Welcome to Velo’s Sea Otter Classic coverage, where we share our favorite things we’ve seen at the 2025 show. Bikes, components, everything racing, and more: if we think it’s cool, you’ll see it. See the rest of our coverage here.
The Sea Otter Classic, for all intents and purposes, is a festival celebrating bikes of nearly all kinds. Few other events in the world have elite bike racing happening next to entirely new bike launches, wild gear, and chance happenings with micro-celebrities in the cycling world.
As far as drop bars are concerned, however? Most of the launches and new hotness tends to center around gravel bikes. Why is that? Well, besides Sea Otter Classic’s origins in mountain bikes, the Life Time Grand Prix’s first race of the season is the Sea Otter Classic Gravel Race here in Monterey. It also doesn’t hurt that the roadies and mountain bike fans of the world can find a happy medium in gravel bikes.
This roundup includes sneak peeks from Niner, Slug Bicycles, and Ritchey. Then there’s the latest from BMC, July Bicycles, and Scarab, an affordable updated gravel bike from Van Rysel that’s set to hit local REI shops soon, and our first looks at bikes from Niner and Blackheart. Oh, and there’s this Lee Cougan Innova gravel bike that… doesn’t look much like a gravel bike at all.
That’s a whole lot to look at. Let’s go!
Slug Bicycles and the new Earthling
Byron Lee (pictured) and Steven Keyes of San Francisco-based Slug Bicycles brought their next gravel bike, the Earthling. Expect to see the full release later this year, with pricing decided closer to release. You could probably guess why. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)The Earthling absolutely swallows this 50 mm wide Rambler with lots of room to spare in its titanium frame. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Slug included a 3D-printed chainstay yoke to accommodate that massive clearance, with lots of work put into the finishing work. You need to look hard to find the transition for 3D printing to tubeset. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Slug also added this fun Slug Corp edition titanium King Cage. Need more of this quickly. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Slug, baby. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)
Lee Cougan’s gravel bike is seriously blurring bike category boundaries
Lee Cougan had one of the, if not the most outright, category blurring gravel bikes at the show with the Innova Supergravel. Yep that’s a 100mm suspension fork AND 30mm of rear travel built into the frame — oh, and room for 60mm tires (that’s 2.4″ in mountain bike speak). This bike is getting pretty darn close to a cross country mountain bike, but the drop bars provide plausible deniability. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)The built-in 30mm of travel at the seat-tube/seat-stays is much lighter than a traditional shock on mountain bikes, Lee Cougan says. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo) (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Here’s where the gravel bike argument blurs even more for Lee Cougan: Innova Rampage is the name of its XC and Marathon MTB model, yet here it is at Sea Otter being displayed as an ostensibly different model, the Innova Supergravel. Upon further review both models have the exact same geometry. Gravel is an ’80s mountain bike you say? It turns out gravel may be closer to a modern XC bike with the way things are going. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Lee Cougan has one of the more unique rear triangles here. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)
Scarab’s latest paint scheme is a celebration of indigenous people in Colombia
Scarab has a new pinat scheme called ‘Mola,’ a scheme inspired by the textiles and clothing made by traditional indigenous Colombian women. Like traditional Mola, Scarab will offer the scheme in several schemes and combinations. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)This particular Scarab — here the Paramo gravel bike — was made in collaboration with Revolt Cyclery in Miami, Florida. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Like all Scarab Cycles bikes, this one was custom made and painted in Colombia. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)The Scarab logo looks good with that Sea Otter dirt all over it. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)The Scarab found on every Scarab bike. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Tire clearance is 700c x 50 mm without this Shimano GRX front derailleur. As it stands, it seems to fit a 700c x 42 mm Specialized Pathfinder saddle relatively easily.(Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)
The Ritchey Septimer gravel bike is almost ready to travel the world
Ritchey teased a new gravel bike called the Ritchey Septimer. Don’t expect the bike to arrive with this raw carbon look, but definitely expect a carbon frame, room for these Goodyear Connector 50 mm tires, and yes, the Break-Away coupler system. Ritchey hasn’t announced a price yet, but expect to see this on sale in late summer to early Fall 2025. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Paint pen is a great way to let us know the name of the bike. More of this, please! (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)There are really only two spots where a Break-Away frame clamps together: at the seat tube cluster (seen above) and at the downtube. Everywhere else, the bike is as standard as it gets. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)50 mm tires clear with room to spare, even with this first-generation SRAM Red eTap front derailleur. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)There may not be a ton of clearance around this fork crown, but it looks like it gets both fender mounts, fork blade pack mounts, and internal dynamo cable routing. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)
Norco’s new Search gravel bike
