If you had something new to show, Sea Otter 2013 was the place to be. With more vendors than ever, and even more making the rounds with product in hand it seemed that wherever you looked there was something new to see. The Sea Otter was spotted with Asylum Cycles’ new Meuse SSCX cross bike which just met its funding goal through Crowd Supply. That means the bike will see production, but you still have 4 days left to get in on the special price for the frame at $895.
Read on for more on the SSCX, plus a look at some of the best show randoms!
After the Crowd Supply funding ends, prices will rise to $995 for pre-order, and then back to full retail in the fall. The SSCX is a full carbon, disc only, single speed specific cross bike that can be built sub 17 lbs. After receiving their first prototypes, Asylum wasn’t happy with the mud clearance and has worked with their supplier to increase rear tire clearance by 10mm. The new frame dimensions shown on the right should work out better for the mud CX is known for, and allow riders to run larger than UCI max if desired.
Dry Case, makers of waterproof cases for phones and tablets, also had a nice dry bag/backpack on display. Built to be 100% waterproof, the bag will honestly be more useful for water sports unless you’re commuting in down pours on the regular, but as the guys from Dry Case pointed out – fill it with ice and your favorite bevy and it makes a pretty rad cooler. Just saying.
KMC is now offering their X10SL chains in a Diamond Like Coating (DLC) version. DLC is useful in situations where parts experience high pressure and wear and is finding its way into the bike industry for applications like chains and parts on Campagnolo’s 80th Anniversary Kit. KMC’s DLC chains will be available in 10 speed only for road, MTB, and CX in all black and black/red versions. At 241g, the X10SL-DLC is the same weight as the standard plated chain.
Yes, Josh Bender is alive and well. I bumped into Bender and Randy Spangler at the Marzocchi booth (who they are both sponsored by). Bender is still sending it, though these days aboard one of his Ellsworth bikes like the Method here. Anyone who grew up watching the early freeride videos surely remembers Bender’s monster Karpiel bikes, and even bigger drops, so it was rad to meet him at the show.
Pink tires! In honor of the Giro, Vittoria is releasing a 2 pack of pink Rubino Pros. Available in 23 or 25mm widths, and in the two pack only, the pink Giro edition tires will run the same price as standard Rubino Pros.
More pink tires! Along with orange, white, black, blue, purple, yellow, red, green, and brown from Duro Tire. The tires are part of their “Ride Your Cause” tire line where riders can buy tires to match their awareness ribbon of choice. A portion of the proceeds are then donated to the chosen charitable organization which include Bikes Belong, Trips for Kids, and organizations that help fight MS, Diabetes, Breast Cancer and more. Tires will be available in 23, 25, and 28mm sizes in Duro’s 127 TPI Stinger road tire shown above. The tires will be distributed through Hawley USA who deserve a pat on the back for offering to match Duro’s donations.
Five Ten had their new Freerider VXi shoes on display which feature their new Stealth Contact outsole. Their proprietary Stealth rubber soles are so sticky, that many riders including myself found their downhill shoes to be amazing on the DH bike, but difficult to move around on the pedal when riding street, DJ, etc. The new sole uses a flat section of Stealth rubber where the pedal sits allowing you to easily readjust the position of your foot on the pedal. Offered in 3 colors, the Freerider VXi looks like a home run.
Continuing to pump out stylish accessories that also serve a purpose, Knog was showing off their new Party Coil locks. The silicone over-coated coil locks the coiled version of the Party Franks and are 1.3m long with a 10mm steel cable. Retailing for $25, the locks have color matched keys and are available now.
As usual, Dave Meredith was on hand supporting his race team while simultaneously representing his company One Ghost Industries as well as Candy Components, Ryders, and more. Dave is currently working to bring production of One Ghost’s DH-1 shown here to the US!
