Went Friday 10.8.21 Tickets the night before were $15 or $25 at the door When I went back online Friday morning, they were now $25 online. My wristband said $20 Friday so their pricing structure needs to be worked on. This show is not worth $25. I don't go to watch the races or anything. Mainly for the vendors. Couldn't find Cliff Bar. Wanted to buy a bunch of different flavors. Also wanted to stop by the Giant booth to test ride their ebikes. Asked the volunteer where Pad 2 and Pad 9 were, but she had never heard of Pads and they weren't on the map. Walked the entire area and didn't find them. Ended up going to REI to get my Clif Bars. New stuff: From 3 years ago, there are more ebikes, a lot more ebikes. There are also tents that fit on top of a car or truck bed, and the industry now seems to have settled on 29ers for wheel size and 1x drivetrains. No more 650B or 27.5" wheels as far as I could tell. I expect this to persist for many years. Cool stuff: Park Tool booth has a ton of tools you would want to buy. No discounts or specials though. Specialized had a rental/demo area A titanium bong for $150 Escapod for $43k Scott's 3 left hand levers, 1 for seat dropper, 1 for locking out fork, 1 for locking out shock. A great idea. Odd no one else does this. Scott also has housed the rear shock inside the frame. This looks cool, but not sure if performance and servicing will be worth this redesign, but at least someone is thinking up new features and designs. Disappointing: Didn't see Rock Shox, Sram, Trek, Giant, Clif Bar, Power Bars, no Specialized Vado 2022 models, $25 entrance fee. Not worth the money. No one was wearing a mask or socially distancing since Monterey County and Sea Otters Covid policy https://www.seaotterclassic.com/safety_protocol/ didn't require vaccinations, masks, or social distancing. If you are in the market to buy a new mountain bike from Fuji, Diamond Back, or Specialized, and want to test ride different sizes and models, then the $25 is a bargain. If you need to try on different brand and size helmets, gloves, knee pads etc, then this show would be a good idea. If not, I'd save your time and money and pass on this show. Note: Unless you are racing or in another event, don't bring your mountain bike since it's a hassle to navigate it around the show. They do have a bike valet though so that's an option. Plan on walking about 3 miles to see the all the vendors. The bike buying frenzy appears to be over after a few visits to local bike shops. read more

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This is such a fun event for bike enthusiasts. Whether you decide to compete or just be a spectator it's a great place to be. I was amazed at the number of booths selling such a huge array of bike gear. From socks to shirts and everything between. And the prices were unbeatable. Watching the many types of events was fun to. From riding downhill to long distance racers. It's an incredible event read more

Going to this event never disappoints me. It is a mixture of everything, Mountain, e-bike, road, hybrid, BMX etc... I participated in the Gran Fondo ride. The process is always smooth and organized. Registering online, picking up the packet, the course is beautifully set up, food and mechanical support, great views, delicious end of the ride meal, massage, and shower. And most important of all, a medal! Just WOW! There were so many booths to visit and converse. And, try out the products of anything related to biking. Many of the folks who worked at the booths were very courteous. I'm going to go next year! read more

Sea Otter Classic - Festivals Near Me - Salinas, California

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We have attended Sea Otter for the past three years and this year was a bit of a disappointment. 1. Vendors - many of them acted as though they were annoyed if you walked in their booth (i.e. the hipsters at Rodeo Adventure Labs). Others seemed more interested in talking with other vendors or professional athletes than potential customers. And then there were those who only acknowledged men who came into their booths and ignored female consumers (Maxxis, Continental, Santa Cruz, Specialized....) Much love to Ibis, Ridge Supply, Club Ride, Shredly, and High Above. 2. Parking staff - Year after year, we witness the parking staff yelling at drivers trying to park and this year we got the brunt of it as well because we were in an oversized vehicle that couldn't be parked where they wanted us. 3. Event staff - After paying $100 to participate in a ride, imagine our disappointment that we didn't even get to experience the starting line because 25 minutes before our ride started, the staff began diverting riders to a completely different area where at least a hundred of us had to wait until after the ride started and join the ride at least a half mile into the route. Unfortunately, now we are seriously considering whether or not we will be attending this event next year. read more

I participated in the Carmell Valley gran fondo. Aid stations stocked lots of yummy food and drinks. The route included a lot of climbing but they served smoked salmon sandwiches, chips and soda at the summit. The festival had tons of vendors giving away free stuff and offering test rides. I easily spent a day just browsing the festival. Most vendors catered to mountain biking only. Roadies, it is time to venture off road! read more

This event is the best way to start of the cycling season right. Almost every discipline of bike sport over the course of four days at the beautiful Leguna Seca racetrack, all the while enjoying the 'sunsational' Monterey, CA. Yes, boys and girls, bring your helmets, bring your pedals, this is where bike culture in America comes alive. Starting on Thursday morning and running all the way through Sunday afternoon, Sea Otter embraces the cyclist at every corner of the sport. Hosting racing and competition events all week long, there is no lack of excitement. 2013 was my first year attending and I was completely blown away at how many vendors came in for this. Tons of free SWAG and plenty of great food vendors to grab a quick bite while on the run. Skratch-Labs was by far my favorite, offering a damn good Chicken Marsala or Rice and Eggs dish. The 'pocket' bites where also fantastic. The racing was pretty awesome too, road cycling on the famous road course, XC Mountain Bike through the hills, and downhill/dual-solemn on the huge hill in the infield. Usually there were multiple vantage points that offered great views of the courses. There was a great medical support crew on hand as well, with students from Palmer Chiropractic up the road in San Jose providing excellent care in the first aid tent, which turned out to be much needed. One of the things that I didn't appreciate is how many people where riding (without helmets) their (big DH) bikes through the crowd, often very fast, not paying much attention for small kids or foot traffic. I don't know if this is just the culture of the event, perhaps the Sea Otter committee can take this into consideration in the future. This is definitely an event I hope to get back to in the future, it can make quite the work-ation for someone in the bike industry! read more

