From 12″ wheel balance bikes to 20″ wheel pedal bikes, Cleary is targeting the high-end kids market.© Cyclocross Magazine
At Sea Otter, it’s hard to see everything, and even harder to remember everything that you did see in the course of four madness-inducing days in Laguna Seca. So as we dig through our SD cards, we’re still finding goodies that we didn’t find their way into stand-alone posts. To see all of our coverage so far, make sure you check out our Sea Otter section here, and keep checking, since we have even more coming!
Scroll through the slideshow to see some of the things we spotted during the show, with more info below.
Xentis added a new black-on-black graphic scheme to their road tubeless carbon wheel. There were no updates for the wheel itself, which even Xentis representatives admit might not be the best for the low pressure demands of ’crossers hoping to go tubeless. As the first company to make a cyclocross-specific shoe, perhaps they’ll be one of the first to come out with a version of their wheel strictly for cyclocross applications next?
Back at Interbike, we saw the beginning of Giro’s casual clothing lineup starting to take shape in the form of some basic cycling-specific garments that would be perfect for a ride around town without looking super cycling-specific. Stay tuned as we test some of the gear out, but so far, we’re liking the look of the women’s jacket and boy briefs that have a light chamois—just right for longer rides where you still want to wear jeans!
We also spotted this new Aspect helmet from Giro, and we’re in the midst of reviewing it now, so stay tuned.
Easton wasn’t showing new cyclocross gear, but were showing off this handmade-in-Santa-Cruz Caletti ’cross bike that they were using to showcase their wheelset.
While Schwalbe didn’t have any new ’cross-related treads to display at Sea Otter, they did point out that while there isn’t a specific “gravel tire” being made by them at the moment, they’ve been in the gravel market for a long time with some of their mid-weight treads, seen above. A tire doesn’t need a label that says gravel to make it perfect for your off-road adventures: while they don’t have a gravel-race-specific tire like we’ve seen from Challenge and other wheel manufacturers, they do have an extensive touring/commuting lineup that they believe doubles as gravel-ready tires, including the Marathon Plus, Tour Plus, Big Apple, Winter, and Marathon Dureme Tandem.
Riding in sand and snow isn’t just for the big kids anymore—now, fat tired rigs are coming in kiddie sizes as well thanks to Cleary Bikes. From 12″ wheel balance bikes to 20″ wheel pedal bikes, Cleary is targeting the high-end kids market.
WickWerks offers multiple cyclocross ring sizes, and has powered Katie Compton. © Cyclocross Magazine
We also wandered past WickWerks, which offers various chainring sizes and configurations, including a SRAM Red-specific chainring to accommodate the hidden bolt. WickWerks offers multiple cyclocross ring sizes, and has powered Katie Compton.
Squirt Lube has been one of our favorite lubes, but it is finally getting the recognition it deserves, with stellar test results from another mag. They now offers pre-lubed chains, making it easy to get rolling on squirt without degreasing.
After that, we check out Orange Seal, and saw how its sealant coats the entire tire, reportedly sealing sidewall cuts better than the competition.
The Luaf TR 29er fork brings a suspension fork experience at a rigid fork weight. © Cyclocross Magazine
Looking to add some cush to the front of your bike, without the weight penalty of a suspension fork? The Luaf TR 29er fork brings a suspension fork experience at a rigid fork weight, with 2.9″ of travel at just 2.3 pounds, with no moving parts. Will they make a cyclocross/gravel version? Stay tune.
Lastly, we saw a neat hydration system launched by Eligo called the Spile now offers a small separate electrolyte reservoir to keep the sugar out of your bladder to keep things cleaner.
Missed the past week of Sea Otter action? Check out all of our tech goodies from Sea Otter 2014.
