Our favorite gear at Sea Otter Classic wasn’t the bikes—it was the accessories

A Bluetooth suction-cup rack and a palm-sized tow rope were among our most practical finds.

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[Purpleivan]

Looking at the article's main photo, all I could think of was the horrible sound of bike scraping the paintwork of a very expensive car, followed by a thought of "what was that" and a nervous glance in the rearview mirror.

 

[limeos]

The article could have use a photo gallery. Now you gotta click on all the links. Is that for generating traffic with referers?

 

[Demosthenes642]

I have a set of Sea Suckers that are effectively the same thing as that Allan Sports set. I do really like the idea of BT alerts because I was always just a little bit nervous on the highway. That said, I never had the tiniest bit of a suction issue. I didn't leave them on the car for days at a time and always made sure to check them anytime we made a stop. It's still a good option for cars that you otherwise can't or don't want to get crossbars for.

The thing you have to watch out for though is making sure that the suction surface and your paint are both super clean before you attach it. Otherwise any dust gets mechanically ground into your paintwork

 

[Anomalydesign]

The Kommit sounds like just the thing I need to drag my kid along on for a bike ride, both figuratively and literally

 

[Handmaden of Sappho]

I'm glad to see more bike gear content on Ars (the bike reviews are some of my favorite articles/reviews to read each month honestly)! It would've been nice to see a few more photos, as others have said, but perhaps just a lesson for future gear wrap-ups like this. I would especially be interested in a follow-up review on Pikio Labs' helmet claims, I'm not sure if it's just a different angle on the WaveCel iteration that was popular a few years ago (https://wavecel.com/). It's great folks are trying to find new ways to improve cyclist safety so hopefully my slight cynicism is misplaced.

 

[Tactical Finesse]

The Kommit sounds like just the thing I need to drag my kid along on for a bike ride, both figuratively and literally

Berm Peak had a review of it I think on one of his weird bike product review vids. He liked it. Can't find it on his feed as of this AM though or I'd link it

 

[ElectricMexican]

I have a set of Sea Suckers that are effectively the same thing as that Allan Sports set. I do really like the idea of BT alerts because I was always just a little bit nervous on the highway. That said, I never had the tiniest bit of a suction issue. I didn't leave them on the car for days at a time and always made sure to check them anytime we made a stop. It's still a good option for cars that you otherwise can't or don't want to get crossbars for.

The thing you have to watch out for though is making sure that the suction surface and your paint are both super clean before you attach it. Otherwise any dust gets mechanically ground into your paintwork

I have a set of Sea Suckers as well and I would agree that the Bluetooth would be nice. I have been using them for about two years and I think only once when I got to the trail I looked and one of the suctions was showing orange.
They say they have tested them on a race track going over 100 mph without issues, but it always makes me nervous on longer drives. The Bluetooth would give me a bit of peace of mind.

 

[small_furry_spider]

Anyone got a pic of the tow rope thing? The website it blocked by the corporate proxy as being newly registered

 

[ubercurmudgeon]

How much AI-shoehorned-into-everything was on display at this trade show? Is the bicycle industry one of the last trades yet to succumb to the hype machine, or are there already AI-enabled cranks to tell you how to ride pedal more circularly, AI bicycle pumps that can recite poetry for some reason, and AI-designed saddles that promise to make chafing a thing of the past?

Edit: Yes, it turns out, there is an AI-designed saddle.

 

[RCook]

There was a local MTB'er that had a set of Sea Suckers on his 911 decades ago. What's old is new.

 

[Geldaran]

Impressive safety score on that helmet, but the price is a little absurd. the #2 and #3 helmets are $160 and $150. Great that they are pushing safety standards forward, but hard to justify a +$200 premium.

 

[just another rmohns]

Impressive safety score on that helmet, but the price is a little absurd. the #2 and #3 helmets are $160 and $150. Great that they are pushing safety standards forward, but hard to justify a +$200 premium.

