{"id":48959,"date":"2023-05-04T17:11:51","date_gmt":"2023-05-04T15:11:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=727144"},"modified":"2023-05-04T17:36:02","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T15:36:02","slug":"jaw-dropping-titanium-cranks-a-new-12-speed-mechanical-drivetrain-garage-door-gadgets-and-much-more-in-our-final-sea-otter-2023-round-up","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/jaw-dropping-titanium-cranks-a-new-12-speed-mechanical-drivetrain-garage-door-gadgets-and-much-more-in-our-final-sea-otter-2023-round-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Jaw-dropping titanium cranks, a new 12-speed mechanical drivetrain, garage door gadgets and much more in our final Sea Otter 2023 round-up"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s time to draw the curtain on our coverage from Sea Otter \u2013 and we’re going out with a bang <\/p>

By George Scott\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 04 May 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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If you thought the tech well at Sea Otter 2023 had run dry, you were wrong, because here we are with our final round-up from the Californian show.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s a corker, if we do say so ourselves, with some of the finest bike jewellery we spotted during our time in the States, a bunch of new products, throwback tech, quirky gadgets and more.<\/p>\n

So strap yourselves in for our highlights from 5DEV, Vittoria, TRP, Turner, Boyd, Hayes, Cane Creek, Maxxis, Fox and more.<\/p>\n

5DEV\u2019s show-stopping titanium cranks, chainrings and stems<\/h2>\n
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Totally unnecessary and totally necessary all at the same time.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

5DEV\u2019s stand stopped a lot of people in their tracks at Sea Otter<\/a>, owing to the heavily machined cranks, chainrings, stems and pedals on show.<\/p>\n

5DEV is a bike components brand born out of 5th Axis, a CNC machining company making complex parts for a wide range of industries.<\/p>\n

The co-founders of 5th Axis have been riding bikes for years \u2013 since head tube angles were 71 degrees, they say \u2013 and are now combining that passion with the machining expertise of 5th Axis.<\/p>\n

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5DEV knows a thing or two about machining.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Anyway, 5DEV\u2019s new titanium cranks caught our eye initially at Sea Otter, thanks to their wild lattice design \u2013 and the fact they\u2019re made from titanium, of course.<\/p>\n

The cranks on display were prototype versions, but they\u2019ll be going into production soon. They\u2019re cut from a solid block of titanium and the machining here is seriously impressive.<\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s all entirely unnecessary, but if you\u2019re looking for some bike jewellery for your ride, then you\u2019ve got it here.<\/p>\n

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The cranks start out as a big ol\u2019 block of titanium.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The cranks weigh 530g, including the spindle, or 600g with 5DEV\u2019s new titanium chainring. Both use an eight-bolt direct-mount design, compatible with SRAM\u2019s latest T-Type Transmission drivetrains<\/a>. SRAM switched to eight-bolt to offer compatibility with Quarq power meters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not sure about the pricing for the cranks at the moment.<\/p>\n

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5DEV also has titanium chainrings.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The chainrings are available in 30t and 32t sizes, in a raw finish, bronze, purple or teal. If you\u2019re paying for titanium chainrings, then you\u2019ve got to choose the raw finish, haven\u2019t you? Yours for $199.99.<\/p>\n

5DEV also offers a heavily machined titanium stem, with a 40mm option now available alongside the 32mm and 48mm versions. The stems fit 35mm bars, or 31.8mm bars with a shim (provided). Again, there are four finishes to choose from.<\/p>\n

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There are 32mm, 40mm and 48mm stem options.<\/span> <\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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Want a stem with a difference?<\/span> <\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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5DEV is also working on 70mm, 80mm and 90mm stems for gravel riding.<\/span> <\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

The 5DEV Titanium Stem costs $399.99.<\/p>\n

The 48mm stem was fitted to a Specialized Diverge STR<\/a> gravel bike at Sea Otter. That\u2019s short, as far as gravel stems are concerned, so 5DEV is also working on 70mm, 80mm and 90mm options.<\/p>\n

Finally, before we move on, 5DEV also works with aluminium. The road\/gravel crank pictured is aluminium, as are the brand\u2019s mountain bike pedals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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5DEV had worked its magic with these pedals, too.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The $189.99 All Around Pedal has pins on the outside of the pedal, for riders who want to make quick foot adjustments.<\/p>\n

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The Trail\/Enduro pedals add central pins and machined arms for additional grip.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The $249.99 Trail\/Enduro pedal has additional pins in the middle of the pedal, as well as machined indents on the arms of the pedal body, for extra grip.<\/p>\n

Vittoria has a new tyre liner for XC and trail riding<\/h2>\n
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Vittoria\u2019s new Air-Liner Light.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Vittoria used Sea Otter to launch a new tyre liner, the Air-Liner Light, designed for cross-country, downcountry and trail riding, according to the Italian brand.<\/p>\n

