The Sea Otter Classic: Tech highlights from the biggest bike gathering in North America - Day 1

The annual Sea Otter Classic is underway in Monterey, California. This is the biggest cycling gathering in North America, drawing some 74,000 people from all over the world to the Leguna Seca Raceway venue.

Part industry show, part racing festival, the four-day event hosts thousands of athletes as they compete in hundreds pro and amateur events, including the first round of the Life Time Grand Prix off-road series. 

Held since 1991, just about every bike racing discipline is on offer, including gravel, cross country, downhill, dual slalom, short track racing, circuit, criterium, and road racing — all held in high regard.

Alongside the racing, the industry gathers to show off its latest and greatest. Hundreds of brands are vying for the attention of consumers and journalists alike. Amid the sea of flags, here are a few sneaks of what I saw on day 1. 

Sneak Peek at Vitus' yet-to-be-released n-1 bike

Launching in late May 2023, Vitus' latest model, the Vitus Venon RS Rival AXS, is meant to tackle both road and gravel with equal speed, agility and capability.

This versatile steed borrows some of the geometry and engineering from the Venon line of high-performance road bikes and applies it to any road, or groad, surface. 

The bike's got clearance for 45mm knobbies but also a neat, cable-integrated aero cockpit from Prime. There are eyelets for fenders or racks yet the sleek lines and narrow tube shapes indicate that this bike is also made to go fast. Vitus had two different builds on display in their tent, showcasing the versatile platform of the Venon RS. One spec'd with prime carbon road wheels wrapped in 28mm Michelin Power Cup road tires; the other spec'd with Prime's gravel wheels wrapped in 40mm Michelin gravel tires. 

Same bikes, different use cases.

Price: $4,099

Bivo x Maghalie Rochette collab

Image 1 of 2

Stainless steel water bottle manufacturers, Bivo, and Canadian cyclocross pro, Maghalie Rochette, unveiled a collab bottle. Bivo is attempting to reinvent the cycling bottle as we know it in order to move the industry away from our dependence on semi-disposable plastic bottles. Its bottles are stainless steel, toxin-free and made to last. We were impressed with the bottles and as it turns out, so was Rochette. The pro racer and podcast host shared that in a normal racing season, she'd go through 30-40 plastic bottles per year. With her partnership with Bivo, she hopes to bring that number down to just 10. 

"They don't get moldy, don't hold a bad taste, and they are durable," she says. 

The 21-ounce collaboration bottle comes in a black anti-slip silicone finish with Rochette's CX Fever logo.  

Bivo also launched its insulated bottle, the Bivo Trio, in the smaller, 17-oz size for short rides or small frames. 

Campagnolo's new $4K wheelset

Campagnolo was showcasing its new flagship bike racing wheelset, the Hyperon Ultra.

Campagnolo says this wheel embodies "true product perfection" with a magic ratio of lightweight construction, unmatched reactivity and superior handling.

It's an understated wheel with subdued graphics, a 37mm rim depth and a 21mm inner width. The wheels feature a new and lighter N3W freewheel body, the brand's 2-Way Fit Technology with no holes on the upper bridge and a single-joint construction for increased wheel stiffness. 

They're not limited to Campagnolo users either, as Shimano HG and Sram XDR™ freebodies are available. 

The weight: 1240 grams for the wheelset without skewers or rim tape.

The price: $4,099.95

Pinarello Granger

Image 1 of 3

A rarity for Pinarello, the Italian company was placing its new, mid-range gravel machine called the Granger in the spotlight instead of its flagship Grevil. 

Made for adventure and exploring, the Granger features a carbon fiber frame optimized for comfort. The carbon structure and unidirectional finishing are meant to absorb all road vibrations for a comfortable ride feel. The frame comfort is paired with the Onda fork. A distinctive Pinarello feature since 2000, the shape of the fork is meant to deliver precise turning abilities and stability while reducing shocks and vibrations.

The bike on display was pec'd with aluminum components, Fulcrum Red 900 alloy wheels and a Shimano GRX600 drivetrain. The Granger has top tube accessory mounts as well as fender or rack mounts.

MSRP: $3800

I got an EEG…kinda

Formerly known as The Specialized Foundation, Outride is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of youth through cycling. In addition to its school-based cycling programming and community grants, Outside has a keen interest in understanding the cognitive, socio-emotional and physical well-being of people who ride bikes. 

What is happening in our brains when we ride bikes? Why do we feel better, happier and more focused after riding a bike? And how can we harness that information and research to help people improve their mental well-being by pedaling?

Those are some of the questions that neuroscientist Dr. Luke Bashford (University of Newcastle & University of Colorado Denver) is exploring. 

To give me a taste of what goes on in my brain when I ride, Dr. Bashford outfitted me with a sensor-equipped headwear and gave me a live electroencephalogram or EEG scan. There, displayed on a large monitor for all festival goers to see, were about a dozen squiggly lines in various colors, indicating the activity in my brain. When I started pedaling, the brainwaves changed, creating more spikes and new patterns. 

Bashford and his colleagues hope that someday, research will have developed to an extent where one could be prescribed a specific workout to help ease depression symptoms, alleviate stress or help those with ADHD focus better. More on this soon. 

Fi'zi:k expands line of 3D-printed saddles

3D-printed saddles is a trend that's here to stay, says Fi'zi:k. The Italian company was an early adopter of 3D printing technology and, like Specialized, turned to a company called Carbon for their innovative saddles. 

The Silicone Valley-based Carbon is a high-tech material manufacturer that specializes in liquid polymer and Digital Light Synthesis — a leading-edge 3D printing technology. The claimed benefit to the complex 'honeycomb' structure is being able to infinitely tune the material's density in a way that was impossible with traditional foam (i.e: firm in some places, more forgiving under the sit bones).

Fizik's 3D printed line is called Adaptive and until recently consisted only of the Antares Versus Evo shape. The short-nosed Vento Argo shape is now also available in a 3D printed model collection, consisting of the same 3D-printed padding attached to a variety of different rails and bases (model names Vento Argo 00, R1 and R3).

The prices range from $259.00 to $399.99