Press and News

January 2012 Event News

By aquadog   January 13, 2012

Event News

Festival Guide

The Sea Otter Classic is hosting our first-ever women’s camp
Directed by Lorri Lee Lown, founder of Velo Girls who’s coached and directed tours, camps, and clinics throughout northern CA for the past decade, this weekend camp will be jam-packed with rides, clinics, seminars, and lots of “girl time.” We’ll take care of everything for you: All you have to do is chamois up and pedal your bike! Learn more here.

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Press and News

Sea Otter Camping Markdown Celebration

By aquadog   January 06, 2012

2012 Sea Otter Classic Camping-New Year’s Markdown Celebration!

Receive $30 off your reservation fee. Compliments of Sea Otter Classic.

  • Most economical way to enjoy Sea Otter
  • Stay on-site near the action
  • Many choices for a camping area
  • Visit with new and old friends or teammates
  • Great family vacation

Be a part of North America’s largest Cycling Festival & Consumer Expo located in beautiful Monterey, California, April 19-22, 2012.

  • Click here, and read how to make a campsite reservation.
  • Complete the online reservation process.
  • When prompted at checkout, enter coupon code: SOC2012Camping
  • Click “redeem code”.

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Press and News

Register for Sea Otter Classic’s Women’s Escape Weekend Cycling Camp

By aquadog   December 28, 2011

Sea Otter Classic Women’s Escape Weekend
March 2-4, 2012
Monterey, California

The Sea Otter Classic is proud to announce its inaugural women’s cycling camp.

Our camp is directed by Lorri Lee Lown, founder of Velo Girls. Lorri has coached and directed tours, camps, and clinics throughout Northern California for over a decade. The Sea Otter camp will be a weekend jam-packed with rides, clinics, seminars, and lots of “girl time.”

We’ll take care of everything for you, including mechanical and nutritional support. The Embassy Suites on Monterey Bay will be the camp headquarters, offering terrific lodging and great meals. All you have to do is chamois up and pedal your bike!

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Press and News

November Sea Otter Classic Updates

By aquadog   December 08, 2011

Event News

Sea Otter Classic website is open for business
Early Bird Discount available
Campsites are available
Discounted lodging available for Sea Otter participants!
4-day event schedule
Festival passes and Sea Otter Classic Merchandise are available now in the online store

Festival Guide

Kids Activities Abound at Sea Otter
Sea Otter isn’t just for Lycra-clad adults! Bring the entire family and check out the great kids’ activities hosted by Specialized. The annual Sea Otter Egg Hunt gives little ones a chance to find prize-filled eggs and the Carnival in the Sea Otter Village has bounce houses, BMX and trials shows and even kids bikes and tricycles to “demo.” For youngsters already rolling on two wheels, there are races and a bike play zone to work on their riding with age-appropriate obstacles and skills courses. Find out more here!

New Apparel Available Now
The holidays are here and there’s no better gift for that special cyclist in your life – or yourself! – than new Sea Otter Classic 2012 apparel from Primal Wear. Technical cycling gear, casual wear and accessories along with festival passes and Sea Otter merchandise gift cards are available in the Sea Otter Store. Plus, get FREE SHIPPING on orders over $100 through December 31, 2011.

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Press and News

Campsite Reservations for 2012 Sea Otter Classic

By aquadog   November 09, 2011

Camping at the 2012 Sea Otter Classic

• Most economical way to enjoy Sea Otter
• Stay on-site near action
• Great campsite choices
• Celebrate with friends and teammates
• Great family vacation

Be a part of North America’s largest Cycling Festival and Consumer Expo. Reserve your site today!

Source: Sea Otter Classic

Press and News

Register Online Now for 2012 Sea Otter Classic

By aquadog   November 02, 2011

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 – Receive $10 off the registration fee for any mountain bike race, road bike race, or recreational ride! Compliments of Sea Otter Classic.

