2025 Sea Otter Finds (Part Two)

On our second day meandering around the 2025 Sea Otter Classic expo grounds, one thing came up in several conversations: we need shows like these to bring the bike community together. The vibe and excitement levels are high despite the current threats many bike and bike-related businesses face. For my second (and our third) installment of coverage, find some interesting entries below, and stay tuned for more.

QBP Tall Bike

Early yesterday morning, we spotted Ian from QBP cruising around on his custom tall bike. After noticing the multiple Q frames welded together and interesting chainstay configuration, we couldn’t resist a photoshoot and interview. Ian explained that he’d always wanted a tall bike and happened to have a couple of retired All-City frames lying around. With a little persuasion, he got fellow QBP employee and welder Justin Enerson on board to help bring the idea to life.

• 
• 

• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

The duo came up with a clever drivetrain solution by rotating the rear triangle, which allowed them to retain the derailleur and upper bottom bracket setup, resulting in a functional and eye-catching QBP creation. Ian’s custom tall bike is made up mainly of two All-city Space Horses (I think) and a piece of Surly Wednesday tubing that for the steering tube. What a fun-looking machine!

NOCS Zero tube

I was happy to run into Chris McKleroy, the owner and founder of NOCS Provisions, yesterday. I always love seeing what NOCS is up to and checking out their optically impressive binoculars and monoculars. On this occasion, Chris was carrying a brand-new monocular that we got a chance to preview.

• 
• 

The new NOCS Provisions Zero Tube is a compact, high-performance monocular designed for those who want powerful optics in a minimalist package. Measuring just 110mm x 40mm and weighing only 205 grams, the new Zero Tube weighs about 30 grams less than the Zoom Tube, the brand’s popular monocular. The Zero Tube is also much smaller, and despite its diminutive size compared to the current Zoom Tube, its 10x optics are a little stronger than the 8x Zoom Tube’s, and they’re also higher quality, Chris explained, with 10x25mm ED glass and fully multi-coated lenses. The Zero Tube has a completely different focus system that adjusts by twisting the two halves. It also has an impressive built-in clip for stowing on your belt for quick access. Another useful feature is a 3mm paracord wrist loop for extra security. The Zero Tube will retail for $175, and it should be available soon. Keep an eye on NocsProvisions.com for details.

Mondraker Grinduro

Mondraker is showing off a one-of-a-kind gravel bike that will be given away in support of Grinduro—a global series that blends gravel racing with good times, art, and community. This special edition Mondraker Arid features a custom paint job inspired by Grinduro’s signature purple, and it’s built up with a dialed component kit. One lucky winner will win this one-off Grinduro x Mondraker Arid bike, plus a free entry into Grinduro California and a complimentary campsite. Enter to win here.

• 
• 

• 
• 

Scarab Drop-bar Bike

We came across this stunning Scarab at the Rotor booth, and it turned out to be a show-specific personal build belonging to Rotor’s Sales Manager, Preston Hu. Designed with a specific adventure in mind, Preston plans to ride this beautiful drop-bar mountain bike on the White Rim Trail in Utah. The trip also inspired the bike’s remarkable paint scheme. Preston asked the artists at Scarab in Colombia to draw from the colors and textures of the Utah desert, and they delivered a dreamy watercolor palette complete with subtle graphic easter eggs, including desert flora and the iconic Delicate Arch.

• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

The bike’s drivetrain highlights the modularity of Rotor’s component line, pairing a road crankset with a mountain bike derailleur and cassette. The wheels are equally eye-catching, built with polished Astral Outback rims and White Industries hubs. Additional standout features include a pair of Deja bars and a 100mm suspension fork that lowers the front end to give the bike a more gravel-oriented feel tailored to its custom geometry.

• 
• 

Tailfin Rebranding

Gazing out at the hundreds of branded flags at the Sea Otter Classic expo, it’s easy to notice a large percentage that are black with white logotypes in some sort of uppercase italic lettering. That’s the “look” of the bike industry. Think TREK, SRAM, and speed, in general. Tailfin decided to buck this trend and head to Sea Otter with a new look… and white flags with a pink logotype.

