2026 Sea Otter Finds (Part 4): Tout Terrain Catalina, Esker Lorax 32, Significant Other, Five 32″ Maxxis Tires, and More…

Unlike the artificially dyed pond in the center of the 2026 Sea Otter Classic (I wish I were kidding), I hope everyone finds our reports from the expo honest and easy to digest. I’ve been trying my best to include some big-picture thoughts on the bikes and gear we’ve included, but for the most part, I’m hoping our readers chime in to discuss what we’ve shared. As we’ve mentioned several times, this is just a focused snapshot of what we find interesting or that we think will resonate with you, our readers. I like to think Neil and I did a good job of highlighting new tech, stunning bicycles, and as much bikepacking-related content as possible, though the show is truly overwhelming, and it’s impossible to present everything.

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We still have plenty more coverage coming your way, and Neil has been busy churning out videos if you prefer listening to his soothing voice. If you missed it, you can find part one of my 2026 Sea Otter Finds here, part two here, and part three here. Part four is loaded with several exciting new bike launches, fresh tech, and, you guessed it, more 32-inch stuff.

Topeak: Zi:RAK + Handlebar Rack

Topeak released the Zi:RAK earlier this year, and we were eager to take a closer look in person. There are basically two options: the Zi:RAK Essential, with a quick-release mounting system for Topeak’s U-SHELL cargo cradle, and a version with Topeak’s MTX top panel that can be used like a regular rack or connect to Topeak’s lineup of MTX rear bags. All styles can be mounted directly to rack eyelets, bolted to Topeak’s cargo axle, or attached to the seatstays using velcro attachments called Quick-Mounts.

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The Zi:RAK Essential pictured here was setup with the optional Pannier Bar, which allows standard panniers to attach to the rack. The U-SHELL cradle on top has an interesting attachment system: the front hooks onto a bracket at the top of the rack, then the back clicks into place and is secured with a small knurled nob that tightens the cage down. Topeak said the rack has clearance for 700 x 55mm tires, and there is height and angle adjustment built into the legs and top platform.

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Topeak also had their new Handlebar Rack on display, which mounts to your handlebar using hinged clamps but relies on a velcro load strap under the stem to prevent the rack from rotating downward. The rack on display wasn’t tightened properly and was moving, but it could serve as a functional platform for smaller loads or a basket. Topeak also had the MidLoader framebag on display, made from weatherproof TPU with an oversized zipper cover, dual zippered compartments, and simple velcro attachments. See it all at Topeak.com.

Stinner Tunnel Podium

The Stinner Tunnel is a new production model that debuted at last year’s Sea Otter Classic, and it’s based on a mainstay that’s been offered as part of Stinner’s custom line for years. It’s available in two versions, the steel Select and the titanium Podium. Like all bikepackers, we were drawn to the slick Tailfin bikepacking bag setup and took advantage of the early morning light to snap some photos.

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The Tunnel Podium is TIG-welded at Stinner HQ in Santa Barbara, California. It’s made from straight-gauge titanium tubing, has clearance for 29 x 2.5″ tires, and uses flat-mount brake mounts. It uses UDH dropouts, boost hub spacing, internal cable routing, and a T47 73mm bottom bracket. Each size gets two bottle mounts inside the main triangle, and a three-pack under the downtube.

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With 140mm of travel up front, a 66° head tube angle, and versatile geometry, it looks like an incredibly nice hardtail for trail riding, bikepacking, and beyond. The titanium Tunnel frame costs $2,695, and the steel version costs $1,495 if you’re looking for something more affordable. Learn more at StinnerFrameworks.com.

Stinner Refugio 32 Prototype + Schwalbe Rick Race Pro 32ers

Stinner was really focusing on the launch of the Romero, which we covered in part two, but they also had a mysterious titanium Refugio 32 prototype on display. They didn’t have much to share with us about it, but we can confirm it’s based on their Refugio gravel bike platform and designed with 32-inch tires in mind.

The mystery bike has UDH dropouts, a carbon fork with a flip-chip dropout, and internal cable routing. Stinner did tell us they are planning to launch a limited edition batch, but “all the 32-inch action is coming soon.” The Schwalbe Rick Race 32-inch tires were first teased on a Sour Pasta Party 32 earlier this year, and we’re still not sure exactly what width they are, but a 2.2-2.4″ seems probable.

