If you missed the recap of Day 1 of the Sea Otter Classic, click here.
Revel Bikes
Revel had their range of bikes on display at their booth, including the 3D-printed Rodeo and the Rover. We’ll cover more of their lineup as we unpack from the event.
Debuted back in March, the Rodeo downhill bike is a collaboration between Revel and Arevo, a leader in the 3D printing world. The Rodeo isn’t available for sale, but it shows what can be done. Revel’s senior engineer Jordan Haffener worked closely with Arevo to develop a final prototype that can stand up to everything a downhill bike goes through.
Prohibitively expensive and time-consuming for now, it shows what can be done and could lead to improvements in prototyping, reduce the environmental impacts of production, and lower costs for custom designs.
The Rover builds on the R+ titanium gravel bike to give Revel a carbon offering. Designed with the best of both worlds of vibration dampening and stiffness to put power down, the Rover can handle a 700x50mm tire while still pushing a 50t chainring.
Chris King
Earlier in April, Chris King took it old school and brought back their 3D Violet color, the first of their original colors. Originally launched 35 years ago, it was inspired by the ’80’s BMX scene and led to a larger range colors that the brand is known for.
At the show, they also had some of their complete wheelsets, which included GRD23 and MTN30. Both wheels include the FusionFiber production methods that uses nylon in place of epoxy to bond the composite sheets together. This makes the carbon recyclable and incredibly durable. The rims can be made quicker, and with less energy, further reducing their environmental impact. The GRD23 uses the R45D hub and features a 23mm internal width, 29mm external width, and is 24mm tall. The MTN30 is 29 internal, 36 external.
Moots
There were some cool updates from Moots, a leader in titanium bikes. The Vamoots CRD (Complete Road Design) is one of the sleekest you’ll see from the brand. You’d be mistaken if you thought this was just another classy, titanium frame from the band. An electronic-only frame, all of the brake lines are hidden from beginning to end, giving it a modern upgrade. They also added 3D-printed rear dropouts, a T47 bottom bracket, and an integrated cockpit to make it the fastest Moots yet.
Another interesting bit was the collaboration with Silca on their 3D-printed computer mount. Attaching to the stem bolts, the this titanium mount is made to work with Moots’ titanium stems. Along with titanium bolts (you know they had to), the V2 mount comes with inserts for both Wahoo and Garmin and can mount a light or camera underneath.
Bookman Lights
You might not have heard much about Bookman yet, but that will change. The Swedish brand is creating some interesting lights that we are currently putting to the test and will have a review posted soon.
The Curve in particular, uses a curved shape to not only through light in front and behind you but also add visibility to the sides. The front comes in at 220 lumens while the back is rated at 70 lumens. Look for the review coming soon on the Curve set, along with another light that you can clip on your clothing or bags.
https://bookmanvisibility.com/
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