ICYMI: The most surprising and exciting Sea Otter finds of 2025

You never know what you’ll find at the Sea Otter Classic. By the time the festival rolls around in April, many of the biggest brands have already announced their latest bikes and components for the year. So, in order to stand out, brands both big and small need to go big, or weird, or some combination of the two. And this year, all of the above was on display.

Here are some of the most interesting and surprising products we saw at Sea Otter 2025.

Close-up view of a mountain bike's rear derailleur and cassette, featuring a blue derailleur and a gold cassette with a cyclist's tire in the background.

Close-up view of a bicycle's rear derailleur and cassette, featuring a blue derailleur component and a gold and black cassette. The image highlights the mechanical details and design of bicycle gears, with visible dirt indicating use.

Madrone Jab rebuildable derailleur

It’s always exciting to see a company whose name doesn’t start with “S” offering drivetrain bits, especially when it comes to derailleurs. Madrone has been previewing and refining their mechanical derailleur for a while now, and it’s still listed as “coming soon” on their website.

The Madrone Jab derailleur is said to work with 11- and 12-speed systems, and is designed to be both highly serviceable and durable. Pricing will start at $295 with a claimed weight of 310g for the long-cage version.

A sleek, modern mountain bike showcased on a wooden display. The bike features a gray frame with gold accents and thick, knobby tires. Behind the bike are wooden panels displaying photographs of mountain biking scenes, adding to the outdoor theme of the exhibit.

GT Fury Carbon Pro

Late last year, it was reported that GT was “pausing new product releases.” However, we were pleasantly surprised to see this high-end, high-pivot GT Fury Carbon Pro downhill bike on display. So is GT already planning to press play on new releases? We’ll have to wait and see.

Close-up of the front wheel and suspension fork of a mountain bike, featuring a rubber tire with deep treads for traction, gold-colored suspension components, and a measurement tool attached to the fork. Out-of-focus crowds and tents are visible in the background.

Fox inverted fork

This upside-down Fox fork turned a lot of heads at Sea Otter, and the tease is all the more surprising given the complete revamp of the brand’s fork lineup that rolled out just a few weeks ago.

A bicycle front fork rests on the ground, surrounded by grass and gravel. The fork features two black tubes with silver fittings and a small lever, positioned next to the edge of a tire.

Close-up view of a vehicle's rear tire and suspension components, featuring a robust tread pattern on the tire and visible shock absorbers connected to the chassis, set against a grassy background.

Cane Creek inverted MTB fork

Fox wasn’t the only brand with an inverted fork at Sea Otter. Just last year, Cane Creek released an upside-down gravel fork, and it appears they’re now prototyping a mountain bike version.

Close-up of a Topeak TurboFlow device featuring a digital display reading "300% EFFORTLESS." The device has distinct labels for a Presta valve, Twinhead, and TurboFlow valve adapter, all mounted on a black base. The background is softly blurred, highlighting the product.

Topeak Turboflow high-flow tubeless valve

Last year we reported on a trio of “Presta killers” coming to market, and since that time, even more tubeless tire valve options have come to market. Topeak is set to enter the fray with claims that the Turboflow valve and Rapidhead deliver 300% more airflow.

A pair of sleek sport sunglasses with a black frame and reflective, multi-colored lenses, displayed on a dark surface. The background features a blurred greenish area, creating a contrast with the glasses. The sunglasses include a small camera on the front, suggesting functionality beyond standard eyewear.

Bleequp AI cycling glasses

If the Meta Ray Ban sunglasses just don’t cut it for your rides, the Beequp AI cycling glasses might do the trick. Built-in open-ear micro-speakers allow riders to listen to music or take a phone call. The glasses are IPX water-resistant rated and are also prescription-compatible.

In 2019, we tested a set of cycling eyewear that included a heads-up display, which was a cool concept but pretty mid overall. Perhaps ditching the display and focusing on audio cues will prove to be a more viable option.

