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Sea Otter Recap: New Bikes, 32" Revolution, XC Tires, Wild Racing & More... [Video]

Sea Otter 2026 did not disappoint. With tons of unique bikes, the 32" revolution commencing, some awesome looking components plus some very exciting racing & plenty more, it might have just been the best one yet. Tune in!

You never know what you'll find at Sea Otter, and this year was filled with surprises... 32" surprises to be exact. The 32" wheel revolution is in full swing and it seemed like nearly every bike brand had some sort of 32" prototype or even production models on display.

First we headed to see our friends at Industry Nine and see what they have been cooking up. They had some of their gorgeous road/gravel stems on display, as well as some beautiful We Are One carbon rims & some very cool bikes...

This 32" Neuhaus repping some i9/WeAreOne carbon hoops was looking race ready. We also spotted a little something new and mysterious from Revel on display as well...

A new 29", 120mm bike from Revel... what could it be? We'll have to find out more from our friends at Revel ASAP, and we're willing to use any means necessary to get the information from them.

We also spotted this gorgeous Madrone derailleur over at the i9 tent, utilizing a full mount setup for amazing shifting performance and stiffness. Mechanical shifting lovers can rejoice and seemingly have some optimism for the future.

We finally made it over to the Revel tent, but they were very tight lipped about what this fancy bike new was. Our persuasive tactics were no match for their ironclad self control. They were willing to let us check out their 32" prototype as well as some of the other beauties they had on display as a sort of peace offering, as well as Adam's custom painted ReRun, painted by Tec Gnar.

We headed over to see our friends at ENVE to check out their new all mountain and XC wheels. These new wheels offer ENVE quality and performance and a seriously good value for carbon wheels. Now I bet that's something you never thought you'd read.

They were also showing off their newest grips. We recently did a little review on their 3DXC grips so give those a look if you're interested.

Next up, we headed over to see our friends at Continental to see what they've been cooking up. They were showing off their latest XC tires in the Dubnital and Magnotal - we're looking forward to putting some miles in on these bad boys.

We also spotted the most diabolical personal stash of ranch we've ever seen behind the Continental tent. We don't know if we should be impressed or frightened.

Then we made our way over to check out one of the talks of the town of Sea Otter, the Brembo tent. These have a ton of adjustability and are on the more gravity oriented end of the MTB brake spectrum. They're made in basically all the colors of the rainbow and we're excited to put these to the test once we get our hands on a set.

As we made our way through the festival, we stopped by our friends at WTB to check out their offerings. We've been big fans of WTB's products for ages, and we're especially stoked on their latest tire offerings - especially the Peacekeeper and Macro. This is one of our favorite setups for a fast but capable short travel steed.

Peacekeeper on left, Macro on right

Speaking of tires, we had to swing by Maxxis to check out their latest release in the Aspen AT. This isn't your grandaddy's Aspen - this is beefed up for the more capable crop of XC & downcountry rigs that have been coming out lately. We've got a set for testing and we're excited to report back on how these stack up against similar offerings.

Our final stop of the day was to see our SoCal neighbors over at Stinner. They just released their first full suspension bike - the Romero MT & LT (mid travel & long travel). This bike is comprised of a steel front triangle paired to an aluminum rear triangle utilizing Ministry Cycles’ patented 3VO suspension system. With each frame hand welded in Santa Barbara, we're extremely stoked to see such a dialed, handmade bike come from somewhere so close to home. Needless to say we can't wait to get them out on the trail and see how they ride. Look out for a full review and some content on these coming soon.

Of course there's so much to see at the Otter, and it's damn near impossible to make it to every single tent and meet with everyone displaying their wares. Shout out to everyone who made the trip and put in all the hard work during their time at the festival.

If you are one strange human that would like to read a transcript of the video above, continue reading below!

Recap: Sea Otter Classic 2026

The "Big Wheel" Revolution The dominant trend at the 2026 festival is 32-inch wheels.

Industry 9: Debuted beautiful carbon 32-inch wheelsets.
Revel Bikes: Showcased a titanium 32-inch hardtail and a "mullet" setup featuring a massive 32" front wheel paired with a 29" rear.

Forbidden & Revel Highlights

New Revel: The crew spotted a mysterious 120mm travel 29er (potentially a new Ranger or dedicated XC racer). They also showcased a custom hydro-dipped ReRun by TecGnar.
Forbidden Bike Co: Updated the Druid E and Dreadnought E with the new Avinox M2 and M2S motors (lighter and quieter). They also debuted the Reya, their new light-weight "Downcountry" XC bike.

Boutique Components & Brakes

Brembo MTB: The legendary automotive brake brand officially entered the MTB space with their GR-PRO brakes. They feature massive adjustability and a motorsports-inspired look.
Stinner Frameworks: The Santa Barbara local favorites released the Romero, a steel full-suspension bike with an aluminum rear triangle, available in Mid-Travel (130mm/140mm) and Long-Travel (150mm/160mm) versions.
Madrone Derailleur: A standout at the I9 booth—a high-end, rebuildable mechanical derailleur for those resisting the electronic shift.

🔑 Key Points & Discussion Topics

3D Printed Tech: Enve showed off updated carbon wheels (XC28 and AM30) and innovative 3D-printed grips designed for custom ergonomics.
Tire Tech Shootout: The crew checked out the Maxxis Aspen AT (All Terrain), a beefier XC tire designed for loose/loam conditions, The XC oriented Continental Magnotal & Dubnital, and the Michelin Performance Line, which aims to provide racing-level grip at a lower price point.
USWE Packs: The ubiquitous "no-bounce" packs have been updated with softer, more breathable materials, solidifying their status as the "uniform" of MTB racers.

🏁 The Fuego XL Race Report

Jared tackled his first-ever cross-country race, the Fuego XL.

Nutrition: Fueled by Maurten & LMNT to combat heavy depletion.
The Sufferfest: Jared described it as "one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life." * The Reward: He celebrated his finish with an entire margherita pizza and a massive sushi feast, proving that Sea Otter is as much about the food as it is the bikes.