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With several small, closely spaced center knobs and medium-sized side knobs, the 32-inch Rick Race looks like a really nice potential tire option. We’ll have to continue waiting to hear more from Schwalbe for additional specs and availability.

Curious Creatures

It was hard to miss the wonderfully colorful Curious Creatures booth, which was still vibrant as ever during the final day of the expo. The Montana-based apparel brand is known for their bold colors and garments that look and feel like casual clothing but are surprisingly technical. Neil included the Ramble Scramble shorts in our 2025 Bikepacking Gear of the Year Awards, and Emily can get enough of her Sun Dog Pants.

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The folks at the booth gave us a closer look at the newly released Grit Goblin Hoodie, available in both men’s and women’s sizes and in a couple of colors. I originally thought the hoodie was thick and heavy, but the recycled polyester/spandex soft shell material is actually quite lightweight and very soft. Neil and I both tried them on, and although we had to size down to get a slightly slimmer fit, we were sold.

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We also got a sneak peek at some upcoming shirts and tank tops that should drop later this year. If you like colors, functional clothing, and want to support a small team, it’s worth checking out what they have at CuriousCreatures.com.

Esker Lorax 32: Coming Soon

Esker Cycles has been very transparent about their interest and involvement with the 32-inch platform. Last summer, they started working on 32-inch versions of the Lorax and Japhy, which they’ve been testing and tweaking. The Japhy 32 was built around a yet-to-be-released suspension fork, whereas the Lorax was built around a common 495mm axle-to-crown fork because those already existed. The Lithic Carbon Mountain Fork and Esker Fork Yeah! are just two examples, and there are more.

Esker’s founder/owner, Tim Krueger, is only comfortable bringing a product to market if customers can get what they need. For 32-inch bikes, that’s tires, wheels, and forks. Tires and wheels are here, but forks are only just starting to appear, and he’s not confident that customers will get the right fork. For now, the Japhy 32 project is tabled. The Lorax 32, on the other hand, is ready to go.

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Tim has been in the bike industry for a long time and was around when 29ers came to be, and he describes what’s happening right now as eerily similar to that time. “It’s almost like people took 25-year-old marketing copy and just puked it back out with a new number. However, what took four years has happened in six months.”

The momentum is exciting, but it gives Tim pause because consumers are voicing concerns that 32-inch is an industry ploy to push new tech just for the sake of sales. So, instead of developing something in secret, Esker has been sharing their thoughts and collecting customer feedback.

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Instead of a large production run, Esker will launch a pre-order/Indiegogo campaign in which the Lorax 32 will be produced only if they reach a certain order threshold. This way, Esker doesn’t risk their supply or business model, and they can gauge how serious their customers are about it. If they meet the minimum order size, assuming normal production and shipping lead times from Taiwan, customers could start receiving their Lorax 32s as early as August or September.

We’ll report back with all the specs of the Lorax 32, but we know it will be based around boost hub spacing, a threaded bottom bracket, and a 31.6mm seatpost. Tim said they want the Lorax 32 to be “a normal bike” with cross-compatible parts and nothing weird or proprietary, which he thinks will help encourage early adopters.

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The prototype shown here is close to the final production version, but they’ve made a few tweaks, including adjusting the angles to reduce any toe overlap, which has been a concern about the 32-inch platform in general. The Lorax 32 will be available in several sizes, from medium to XXL. Stay tuned for more…

Significant Other Doom Scroll Prophecy

Ashley King of Significant Other, a Denver-based bicycle brand, launched her first production mountain bike, the Ded Reckin, this winter. The launch showed her that “some people want a rocket ship while others want a monster truck,” which is where the Significant Other Doom Scroll Prophecy, or DSP for short, steps in.

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The Doom Scroll Prophecy is an all-mountain bike, built up around a Grade 9 titanium front triangle and a 304 stainless steel and 4130 steel rear triangle. Through swappable lower shock mounts and the Disco Switch adjustment system (flip chips), the DSP can operate meaningfully across various suspension and wheel size setups, including “secret menu” configurations for riders inclined to experiment.

