The annual Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, Calif., is the only industry-wide bike show in the U.S. With over 1,000 exhibiting brands, it’s almost impossible to see everything in the 3 days I usually attend. After the 2025 edition, it’s clear I need to attend all 4 days next year.
Despite the economic uncertainty of the current administration’s new tariffs, the number of cycling aficionados milling about the famous Laguna Seca raceway was staggering. If brands, retailers, and the public worry about looming tariffs in the cycling industry, I couldn’t tell. Brands seemed optimistic about forging ahead with new products and continuing to develop future bikes, components, and apparel.
After a dizzying number of presentations and discussions about the latest and greatest in cycling gear at the 2025 rendition of Sea Otter, I pared it down to my five favorites. Read and enjoy.
Praxis Prototype HiT Hinged Transmission
By far, the most intriguing and journalist-thronged innovation on display at the 2025 Sea Otter Classic was a prototype of the Praxis HiT Hinged Transmission. Watching and shifting the working display unit was mesmerizing, and the presentation on how the four-, eight-, or 16-speed internal gearbox worked was mind-bending.
Cyclists know Praxis for its cranks, chainrings, and bottom brackets, especially as OEM equipment on full bicycles. So, the connection to an internal drivetrain composed of cogs and chains makes sense. But the innovation derived from essentially simple parts was an incredible display of the brand’s “Skunk Works” division in Santa Cruz, Calif.
It would take too many words to describe how the HiT Hinged Transmission changes the final drive ratio that eventually turns the rear wheel of a bicycle or e-bike. This slow-motion video hopefully allows you to at least grasp the main mechanical wizardry that allows a common chain to move between cogs of various sizes.
If you pay attention to the cog (or cogs, depending on how you want to describe it), the “hinged” part of the product name makes sense. Having a hinged cog section move out of the way as a synchronized chain moves past offers the huge benefit of keeping that chain straight.
Unlike normal bicycle drivetrain chains, it is not subjected to side loads or bending. Both greatly decrease the lifespan of both the chain and the cog.
The Praxis gearbox made electrically actuated shifts visibly and audibly smoother than traditional systems. The chain didn’t “grind” as it crawled up to a larger cog, nor did it “drop” onto a smaller one. It elegantly flowed between gear ratios on the ingenious morphing hinged cog. The only thing that was familiar was a “derailleur cage” that was only there to take up chain slack.
Each “cog set” or “cassette” has four gear ratios. Adding one or two in a “gear reduction” method increased the gear ratios to eight or 16.
Moving from the “top” of a cassette to the “bottom” required only one click, without the usual high lateral strain on drivetrain components. And, according to Praxis, the tensile load on the chain is inconsequential to shift quality. Loaded shifts on a regular bicycle drivetrain can be painful.
Everything would operate in a closed housing, eliminating the numerous traditional problems with drivetrain contamination. Finally, Praxis stated that it could program the HiT Hinged Transmission to operate as an automatic gearbox.
Praxis staffers indicated that they had ridden both mountain bikes and road bikes with its patented gearbox for a few years. Obviously, the system fits downhill mountain bikes well, but the real end goal would be mid-drive e-bikes.
Quin Motion Intelligence
Motion sensors on bicycle helmets aren’t new, but the current selections are fairly simple. An accelerometer attached to the helmet senses an impact significant enough to indicate a crash and start a countdown. If the cyclist doesn’t respond, it uses a connected cellphone to alert the people on an In Case of Emergency (ICE) list with a GPS-derived location.
But Quin Motion Intelligence takes it many steps further. First off, the six-axis accelerometer can sense and record many more parameters than current bicycle helmet devices. The tiny Quin sensor, which lives in the helmet’s energy-absorbing liner, captures an astounding 5,120 data points per second.
Quin showed me a rolling data screen on a tablet that was streaming multiple channels as I held the sensor between my fingers. When I simulated a crash, the NASA-like data screen instantly stopped and produced a report that included data from 4 seconds before the impact up to the impact event. Data points included rotational acceleration, angle of incidence, maximum impact force, impact location on the helmet, and more.
Similar to existing crash-sensing systems, a countdown starts. If the rider doesn’t tap their helmet four times (which also triggers a manual alert), an alert goes to contacts in the Quin app.
The recipient can then open their app to view the location of the crash, rider health profile, impact analytics, and other critical information. What sets Quin apart is its ability to passively and automatically alert the correct local emergency service.
For Quin Plus subscribers, the Quin Motion Intelligence system will alert a human dispatcher who manages the emergency response with the local providers. This is available in the U.S. and 31 countries in Europe.
