tag
The Radavist thanks 1-Up USA for sponsoring our Sea Otter Classic 2024 coverage!
Josh and John were at Sea Otter Classic this week, covering people, products, and bikes on display. We’ve pulled together a few über galleries for your enjoyment, and today, we’ve got a selection of bikes we found wandering the aisles of the 2024 event.
The Radavist thanks 1-Up USA for sponsoring our Sea Otter Classic 2024 coverage!
Josh and John were at Sea Otter Classic this week, covering people, products, and bikes on display. We’ve pulled together a few über galleries for your enjoyment, so let’s get into Part 02!
The Radavist thanks 1-Up USA for sponsoring our Sea Otter Classic 2024 coverage!
Josh and John were at Sea Otter Classic this week, covering people, products, and bikes on display. We’ve pulled together a few über galleries for your enjoyment, so let’s get into Part 01!
The Radavist thanks 1-Up USA for sponsoring our Sea Otter Classic 2024 coverage!
At Sea Otter Classic 2024, John caught up with Hudski Bikes to check out their new V3 Doggler prototype. If you recall, John loved the Hudski Doggler V2 he reviewed last year and made some mindful notes of what he’d change in the next version of this affordable jack-of-all-trades flat bar bike. Did Hudski read his notes? Read on to find out…
Coinciding with this week’s Sea Otter Classic, 1UP USA just announced a completely redesigned Super Duty hitch-mount bike rack. With a new one-handed push-button system, adjustable tray spacing, 100 lb rating per tray, and more, there’s a lot to like about this rack. Josh, our resident rackaholic, has been testing the new SD and shares a review below…
Last year, 1UP USA launched the XD (Xtreme Duty) hitch-mounted tray bike rack. Designed for “extreme” off-road use or hauling heavy bikes, the XD eschewed some of 1UP’s classic design features (and added quite a few new ones) in creating what they’ve dubbed the “most durable, highest capacity rack.”
I was included in the prototyping phase for XD, but didn’t write anything about the final product because I didn’t think it would broadly appeal to our readership for a few reasons. With a maximum 150 lb capacity in the first tray (120 lbs in a second add-on and 75 lbs in a third), the XD is targeted at e-bike and e-moto owners. And it’s heavy and expensive (a single XD costs $250 more than a double SD).
But in terms of capacity, the 1UP XD is pretty much in a league of its own. The only product that comes close is the Rigd RambleRack, rated at 150 lbs per two bike trays for on-road use.
But there were quite a few features of the XD that made me pretty excited. First, 1UP got rid of the folding trays. This feature was originally meant to make their racks easier to fold up and store away but also added pivot points that could introduce unwanted wobbling as bikes move independently at the steering axis.
Additionally, the XD’s arms are beefed up, wheel chocks can be added to reduce front wheel rotation, and probably my favorite is the new glide bar ratcheting system.
So, you might be asking, since I didn’t write about the XD a year ago, why am I writing about it now? Well, the completely redesigned SD (Super Duty) rack that launches today incorporates key features from the XD, in a lighter-weight and more versatile package. It’s the first major update to the flagship model that came out nearly ten years ago and is pretty much the rack I’d been hoping they would make for a long time.
The redesign of the SD also more clearly defines the 1UP lineup, with the lighter Heavy Duty rated at 65 lbs per tray and the Xtreme Duty at 150 lbs.
Priced at $600 for a single and $900 for a double (that’s for silver; anodized black is a slight cost increase), there are SD-specific add-ons for $395.
The first two trays are rated at 100 lbs each, and the add-ons can hold 75 lbs. Original SD add-ons, and other Quick Rack accessories, are compatible with the new rack.
The new SD retains 1UP’s integrated anti-wobble corner expander ball and machined slot for fine-tuning the hitch bar lock. And everything above the hitch bar is new.
The glide bar and red lever have been completely redesigned to offer a stronger connection to the arms that hold the tires. This allowed 1UP to introduce a press and lift feature that disengages the ratchet and opens and closes the arms with one hand. The rack arms now extend all the way down for easier loading and unloading and there’s even an optional ramp for rolling heavy bikes onto the ramp.
With bikes getting longer (and, for some, heavier) and handlebars wider, squeezing four bikes onto the original Super Duty was always tricky.
I often carry a combination of flat and drop bar bikes and channel my sub-par Tetris skills to make everything fit without rubbing each time I load up. 1UP designed the new SD around similar use cases, spacing each tray an additional 2″ apart and making them adjustable for four different configurations: standard at 54”, long at 58”, and offset to either the driver or passenger side at 56”.