1. Click here, then click on the name of the race or recreational ride that you’d like to register for.
2. Complete the online registration process.
3. When prompted, enter coupon code: EARLYBIRD

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Press and News

Event Dates for 2012 Sea Otter Classic

By aquadog   October 13, 2011

More than 50,000 athletes and cycling fans will be marking their calendars for April 19-22, 2012

Event: Sea Otter Classic Powered by SRAM
Date: Thursday – Sunday, April 19-22, 2012
Location: Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, California, USA

Monterey, Calif. (October 12, 2011) - Cyclists and fans are invited to ‘save the date’ for the 22nd Annual Sea Otter Classic to be held Thursday-Sunday, April 19-22, 2012, at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area in Monterey, California.

More than 50,000 cyclists and fans are expected to compete, participate and cheer athletes through dozens of events and product demos during what is considered the largest gathering of the world cycling community. At the heart of the weekend cycling festival will be an expo area with more than 300 exhibitors. Leading cycling brands will be showing off the newest and best cycling services and products available to consumers.

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ExpoCoverage , Gear/Apparel

Introducing North Face Bike Gear!

By Photo-John   May 04, 2011

North Face had a booth at Sea Otter this year. I’ve been noticing their bike gear at stores and online dealers for a few months now so I decided to stop in and take a look. I think of them as mostly a winter sports company so I was curious to find out why they were getting into the bike clothing market and what their stuff was like. What they told me makes sense – in the summer all their winter athletes are on mountain bikes and they figured they might as well take advantage of that and make clothing for them. They’ve got athletes to rep the gear and their supply lines and manufacturing already in place. It wasn’t a huge leap for them to start making mountain bike shorts, jerseys and jackets.

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Bikes , ExpoCoverage

KHS DH-300 Downhill Bike At Sea Otter

By Photo-John   May 03, 2011

I stopped by the KHS booth at Sea Otter this year. The KHS gravity team has been kicking ass lately, with Logan Binggelli throwing down in a big way at the 2010 Red Bull Rampage and Melissa Buhl has been dominating in women’s DH and slalom for a few years now. KHS also has a really exciting new downhill bike, the DH-300. It was announced last year at Interbike where they showed off a prototype. Then I heard Dave Weagel was suing them for infringing on his DW-Link patent. At Sea Otter I talked to team member and manager, Quinton Spaulding, and got more details on the patent issues as well as an update on the new bike.
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Bikes , ExpoCoverage

New Jamis Prototypes – 150mm All Mtn Bike and 100mm XC Bike

By Gregg   May 02, 2011

Jamis 150mm All Mountain Prototype
-”Dakar AMT”
-150mm travel
-6 inch travel, all mountain trail
-2 lbs lighter than the old Xam
-Based off mp4 suspension design like the XCT and Sixfifty B
-Asymmetrical chainstays
-Tapered headtube
-Available Fall 2011
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29ers , ExpoCoverage

Carl Decker’s Giant XtC Composite 29er Hardtail Racer

By Gregg   May 02, 2011

Giant XtC Composite 29er
-Developed with input from Giant Factory Team Off-Road Team rider Carl Decker
-For competitive XC racing and riding
-Black carbon fiber 29-inch-wheel hardtail
-Asymmetrical design
-Massive MegaDrive downtube
-OverDrive tapered headtube (1-1/8 inch top, 1-1/2 inch bottom)
-Giant’s PowerCore technology for maximum pedaling efficiency
-Quick, precise steering
-Light and stiff composite frame
-Asymmetrical Extra-wide chainstays to boost traction and acceleration
-Ample rear tire clearance
-Two models, the XtC Composite 29er 0 and the XtC Composite 29er 1
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ExpoCoverage , Gear/Apparel

iXS At Sea Otter

By Francois   May 02, 2011

Swiss manufacturer iXS is a major protective gear brand in Europe but they’ve only recently made it across the Atlantic to the US. We took a look at their gear at the Unique Sports Company booth at Sea Otter. Unique, who also distribute On-One, Orange, Planet-X now also being iXS to the US.
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ExpoCoverage , Parts

Specialized Command Post BlackLite Seatpost

By Francois   April 29, 2011

Matthew Cipes, a suspension specialist at Specialized, showed us the newly redesigned Command Post BlackLite adjustable-height seatpost at Sea Otter. The new Specialized seatpost is lighter and has two more travel options than the original model.