Norco brought its new Search XR. This one is its top-tier model with SRAM Red XPLR AXS, Easton EC70 AX carbon wheels, and Easton finishing kit. Prices start at $2,999, with this Search model going up to $9,499. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Norco’s new downtube storage hatch isn’t the most streamlined, but the big hatch (and massive hatch lever) make it easy to take stuff in and out of it. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Open it up and you’ll find a hose/cable guide to keep things in place. It isn’t a fully guided run, but I think this solution strikes a happy medium. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Norco tells Velo that every Search gravel bike get this fender at the fork crown. Every bike also gets clearance for a 700c x 50 mm tire, fender mounts, and slacked-out geometry. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)
The BMC Kaius gets hot new colors and a lighter gravel wheelset with carbon spokes
BMC brought its Kaius 01 gravel bike. While the SRAM UDH update has been around for nearly a year, 2025 brings new colors, builds, and a new BMC-branded carbon wheelset. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)BMC quietly swapped for a SRAM UDH last year, enabling it to install the new SRAM Red XPLR AXS groupset. Even with the new groupset, this top-spec Kaius 01 ONE is priced at $10,999 US. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)The most interesting bit here has to be the new wheelset called the CG39 SL. BMC claims the wheelset features a 25 mm internal width, a 32 mm external width, and a claimed weight of 1,381 grams. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)The hubs use the DT Swiss star ratchet hub internals and carbon spokes front and rear. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)
The Van Rysel Gravel AF is the newest gravel bike at your local REI
Van Rysel brought its new Gravel AF, its new line of entry-level gravel bikes. This one is called the Gravel AF Sword, featuring tubeless-ready wheels and tires, a Microshift Sword grouspet, and two colors: a brown and this dusty pink. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)We’ve come to really appreciate Microshift Sword for its low cost, reliable performance, and good durability. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Expect three tiers of the Van Rysel Gravel AF to hit North America this summer as an REI exclusive. Yes, select Van Rysel bikes will be sold only at REI. Wild! (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Van Rysel says its Gravel AF fits up to a 700c x 50 mm tire across all sizes. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)
The Blackheart Gravel Ti crushes the small details
If you couldn’t already tell, I have a soft spot for a good titanium bike, and the new Blackheart Gravel Ti seems to tick all the boxes. The frames are available now starting at $3,299. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)There are some small touches I really dig about this bike, including this squared off down tube. Aero effiiency nerds might wince, but I think it makes the bike feel a bit more special. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)Small touches like this chainstay bridge are also very cool. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)47 mm tire clearance, an Enve fork, Blackheart’s own integrated bar-stem, and a heart worn on the head tube. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)
We finally saw the Niner ORE 9 RDO in the flesh
We finally got our hands on the Niner ORE 9 RDO, Niner’s first new bike in several years. We covered the first look here, but look at this green one! $5,299 gets you into this GRX mechanical build.In case you were wondering, Niner’s bikes still get a bottle cap-toting headset top cap. (Photo: In case you were wondering, Niner’s bikes still get a bottle cap-toting headset top cap.)The downtube flows right into the chainstays, as seen here. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)The hit of ORE 9 RDO is found alongside the 27.2 mm round seat post. (Photo: Alvin Holbrook/Velo)
The Allied Able gets a custom purple debut color for Payson McElveen
We were big fans of this custom-painted Allied Able underneath Payson McElveen before the start of the Sea Otter Classic Gravel race. Unfortunately, McElveen crashed during the first lap hard enough to have to be taken to the hospital. Heal up quick, Payson! (Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)Frankly, the Allied Able seems to check a whole lot of boxes, including its max tire clearance for a 700c x 57 mm tire. We covered the details here if you’re curious. (Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)Details like Allied’s ST03 stem brake hoses to be routed through the stem but swappable between lengths and angles without needing to bleed brakes. (Photo: Will Tracy/Velo)
No. 22 Drifter Adventure holds a bunch of sweet details
No. 22 brought this nicely-outfitted iteration of its Drifter Adventure gravel bike. This one, spotted at the Skratch Labs booth, is hiding some sweet stuff, and that’s not including what’s inside the Skratch bottles! (Photo: Josh Ross/Velo)The Drifter Adventure traditionally comes with a No. 6 carbon fork to match, but this one got a paint-matched RockShox Rudy fork. (Photo: Josh Ross/Velo)The best part of this bike has to be the Z-Couplers system, which allows for easy disassembly for travel. As effective as Ritchey’s Break-Away system is, this is far cleaner looking. (Photo: Josh Ross/Velo)Look closely and you’ll see the coupler system here, too. (Photo: Josh Ross/Velo)
This Mondraker Arid one-off is here to support Grinduro
The Mondraker booth showed off a one-off version of its Arid gravel bike in celebration of Grinduro gravel series. Grinduro’s color is purple, so this Arid got the purple treatment to match. Our only question is: When are we going to see an aluminum version of the Arid like this one, Mondraker? (Photo: Josh Ross/Velo)There’s a surprising amount of depth to this purple. (Photo: Josh Ross/Velo)There’s all number of bling to be found here, down to this Chris King purple ano seat post clamp and Paul Tall & Handsome seat post to match. (Photo: Josh Ross/Velo) Any purple ano bike needs purple hubs, and these Chris King hubs are ready to roll. (Photo: Josh Ross/Velo)Even the Fizik bar tape and Paul Boxcar stem faceplate get that sweet, sweet purple finish. (Photo: Josh Ross/Velo)This one-off Arid also gets a custom-painted Rockshox Rudy fork to match.