While I’ve exaggerated the offset of the trays in these photos for demonstrative purposes, the new rack configuration makes it a lot easier to load my varying types of Large to XL bikes without extending wheels beyond the width of the truck’s side mirrors.
In order to achieve the 100 lb per tray weight rating, 1UP also beefed up the thickness on the side plates and pivot beams. They also widened the trays to fit fat bike tires while also accommodating everything down to about 45mm without needing a Wheel Saver.
I find the optional wheel chocks to be especially helpful in locking in the front wheel of my gravel bikes with around a 2″ tire. Without it, the wheel seems to swim in the wide side arms, even though it’s plenty stable. There’s also a fat bike chock for tires in the 4-5″ range.
I’ve been using the new SD for a couple of weeks now and with my extended drive out to Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, CA this week, have logged nearly one thousand miles. With the base two tray rack and a wheel chock for each bike, I can report that it is very, very, secure.
I’ve bounced it all over the desert finding some remote camp spots and the bikes don’t wobble much at all. I frequently monitor my rearview mirrors while driving, glancing back at bikes hanging off the back of my truck, and the new SD moves less than any other rack I’ve used.
In my previous rack reviews, I’ve pointed out that I rely on racks that can carry at least four bikes and a swingout adapter that allows access to my truck’s tailgate. I’ve been using the original 1UP SD along with the Rigd Rambleswing since the swingout came out right around this time last year.
It’s been a solid setup for me, as the overbuilt nature of the Rambleswing and its 300 lb capacity help isolate movement in the overall system that can come from cantilevering a four-tray rack off the back of a pickup truck. But after testing out the new SD with two add-on trays, I decided to drive to Sea Otter with only the base rack.
Photo showing the old SD rack with Rig’d Rambleswing
The Ramblwswing isn’t quite as wide as some other swingouts, which requires me to mount 1UP racks pretty far out from the unit to clear the tailgate when open. This isn’t possible with the more substantial trays of the new SD. The only way to swing the rack out and clear the tailgate is to move the rack into one of its lower settings and then swing it out. So, I decided it would be easier to deal with the two-tray version rather than four while on my initial road trip with it.
Moving forward, if I continue using the new SD, I’ll swap out a wider swingout like the 1UP RackAttach, or wait until Rid’g hopefully makes a larger size of the Rambleswing. This is a non-issue for folks mounting the new SD directly to their vehicles.
As of writing this, I’m still waiting on the official product weights from 1UP, but the new SD is heavy. So, be sure to check the weight ratings of vehicles and other accessories, especially if you’re carrying heavy bikes. Those numbers tend to add up fast.
Overall, this is the best rack 1UP has made yet. The new glide bar mech is super nice to use and staggering the trays makes loading and unloading bikes much easier than before. And the combination of beefed-up components with optional wheel chocks keeps bikes stable even in rough conditions.
See more at 1UP USA
The Radavist thanks 1-Up USA for sponsoring our Sea Otter Classic 2024 coverage!
Josh and John are out at Sea Otter this week, covering people, products, and bikes on display. We’re starting the show coverage off a little differently this year with a feature on Neuhaus Metalworks’ newest offering: the HBSL Titanium XC Race 29er. Read on for a look at this new titanium Superleggera chassis and a comparison to the steel Hummingbird hardtail 29er…
Last year at the 2022 Sea Otter Classic, as I was walking through a parking lot near the Expo I came across a pair of athletes with the most incredible bicycles I’d ever seen. They were rugged, heavily-built trikes with two mountain bike wheels in the front and a massive single fat mountain bike tire in the back, and an electric drivetrain was apparent on each. Both athletes were in wheelchairs. Later that weekend I’d see them, and other para-cyclists, compete in both the Downhill and Dual-Slalom events. It was the first time para-cyclists had been given their own separate classes in any Sea Otter event. I was flabbergasted and, honestly, in awe of not just the bikes but by the para-cyclists and how hard they were sending it on every single run. I came back to Sea Otter this year to talk with and document a few of these athletes.
Travis and Josh are back today with their third and final report from the 2023 Sea Otter Classic. Continue reading below for another installment of interesting bikes, products, and people from the show, in addition to a mega gallery of images from the three days of sun, fog, rides, and wild times at Laguna Seca Raceway. Did they save the best for last? Read on to find out!
We’re back with our second eclectic mix of findings from the 2023 Sea Otter Classic. Yesterday’s post just wasn’t enough to tell you about all the new bikes, old bikes, products, and people Josh and Travis encountered this year. In fact, we reckon even two posts won’t be enough. There’s a lot to cover, so settle in with your morning coffee and enjoy.
