Gravel continues to gro and, as more mountain bike brands release drop bar bikes, Sea Otter was packed too the gills with new gravel gear this year. A few stand-out road pieces also made their way to Laguna Secca speedway.
3T – Extrema Italia
3T Extrema Italia is made in Italy
It continues 3T's mix of off-road capabilities and aerodynamic sensibilities
Clearance for massive 29x2.25" tires
Sizeable tubes grow on the Etrema to match the clearance
Drop stays keep geometry from getting unruly and long
A hint at what's to come from Project 321
The future is now! Direct mount compatibility allows for this AXS T-Type mullet of a mountain bike rear derailleur and gravel-sized chaining
3T’s Extrema Italia is the Made in Italy version of its wide-tired rig. How wide? There’s clearance for full 29×2.25″ tires in this gravel bike.
Giro Aerohead II
Giro had its controversial Aerohead II in its booth
Along with the design concepts for the extreme/ly aerodynamic lid
Looking inside, there are massive vents and a different balance point
Giro’s Aerohead II made waves when it first appeared earlier in 2024. It was interesting to get a closer look at the extreme acro lid, including what’s going on inside. Giro extends the Aerohead II forward infront ofthe rider, instead of rearward down the riders back. As you can see, this gives a bit more space for airflow to come up into the helmet. Massive vents in the foam (the helmet still has to meet safety standards) in theory allow for some real cooling compared to notoriously warm TT helmets. Giro will offer the helmet for purchase, though numbers aren’t expected to set as many records as Vingegaard will, but not until early next year.
Osprey expands Escapist gravel/bikepacking line
Osprey is expanding its new gravel/bikepacking focused Escapist line with a mini pack. It borrows heavily from the running pack some rieders are already using
But Osprey changes the straps to allow more adjustability, so fit is better in a riding position
A wide fabric webbing separates the Escapist...
... From the Duro 1.5. As well as fluid capacity
Details like magnetic clasps and a dedicated stow spot for sunglasses make this an interesting option for anyone tired of stuffing jersey pockets on long rides
Escapist bikepacking bags also launched recently
There's a full array, from a seat bag, with rigid plastic shel
There's an interesting dry bag with a one-way valve that allows air to escape so you can stuff the bag down,without allowing any ingress .
Frame and top tube bags complete the set
Osprey recently launched its bikepacking bags. There’s also two new gravel mini backpacks for long rides, though those won’t be available until 2025. But there’s a few features to separate them from Osprey’s running options.
Crank Brothers Candy Lace shoes
Crank Brothers new Candy Lace extends from XC to gravel
White, Blue and black colors mix with lace-up comfort for long rides
It works with the matching Candy pedals, or whatever pedals you want to use
There's solid grip, but also a wide cleat channel
A range of Candy pedal flavors
Crank Brothers recently released the Candy Lace pedal, extending from casual XC to gravel. The laces provide a fit to suit long miles on the bike while the three colors mix with the wide spectrum of Candy and Eggbeater pedals (and any other pedal you choose).
Shimano GRX
Shimano released mechanical 12-speed GRX last fall
The drivetrain giant had a custom Trek in the booth to match
"United in Gravel" ties together mixed-surface-curious road, bikepack and mountain bikers and probably a few other riders as well.
Shimano launched its 12-speed mechanical GRX last fall. They had a wide-range version of the drivetrain on display, mounted to a custom-painted Trek to match. The 12-speed GRX gives riders a choice between wide-range, mid-range and 2x drivetrains and, for 1x versions, an integrated dropper post lever.
Cane Creek Invert gravel fork
Cane Creek just launced its Invert gravel fork
Invert comes in black but, for custom or OEM purposes, CC can get really creative
Heaps of clearance allowed by the inverted design
And a nice clean drop out
Cane Creek's eeBrakes now come in silver all year round not just seasonally
A new computer mount looks solid, aesthetically pleasing and allows for different mounts (like a light) as well as a head unit
eeWings are also customizable by select custom builders and fabricators
Cane Creek just launched its Invert gravel fork. The minimalist internals, with its distinctive inverted design, aims to keep the fork light enough for gravel while still providing the comfort of a suspension fork. Cane Creek also had a new head unit mount as well as more customization options for the Intend, eeWings and a new permanent color for the eeBrakes.
Ekoi
Ekoi's Aerodinamica is a very fast road hemlet
Vents, yes, but this Pininfarina-designed helmet ismostly about speed
Koroyd inserts add safety to speed
There's more under the pads
The rubber part of the arms is bendable to ajust fit
Ottimo adds some metalic red flare
Cadex
Cadex makes high-end carbon fibre wheels.
How high-end? The C40 uses bladed carbon spokes attached directly tithe hub sheel
The rear hub is slightly larger, for higherloads and since the cassette will mount there.
Chris King starts custom decal program
Chris King carbon ARD44 rims now come with the option of coloure decals
You can't anodize carbon fiber, so I guess this is the next best option
Sea Otter remains a mountain bike festival though. Stay tuned for more mountain bikes, suspension and parts from California.