Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
Download the app.
Day one at the 2023 Sea Otter Classic, the largest bicycle festival in North America, has come and gone. Found at Laguna Seca Raceway just outside of Monterey, California, the festival is packed with over 1,000 brands. While the festival has a focus on mountain bike tech and accessories (and racing too!) there is plenty to find in the road, gravel, and e-bike tech side of things too.
Blaupunkt is a German company best known in North America for making automobile stereo systems in Porsche and Mercedes-Benz cars. They showed up to Sea Otter with a folding electric bike that comes in under $2000. (Image: Alvin Holbrook/CyclingTips)
The frame is made of magnesium out of a die-cast. The result is something that looks well-finished. (Image: Alvin Holbrook/CyclingTips)
Three colors are available, but each has a 6-speed Shimano drivetrain, a hub-driven drive motor, and a range of up to 44 miles (72 km). Shown here is an easily-removable battery in the downtube. (Image: Alvin Holbrook/CyclingTips)
A mysterious Vittoria-branded tire has been around the pro peloton for a number of months with hardly any news around it. While there isn’t much news today, Vittoria had them quietly up for display at Sea Otter. (Image: Alvin Holbrook/CyclingTips)Vittoria had a Corsa Pro Tire and a Corsa Pro Control tire. Both look to use a similar casing with the Corsa Pro Control tire using a bit more tread. Both look to be tubeless-ready in several tire widths. (Image: Alvin Holbrook/CyclingTips)When will we see the Corsa Pro tire? If they’re up for everyone to look at, the tires have to be around the corner. (Image: Alvin Holbrook/CyclingTips)Xpedo road pedals have for a while accepted both Xpedo’s own cleats and Look road cleats. Missing from that list has been one of the most commonly available cleats out there: SPD-SL, the standard for Shimano road pedals. Until now. (Image: Will Tracy/CyclingTips)The Sonic is the latest road pedal from Xpedo and it accepts a proprietary Xpedo cleat, available in both 6-degree and 0-degree float options, as well as SPD-SL cleats. The body is made with carbon injection molding, and both chromoly and titanium spindles are available.(Image: Will Tracy/CyclingTips) Swappable lenses on cycling sunglasses is far from a new thing. In fact, it’s expected at this point. But just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Julbo has taken inspiration from snowboard/skiing goggles and added a magnet to the lens and frame in something the brand calls MagneFix technology. You can simply pull the lens off of the frame and snap in a new one. No bending the frame or contorting the lens necessary.(Image: Will Tracy/CyclingTips) The frameless lens has the features you would expect from high-end cycling shades, including ventilation, an anti-fog coating, and grippy nose pads and temples. The temple and nose pieces can both be adjusted as well.(Image: Will Tracy/CyclingTips) Bluetooth headphones for riding that allow in passive road noise already exist. As do radio communication systems for cyclists. The Aleck Punks does both in a design that is simple, lightweight, low profile and easily swappable between helmets. The near field communication has both push-to-talk and party modes for constant communication.
Aleck told CyclingTips it has successfully paired up to 25 of the devices together for a big group ride chat, and that’s not a limit, just the max amount the brand has tried so far. (Image: Will Tracy/CyclingTips) Punks is two speakers paired together in the same way wireless earbuds like AirPods are. Each one weighs just 16 grams and slides easily onto a helmet strap. The device is also dust and water-resistant. The brand didn’t have battery life figures to report, however. Aleck launched the product via Kickstarter at the start of Sea Otter, and it’s already reached its target goal. There is still time to back the project and receive a discounted set, $89 instead of the eventual $149 retail price. (Image: Will Tracy/CyclingTips)This latest cage from Lezyne tucks away an Apple AirTag tracking device inconspicuously. (Photo: Troy Templin/CyclingTips)Speed holes are in folks, and Limar’s latest gravel-centric glasses are appropriately contemporary. (Photo: Troy Templin/CyclingTips)The Fox Crossframe Pro is a new gravel-focused helmet from Fox. We’ll have more details on this helmet soon, but the Fox helmet design language is certainly there. (Image: Troy Templin/CyclingTips)There’s a company called ChapSnap here at Sea Otter that sells a modular lip balm holder that goes on your wrist, handlebar, or wherever else you can strap it. To say I am intrigued is an understatement. Stay tuned for tomorrow, when I’ll hopefully check out what they have going on. (Image: Alvin Holbrook/CyclingTips)
