Gravel continues to gro and, as more mountain bike brands release drop bar bikes, Sea Otter was packed too the gills with new gravel gear this year. A few stand-out road pieces also made their way to Laguna Secca speedway.
3T – Extrema Italia
3T’s Extrema Italia is the Made in Italy version of its wide-tired rig. How wide? There’s clearance for full 29×2.25″ tires in this gravel bike.
Giro Aerohead II
Along with the design concepts for the extreme/ly aerodynamic lid
Looking inside, there are massive vents and a different balance point
Giro’s Aerohead II made waves when it first appeared earlier in 2024. It was interesting to get a closer look at the extreme acro lid, including what’s going on inside. Giro extends the Aerohead II forward infront ofthe rider, instead of rearward down the riders back. As you can see, this gives a bit more space for airflow to come up into the helmet. Massive vents in the foam (the helmet still has to meet safety standards) in theory allow for some real cooling compared to notoriously warm TT helmets. Giro will offer the helmet for purchase, though numbers aren’t expected to set as many records as Vingegaard will, but not until early next year.
Osprey expands Escapist gravel/bikepacking line
Osprey recently launched its bikepacking bags. There’s also two new gravel mini backpacks for long rides, though those won’t be available until 2025. But there’s a few features to separate them from Osprey’s running options.
Crank Brothers Candy Lace shoes
Crank Brothers recently released the Candy Lace pedal, extending from casual XC to gravel. The laces provide a fit to suit long miles on the bike while the three colors mix with the wide spectrum of Candy and Eggbeater pedals (and any other pedal you choose).
Shimano GRX
Shimano released mechanical 12-speed GRX last fall
The drivetrain giant had a custom Trek in the booth to match
“United in Gravel” ties together mixed-surface-curious road, bikepack and mountain bikers and probably a few other riders as well.
Shimano launched its 12-speed mechanical GRX last fall. They had a wide-range version of the drivetrain on display, mounted to a custom-painted Trek to match. The 12-speed GRX gives riders a choice between wide-range, mid-range and 2x drivetrains and, for 1x versions, an integrated dropper post lever.
Cane Creek Invert gravel fork
Cane Creek just launched its Invert gravel fork. The minimalist…
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