The BlackLite is about 100 grams lighter than the previous Command Post with a quick release cable head, bonded head and fluted lower tube. It also features the original Command Post mechanical 3-position system, with Climbing, Cruiser, and Descending positions, that helps maximize and optimize body geometry and center of gravity for different trail conditions. Cipes states that one of the best features of the 3-position system is that it is “predictable and repeatable”.
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ExpoCoverage , Photos

Sea Otter Photo Gallery Highlights

By Gregg   April 28, 2011

2011 Sea Otter Classic Photo Gallery »

Aaron Chase
Aaron was killing it on the pump track!!!!
View on the DH
It’s a pretty nice view looking southeast from the top of the DH Course.
 
Kelly & Eric – Now On Diamondback
Kelly McGarry and Eric Porter at the 2011 Sea Otter Classic. Both now on the Diamondback team. Kelly is helping develop a new Diamondback DH race bike. Watch for more info on that!

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29ers , ExpoCoverage , Videos

Funk Cycles Carbon Fiber La Ruta with Lefty – 20 lbs!

By Gregg   April 27, 2011

Daryl Funk of Funk Cycles shows us the Carbon Fiber La Ruta with Lefty.

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Funk Cycles Carbon Fiber La Ruta with Lefty
-Lefty fork with Cannondale’s design
-Carbon tube to tube
-Enve Composites
-Rigid front triangle
-Married carbon to titanium rear end
-Ultimate tire clearance
-20lbs dual suspension
-Steel rails on the saddle
-Crank Brothers pedals
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ExpoCoverage , Gear/Apparel , Videos

Giro Xar Helmet and Code Mountain Bike Shoe

By Gregg   April 27, 2011

Eric Richter from Giro gives us a close-up look at the new Xar helmet and Code mountain bike shoes.

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Giro Xar Helmet
-Flow through ventilation
-Compact shape
-Hard body durability
-Medium length visor with adjustable internal clutch mechanism
-15° of adjustment on the visor
-In molded upper and lower hardbody
-Fully adjustable, micro adjustable Roc Loc 5 fit system
-Picks up where the Zen helmet left off
-Available in 6 colors
-Retail $130

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ExpoCoverage , Parts

2012 Shimano XT and XTR

By Brian Mullin   April 27, 2011

Shimano revamped their Deore XT line, and the new M780 group got a slew of trickled down technology from the 2011 XTR brethren, and come in a more affordable price point. The XT gets an 2×10 (40/28 and 38/26) and 3×10 (42-32-24) crankset, Race and Trail pedals, Race and Trail wheelsets, index shifting with multiple release and vivid indexing, Servo-Wave brakes with a two-piece caliper that has the ICE technology (radiator-backed pads, alloy-core rotors, 22mm oversized pistons). This goes along with the 2011 M770 wide-range 10-speed cassette and asymmetrical chain. The system will be available in silver or black. Continue reading →

ExpoCoverage , Gear/Apparel , Videos

Tifosi Optics sunglasses – Mast, Slope, Wisp & Tyrant

By Gregg   April 26, 2011

Tifosi Optics is making a concerted effort to increase their visibility in the cycling world. They make glasses for many different kinds of outdoor sports including: golf, tennis, running, watersports and various outdoor activities. They are a sponsor of such cycling teams as Kelly Benefit Strategies, Team Mtn Khakis fueled by Jittery Joes and Vanderkitten. They even have Tinker Juarez as one of their main athletes.

In fact, Mtbr is running a Tifosi Optics contest RIGHT NOW. You can enter to win 1 of 4 pairs of sunglasses! Check out the contest page and enter here:
http://www.mtbr.com/TifosiOpticsContestcrx.aspx

In this video, Matt and Alan show us some highlights of these 4 cycling specific models: Mast, Slope, Wisp & Tyrant and explain what the Tifosi Fototec technology is all about.