Cane Creek had two prototypes on display. The first was the MX Super Trail setup with 170mm of travel front and back, a 29/27.5″ mullet wheel configuration, 63.5° head tube angle, and 77° seat tube angle. The second, pictured here, is the 29″ Trail configuration, 160mm front travel, 145mm rear travel, 64.5° head tube angle, and a 78° seat tube angle.

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Here’s how Ashley describes the DSP’s geometry and ride quality: “All configurations share a single pivot suspension layout paired with a compact linkage-driven shock. Relaxed geometry and kinematics are shaped for big days and big trails. Chainstay length trends longer than typical category averages, balancing stability at speed with agility when the trail gets tight. Stack height sits slightly higher than many contemporary references, supporting a centered rider position across sustained descents and technical terrain.”

The tentative release date for the Doom Scroll Prophecy is January 2027. We’ll share more as the design is finalized, but until then, scroll back up and let the incredible attention to detail sink in. The DSP is truly a work of art. Follow Significant Other on Instagram to stay in the loop.

Tout Terrain Catalina

Tout Terrain from Germany didn’t have a booth this year, but co-founder Olive Römer, who works alongside his wife Stephanie, met up with us to show us an exciting upcoming launch. Early on, Tout Terrain embraced Pinion gearboxes for their reliability and ease of maintenance, and today, the vast majority of their models are designed around the derailleur-less transmission system. The new Tout Terrain Catalina is a slight departure from this and will be the first mountain bike in their lineup with a derailleur-equipped drivetrain.

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The Catalina is inspired by the Outback, Tout Terrain’s flat-bar Pinion adventure bike, but tweaked for trail riding. It has 30mm shorter chainstays, weighs less, and Oliver said it’s meant to be more playful, and a “sportier alternative” for those who want it.

Designed to run a 120-130mm fork, the frame has all the specs we’d expect from Tout Terrain, including top tube bosses, two bottle mounts, downtube bosses, and rack mounts. The frame has dropper post routing, internal cable routing, a threaded bottom bracket, and Tout Terrain’s Ergo-Stop II steering stopper on the top of the head tube. The frame has some new details, including the small, forged “TT” on the chainstays, which Oliver says is how many in the European market refer to Tout Terrain.

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The Catalina will be available as a frame-only, frameset, and complete builds with lots of options, including mechanical and electronic drivetrains from Shimano and SRAM. They also do powder coating in-house, so there will be the option for custom paint jobs. There isn’t an exact launch date yet, but it should be available later this summer.

Five Ten: Guide Tennies + Trailcross Pro

Last month, Five Ten brought back Logan’s all-time favorite bike touring shoes, the Five Ten Guide Tennies. They were updated with a similar dual-zone STEALTH rubber outsole found on Five Ten’s mountain bike shoes, a 90° sole edge for climbing, and a perforated hexagon design for breathability and flexibility. We hadn’t been able to see them in person, so it was good to get our hands on them for a closer look. We’ll be updating Logan’s 2018 review eventually, but my first thought was that they felt surprisingly less heavy than I imagined, but still plenty stiff enough for riding.

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Neil and I both gravitated to the Trailcross Pro, a clip-in, BOA-equipped version of the Trailcross CL shoes I wear more than any other clipless shoes I own. They have a similar shape and feel, but with an extended ankle cuff to keep debris out and a BOA closure instead of laces. We’re hoping to get some in for testing soon.

Moots: 45th Anniversary Finish + Titanium Cranks

Just ahead of Sea Otter, Moots had two exciting launches. The first is a new special edition matte black finish released to celebrate 45 years of business, an impressive milestone for a US-based bike manufacturer. The 45th anniversary finish is a black Cerakote with hits of exposed anodized titanium. Customers can choose between two colors: pink and copper. They also brought back some retro graphics to complete the styling, and it looks pretty damn good.

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The MXC we photographed was also sporting the new titanium cranks designed and built in collaboration with White Industries and Brunk Industries, which we reported on here. The threaded pedal interface, lockring, spindle interface, aluminum pre-load collar, and aluminum spindle are all designed and machined by White Industries. The two halves of the crank arms are stamped and formed by Brunk Industries, and then everything is welded together and finished by Moots in Colorado.

