Sea Otter 2026 proved that innovation in mountain biking is still going strong. This year, the Singletracks team discovered an impressive array of creative and unconventional builds, from eye-catching 32-inch wheel experiments to one-of-a-kind hand-built bikes to vintage restorations.
In short, these are the bikes that are pushing boundaries and sparking conversations.
Be More Bikes Mule EN
Bronson Moore was walking around with his Be More Bikes Mule EN high-pivot, gearbox downhill bike at Sea Otter. Naturally, the bike is set up with his Raised Reversed (RR) stem, and he was happy to let anyone throw a leg over the bike to see how it rides.
Frameworks 32/29 mixed wheel DH bike
Professional downhiller Neko Mulally was spotted rocking a mixed wheel setup on his Frameworks DH bike, and he went on to win the downhill race on it. It was rolling on 29in Continental Cross King in the rear and 32in Maxxis Aspen front. Though quite the ragebait setup, could this hint at long-travel bikes to come?
Actofive I-Train 32″ bike
One of the most intriguing bikes Greg spotted at Sea Otter this year was this 32er I-Train prototype from Actofive. This gorgeous frame is made of bonded CNC-machined aluminum, meaning that the frame is constructed in two halves that are essentially glued together. This machining technique allows Actofive to craft endless intricacies into the frame. Looking closely reveals that the tubing has ridges and unique shapes to it, including recesses for cable routing. The bike sports 120mm of rear travel and 130mm of front travel, with a claimed weight of less than 30lb.
The build kit is fully custom, with MarkZero components including ALT XC pedals, external rotor lockrings, seatpost clamp, headset, and top cap. Eagle-eyed readers will also spot the blingy Madrone rear derailleur, plus Morse Ti bottle cage, Encase pump, Resolve dropper post, Berd Hawk30 Gold wheels, Intend suspension and brakes, and Schwalbe Rick Race XC 32″ tires.
A Prevelo full-suspension bike for kids
Without a reference point for scale in this photo, it’s hard to tell that this Prevelo full-suspension prototype is a kid’s bike. Everything is scaled to size, from the cranks to the cockpit to the suspension. The 20×2.4″ tires on the display bike had clearly been ridden, so it seems this prototype is already getting some heavy use!
Esker drop bar 32er mountain bike
This Lorax 32 drop bar mountain bike was on display at the Maxxis booth, sporting the new Aspen AT 32×2.4″ tires. The bike features Portage dropouts, allowing buyers to run gears or singlespeed. Though this prototype has a rigid fork, the 29er version of the Lorax is designed to work with a 120mm fork, and we suspect this one will fit a suspension fork as well.
In an Instagram post, Esker says, “We hear all of you that badly want us to make Lorax 32. Keep your eyes and ears open, because we will be talking next week about how and when we intend to bring these to market.”
A $25,000 Telepathy mountain bike
The Telepathy Opus features a unique suspension design they’re calling Sync Link or Parallel Axle Path. The idler and linkage combo is meant to eliminate chain growth for a “chainless” feel on the trail. This special edition bike with serial number 007 was on sale for $25,000, which certainly had people talking. For an upstart bike brand, that kind of money could certainly go a long way toward development and production!
Ari full-suspension 32er prototype
Like a lot of brands, Ari is tinkering with 32-inch wheels. This prototype features CNC aluminum construction and flex stays to keep the rear end simple and lightweight. Ari says they’ve been able to shrink the bike down to a size small in order to fit a wide range of riders.
Retro Rebuild 1991 Specialized Stumpjumper “La Escultura Del Mono Loco”
Mad Monkey Designs, a Southern California custom frame bag company, showcased a special collaboration project with various bike brands to revive a 1991 Specialized Stumpjumper. Here are the collaborators/components that were used.