My reflexive reaction was “How much is your head worth?” But your point is valid: there is a threshold past which safety devices usually don’t add much extra safety. My helmet context is motorcycling. A $250 HJC will protect my skull and face just as well as an $850 Arai; the difference is in fit, lightness, stability at speed (a helmet can generate lift, which ain’t good), and attention to detail. But both of them will provide roughly the same protection to my noggin. (I buy Arai.)

I enjoyed the article and would like seeing more like here. I concur that some photos from the event itself would add interest. I appreciate that the author didn’t try to add padding and just picked a few good things to focus on. More, please, editors!

 

[wrecksdart]

Seconding (thirding?) the sentiment that bike stuff is good, glad to see it on the site. As to the price of the Pikio helmet, the testing site's own graphic shows that it's high but not the most expensive on the (tested) list:

It's entirely possible that a $100 helmet will protect a biker just as well as a $380 helmet will, but I could understand someone paying the premium for such an important piece of gear given it appears to back up the price with actual top-level performance.

 

[lithven]

I've never used anything like it so I'm probably off base but the suction cup bike rack seems like it would be a nightmare to get aligned and spaced properly.

 

[sturdius]

I've never used anything like it so I'm probably off base but the suction cup bike rack seems like it would be a nightmare to get aligned and spaced properly.

Most bike racks aren't custom tailored to your steed's dimensions, they are one size fits all. Close enough is good enough.

 

[Wulven]

Did everyone who used to go to Interbike just move over to Sea Otter Classic when Interbike shut down? Just curious.
For familial reasons I used to be heavily into cycling and used to follow along with every minute technology change, mostly for Road/TT Bikes. One of the Local shops here used to travel to Interbike every year and ALWAYS came back with tales of the newest tech we would never get to see. I always wanted to go, never made it.

 

[SimonW]

Oh I'd have been all over the periphery again and again. I'm constantly hacking and bodging bikes. I think a big thing that would improve many bikes is something you find on shoppers - the the front of the rear mudguard should extend back with a longer lip, so that the chain is protected from all the muck that it is throwing at the chain at 20mph. Now I know this is not one for the weight weenies, and there is some complication because with rear derailleurs, you have to make sure it doesn't catch the chain in the lowest gear. I ended up cobbling one together for mine and the chain stays so much cleaner. It could be better, but even in lowest gear it isn't a problem, and has been running reliably for a couple of years.

 

[Tactical Finesse]

Seconding (thirding?) the sentiment that bike stuff is good, glad to see it on the site. As to the price of the Pikio helmet, the testing site's own graphic shows that it's high but not the most expensive on the (tested) list:

It's entirely possible that a $100 helmet will protect a biker just as well as a $380 helmet will, but I could understand someone paying the premium for such an important piece of gear given it appears to back up the price with actual top-level performance.

Well, and IG the higher-end helmets are cooler in summer. They're engineered to need less material for the same crash cert so they have better airflow. But that tier of gear and that need--is for people crazy enough to be doing miles when it is 90F with a 70F+ dewpoint outside (I'll raise my hand and be counted).

And there has been some trickle-down of the higher-end feature set helmets to lower ones. So maybe it'll come to the more affordable price tier. MIPS itself used to be an exclusive thing, that there was some skepticism at, today just about every helmet from a reputable manufacturer has MIPS. Even decently-ventilated helmets are common on the lower tiers.

 

[FlyoverLand]

Roping bicycles together doesn't seem very safe to me.

 

[Mechjaz]

My reflexive reaction was “How much is your head worth?” But your point is valid: there is a threshold past which safety devices usually don’t add much extra safety. My helmet context is motorcycling. A $250 HJC will protect my skull and face just as well as an $850 Arai; the difference is in fit, lightness, stability at speed (a helmet can generate lift, which ain’t good), and attention to detail. But both of them will provide roughly the same protection to my noggin. (I buy Arai.)

I was doing a similar math. I had a crappy Cycle Gear store brand helmet for a long time. When I got my latest motorcycle, I did a huge update to my gear and got a pretty nice Shoei - for $500. That stung for sure, but I'm on a motorcycle doing mumblemumble miles per hour. On a bicycle it's a little harder for me to rationalize spending that much on a helmet. I thought I was spending big with my MIPS helmet at $150.