• 
• 

It was great to catch up with them at their tent, where we had a long conversation about graphic design and the bike industry. It seems like a great time for Tailfin to come out with a new look; they’d just had one hell of a year after releasing several new bags and, in one sense, completing their lineup. When I asked founder Nick Broadbent about the rebranding, he explained, “I guess we’re seeing it more of a brand evolution rather than ‘rebrand’. Tailfin was started as a side project over 10 years ago and has grown and changed considerably over that time. So, for us, this feels like a natural step to bring out more of the personality and colour that already exists within Tailfin.” The new logo looks great with a non-italic font and a new symbol Nick described as being designed to echo the previous ilf but be more distinctive and literal as a Tailfin.

P.S. I’ll try to add a photo of their fun shirt design later today.

DT Swiss 350 DEG Hubs

As Neil showed off in his Sea Otter coverage video yesterday, we were excited to learn that DT Swiss was unveiling their new 350 DEG hubs this week. The new DT Swiss 350 DEG hub builds on the proven reliability of the venerable 350 series with a major performance upgrade: the patent-pending Ratchet DEG freehub system. This new mechanism offers an impressively quick 5° engagement, half the rotation needed compared to the standard 36-tooth ratchet system’s 10°, which makes it the second-snappiest in the entire DT Swiss lineup.

The DT 350 DEG designed for tool-free maintenance, with a threaded ring that can be easily removed to access the internals. Plus, it features larger bearings than those used in the 240 DEG hub, relocated closer to the center of the hub to accommodate the new freehub body while boosting durability.

• 
• 

The DT 350 DEG is available in a classic black version that comes in both 32- and 28-hole configurations, and multiple freehub standards, including Shimano Micro Spline, SRAM XD, and Shimano HG. You can also choose between Center Lock or 6-bolt IS brake interfaces, and hub spacing options include 12 x 148mm Boost and 12 x 157mm Super Boost. They have a starting weight of just 298 grams and a price tag beginning at $379.90 for the rear hub. For a small run with this launch, the DT 350 DEG is also available in a trio of limited-edition colors: pink, green, and blue. This version is only available in a 6-bolt, 32-spoke option with front hubs priced from $121.90 (€89.90) and the rear from $379.90 (€279.90).

Forbidden Puritan ATB and Heathen Hardtail

Known for their unconventional chain-routed full-suspension bikes, Canadian brand Forbidden unveiled a couple of titanium bikes this week. Well, kind of. They had their prototype ATB-style flat-bar gravel bike, the Puritan, on full display—a familiar blend of mountain bike capability and gravel bike intent. While the model is still in development, the version shown belonged to Forbidden owner and founder Owen, who really wanted to make a ’90s mountain bike again using materials that fit the Forbidden brand. There are a few people on the brand’s team who enjoy gravel riding and bikepacking, so it was a natural move. Owen’s size small model shown here featured a titanium frame sharing geometry and key specs with the steel prototypes the team has been testing.

• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

The brand brought the Puritan to Sea Otter to gauge interest, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. If all goes well, they anticipate bringing it to market as early as late 2025, with plans for both titanium and steel frame options. Final build specs are still being determined. One thing Forbidden still wants to figure out is the cable routing. As of right now, they’re externally routed (which I prefer). If you have any thoughts, leave a comment in the conversation to let them know what you think in terms of internal vs. external on their ATB. We love it when brands look to the community for guidance (er, cable guidance).

• 
• 

Forbidden also had the Heathen titanium hardtail frame on display, which looks right up my alley. I love all the graphics and branding, so I’m excited to see where both of these bikes go.

True Marmalade Portrait

A Sea Otter trip wouldn’t be complete without catching up with Erik Binggeser, also known as Truemarmalade. I had a chance to chat with Erik last year and check out his rig, which you can see here, but couldn’t resist another portrait and a few more photos of various/new patches on his eclectic Omnium Cargo barge. As Erik said, “This is what I love about events like this and what keeps me coming back.” He was referring to community, and seeing people in person who he interacts with online.

For those unfamiliar, Erik’s been living the dream on this bike, leaving his graphic design career and selling most of his belongings post-pandemic. He’s adopted a fully nomadic lifestyle, eventually swapping van life for a titanium Omnium Cargo. In 2023 alone, he pedaled over 20,000 miles across the U.S., reportedly riding more new roads than anyone else in the world. You can follow Erik on Instagram.

• 
• 

• 
• 

Stay tuned for more to come from the 2025 Sea Otter Classic. What new products intrigue you most? What types of coverage would you like to see more of? Let us know in the conversation below!

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...