - in addition to a completely internal cable routing - a mounting option for a bottle cage. According to reports, the first Intense Spiders have already landed in Germany.
Spot Rollik 557
Last year, the guys from Spot pushed the prototype of the Rollik around the festival site, but back then it still had milled titanium parts. The bold prototype has now become a production bike with the Rollik 557. The first thing that catches the eye is a somewhat rigid-looking carbon leaf spring between the rear triangle and the main frame, which only ends in a pivot on the frame side. This "Living Link" basically performs a similar function to the short, lower linkage of a conventional VPP system. It was developed by Avid founder Wayne Lumpkin in order to find a durable, simple and effective solution to an old problem: Preventing drivetrain influence on the rear suspension when pedalling. The bike cut a fine figure in the first ride test. Whether this is only due to the "Living Link" or whether the frame, which is made of modern extreme carbon fabric with a very high fibre content, has more stiffness in itself, remains to be seen in a detailed test. The 140 mm test bike with its weight of just under 12 kg was definitely fun.
Dirtysixer 36''
David Folch is behind the Dirtysixer label and builds bikes for tall people. His clientele are all tall - and his bikes are designed for people between 1.92 and 2.25 metres tall. Just to give you an idea: David is 1.98 metres tall and his prototype enduro hardtail shown here is an S-frame! Equipped with an MRP DH fork and Rohloff hub, he can easily compete in downhill races. All of his bikes are "Made in California" and are available with single derailleur gears, Rohloff hubs or as single speed bikes.
Tantrum Bikes
Brian Berthold may still be familiar to some readers as the inventor of brake support and ex-developer at Kona. His latest concept is called Tantrum Bikes, the technology is called "Missing Link" - an innovative linkage that supports the shock depending on the riding situation. When pedalling, the system hardens like a strong platform. However, if an obstacle is driven over, the system reverses and supports the shock absorber. This makes expensive and complicated dampers with platform/lockout superfluous, at least according to the deflection guru. In addition, the air pressure in the shock can be significantly reduced and an even more sensitive response behaviour can be achieved. He designed his prototype bike, the Tantrum "Hybrid", as a 29er and gave it 125 mm of suspension travel. It also has a slack head angle, which you shouldn't really find annoying when climbing thanks to the stiffening. And of course Brian plays with all kinds of components - and so his "29er" has a 27.5 mm rear wheel.
Turner RFX Enduro+
The latest version of the Turner RFX Enduro+ bike comes with a full carbon frame and 160 mm suspension travel. A geometry geared towards modern enduro courses and the use of suspension forks with a travel of between 160 and 180 mm show where things are heading. Nevertheless, the total weight remains competitive at 12.7 kilos. And as usual with Turner, all cables are routed externally on the new RFX Enduro+ - because Dave Turner simply finds it more practical.
Pivot LES
LES goes Boost! After three years, Chris Cocalis is adapting his hardtail to the current trend standard. As usual, it has been consistently thought through to the end: with Shimano Di2 compatibility including a battery compartment in the down tube. Despite being more trail-ready, the new LES has lost none of its race genes. And despite the 69.5 degree head angle, the LES is agile and sporty. The Boost cure has not affected the weight, on the contrary: the frame has even become 50 grams lighter thanks to new carbon fibres and modified production details and now weighs 1295 grams with all attachments. The Swinger II dropout has been further developed in the Pivot sense and offers both a singlespeed option with indexed adjustment as well as shift dropouts that can be fixed in two positions. The 29er frame of the Pivot LES can also be ridden with 27.5+ wheels and is available in four sizes.
Trek Farley & Farley EX
According to Trek, the fatbike is the fastest growing bike category at the company. Especially in non-snow regions such as Nebraska, New Mexico and Arizona, the fatbike segment is growing rapidly. The original snow bike has become an all-season vehicle.
Trek is now taking this development into account and is presenting two agile full suspension bikes and a new top hardtail with the new Farley EX series. With the Farley EX, Trek has aimed for an all-round fat bike with optimum control and balanced riding characteristics. Paired with the likewise new Bontrager Wampa carbon wheels, Trek has created a frame with a narrow Q-factor and thus achieves more than acceptable pedalling characteristics. In fact, the Farley EX rides like a hardtail and not like a wide-legged chopper. The Farley EX range consists of the carbon model EX 9.8 and the aluminium version EX 8. Both roll on 27.5 inch fat bike wheels and - like all Farley bikes - will be available from August.
The hardtail faction is not neglected at Trek either. Five Farley models with carbon or aluminium frames roll over the trails on wide 4.5-inch wheels. The top model, the Farley 9.9, remains true to its homeland as it will only be available on the North American market. The reason: Europe is not growing fast enough when it comes to high-end fat bikes. The new carbon frame of the Farley weighs 1900 grams including the fork and is therefore a good basis for a lightweight fatbike.