It's not that my head isn't worth protecting, it's that if I die on a bicycle it feels much more likely it'll be because I'll paralyzed and left for dead in a hit and run than because I didn't get the sort of bonk on the head that would have been just so less damaging with a helmet 2.5x more expensive.

 

[Artiste212]

I think we need more articles on bicycle accessories. This is a field subject to rapid advancement and we bicyclists would benefit from learning what's best to buy. It seems many of the bicycle websites have too much of a tie-in with manufacturers to know how much to trust their articles.

 

[Allthecheese]

Well, and IG the higher-end helmets are cooler in summer. They're engineered to need less material for the same crash cert so they have better airflow. But that tier of gear and that need--is for people crazy enough to be doing miles when it is 90F with a 70F+ dewpoint outside (I'll raise my hand and be counted).

And there has been some trickle-down of the higher-end feature set helmets to lower ones. So maybe it'll come to the more affordable price tier. MIPS itself used to be an exclusive thing, that there was some skepticism at, today just about every helmet from a reputable manufacturer has MIPS. Even decently-ventilated helmets are common on the lower tiers.

Same boat here, I got the Fox Speedframe in white (#5 on the list) precisely because of it's warm weather performance. The POC just doesn't have enough airflow and the Canyon for $165 has been out of stock since it's release.

 

[clackerd]

After riding two days to get to Sea Otter,

I want to know more about this part

 

[Robin-3]

I've never used anything like it so I'm probably off base but the suction cup bike rack seems like it would be a nightmare to get aligned and spaced properly.

I'm guessing it's not so much a case of measuring and placing the cups precisely on the car, as instead placing the cups/brackets first on the bike and then setting the bike on the car.

But that's a guess, so may be well off base.

 

[Tactical Finesse]

Oh I'd have been all over the periphery again and again. I'm constantly hacking and bodging bikes. I think a big thing that would improve many bikes is something you find on shoppers - the the front of the rear mudguard should extend back with a longer lip, so that the chain is protected from all the muck that it is throwing at the chain at 20mph. Now I know this is not one for the weight weenies, and there is some complication because with rear derailleurs, you have to make sure it doesn't catch the chain in the lowest gear. I ended up cobbling one together for mine and the chain stays so much cleaner. It could be better, but even in lowest gear it isn't a problem, and has been running reliably for a couple of years.


View attachment 133552

I. Like. Ti. Bikes. And I cannot lie.

 

[StuiWooi]

Rivian showed off its new cargo bike

Isn't that bike at front of shot the Also one that was featured recently, or has Rivian just ripped off the whole drive unit that was supposed to be its USP?

 

[clarityoffline]

I've never used anything like it so I'm probably off base but the suction cup bike rack seems like it would be a nightmare to get aligned and spaced properly.

with my seasucker, same concept without the bluetooth, I just mount the front part of the rack, put the bike on it, secure the fork to the rack, pick up the back tire place the vacuum cup underneath it, secure it to the car then secure the bike to the cup, it's actually pretty simple.

 

[Demosthenes642]

with my seasucker, same concept without the bluetooth, I just mount the front part of the rack, put the bike on it, secure the fork to the rack, pick up the back tire place the vacuum cup underneath it, secure it to the car then secure the bike to the cup, it's actually pretty simple.

Yep that's exactly how I do it. It's super simple in practice. Folks need to keep in mind that it's not really meant to be a full fledged alternative to a rack, instead it's for cars and situations where you can't use a rack and need to transport a bike or whatever else.

 

[macr0t0r]

Seconding (thirding?) the sentiment that bike stuff is good, glad to see it on the site. As to the price of the Pikio helmet, the testing site's own graphic shows that it's high but not the most expensive on the (tested) list:

It's entirely possible that a $100 helmet will protect a biker just as well as a $380 helmet will, but I could understand someone paying the premium for such an important piece of gear given it appears to back up the price with actual top-level performance.

I would love to see an X/Y chart of cost vs rating (in XKCD styling, please). That must exist somewhere.

