Tech Gallery: 2021 Sea Otter Classic, Day Two

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Day two of the 2021 Sea Otter Classic brought warmer temperatures and a lot more sunshine, along with an even bigger pile of new treats on the menu. In this series of covers we take a look at Enduro Bearings’ supposedly indestructible (!) Maxhit bottom bracket and headset bearings, Orucase top tube bag with its glossy magnetic zipper, to the new carbon fiber gravel made in the USA and covered with Alchemy ceramics. bike, a new anti-vibration system from FSA, the fast Vision wheels that Sonny Colbrelli used to win the Paris-Roubaix men, and… well, you know.

There is a lot of fun things to do on the bike at Sea Otter, and there will be a lot more to share in the coming days.

  • Vision’s new Metron SL tubeless compatible carbon tires have just won the men’s Paris-Roubaix under Sonny Colbrelli.
  • Are the casings made in the pro peloton? Not yet, but it doesn’t look so good on glue fans.
  • The new Vision Metron SL wheels offer a generous 21mm interior width and wide exterior widths optimized for 28mm wide tires.
  • The new rear hubs abandon traditional ratchet drivers for a new helical spline design.
  • The new PRS rear hub offers a responsive five-degree engagement speed and supposedly better durability than the old ratchet design.
  • The front hub looks nice, but what I find most interesting is the 2 for 1 lacing pattern for more even spoke tension.
  • FSA’s new NS VAS stem features an elastomeric handlebar clamp insert that supposedly dampens vibrations before they can reach your hands.
  • The elastomeric insert requires a rather unusual clamping design which includes a third clamping band in between and fully separate from the usual two.
  • Bottom brackets typically consist of a cartridge bearing pressed into a separate cup. But with Enduro Bearings’ new Maxhit bottom bracket, the cup and exterior are the same, allowing for much bigger-than-usual bearing balls and much better durability – at least according to Enduro Bearings.
  • The stainless steel construction promises to keep corrosion at bay – so much so that Enduro carries a lifetime warranty on the new Maxhit bearings, even for wear and tear. They are still a few months away from being available, and will also be several grams heavier than a more conventional bottom bracket made with aluminum cups.
  • Enduro Bearings will offer its new Maxhit bottom brackets with BSA threads to fit Shimano 30mm, DUB and 24mm axles. The retail price will be US $ 160 when they hit the market in March.
  • When it comes to bearing durability, the size of the balls makes a big, big difference, and that’s supposedly the key to the longevity of Maxhit bearings. We will find out soon enough, I guess.
  • Enduro also applies the Maxhit formula to various zero-stack headset bearings. Struggling to keep the helmet bearings alive? These could be the ticket.
  • The retail price of the Enduro Maxhit headset bearings will be $ 120 per set (the seals are removed here just to show the interior). As with bottom brackets, the headset bearings will be guaranteed for life, even against corrosion and wear. Unreal.
  • Have you ever wished you could practice on gravel at home? Feedback Sports has it all – but only if you ask very, very nicely.
  • Alchemy Bikes launched a new Rogue carbon fiber gravel bike at this year’s Sea Otter Classic. And yes, sorry for the feet in the background.
  • It’s not traditional painting you’re looking at here. This is an ultra-durable Cerakote ceramic surface treatment that should be well suited for gravel riding.
  • The Rogue is unusual in that it is a molded carbon fiber gravel bike that is actually made in the USA. That doesn’t make it inherently better, of course, but it will still be interesting for some buyers.
  • A note to gravel bike makers everywhere: Fender brackets don’t make your bikes any less serious. What they do is make your bikes more versatile and more usable.
  • The tight-fit bottom bracket provides more room to spread the chainstays for more tire clearance. Alchemy says the Rogue will accept the 700 × 50mm studs.
  • Pretty pretty, isn’t it?
  • The Giro Synthe receives a few minor modifications that help bring the price down a bit.
  • Those mesh ventilation covers that were once supposed to boost the aerodynamic performance of the original Synthe? They left.
  • The biggest change is how the MIPS liner is now incorporated directly into the retention system, which Giro says allows for a better fit and ventilation compared to the original Synthe MIPS.
  • Giro has developed a range of taillights for its helmets. It clips onto any helmet with a Roc Loc 5 retention system.
  • Other lighters are designed to fit the rear vents of specific helmet models, much like handlebar end caps. It is not clear at this point whether any of them are really bright enough for effective daytime visibility.
  • Giro has launched a new cold weather shoe called Blaze, which features a waterproof shell and Primaloft insulation. I may not be looking forward to winter, but I can’t wait to try these things.
  • Like so many other winter cycling shoes, the Giro Blaze emulates cross-country ski boots with its speedy lace interior and zip-up shell.
  • The Giro Blaze sits on a fiber-reinforced nylon sole and grippy rubber outsole specially designed for cold temperatures.
  • These seem to be great ingredients for warm feet.
  • If you’d rather go the traditional shoe cover route, Giro made one from the same Xnetic laminate knit material used in its popular waterproof gloves.
  • A rubberized coating on the underside of the Giro Xnetic overshoes promises to keep them from collapsing too quickly.
  • Specialized is often accused of making products at exorbitant prices, but this new Tactic MTB helmet is anything but. This has to be the best US $ 100 helmet I’ve come across.
  • Lots of coverage, lots of ventilation.
  • The front-most ventilation slots are designed to hold your sunglasses.
  • This new Tactic uses a traditional MIPS liner, but there are also plenty of deep internal channels that promise good airflow. Can’t wait to try this one.
  • As with some other Specialized mountain bikes, the retention system adjuster is integrated directly into the foam liner.
  • The magnetic zipper on the top tube bag of Orucase is absolutely awesome. It’s incredibly easy to get to your stuff, yet you never have to worry about manually opening or closing anything. The retail price also looks pretty decent at US $ 50.

Looking for more Sea Otter Classic 2021 coverage? Click here for the full collection.

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