Vittoria already has the Air-Liner MTB<\/a> in its range, so the Air-Liner Light comes in \u2013 yep, you guessed it \u2013 and a lightweight option. And it is impressively light \u2013 a claimed 50g.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s designed for XC, downcountry and trail riding, according to Vittoria.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Two-time Olympic XC champion and five-time world champion, Julien Absalon, has been testing this for Vittoria, which gives you an idea of the type of riding the Air-Liner Light is aimed at.<\/p>\n

Whereas the existing Air-Liner MTB has a figure of 8 shape, flipped on its side, the Air-Liner Light has a diamond profile. This, Vittoria says, is designed to improve the stability of the tyre, particularly given the lightweight tyre casings<\/a> this insert is most likely to be paired with.<\/p>\n

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The Air-Liner Light comes (and must be used) with this multi-way tubeless valve.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

This, in turn, is said to improve puncture protection and the suspension characteristics of the liner. \u201cThe unique foam of the Air-Liner Light provides a \u2018limitless travel\u2019 feeling to the tyre compression which increases comfort, grip, and speed,\u201d according to Vittoria.<\/p>\n

Vittoria says the Air-Liner Light is designed to fit 29\u00d72.1in to 29\u00d72.4in tyres, on wheels with a rim width<\/a> of 25-30mm.<\/p>\n

While we\u2019re talking tyre inserts, CushCore launched the Trail insert at Sea Otter, designed to sit between its Pro and XC options. Go and check that out in our day one round-up<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Is TRP\u2019s EVO12 the mechanical answer to high-end groupsets?<\/h2>\n
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We saw TRP\u2019s new EVO12 drivetrain at Sea Otter 2023.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Sea Otter saw a number of drivetrain challenger brands exhibit in a continued attempt to muscle market share from Shimano and SRAM.<\/p>\n

Tom Marvin\u2019s already covered new nine-speed parts from Box Components<\/a>, aimed at providing an affordable alternative, while TRP had its new EVO12 drivetrain on display.<\/p>\n

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Can EVO12 provide a mechanical alternative to the latest 12-speed electronic groupsets?<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

We reported on the launch of EVO12 in March<\/a>, but this was the first time we\u2019d seen the 12-speed mechanical drivetrain in the flesh. There\u2019s also a seven-speed version for downhill racing.<\/p>\n

With SRAM and Shimano continuing to focus on high-end electronic groupsets<\/a>, could TRP provide an alternative for mountain bikers who want the tactile feel \u2013 and lower cost \u2013 of cables? We\u2019ve got an EVO12 en-route to BikeRadar HQ for review so will find out how it performs.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not familiar, TRP \u2013 Tektro Racing Products \u2013 was founded in 2006 as the high-end components of Tektro, the brakes brand that makes millions of brakes each year. Therefore, this is a company with scale and expertise when it comes to manufacturing.<\/p>\n

EVO12 supersedes TRP\u2019s TR12<\/a> rear derailleur and shifter kit. Here, we\u2019ve got a complete drivetrain, with TRP making almost everything in-house, including the crankset and cassette. The chain comes from KMC.<\/p>\n

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TRP had to produce a cassette to complete the drivetrain.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The new cassette is a two-piece design, with a 10-52t range (10-11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-36-44-52).<\/p>\n

The bottom 10 sprockets are made from steel, for improved durability, while the two largest sprockets are made from aluminium, to reduce weight. The cassette is compatible with Microspline freehubs<\/a>, but not XD drivers.<\/p>\n

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The Taiwanese brand now has cranks, too.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The carbon crankset is also new and is available in 165mm and 170mm crank lengths<\/a>, spinning on a 30mm aluminium axle. There\u2019s a forged aluminium version, too.<\/p>\n

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TRP says the shifter ergonomics have been improved, compared to the old TR12 drivetrain.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Elsewhere, TRP says the shifter ergonomics have been improved, with a lighter lever action compared to TR12. It\u2019s Matchmaker compatible<\/a>. One of the neat features here is the option to toggle the shifter between one upshift per click or five, using a small switch on the underside of the unit.<\/p>\n

As for the rear derailleur, Tektro says it now shifts on a horizontal parallelogram, compared to the more angular actuation of the TR12 derailleur, and it\u2019s a stiffer design.<\/p>\n

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The rear derailleur\u2019s Hall Lock (the gold lever) secures the B-knuckle.<\/span><\/figcaption> George Scott \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

TRP\u2019s Hall Lock feature remains. It\u2019s effectively an on\/off lever that, when \u2018on\u2019, locks the B-knuckle in place to secure the derailleur body, and reduce chain movement and drivetrain noise. The Hall Lock can be turned off to remove the rear wheel. There\u2019s also a clutch.<\/p>\n

Finally, before we get on to pricing, all EVO12 components are available in the gold-black finish pictured, as well as an all-black option.<\/p>\n

TRP EVO12 pricing<\/h3>\n