- Paint: Palleon Paradise
- Decals: The Life Machine (vintage replica)
- Rims: Velocity Cliffhanger x Sim Works
- Hubs: Onyx Classics (Alligator wrinkle)
- Tires: Sim Works Super Yummy x Panaracer
- Handlebars: BTCHN’ Ti BullMoose Bar Omakase (780mm)
- Headset: FSA 1″
- Crankset: Paul Pure 165mm
- Chainring: Wolf Tooth 32 tooth bum offset (hand-striped anodization)
- Pedals: Wolf Tooth x Ashley Anodized It (cotton candy)
- Cassette: Shimano Deore 11-speed CS-M5100
- Derailleur: Madrone Jab (shiny Blos)
- Brakes: Paul Touring Cantilever
- Shifter(s): Shimano 11 speed XT-M8000
- Cable and Housing: SimWorks by Nissen
- Rack: Vintage Old Man Mountain White Horn
- Saddle: Brooks B17 x Luminary opties engraving
- Seatpost: Nitto s83 – 26.8mm
REEB 32er hardtail
Forget XC racing, REEB is bringing its renowned hardcore hardtail vibes to the 32″ space with this new prototype that we spotted at the 1UP booth. We have very few details on this bike, other than it was displayed with an inverted fork that appears to boast ample suspension and an obviously slack head tube angle. The slammed dropper post has plenty of clearance over the rear wheel, and the cockpit sports a stem so short it would be at home on a freeride bike — forget the negative rise stems specced on most other 32ers. With a long front center, this hardtail looks like it’s ready to party!
Frankly, the Vittoria Peyote tires shown on this bike don’t look like a great fit, but with more aggressive options like the Maxxis Dissector and Teravail Camrock just announced, REEB now has a couple of options that are closer to fitting this bike’s demeanor.
Btchn’ Bandito
Greg had his eyes peeled for every 32er at Sea Otter, and the Btchn’ Bandito took the award for the most gorgeous drop-bar 32″ offering. The Bandito isn’t yet listed for sale on the Btchn’ website, so details are scarce. But the bike on display here appears to offer a titanium frame paired with a rigid carbon Ritchey fork with gorgeous purple flame graphics anodized directly on the titanium.
Quarry Alder 32er hardtail
Quarry already has a 32er — the Rage Bait 32 — in their lineup, so we were surprised to see another 32er from the Wisconsin-based frame builder. Unlike the Rage Bait 32, there’s no extra bracing at the junction between the head tube, down tube, and top tube. However, the Alder does feature Quarry’s signature seat stay yoke.
Eaglebear Zulu Twenty Nine
Eaglebear grew out of the youth-focused Prevelo bike brand and a desire to deliver lightweight and affordable bikes for adults. The Zulu is just the second bike from Eaglebear, and the 140mm hardtail will offer an affordable price point.
Also TM-B electric bike
Last year, Singletracks covered the launch of the Rivian-backed electric bike brand Also. In person, the TM-B is actually much larger (and heavier) than it looks in photos. It’s an impressive bike, unlike anything else on the market, with a platform that’s completely software-driven, offering smart specs like single-frame sizing and regenerative coasting. Jeff got in a test ride on the track at Laguna Seca with Also president and co-founder Chris Yu, and was impressed with the bike’s speed and natural ride feel. The bike is set to be available soon.
Neuhaus Nova32
The Neuhaus Nova32 is a beautiful steel 32er mountain bike with an adjustable wheelbase. The Nova32 is designed around a rigid front end and features raised bottle mounts on the seat tube to maximize dropper post insertion. Frames are priced at $1,799, while a rolling chassis (fork, wheels, and tires) is $2,599.
Revel titanium 32er and mixed-wheel prototypes
Revel Concept Labs exists to test new concepts and build prototypes, and at Sea Otter, the brand had a couple of interesting bikes on display. The first, a fairly straightforward 32er hardtail, was set up with a BC Intend Samurai XC fork and 32×2.4″ Maxxis Aspen tires. I (Jeff) actually got a chance to ride the bike on the trails at Fort Ord last week and plan to share my impressions in a separate article.
Revel is also testing a mixed-wheel 32er with a 29er rear end that could be a better fit for shorter riders. It’s striking to see a 29er wheel beside a 32er — the size difference is much more apparent than the difference between 27.5 and 29!
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