Keeping the tradition alive, weve got another roundup of event attendees bikes for you. Readers Rigs of the2026 Sea Otter Classic is packed with interesting bikesand plenty of strong opinions on the emerging 32 wheel size. From a lightning-fast Specialized prototype to a flock of Neuhaus Hummingbirds, theres a lot to take in. Dive into this special edition of the Readers Rigs series here.The post Readers Rigs of the 2026 Sea Otter Classic appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

It's the oldest race on the UCI calendar with over 80 individual riders having won the race

Tributes have been paid to 36-year-old politician and animal rights activist ukasz Litewka, whose death has sparked calls for improved cycling infrastructure in Poland

On the weekend of the 26th of April, the riders will be on the roads of western Belgium for the fourth monument of the year, which is also the last of the Ardennes and the spring classics entirely. It is Lige-Bastogne-Lige, a race designed for the puncheurs and climbers to fight for a highly prest...

If youre looking for an all-rounder road bike, this deal direct from Kinesis is certainly worth considering. The Kinesis 4S is a versatile road bike with all-year-around ambitions, as the name suggests. The bike retails for 1,600, but with this direct deal, that price has been slashed to 795. Kinesis uses a double-butted alloy 6061 frame, featuring an array of mount fittings, connected to a carbon fork up front for weight savings and added compliance. The 4S is a classically styled bike with modern features. Kinesis This frame is the same as the one used on the Kiness R1 road bike, which we touted as a fine riding frameset when we tested it. This model features a Shimano Tiagra mechanical groupset with hydraulic braking and comes equipped with mudguards as standard. The spec of the bike is impressive for the price. Kinesis When we tested the previous model, we rated it a solid 4 stars. That bike retailed at 1,850, so with the updated version at this price level, its a very tempting proposition. The 4S stands for Four Seasons. Kinesis If youre looking for a relatively cheap hack bike or a light touring bike, the 4S appears to be a steal, and with the 32mm stock tyres, it will likely cope with light gravel duties, too. The deal is only available direct from Kinesis, so if you want to secure it youll need to head to the brand's site to place an order. The deal is only on offer in the graphite grey option, and at the time of writing there are medium and large-framed bikes available. Buy the Kinesis 4S Tiagra now from Kinesis for 795

British team inks a deal with WTW, and Caf de Colombia is back in the game

Giulio Pellizzari sealed overall victory at the Tour of the Alps 2026 with a decisive solo attack on the final stage, turning a four-second overnight lead into a race-winning move on the slopes of Montoppio. The Italian attacked inside the final 20 kilometres and never looked back, riding clear of h...

UPDATED April 24, 2026 BY Michael Coo IN Bamboo Road no comments The Bamboo Road: Cambodia UpdateMay you live in interesting times.This English expression (or curse) certainly applies to our current global situation and makes planning long distance cycling tours even more challenging than usual, throwing up obstacles seemingly endlessly. One thing we have learned over 20 years, however, is that obstacles also provide opportunities.In late June last year, the Thailand/Cambodia border closed due to an ongoing conflict between the 2 nations. Our popular Bamboo Road Cycling Tour had been happily pedalling across that border ever since 2013 so for the 2026 ride, we obviously needed a Plan B. We could have simply paused the tour in Siem Reap, Cambodia for a few days to make up for the missing part of the route that crossed the border and continued to Bangkok and then flown directly to the Thai capital.but, hey, wheres the fun in that!Instead, we researched a new plan to take the riders south from Phnom Penh into the southern region of Cambodia, somewhere our tours had not reached previously. They will get to cycle through some of Cambodias most beautiful countryside and experience many new highlights before arriving in Siem Reap for their flight to Bangkok. Here is some of what they can look forward to.Cardamom MountainsThe vast forested region is one of the last remaining true wilderness areas in South East Asia. It features numerous sites of historical interest like jar burials and cave art and is home to some of the countrys indigenous peoples including the Chong who predate Khmer civilization. The mountains also contain a variety of fauna such as the Asian elephant, Indochinese tiger, clouded leopard, wild dog, gaur, Malayan sun bear, pileated gibbon, Sunda pangolin, Tenasserim white-bellied rat, Irrawaddy and humpback dolphins and the very rare Siamese crocodiles.Wildlife SanctuariesPangolinThe riders will pass through the Peam Krasaop & Phnum Samkos Wildlife Sanctuaries. The Peam Krasaop Sanctuary is just outside the riverside town of Koh Kong where the riders will spend a night. Its spectacular mangroves protect the coastline and provide a safe spot for marine life to flourish. The Phnum Samkos Sanctuary is a vital area for birds and riders can also keep their eyes out for the rare pangolin.Bonus tip: In Koh Kong, riders should be sure to visit the Crab Shack on Koh Yor Beach for delicious food and amazing sunset views.Tatai WaterfallsOn their ride to Koh Kong, the cyclists should be sure to make the short 2km detour off the main road to see these falls. Set along the picturesque Tatai River, these beautiful rapids feature a number of refreshing pools where the riders can cool off after a long, hot day on their bikes.Sangkae River Boat RideLeaving the atmospheric French colonial architecture of Battambang, the riders will enjoy a relaxing cruise along the Sangkae River on a traditional Cambodian riverboat, taking in the riverside sights as they make their way to Siem Reap and the stunning temples of Angkor Wat.RELATEDTOURBamboo Road Many of us have criss-crossed the countries of South-East Asia on a shoestring over the years, returning home with fond memories. Now we invite... Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "The Bamboo Road: Cambodia Update" Cancel reply

Former UAE Team Emirates rider Cristian Camilo Muoz has died six days after suffering a crash at the Tour du Jura on April 18, following complications from a serious knee injury. The Colombian, who rode for UAE Team Emirates between 2019 and 2021 and most recently represented NU Colombia, initially...