 

[xyz123.domain]

Sea Sucker hides enough of their failed problems, I wouldn't trust ALLEN products as in general they are utter crap.

 

[B'Trey]

I have a set of Sea Suckers that are effectively the same thing as that Allan Sports set. I do really like the idea of BT alerts because I was always just a little bit nervous on the highway. That said, I never had the tiniest bit of a suction issue. I didn't leave them on the car for days at a time and always made sure to check them anytime we made a stop. It's still a good option for cars that you otherwise can't or don't want to get crossbars for.

The thing you have to watch out for though is making sure that the suction surface and your paint are both super clean before you attach it. Otherwise any dust gets mechanically ground into your paintwork

I have a set of Sea Suckers that I bought at least six years ago, so this isn't at all a new idea. I used it for carrying my mountain bike to the trails with my Corvette. I never had any issue with suction or with damage to the paint.

 

[B'Trey]

I've never used anything like it so I'm probably off base but the suction cup bike rack seems like it would be a nightmare to get aligned and spaced properly.

Not really. I always attached the rear wheel sucker to my car, then pulled the front tire off the bike and attached the front sucker to the forks. Pick up the bike, set the rear tire in place and lower the front end until the suckers touch the car. Then it's just a matter of pumping out the front suckers and strapping the rear tire to the mount.

 

[Laekon]

Helmet testing should be taken with some skepticism. Testing is on static head forms with no scalp or flexible neck. This was always the issue with MIPS but the marketing $ behind it over came the obvious gaps in their testing.

The Rivan isn't a cargo bike. With the seat at the proper height, you can't really put anything on top of the rack. It's also not able to hold a child or longer panniers.

Wish Ars would stop giving crappy products free marketing. This is like the claude mythos ai article.

 

[brewejon]

Seconding (thirding?) the sentiment that bike stuff is good, glad to see it on the site. As to the price of the Pikio helmet, the testing site's own graphic shows that it's high but not the most expensive on the (tested) list:

It's entirely possible that a $100 helmet will protect a biker just as well as a $380 helmet will, but I could understand someone paying the premium for such an important piece of gear given it appears to back up the price with actual top-level performance.

Past a certain price point (about $100, I'd say), more money doesn't buy you more safety. What it buys is a helmet that's lighter, more aero, and/or more comfortable.

 

[B'Trey]

Folks need to keep in mind that it's not really meant to be a full fledged alternative to a rack, instead it's for cars and situations where you can't use a rack and need to transport a bike or whatever else.

Not for me, it wasn't. There aren't many bike racks that will attach to a Corvette. I used my Sea Sucker for a couple of years to haul my mountain bike to the trail every weekend. That included trips of an hour or so, most of it on the highway at full speed. I had no issues at all.

 

[jhoff80]

Have a SeaSucker rack that I used to use on a small sedan for roughly 15 round trips of 300ish miles, at highway speeds of >85mph with no issues. So on the one hand, it feels like adding electronics and Bluetooth alerts is solving a problem that doesn't need to be fixed.

On the other hand, the first time I used the rack on the highway I was crazy paranoid, and pulled over after 10 miles to make sure it was secure, and then re-checked at every rest stop I made after that. So I can also understand wanting the peace of mind.

 

[Mechjaz]

Helmet testing should be taken with some skepticism. Testing is on static head forms with no scalp or flexible neck. This was always the issue with MIPS but the marketing $ behind it over came the obvious gaps in their testing.

The Rivan isn't a cargo bike. With the seat at the proper height, you can't really put anything on top of the rack. It's also not able to hold a child or longer panniers.

Wish Ars would stop giving crappy products free marketing. This is like the claude mythos ai article.

Having criticisms about an article, editorial, or other content does not automatically mean it's AI slop. I was actually pretty interested in what you had to say about MIPS until you went hard into the AI-advertorial conspiracy angle.

Edit: this response was based on a misreading of OP's post, my apologies.

 

[Aurich]

Isn't that bike at front of shot the Also one that was featured recently, or has Rivian just ripped off the whole drive unit that was supposed to be its USP?

That is the Also bike, but they're associated with Rivian, so I think it was just a little confusion.