The 32-Inch Wheel Debate, $6,500 Wheels, and the Wildest Tech at Sea Otter

We break down the polarizing "big wheel" trend, compare ultra-premium Partington wheels to Hunt's high-value alternatives, and dive into the coolest gear from the Sea Otter Classic. This week, the podcast is all about Sea Otter and we’ve got a full house. Lisa Charlebois, Logan Jones-Wilkins, and I all spent time in California at the event, and we’ve got stories to tell. We kick things off by sharing what the vibe was like on the ground, especially for Jones-Wilkins, who was attending the show for the very first time. After that, we get into the big news: big wheels. Some of us are skeptical and some favor the potential efficiency, but either way, 32-inch wheels are the topic we had to cover. There is a lot to take in, but we focus on the Salsa Fargo, a 32-inch lugged carbon bike from Faction, and a Ventum mountain bike coming this summer. From there, we talk gravel bikes. This is Sea Otter, so gravel is the focus, and Logan dives deep on a few cool bikes, including the Look G85 and an aero-focused SEKA featuring integrated Fidlock bottles. Despite the dirt-heavy show, I try to keep it road-first whenever possible, and there were some notable road launches. Partington showed off a crazy expensive wheelset that is incredibly light for a 50mm depth and uses a continuous carbon spoke system. The real surprise, however, was Hunt. Hunt launched a wheelset that is thousands of dollars cheaper than the Partington offering, slightly deeper, and nearly as light. It wasn’t only wheels, either. I saw a Tavelo aero bike with 40mm of tire clearance and a 650g frame weight that will likely cost half the price of its competition. The No. 22 3D-printed titanium bike definitely won't cost half of anything, but it was spectacular to see getting closer to production. It might even cost more than the lugged-carbon Colnago C72 that launched just before the show. Finally, we wrap it up with our favorite things from Sea Otter. Charlebois easily had the best answer, but jump into the comments on Velo and let us know what you thought was the coolest tech we reported on. 00:00 Intro: The Sea Otter Classic Experience 05:10 The 32-Inch Wheel Debate 19:30 Look G85 Gravel Bike 23:42 Wheel Tech: Partington vs. Hunt 27:56 Tavelo 650g Aero Road Frame 32:00 Sika Aero Gravel Bike 35:00 No. 22 3D-Printed Titanium Bike 37:20 Colnago C72 & Expensive Paint 40:14 The $25,000 Factor Bugatti Concept Bike 42:30 Our favorite things