Although Quin Motion Intelligence has been around for a bit, 2025 will be the first year the system will be available to U.S. cyclists. It is currently in a motocross helmet and a cycling helmet outside of the U.S. Stay tuned for an announcement of the introduction of this potentially lifesaving system in the stateside cycling market soon.
KAV Nova: CORE Helmet
I spotted KAV 2 years ago at Sea Otter. The hook: a custom 3D-printed helmet based on measurements taken from the cyclist’s head. In that way, it was impressive, but the rest of it didn’t blow me away. The KAV helmet seemed to offer little ventilation, it felt a bit heavy, and it lacked the aesthetics of modern bike helmets.
But at the 2025 Sea Otter Classic, KAV’s new Nova: CORE aero road helmet addressed all prior issues. First, a KAV app now generates the custom fit profile based on a selfie image.
Staffers stated algorithms based on factors like face dimensions to create a precise end fit. The KAV app generates 108 measurements to guide this computation.
But what was the most visually stunning was the super-airy and hollow honeycomb structure of the printed energy-absorbing liner. It was so open and light. The ventilation seemed maximal, and the Nova: CORE helmet felt incredibly svelte in my hands. KAV claims the new helmet is 25% lighter than previous versions but didn’t state an average weight. But believe me, it felt super light.
The black or white honeycomb possesses another important feature. The honeycomb cell walls have visible perforations perpendicular to the length of each cell. KAV stated these are preset breakaway points where a layer in the plane of the outer helmet surface can shear off. This is a unique built-in rotational force mitigation system. KAV’s approach isn’t an added slip layer like others.
The helmet’s shape was indeed indicative of its self-proclaimed aero status. KAV addressed my former complaint about aesthetics with 3D-printed exterior panels in nine colors (high-visibility options are also available) to match or contrast the white or black honeycomb layer and straps.
The KAV Nova: CORE helmet has a Virginia Tech 5-star safety rating, and the brand states it surpasses CPSC safety standards by 50%. KAV makes its helmets in the USA, making it the only domestic helmet brand. It offers a 5-year warranty with a 100% crash replacement policy. All this customization and safety come at a reasonable price compared to other premium cycling helmets: $300.
Wahoo TRACKR RADAR
Cyclists love Wahoo bike computers for their intuitive user interface. However, the ELEMNT ROAM and ELEMNT BOLT are getting old, and Wahoo has yet to launch a radar unit. Wahoo will rectify all of these issues very soon.
Wahoo showed off the third generation of the ELEMNT ROAM and ELEMNT BOLT computers at this year’s Sea Otter Classic. They both looked to be significant improvements over the current versions. But what stole the show for me was the Wahoo TRACKR RADAR, the brand’s first foray into rear-facing radars that warn cyclists of vehicles behind.
The seatpost-mounted tail light functions much like other radar units. It increases its flash rate as cars approach from as far as 164 yards behind the rider. It will deliver real-time notifications about the relative speed and distance of the car to compatible bike computers and watches. The light brightens significantly when the cyclist brakes and executes a continuous flash pattern when the car enters the radar detection zone.
The Wahoo TRACKR RADAR initiates a lower-brightness battery-saving mode when no vehicles are detected. It’s also IPX7-rated for waterproofness. Thankfully, Wahoo graced the universal mounting system with a quarter-turn mount, making swapping between bikes hassle-free.
The company claims a weight of 99 g, and the MSRP is $200 (available now). Finally, Wahoo offers radar, a welcome option in limited choices.
Radian Labs Wingman
Modern cars come with radar, lidar, and camera technologies in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) to help avoid collisions. Although these are effective as an ecosystem in and between cars, they often don’t detect cyclists.
Radian Labs looks to change this with a simple, passive device it calls the Wingman, which debuted at this year’s Sea Otter Classic. The Wingman is a plastic three-dimensional “corner,” for lack of a better term, that mounts on the seat post.
Radian Labs lines it with a prismatic-reflective and fluorescent lining that is detectable by ADAS systems and machine-vision algorithms. The Wingman comes with a standard removable LED tail light.
It almost seemed too simple to work. But Radian Labs’ leader has 3 decades of experience in automotive technology and public safety.
The Radian Labs Wingman is a set-it-and-forget-it gadget that could greatly decrease the chances of an automobile striking a cyclist. Although a bit unsightly, especially on high-end road bikes, the ability for ADAS to “see” you and deliver potentially life-saving avoidance maneuvers far outweighs any aesthetic ramifications for me.
The Radian Labs Wingman is available now for $120.
Read the full article here
