Tech gallery: 2024 Sea Otter Classic, part five

Project321 debuted a set of gravel hubs it's planning to officially launch in the coming months. These feature downsized bodies and more appropriate flange dimensions for the segment, and lower weights that are more inline with DT Swiss's popular 240 range. Project 321 says a pair should tip the scales right around 350 g.

Project321 does a lot of things right with its hub design. Note the dual double-row bearings positioned right where the axle needs the most support. It's not the lightest way to do it, but shaving grams isn't everything, either.

Project321 outfits each freehub body with eight magnetically actuated pawls. Those pawls have three teeth each and operate in four offset pairs, offering a super-quick 1.25° engagement speed despite only using a 72-tooth ratchet ring. The plastic retaining ring means pawls won't go flying when you remove the freehub body, too.

You want colors? We got your colors right here! Project321's modular construction means you can mix and match to your heart's delight.

Project321's 6-Lock continues to impress. It offers an unusual, robust way to use a six-bolt rotor on a Center Lock hub, but also easy field serviceability and a bit of a failsafe. Using a 6-Lock, you can resurrect a Center Lock hub with botched threads, and a single cross-threaded bolt doesn't mean the end of an otherwise perfectly good hub, either.

Hunt's new 50 Carbon Disc road wheelset is priced at US$1,000, but features a modern 30 mm external width and 22 mm internal width (hooked!), a U-shaped 50 mm-deep profile, and Hunt's latest star ratchet-style hubs. Claimed weight for the set is 1,464 g.

Hunt is yet another brand that has incorporated a DT Swiss-style star ratchet mechanism into its rear hub.

Hunt Gravel Race Disc and 4 Season Pro wheelsets

Hunt's popular Gravel Race Disc (left) and 4 Season Pro (right) aluminum wheels have been updated with more generous internal and external widths to keep up with changing tire preferences.

Reflective decals boost low-light visibility for approaching cars.

Hot on the heels of its new Solix gravel and all-road wheels, Industry Nine has incorporated its new hubs into its mountain bike range, too.

Industry Nine's new Solix M hubs feature five pawls that engage independently for an ultra-quick 0.59° engagement speed.

Industry Nine offers wheelsets with conventional steel spokes, but it's the anodized and machined aluminum ones shown here that arguably put the company on the map.

Fox says its new 32 SC fork is the lightest 100 mm-travel fork it's produced to date. The radical-looking uppers are obviously what draw your eye, but there are also a bunch of weight-saving measures on the inside, too.

When this fork was announced, I wondered if Fox might eventually transition more of its range to reverse arches. However, Fox insists that's not the case, and that this layout really only suits the short-travel XC format given associated constraints with the crown geometry.

Fox says its new Grip SL damper is 60 g lighter than the previous FIT4 model. And while the rebound circuit seems impossibly tiny, it also does a lot less work than the compression one, which is much bigger and moves more oil than it used to.The new damper will also be available for upgrades on current-gen chassis, including the 32 TC gravel fork, for riders looking to shave some extra weight.

Boyd Cycling is on a mission to bring as much of its wheel production in-house. A few months ago it started extruding and rolling its own aluminum rims, and now, it's purchased Munich Composites and will be doing its own carbon rims stateside, too.

Boyd Cycling will be making its carbon fiber composite rims using dry woven fabric and resin transfer molding.

While most wheel brands have walked away from rim brakes, Boyd is still continuing to develop aluminum and carbon fiber models.

Remember in my intro article on the Cane Creek Invert gravel suspension fork when I said it wouldn't be long before custom painted versions started showing up? Cane Creek went ahead and dressed this one up for its Sea Otter display, and as I'd suspected, it looks fantastic.

Kids' bike specialist brand Prevelo showed off its revamped range of Zulu aluminum hardtails. Shaving weight was a big focus, with this 20"-wheeled model tipping the scales at just 9.3 kg (20.5 lb) without pedals.

Kudos to Prevelo's product manager for speccing a real drivetrain for little shredders, complete with clutched rear derailleurs.

One of the things that impressed me the most about the new Prevelo Zulu models was the new RST fork. It's apparently a stock model from RST, but it was extraordinarily sensitive – perfect for lightweight riders.

Tubeless-compatible tires and wheels come stock, and the rims are pre-taped, too.

The Tektro hydraulic disc brakes are sized for little hands.

UDH, yo! Because at some point, your kid totally needs a SRAM Transmission setup.

Heir – Prevelo's house brand of components – offers these aluminum pedals with downsized bodies for small feet, and the pins have rounded tips so they won't shred little ones' shins.