A close-up view of a mountain bike's drivetrain, featuring a green frame, a rear cassette with multiple gears, and a derailleur. The bike is positioned on a stand, and a black background with the text "Cascade Components" is partially visible. The tire has "Eliminator Grid Trail" embossed on it.

Cascade high-pivot kit for the Specialized Stumpjumper 15

The Stumpjumper 15 is already a great mountain bike, so we were surprised to see this high-pivot conversion kit from Cascade Components. Clearly, a lot of thought and care went into this design, and it’s cool to see the brand experimenting and pushing the envelope.

A bicycle technician adjusts the handlebars of a blue mountain bike using a cordless drill. The bike is mounted on a repair stand, and the technician is smiling while wearing sunglasses and a patterned shirt. In the background, tools and equipment are organized on stands.

Park Tool PRS-30 bike repair stand

E-bikes are heavy, and some of the professional mechanics we’ve spoken with are getting tired of lifting them into the stand day in and day out. The new Park Tool PRS-30 repair stand bike has a lift built in that can be raised manually with a crank or by using an electric drill as seen here. It’s designed to hold up to 120lbs of weight.

Close-up of an orange bicycle frame featuring a black water bottle mounted on the frame and a black bottle cage. The bicycle has thick, textured tires suggesting it's designed for off-road use. A metal railing in the background indicates the bike is stationary.

Allied places downtube storage down low

Allied has designed their internal downtube storage hatch to sit below the bottle cage. Moving away from the more traditional water bottle cage storage door placement reduces stress points when riding with a full water bottle. The door is lightweight, attaches magnetically, and should help reduce rattling.

A white mountain bike with a suspension system on display against a backdrop featuring a close-up of a shoe in the snow. The bike has a detailed design with prominent components visible, including the wheels, chain, and frame. There are branding elements and logos in the background, adding to the promotional nature of the image.

Cachet Gnoli ‘funduro’ high-pivot bike

Ontario, Canada-based Cachet is known for its hardtail dirt jump and street/park bikes. At Sea Otter, the 2025 Cachet Gnoli four-bar 29er with 180/172mm of suspension front/rear was on display.

Image of a mountain bike frame displayed on a table, featuring a mix of polished metallic and black components. The frame showcases intricate welding details and an integrated shock absorber, with a blurred background of trees and a promotional banner.

Williams Racing high-pivot frame spotted

Speaking of high-pivot bikes, we spotted this high-pivot frame at the Williams Racing Products booth. No details were available.

A black bicycle pedal displayed against a vibrant red backdrop, featuring the text "NEW XYSTO." The pedal showcases a modern design with visible branding and a clear shadow on the wall behind it.

Time XYSTO Pedals

SRAM and RockShox have had a busy year already, launching the new Eagle 90 mechanical drivetrain, Motive brakes, and an updated Reverb AXS dropper post. With all that going on, we nearly missed the Time XYSTO (pronounced “She-stoh”) clipless mountain bike pedals, which feature a massive platform with five pins per side.

A black mountain bike displayed on a red platform with the text "RIDE WRAP." The bike features prominent suspension components, thick tires, and a sleek frame design. In the background, other bicycles are visible, along with a tent structure and informational graphics about bike protection and maintenance. The setting appears to be at a bike show or event, with a grassy area underneath.

UNO Myth e-bike with DJI Avinox system

The UNO Myth, which was announced just before Sea Otter, is set to be one of the first to utilize the powerful and responsive DJI Avinox motor.

Praxis gearbox prototype

Gearboxes are all the rage lately, and Praxis unveiled their prototype Hinged Transmission (HiT) system at Sea Otter. You can find more details in this article that we published last week.

You can buy SRAM brakes directly from the brand now

SRAM quietly added Motive and Maven Expert brake kits to their e-commerce site, which also sells select Time pedals, AXS drivetrain parts and accessories, and apparel. Could we see more direct sales from the component brand in the future? At the very least, it appears they are testing the waters.