Sea Otter Classic is one of the largest annual cycling festivals in the world. Each April since 1991, cyclists of all persuasions have descended on Laguna Seca Raceway outside of Monterey, CA to cheer on professional and amateur racers, as well as check out the latest and greatest in cycling technology at the massive vendor expo.
And this year, that tech happened to be especially late and great, and there was more to talk about than usual. Maybe it’s because there were more exhibitors in attendance than normal. Maybe it’s the easing of strains on the supply chain. Whatever it was, Josh Weinberg and Travis Engel were on the ground all weekend and, over the next few days, will be sharing their findings and observations from the massive event. So, let’s get into it below!
Rach McBride, Non-binary Professional Triathlete & Life Time Grand Prix Participant: Rach McBride is, in the words of Kimo Seymour, “a fucking badass”. A three-time Ironman 70.3 champion, Rach has committed to racing the entirety of the inaugural Life Time Fitness Grand Prix. They are also the only non-binary athlete participating in the series. This is the second in a series of interviews about the change that’s happening in cycling as seen from the vantage points of people involved in one of the biggest drivers of that change: the gravel cycling world. For each of them, Erik Mathy sits down with the interviewee for a conversation, recording it so it can be transcribed down to their words.
This is the first in a series of interviews about the change that’s happening in cycling as seen from the vantage points of people involved in one of the biggest drivers of that change: The gravel cycling world. For each of them Erik Mathy sits down with the interviewee for a conversation, recording it so it can be transcribed down to their words. The interviews are then edited for clarity and brevity. This means removing the inevitable “Uh” and “Um”’s that we all use as well as conversational tangents. Erik also removes himself because, as the interviewer, he deems his voice isn’t important. It’s the words of people like Kimo Seymour, Yatika Fields, Kristi Mohn and others that matter more. This will be an ongoing conversation, so please come back often as further interviews are published.
The good ol’ Sea Otter Classic can be an overwhelming experience with its plethora of products and bikes. Here at The Radavist, we try to sift through the dirt to find the chunks of gold, which is what we did this year, profiling a selection of bikes from vintage, to new, including some randoms we found meandering the wind-blown aisles of this lovely event. Check out some beauts below!
When it comes to the trade shows of the cycling industry, it’s hard to beat the Sea Otter Classic. Set in the hills above Monterrey, California, at the Laguna Seca Raceway, this event has tons of charm, bike races, and enough products to wet your whistle. Josh and John spent a few days combing the isles, documenting the people, products, and bikes at the event. Today, we’re diving into the people and products, so read on in the Reportage gallery captions to see what they found…
This is the 5th time in a row that Sierra Nevada Brewery have asked us (PAUL Component Engineering) to build a bike for them to show off at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, which kicks off this week. So, we must be doing something right!
There’s dust, cold, chaos, and bikes. Bikes everywhere. Almost more bike tracks than footprints in the thick dirt of the Laguna Seca Raceway paddock, where rows of tents and more flags than the eye can count have taken over for the weekend – this is The Sea Otter Classic. It’s my first time not only to Sea Otter but to a bike expo- having gotten seriously into cycling during the quarantine this first wave of events post- pandemic is also my first wave of cycling events- period. I did my first bike race two months prior, and while there was an expo there it nowhere near compares to this ocean of logos. Being a photographer in the cycling world this weekend is a chance to connect with clients I haven’t seen in a while, touch base with connections I have prior only talked to through emails and DM’s, and hug the bejeezus out of the rad gravel ladies I photographed for ‘The Leaders of Gravel’, a series here on The Radavist.
As with year’s past, we love featuring this Chico collaboration between Sierra Nevada, Paul Component, and a California-based frame builder. This year’s bike is stunning and with it comes a huge photo gallery documenting this beautiful build. Check the official press release below with all the juicy photos and read on to find out how you can win this bike!
This just in from Sea Otter. It seems the event has been rescheduled due to the Coronavirus scare, yet the organization has not listed new dates…
Sea Otter Classic Supporters,
After a thorough review of the coronavirus threat, we’ve decided to reschedule April’s Sea Otter Classic. Additionally, People for Bikes and Sea Otter Classic will reschedule the Bicycle Leadership Conference.
We are coordinating with local authorities to determine the best dates to host the 2020 Sea Otter Classic and Bicycle Leadership Conference. We anticipate announcing those dates by the middle of next week.
Information regarding registration refunds and rollovers will be posted on our website once the new dates have been finalized.
Thank you again for your understanding and support during these challenging times.
Sincerely,
Frank Yohannan
President & CEO
Sea Otter Classic, Inc.