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Moots is selling their own version of the cranks, complete with a laser-engraved Moots alligator, or you can purchase them from White Industries for their MR30 chainring interface, a 30mm spindle option, and your choice of extractor cap color. Head over to Moots.com to see more.

Panaracer

What originally attracted us to the Panaracer booth was the colorful 2026 limited-edition range, launched a month ago. The new tread color options have become somewhat of an annual tradition for Panaracer, and the new British Racing Green and Sakura colors look even better in person. It’s hard to imagine getting that pink tire dirty, but it’s still refreshing to see brands getting creative with their color choices.

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They were also excited to show off their latest tread, the GravelKing ZX, which was released just a few days before Sea Otter. The GravelKing ZX has a super slick mid-tread paired with lots of side knobs, which Austin at Panaracer referred to as “fangs.” It has the lowest rolling resistance out of any other gravel tire they make, but the knobs help create traction while cornering, so it’s easier to maintain speed through turns.

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The GravelKing ZX is available in all three of Panaracer’s compounds: standard TuffTex, TuffTex +, and TuffTex R. Currently, the ZX is available in 700 x 45mm and 50mm sizes, but 35mm, 40mm, and 55mm are coming later this summer/fall. Explore the entire lineup at PanaracerUSA.com.

Five Maxxis 32-Inch Tires + Updated MaxTerra Compound

Maxxis had the largest showing of 32-inch tires at the 2026 Sea Otter Classic, which seems fitting because they offered one of the first real 32-inch tires, the Aspen 29 x 2.4″. For many of us, the 32-inch Aspen felt like a turning point for the new standard, so it’s promising to see Maxxis expand the lineup. Duncan at Maxxis explained that the 32-inch version was originally developed for World Cup teams planning to race 32-inch bikes at the Paris Olympics.

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With more and more brands talking about 32-inch bikes and components, expanding across different travel ranges and styles, Maxxis decided to launch a full line of tire options. The Aspen ST is the Aspen’s faster-rolling sibling, available in 32 x 2.15″ and 2.4″. The brand-new Aspen AT is a cross-country tire and comes in a 32 x 2.4″ size. Maxxis also added 32-inch options to the Forekaster and Dissector lineups for light trail/downcountry riding, both in a 2.4″ width. The entire 32-inch Aspen lineup (standard, ST, and AT) is available now, and the Forekaster and Dissectors should be available later this year.

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Duncan was also excited to show off Maxxis’ newly updated MaxTerra rubber formula, which is essentially a longer-lasting tire tread. Lab testing showed the tread durability improved by 30% and grip by 15%, which was sort of a happy accident.

Their Australian distributor did a real-world test, riding the original MaxTerra tires and the new MaxTerra tires for 125 miles, and the visual difference was surprisingly noticeable. The new rubber formula is available for the DHR, Forekaster, Dissector, and Rekon, and will be trickling down across the trail range over the next year. Longest-lasting tread sounds like a great thing for bikepackers!

KS Suspension 32-Inch Fork + Vantage Dropper

KS Suspension in Taiwan was showing off a new 32-inch inverted suspension fork. The display model was set up with 150mm of travel, but Ivy at KS said it could be run as a 120mm fork. It’s built in partnership with their sister company, EXA Form, but they don’t have any details on launch date, specs, or pricing.

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KS was also displaying the Vantage dropper post, their best-selling dropper, featuring a unique travel-adjust system. Instead of a stepped shim hidden under the collar, the Vantage’s travel can be adjusted using a hex key directly on top of the dropper post head. The Vantage is available in three adjustable ranges: 210-180mm, 170mm-140mm, and 140mm-110mm, and it adjusts in 1mm increments per turn for nearly infinite control. It can be adjusted mid-ride without taking apart your post, and if your saddle has a cutout, you might even be able to adjust the travel without removing your saddle.

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For more bikes, gear, and interesting finds from the 2026 Sea Otter Classic, explore the #SeaOtterClassic tag.

Further Reading

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