Spokes are spokes, right? That may have been true at one point, but thanks to the world of composites, spokes are getting lighter, stronger, and in some cases, even more durable. The 2026 Sea Otter Classic seemed like a hotbed of composite spoke innovation this year, with at least three brands debuting new technology. It wasnt just small bespoke wheel manufacturers either Sapim, one of the bigger names in steel spoke production, is also getting into the composite spoke game. Sapim RC-1 Flexible SpokeWhen you see the folks from both Wolf Tooth Components and Boyd Wheels in another booth checking out something behind the scenes, you pay attention. That was the case when I spotted all of them in the Sapim tent, which was little more than two empty tables with a few freestanding banners. It turns out they were both interested in the new Sapim RC-1 spoke, and for good reason. The RC-1 is made with technology from Applied Fiber, which makes products for everything from offshore mooring, mining, humanoid tendons (used by NASA and others), and seemingly every military, aerospace, and defense contractor in the United States. We werent told how the RC-1 spoke is made, only that its fully pre-tensioned and wont stretch like steel or other flexible spokes (and reminiscent of the Spinergy Spox). At 1.9g for a 260mm spoke, its 3g lighter than a CX-Ray steel spoke, and 1g lighter than their CX-Carbon spoke. It will also add vertical compliance to the finished wheel. Sapim is apparently bringing in the machinery to build these in-house in Belgium as we speak, and it sounds like it will be OEM only for the time being. Judging by the interest from other wheel brands, we might be seeing these in wheels before you know it. In other Sapim spoke news, they mentioned that Sapim USA is bringing in 340mm long barrel steel spokes that they can cut and thread for industry partners to fit 32 wheels. Theyll offer Leader, Race, and CX-Sprint options, so if youve been looking for longer spokes for your big wheel builds, hit up Sapim USA. Partingtons New R-Series with Continuous Carbon Fiber SpokesBased out of Australia, Partington is already known for unapologetically high-end wheels with advanced carbon spoke tech. Their existing R-Series wheels use their proprietary In-Tension spoke tech, which wraps 108,000 continuous carbon filaments from the rim, around the hub, and back to the rim at another spot. The tech provides an extremely light and high-performing wheelset, but it also comes with all the pitfalls of a wheel with spokes that are bonded in and cant be adjusted or replaced. Thats where the new R-Series (MKIII?) comes in. The spokes still involve continuous carbon fiber, only this time, that carbon is in a loop that extends the length of the spoke with eight layers. The spokes have a loop at the hub, in which a little pin is inserted and threaded into the hub with an Allen key. Those pins are eccentric, which allows a small range of tension to be added by turning the allen screw. On the rim side, there is a key lock so the spoke goes into a slot, then twists to lock in place. That leaves an unpunctured rim bed which doesnt need tape for tubeless. The goal is to provide a similar ride to the In-Tension spokes, but with the ability to fine-tune or replace the spokes if needed. Of course, these proprietary spokes will need a proprietary hub, but a similar obsession with the details has been employed here as well. An external lockring for Centerlock is used to allow wider bearing spacing, and the main load bearing is a needle bearing for increased durability. The freehub ratchet is a helical spline design with very low drag, but the design means the harder you pedal, the harder the ratchet engages. Even the end caps have been given an overhaul with PEEK plastic, which they claim is 4x stronger than aluminum but is still kinder on carbon frames and wont corrode. The 50mm deep rims will use their foam core design with a crochet hook profile, and are 23mm internal with a 34mm external profile optimized for 28-32mm tires. The new R-Series wheels will officially launch on June 1. While they may be slightly less expensive than the $7,500 R-Series MKII, dont expect them to be cheap or even remotely affordable. Gulos New Straight Pull Braided Carbon SpokesGulos new spokes arent exactly a new technology, but its a new way for them to build their braided carbon G-Spokes into far more wheels. Based and manufactured in Brevard, North Carolina, Gulo was born from KEIR manufacturing, which has 40+ years of composites and ceramics experience. The G-Spoke is a braided carbon tech that utilizes the same principle as a braided commercial cable. The patent-pending spokes are triaxially braided carbon with an additional material, which they say is a trade secret. With 900lbs of pull strength and 8% reduction in vibration, their own drop testing shows that the spokes are far more impact resistant than other carbon spokes and even steel spokes. But the previous design was a dual-threaded spoke, which required specific hubs. Now, theyre offering a straight pull spoke meant for any carbon spoke-compatible hub (like Industry Nine). The spokes feature titanium hardware on each end with a threaded internal nipple. Available soon with the new straight pull spokes, Gulo wheels range in price from $2,295-2,695, and are as light as 1,035g for the GMX SL XC wheel with a 30mm internal width. And of course, since its Sea Otter 2026, there is a 32 option as well. The GMX 32 starts at $2,395 with a 30mm internal rim and was shown still using their dual-threaded spokes. The post Spoke Stories: Exciting New Composite Spoke Tech from Partington, Sapim, and Gulo appeared first on Bikerumor.