Live from Monterey, California, it’s the Sea Otter Classic.
We are going to do our best to try and bring you as much news from Sea Otter as we can over the next week or so. And trust me, there’s a lot to cover. New products, updates, and things we can’t talk about yet, but we will in the future. We’ll cover highlights here, and link in full articles if there is more to cover.
Sierra Recycler
One of the coolest things we’ve seen at Sea Otter is the Sierra Recycler. For years, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has worked with some really cool brands to create a special bike for the event. They have used it to raise money for worthy causes, and this year is no different.
Supporting the Outdoor Alliance, Sierra Nevada worked with the guys at Paul Components to bring together some amazing brands and builders to create this stunning bike. Starting with a 1949 Schwinn Cruiser, it was hacked, bent, mitred, and rebuilt into the bike you see here. You can read more about the bike here.
KAV Gets Custom Colors
We had a chance to meet with Whitman at KAV, makers of custom, 3D-printed helmets, and they are making a pretty cool product even cooler now. We’ll have more on the helmets themselves, the backstory on the brand, and the whole custom process, but the big news here is that they will be offering custom colors in their Color Exploration Project.
Previously, your options were a bit limited with black due to the material they used in the custom process. With the new Color Exploration Project, you’ll have the chance to spice things up a bit, adding different five color options to the various panels of the helmets, to match your bike, kit, or for something completely different.
Look for a lot more coming soon on KAV, but in the meantime, jump over to their website for a chance to win a custom-painted Portola:Kaze helmet, and you’ll get early access to the Color Exploration Program just for entering.
Kali Protective’s Trashy Cascade Helmet
Kali isn’t saying that they want you to put trash on your head, but they are getting close to it. Part experiment, part development (yes, they can be two different things), Kali is working on the viability of adding components that are made from Post-Industrial Waste (PIW) to their helmets. To start off with, the Cascade is already made using recycled EPS foam, bamboo pads, recycled PET straps, a visor made of ocean plastics, and an overall reduction of CO2 emissions by 58%. All of this helps the environment but doesn’t compromise fit, comfort, or protection.
But that is just the beginning. They also did a small run of Cascades made only from what was going to be trashed, so 100% PIW. Their team has been riding them for a few weeks now, and they are performing just as well as the production Cascades. While they won’t be going into full production any time soon, they were able to prove the concept and take what they learned into future projects.
Pampro Bamboo Comes To The US
Staying on the topic of sustainability, Booomers International is bringing their Pampro brand of bamboo bikes to the US. Based in Ghana with a US headquarters opening up in Little Rock, AR in May, Pampro will be offering gravel, mountain, and commuter bikes in both traditional and electric versions.
“Not only do all Pampro Bikes deliver the revelatory ride quality of bamboo,” said Kwabena Danso, CEO of Booomers International and Pampro Bikes, “but your bike purchase supports sustainable, environmentally centered manufacturing jobs, and helps to change lives in Ghana through educational opportunities for children at our school.”
Osmo Adds Power Fuel
To wrap up day one, we checked in with Osmo Nutrition Power Fuel, a high carbohydrate fuel mix developed for athletes who need fast, efficient carbohydrates during training and racing, launched today at Sea Otter.
It’s a new powder that you can add to your Preload, Active Hydration, or Recovery to add a boost of carbs to your drink. Available with and without caffeine (50g), you get about 80 calories and 20g of carbohydrates with each scoop. This allows you to add fuel to any of your drinks in place of gels and other solids. being known as a brand that is easy on your gut, Power Fuel adds a new dimension to their lineup of hydration and recovery products.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
~Veggie Powered Athlete~
Location – Lancaster, PA
Current Testing Rigs – 2024 Van Dessel Arch65, 2019 Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, 2018 Van Dessel Motivus Maximus LTD, 2016 Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2015 Bianchi Sempre Pro, 1978 Trek TX900
Dream Bike – I’ll tell you when they make it
Discipline – Cyclocross, gravel, road and duathlons (ride/run)
Favorite Rides – Quiet country roads of Amish Country, some of the best roads around.
Food of Choice – Sweet potato roll
Beer of Choice – Unibroue Grand Reserve 17, aged four years
Bourbon of Choice – Widow Jane 10 Year