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ExpoCoverage , Photos , Press and News , Videos

RoadBikeReview’s Coverage of Sea Otter: Redline, Bontrager, SRAM, Easton, Mavic, GoPro, Sidi and More

By Gregg   April 26, 2011

Read 2011 Sea Otter Classic articles on RoadBikeReview!

Sea Otter Classic 2011 – 2012 Redline Conquest Team
Redline Bicycles debuted their new cyclocross carbon platform at Sea Otter this year. Available on both the Team and Pro builds, the new frame features Redlines own carbon fiber technology. The 58cm frame we were shown at Sea Otter reportedly weighs just 1,200 grams matched with a new 480gram fork.
Read the rest of this entry »
Sea Otter Classic 2011 – TRP Parabox Disc Brake System
TRP showed off a new hydraulic disc brake system that will allow any virtually any current shifter, including TRP’s own RRL line of levers to actuate a hydraulic disc brake system. The system mounts a master cylinder to a bike’s steerer tube that takes the brake cable pulls of the levers and translates it into hydraulic braking power.
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Sea Otter Classic 2011 – Bontrager RXXXL Road Shoes
Fresh off their trip from Paris Roubaix, Tom and Chris from Bontrager were at the Bontrager booth today spreading the word about Bontrager’s new top of the range RXXXL road shoes. Available in two different colorways, White with black and red accents, and a bold limited edition red version.
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SRAM announces White Apex Groups
SRAM announced today, two new versions of the Apex groupset. White. It’s the new black! SRAM is now offering Apex in a new white colorway. Also available will be a flat bar version of the Apex groupset, also in white.
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New Easton EC90 Stem
Just landed this week, this is the new top end Easton EC90 stem. Should be available at dealers starting this week.
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Mavic Shows Off New SSC Lineup with Exalith
Mavic announced months ago their 2011 lineup of wheels, at the top end are it’s flagship Special Service Course wheel line. “These are wheels developed in collaboration with their professional racing teams and built to meet the standards to what they require – Strength, stiffness, and durability.”
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GoPro Shows off Premium Accessories at Sea Otter Classic
GoPro showed up at Sea Otter this year with a trio of premium accessories for it’s wildly successful line of Hero HD video cameras. Including a kit that turns any regular two Hero HD cameras into a full functional 3D recording device, yes, 3D!
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Sidi Brings Mobile Fit Studio to Sea Otter
Sidi came to Sea Otter this year with their brand new Mobile Fit Studio, where they’ll be able to offer free personal fits for Sidi shoes. It’s a great opportunity for anyone who doesn’t quite know where they fit within the Sidi size range to come and get professionally fit.
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2012 Norco Threshold Cyclocross Bike Announced
Norco today announced their first all carbon cyclocross platform called Threshold. It will be available starting in August 2011. The THRESHOLD is a focused cyclocross race bike; lightweight, strong and responsive. It eats mud for breakfast, grass for lunch and occasionally another competitor for dinner on its quest for the podium.
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29ers , ExpoCoverage , Videos

Titus Cycles Racer X 29 Carbon and 20th Anniversary Limited Edition ExoGrid Fireline 29er

By Gregg   April 26, 2011

Ben Webster is one of the carryover employees from the “old” Titus to the new Titus. In this video, Ben gives us a close-up look at the Racer X 29 and the 20th Anniversary Ltd Edition Fireline.

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Titus Cycles Racer X 29 Carbon
-100mm of front and rear travel
-Tapered head tube
-Oversized top and down tube
-New revised carbon rocker
-Medium frame only 4 lbs
-Medium with shock 4.5 lbs (pre-production)
-”Race Machine”
-Tightened head angle by almost 1° from the Rockstar 29er
-Shortened wheelbase by nearly 1″ from the Rockstar 29er
-Same chain stay and seat stay combination as the Rockstar 29er
-Spec’d with SRAM, Monarch and Reba components

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