Norco Optic
With the new Optic, the Canadians are launching a versatile trail bike platform onto the market. In terms of application, this concept combines XC efficiency with the playfulness of an all-mountain bike. The ISCG front derailleur option is just as much a part of the Optic as its "Modern Trail" geometry and the A.R.T. suspension. The frame can be ridden with both 27.5 and 29" wheels - the suspension travel is 110mm (29er) and 120mm (27.5). In addition to the carbon version, bikers can also choose the aluminium frame - performance and equipment are identical for both. The Boost 148 standard creates space for wide wheels with plenty of stability. Overall, the Optic is pleasant to ride, the progressive characteristic curve creates a balance between traction and fine response behaviour and "spices things up" with a pinch of firmness. The Optic will be available in three carbon versions and two aluminium versions. Together with the choice of wheel sizes, this results in a total of 10 different Optic variants.
Yeti SB5.5c
With its 140 mm travel and efficient Switch Infinity linkage, the new SB5.5C from Yeti is clearly aimed at trail and all-mountain - or exactly in between. This positioning is of course intentional, Yeti wanted to create a 29er platform with longer travel and a touch of race genes. The SB5.5C also comes with Yeti's typical long wheelbase and short chainstays - and of course with Boost standard wheels and drivetrain. The carbon frame has an extra dose of stiffness thanks to the wider tube linkages. The frame weighs in at 2.7 kg. The new Yeti bike will be available in Europe in all three equipment variants from June 2016.
Sea Otter innovations 2016: parts and components
6D Helmets
Bob Weber has his roots as a developer at Troy Lee Designs, and because he had a head full of numbers and ideas, he quickly set up his own business two years ago and has been building his own helmets ever since. He initially started out in the motorbike sector, before adding a full-face helmet for mountain bikers last year. And now, with the ATB-1T enduro helmet, the latest version of his ODS technology. "ODS" stands for Omni-Directional-Suspension. Behind this is a double-shell helmet construction that is connected by means of rubber elastomers. The aim is to decouple the two shells as far as possible in order to effectively protect the head and, above all, the brain from acceleration trauma caused by lateral and rotational forces in the event of a fall. The mode of action can be visualised as follows: in the event of minor impacts, the two shells are displaced against each other in order to deflect lateral forces. In the event of a massive impact, this displacement is compounded by compression of the elastomers. Distribution in Europe is already underway. In addition, the well-fitting helmets, which are not quite cheap at 270 US dollars, are also available online.
Lezyne
The mini floor pump Lezyne MFD now has a sister in the XL version for fat bike and plus tyres. The pump, which comes in the usual Lezyne manufacturing quality with lots of aluminium and a high-quality finish, delivers up to 35 PSI pressure and fits in any bike backpack.
The Rap21 micro tool has also been updated to include an air supply. New on board is an adapter for CO2 cartridges to quickly supply tubeless systems and conventional tyres with pressure.
The Pressure Overdrive looks powerful and also makes a lot of "wind". The system of this floor pump involves charging an air tank before the stored air is blown into the tubeless tyre with a compressor effect by moving a foot lever. Aluminium and wood also predominate here. A really big thing!
Sun-Ringlé
Düroc - the name of a breed of pig stands for two new wheels with 40 and 50 mm outer width and low tread depth. In contrast to the Mulefüt rims presented last year, the Düroc wheels are based on hollow chamber rims, which is noticeable both in terms of stiffness and weight. Both rims are designed for 27.5+ tyres as well as 29+ tyres and are offered individually as well as in combination with the Sun-Ringlé SRX hubs as wheelsets. Relatively moderate weights of between 1950 and 2200 grams and a retail price of around 600 US dollars make them a good retrofit alternative.
Manitou Machete & Mattoc 2
With the Machete, Manitou serves the suspension fork mid-range. In the popular Boost 110 standard, the fork offers between 120 and 140 mm of travel and can be combined with both 27.5+ and 29er wheels. The new Kwik Toggle damping system offers a fast lockout system. The axle system called HexLock SL is also new. This is a QR15 axle in which the actual nut is permanently installed in the fork mount. Using a 6 mm Allen key, the actual axle is screwed tight or virtually turned out of the hub. A lightweight solution weighing just 69 grams for anyone looking for a rigid and practical solution.
Stan's No Tubes
New aluminium material, wider rim widths and a lower weight characterise the latest generation of Stan's wheels. Both the Crest MK3 rims (2 mm wider) and the Flow MK3 rims (24 per cent wider) have increased in width, but have also become lighter thanks to slightly lower overall heights and the use of 6069 aluminium. The Arch MK3, with an inner rim width of 26 millimetres, has undergone the biggest profile changes and reflects the wishes and requirements of Enduro World Cup riders. A whole 25 per cent more lateral stiffness and three different sizes leave (almost) nothing to be desired. The Flow MK3 has also been "inflated" to 29 mm and now accommodates tyres up to 2.8 inches. The rim weighs a whole 30 grams less than the narrower Flow FX.
You'll find more new bikes and MTB news in BIKE 6/2016 - on newsstands from 3 May. You can also read the issue in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or in the DK shop order:
