Known as the “World’s Premier Cycling Festival,” Sea Otter Classic is a four-day celebration of cycling featuring over 1,000 brands, 6,000 athletes, and 70,000 attendees. The 36th annual edition is taking place this week, April 16–19, 2026, at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, California.
Unfortunately, Jim Langley and I are unable to attend this year’s event to see the new products firsthand. However, we decided to highlight some cycling product launches that caught our attention.
To get you in the Sea Otter mood: for the very first time, the Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel Race will be live-streamed in its entirety. Following the success of introducing free live coverage in 2025, fans from around the globe will be able to follow the action right from the start of the race, beginning at 9:45 am PST on April 16 on YouTube.
Endura
Endura launched its Alltrack men’s and women’s apparel collection built to handle just about anything you can throw at it, with a focus on versatility, comfort, and performance across a wide range of riding styles. They describe it as “Goldilocks” — not baggy, not tight, just right. The collection includes bib shorts, jerseys (long- and short-sleeve), a packable jacket, a resort shirt, a tee, and more.
POC
POC launched a new helmet with Mips Air Node, the Amidal. Magnus Gustafsson, Hard Goods Director at POC, said, “Our objective in creating the Amidal was to develop a helmet from all our extensive safety, ventilation, and aerodynamic expertise and encapsulate it in a new form. The Amidal has many standout features, notably its streamlined silhouette, refined rear exhaust ports, and bespoke rear Knog light. But what also sets the Amidal apart is the comfort and balance which will support and energize long and short rides alike.”
The Amidal is available in 11 colorways, sizes S, M, and L, and sells for $270.
POC has partnered with Knog to develop a rear 17-gram, rechargeable helmet light. Using the new Chip On Board (COB) technology, this special-edition light produces 30 lumens. The Knog Mini retails for $45 and is available in three color cases: white, orange, or black.
Cycling Activist Marley Blonsky Launches Inclusive Children’s Book
All Bodies on Bikes co-founder Marley Blonsky celebrated the release of her debut children’s picture book, The Ragtag Best Friends Bicycle Club: A Story About Riding Your Own Way, alongside the launch of a coordinating SHREDLY kit collaboration. The book, published by Strong Girl Publishing and targeting readers ages four to eight, centers on a group of kids who don’t fit the mold of typical cyclists, extending Blonsky’s advocacy work into a new market.
Continental
Even before Sea Otter, Continental launched several new tires for road, gravel, and MTB. I’ve been testing their new Grand Prix 5000 TT TR (700x30C) road tires and am very impressed by their comfort and low rolling resistance. The company also sent me a set of their new Terra Competition 700x35C gravel tires. I should be mounting them tubeless soon and look forward to giving them a workout.
At Sea Otter, Continental launched the Dubnital in a new size to meet the demands of gravel riders — 50mm. Originally engineered for rapid cross-country racing, the Dubnital is a fast-rolling tire that delivers speed without compromising control. Already popular among gravel riders in its 55mm size, the addition of the 50mm option extends Continental’s offering in the increasingly aggressive terrain found in gravel racing. I wish I had this tire when racing Unbound last year.
Kuat
Kuat builds some great bike racks, and at Sea Otter they announced their new roof cargo box, Varial™. Available in October, Varial is a first-of-its-kind rooftop cargo box engineered to make packing, organizing, and accessing gear easier than ever. Designed, formed, and assembled in the USA, the Varial debuts a forward-opening architecture with three-sided access, allowing drivers and passengers to reach their gear from virtually any angle.
The company is taking preorders now at https://kuat.com/products/varial, with the system starting at $1,298.
GU Energy
On long endurance rides, it’s easy to get tired of all the sweet nutrition. GU just launched Sour Peach, bringing the GU Original Gel family to 17 flavors. It’s the company’s first sour gel, and I’ve been using it on rides for the last few weeks. The sour flavor is tasty and a nice way to mix it up on longer rides.
“When developing our first sour gel, we really focused on hitting the perfect sourness level for an athlete,” says Brandon Kirchmeyer, GU’s product development manager. “The sour peach profile gives you that fun, mouth-watering zing to break up flavor fatigue, but we kept it much milder than a traditional sour candy. It’s just sour enough to be refreshing without being too harsh to use during exercise.”
Each packet of Sour Peach is 100 calories and 24 grams of carbs.
mountainFLOW
mountainFLOW customizable water bottles are made with certified carbon-negative bioplastic. According to the company, the sugar cane used to make the bottles absorbs carbon dioxide, reducing CO₂ in the atmosphere. The company’s innovative bio-plastic is a simple, “drop-in” solution to the traditional petroleum-based plastic that has historically dominated the water bottle industry.
I ordered a sample from their website and couldn’t tell the difference, except that it was lighter, easier to squeeze, and didn’t alter the water’s taste. The bottles come in three sizes (500ml, 600ml, and 750ml) and are top-shelf dishwasher-safe.
Unfortunately, you can’t buy a one-off bottle, but they’re available through one of their brand partners, including REI. If you run a local bike club or an invitational, the minimum order volume is 100 bottles.
Sheri Rosenbaum regularly contributes articles and reviews products for RBR. She’s an avid recreational roadie who lives in the Chicago area and a major advocate for women’s cycling, serving on the board of directors and volunteering with the Dare2tri Paratriathlon Club. Click to read Sheri’s full bio or visit her web site sunflowersandpedals.com.