Saturday morning was cold and overcast for dual slalom pro and semi-pro qualifying. Brian Lopes qualified first on his Ibis bike, followed by Jared Rando in second, Lars Sternberg in third, Sam Blenkisop in fourth, and Mikey Haderer in fifth place. For pro women, Sabrina Jonnier qualified first, with Rachel Atherton second, Melissa Buhl in third, Fion Giffiths in fourth, and Kathy Pruit qualifying fifth. By the end of qualifying the clouds had burned off and left semi-cloudy blue skies with no signs of the usual Sea Otter rain.

Haro was showing off some new stuff in the Sea Otter demo area. They have two new 650B bikes, which feature the new 650B wheel size. The Beasley 1/9 and Beasley SS are both purpose-built 650B cromoly steel frames. The 650B wheel splits the difference between the 29er and traditional 26-inch mountain bike wheels. The idea is to find a compromise that combines the snap and maneuverability of the 26-inch wheel with the stability and comfort of the 29-inch wheel.

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xDave Weagel and Jon Heim met at Sea Otter to complete e-13’s acquisition of the Heim 3-Guide. Hopefully the e-13 name and marketing will help the 3-Guide become better known and more readily available. The 3-Guide is a super simple, elegant, and effective guide for 3-ring drivetrains. It’s easy to set up, weighs next to nothing, and works really, really well.

e-13 and Heim 3-Guide press release >>
e-13Web site >>

Friday morning was cool and sunny and the Sea Otter downhill course was busy with spectators and racers doing practice runs. The pros were tuning up their lines and showing off on the jumps at the top of the course. It seemed extra busy for a downhill practice day. It’s hard to say whether that was because of the excellent weather or increased popularity of the event. Regardless, there were tons of people out on the DH course enjoying the sun and the show. Photos were shot with the Canon EOS Rebel XSi / 450D and the Canon EOS 40D. This article was brought to you by PhotographyREVIEW.com. Learn more about digital cameras and photography on Mtbr's sister site, PhotographyREVIEW.com!

A lot of bike companies come to Sea Otter with surprises up their sleeves. Marzocchi showed up with a new XC / All Mountain fork from their 2009 lineup, the 44 ATA Micro. As the “44” moniker suggests, Marzocchi is positioning the new fork as the smaller, lighter sibling of their 66 and 55 forks. The new 140mm travel 44 ATA Micro fork weighs just 3.92 pounds (1778 g) with 32mm stanchions and Marzocchi’s QR15 quick release axle. The 44 has Marzocchi’s ATA travel adjust system, lockout, compression and rebound control, and pedal platform.

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One of the biggest surprises at the Sea Otter was the debut of the Look 986 Mountain Bike. Look hasn’t sold a mountain bike in the U.S. in at least 5 years. And this wasn’t just a bike. This was pretty special.

 

 

It’s an ultra-high end carbon bike with an integrated seatpost. The frame weighs in at 2.6 lbs with an uncut seatpost. The frame features very dramatic big carbon tubes for dramatic design elements. It was also designed to be very stiff laterally but compliant vertically.

 And of course the most revolutionary element on this frame is the integrated seatpost. This design was introduced in the Look 595 road bike and has been in the market for almost a year. The frame as a post designed into the frame. This post is designed to be cut according to the rider’s height and preferencs. Then a seapost insert goes in the post and is locked on by compression rings. There is a few millimeters of up and down adjustability using spacers in the seatpost insert.  The insert also features and elastomer stack that provides some bump compliance. Two densities of elastomers are provided to work with different rider weights.

 

 

Availability is end estimated at end of 2007. Price has not yet been determined.

 

BMC is proud to provide the Melanie with the most advanced high-tech off-road bicycles available: the Fourstroke FS01 and Team Elite 01. Both feature advanced carbon materials and production techniques that maximize strength while optimizing weight and enhancing performance.

“We are pleased to support Melanie in her quest for a fourth Xterra World Championship,” said BMC Brand Manager Scott Thompson. “Melanie epitomizes the winning spirit and dedication to excellence that embodies BMC. We are excited she will be out there competing on a BMC.”

Photos: Scott Thomson showing off his ink and Melanie McQuaid getting ready for the mtb time-trial

Photos:

The mtbr.com presence this year at Sea Otter was bigger than ever. From the booth, signage and raffle, we stepped it up a notch. The daily raffle was bigger than ever as we gave away at least $25k worth of product. All the product was donated by mtbr sponsors and is our way of giving back to the supporters of mtbr.com

Greetings from the mtbr.com crew

Saturday was the day for the Sea Otter rain. Despite 6 weeks of bone dry weather it was inevitable that we would get the Sea Otter rain. On Saturday at around 11 am, the skies opened up. The beginner fun ride was sacked. The womens circuit race was cancelled. The slopes had rivers of water flowing down and the expo area was swamped.

Everybody took cover and all was well by late afternoon.

Video: Steve Peat and Scott Hart in the rain

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ESI Grips showed off their products at Sea Otter and we got a chance to try them. They’re grips are made of silicone. Their soft to the touch and they absorb a fair amount of shock and vibration. They also give the rider a good grip and are not slippery. Other features are they stay on the bars firmly despite wet conditions and they last a long time.

Two models are available for mtb, Racers Edge at 51 grams and Chunky at 71 grams. Both sell for $16. There is also a road grip available.

I was skeptical at first since they looked like foam grips. Foam grips just didn’t have a good feel to me and they would rip off as I torqued on the handlebar of my singlespeed. But after few weeks of using them, I was very impressed. These grips seem to have no weakness. They are even ovalized with more padding for the contact point with the palm of the hand.

And since I use a rigid fork on my singlespeed, good shock absorbing grips are important. Well, I’m very, very happy with the grips. They take the edge off and they allow me to control the bike accurately. They feel like Oury grips but ESI is just a bit smoother. And they’re not as thick as Oury so it’s easier to grip the handlebar. After a couple months of use, the grips look like new and have not come loose at all.

The Sea Otter XC course was tamed by these grips, carbon fork and 29er wheel. Everything was a piece of cake. Well, except for those nasty ruts before the finish line.

 

http://esigrips.com