Race Face's new Era chainring combines stainless steel teeth, a carbon fiber body, and an aluminum crankarm interface for what the company claims is a lightweight chainring that's also very long-lasting. You can easily crunch the numbers to justify the US$150 asking price, but it unfortunately is only offered to work with Race Face crankarms.

Spot Gen 4 and Spot X satellite communicators

Heading out in the middle of nowhere and worried about being out of cell range? That situation is more common than you think if you're an endurance athlete, and a satellite communicator can offer a reassuring lifeline. Spot is one of the originators of the segment, and says that its devices have been credited for more than 10,000 rescues since the brand kicked off in 2008.I've got a close friend who nearly died last year after a freak mountain bike crash in the backcountry. He was lucky that one of his riding buddies was able to quickly get a cell signal that day, but the story easily could have turned out very differently. Our crew will be carrying something like this from here on out.

Spot offers two different satellite communicator devices depending on what you need. The Spot X shown here includes a full keyboard for faster and easier two-way messaging, while the smaller and lighter Spot Gen 4 relies on an associated smartphone app. Either way, flipping the cover and pressing the SOS button will immediately trigger a rescue with emergency responders automatically receiving your precise location anywhere in the world.

The devices themselves aren't terribly expensive – this one is US$250 – but they do require service plans. Spot's basic annual plan costs about US$140 and includes only 20 custom messages per month, but unlimited canned and check-in messages, dot tracking, and SOS calls.And what about newer smartphones that include satellite SOS calls built-in? Spot claims its dedicated satellite network is more robust, but the big upside to a standalone device is run time. Depending on settings, the Spot X two-way communicator will supposedly run for up to 10 days.

Spot also offers the Trace, which is designed solely for property tracking. The company says it's popular for stuff like cars and motorcycles, and because it doesn't rely on Bluetooth for location, it offers more reliable tracking performance.

Tifosi was once a brand I shunned for its somewhat cheap-looking appearances and less-than-stellar optics. However, the brand has made huge strides in recent years on both fronts, to the point where I often reach for a pair of Tifosis over more prestigious brands. Impressively, though, Tifosi has continued to stand by its value-oriented pricing. This Stash model, for example, retails for US$80. Solid.

Tifosi is killing it on the more casual side of things, too. I'm kicking myself for not picking up a pair of these at Sea Otter. The new Sanctum shown here is only US$35!

You know how sunglasses often show up wrapped in a plastic bag, with the storage bag stuffed into yet another plastic bag? Tifosi has been working to ditch the plastic bags altogether, instead just putting the glasses into the microfiber bags to begin with. This seems awfully intuitive, but it apparently was quite the struggle to get the factory to agree to this.

I can assure you that Giro's Aerohead 2 time trial helmet doesn't look any less jarring in person than it does in pictures. That said, a first-person inspection makes it plainly obvious just how fast this helmet is – at least if you've got the right position to go with it.

But is the Giro Aerohead 2 helmet safe? Time trial helmets have a reputation of being little more than plastic shells designed solely to sculpt the wind, but Giro insists the Aerohead 2 ticks all the boxes. If nothing else, that's a heck of a lot of foam in that liner.

Giro's new Gritter is aiming at the high end of the gravel market with its premium construction and US$400 price tag.

The tread on the Gritter's carbon fiber plate is more pared-down compared to a cross-country shoe. As always, the proof is in the pudding, but this looks like it could be a good one.

San Francisco-based outfit Ornot has got to be one of my favorite cycling apparel brands. I've been regularly impressed with its fabric selections and tailoring over the years, as well as its dogged commitment to timeless aesthetics with minimal branding instead of continually chasing the next big thing. This cotton-and-bamboo "organic riding shirt" looks mighty comfy.

Fizik's new Powerstrap Aeroweave road shoes look like they'll be exceptionally airy in hot conditions. Having tried the previous Vento Powerstrap Aeroweave model, I'm super curious how these will feel.

The new upper material promises to still provide ample support despite its barely-there appearance. Choose your socks carefully.

Fizik has partnered with Pas Normal Studios for the new Mechanism PNS x fizik road shoe. The mesh uppers are laminated with polyurethane, perforated for breathability, and mounted to a stiff carbon plate. The machined aluminum Boa Li2 dials are a nice finishing touch.

Fizik is most definitely not a brand that's afraid of color.

Fizik has expanded its range of 3D-printed saddles with the new Antares Adaptive.

Outbound Lighting previewed its new taillight for road and gravel. Key performance targets include best-in-class visibiilty, a wide range of both rear and side visibility, and a much longer run time than usual. This one isn't ready yet, but it doesn't look to be too far out, either.

Outbound Lighting also previewed the update for its popular Portal helmet light, with outputs and run times more inline with the bar-mounted Trail Evo.