Sea Otter Classic - Zipp Service Course Tent! - Festivals Near Me - Salinas, California

Such an awesome event!! We did the Grand Fondo Coastal route this morning and it was awesome. But what was really great is the excellent service at the end of the ride. Delicious food; Sierra Nevada beer, pasta, pizza and salad from California Pizza Kitchen. Follows by a hot shower and a massage. Amazing! Then a trip over to the venders. Everything you could possibly need related to bikes. So much to see and do. read more

Sea otter is the most fun you can have with friends and family! Bike events for everyone, camping, food, sales, exhibits, racing, practice, pictures. The best!! read more

Sea Otter Classic - Festivals Near Me - Salinas, California

thee best cycle event in california. they have events for almost everything, including tandems and single speeds. categories for all expertise. very well organized. picking up your race pack is painless. you also don't need a racing license, they offer temp licenses for a very small fee! this year will be my 5th time competing in the cross country event which is 20 miles. the coarse changes from year to year or every other year to minimalize erosion from the thousands of mtn.bikers speeding through. the coarse is very well ballanced and not too technical. i think the only technical parts are the single tracks (which are wicked sick) and sand pits. some fire roads and climbs of course. the event usually happens the 2nd weekend of april, which happens to be very unpredictable weather for monterey and northward. it can be cold and foggy, perfect or very warm. so watch the forecast before you leave and pack for a plan b. there is alot going on all over the place with other competitions to keep you entertained. watching downhill is my favorite. huge expo displaying the latest in cycling and you might even score free stuff from a new company hungry for business. whether you're a roadie or mtn.biker, you must do this event! read more

Sea Otter Classic - sea otter classic beginners cross country 35-39 - Festivals Near Me - Salinas, California

It's great to find an event that has as much for the spectators as it does for the racers. We've brought the kids here for the last few years and they look forward to it every time. The stunt shows, bikes to borrow and food court are definitely the kid faves. They also love riding the shuttle down the hill from the parking lot! Thanks for putting on such a great event! read more

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I'm a yoga & music festival person, not a bike festival person but somehow, found myself here supporting a racing friend and was blown away. It is one of the largest events of its kind (in the US definitely if not the world) with everyone coming together to celebrate all things bike. People can easily watch all competitions with the exception, sadly, of beach cruising (I would have won). Participants mostly are guys (bros?) and people in their 20's - late 50's but I saw several parents walking while their very young kids were on their first, non-training wheel bikes. One girl zipped by me no older than three and heard her dad yell for her to stop. She brazenly yelled "No Dad, I have to keep going." I expect to see her on the mountain bike course in 16 years. This is well worth a trip to the area, no doubt. It is the Makers Faire, Wanderlust and Coachella of bike events. read more

Very fun, and Great all around event especially for the family. Arrive early on Sat for kids Easter egg hunt and bike race sessions (sort of). Should bring kids bikes, plenty of water, sunscreen, jacket (light) in case of chill or rain potentially and cash for booths. Parking is a bear unless you can score an Exhibitor parking pass. If you head up/down the 101, instead of taking the regular 156 highway to Laguna Seca, try taking the 68 down thru Salinas and avoid the brutal traffic from the 101. Note, the Sea Otter classic website does a poor job of providing directions or maps. It is held always at Laguna Seca raceway. Google up that website instead to get a better sense of directions. read more

From a spectating standpoint, five stars! Time for our annual five day campout and ultimate cycling base station at Sea Otter. Full days of racing, full nights of lounging and editing on the beautiful Laguna Seca Raceway. The staff are extremely friendly and do an excellent job making sure everything goes smoothly. I have nothing to worry about except how my sun burn is progressing and if anyone on our crew has crashed yet. Hopefully no trips to the hospital this year (although the team at CHOMP are ready and waiting!) read more

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best place too see all the latest in bikes from mtb to roadbiking.. lots of free stuff and food! nice place to interact with all of the bike peeps! got to meet troy lee!!! awesome down to earth guy!!! come early and beat the heat and peeps! this year was awesome! will definitely be back next year to race!!! read more

Sea Otter Classic - jump session - Festivals Near Me - Salinas, California

This event has been growing every year, now in it's 18th. It has cycling in all forms from road to mountain to bmx. The Expo is huge and a good way to find out what's new in the industry and also find some good deals. If you're new to bike racing and just starting out, there are a lot of categories from which to choose from or you can just watch the top ameuteurs and pros duke it out on the dirt and the Laguna Seca tarmac. Spend a couple days here and spend your nights at the wharf, the perfect event to bring your kids. read more

2012 SOC might go down as one of the hottest(weather) ones in recent years. Overall a great expo to attend to view all vendors & races. Great weekend getaway to come to SOC if you love anything related to cycling. Both mountain & road. This is a 4 day event starting on Thursday and ending on Sunday. You can race or select a fun ride to participate in. Great talking to vendors about their products. Don't forget the swag. It's great to see vendors take care of the people by giving away stuff. That is a plus to attend. Of course don't forget to check out and ask vendors about their new products. You can demo their bikes on the dirt track. Find amazing deals from bike store vendors. Get to sample all the different energy bars and drink vendors. The list goes on and on. Parking in the far dirt lot can be a bummer, but hey its free. When not attending SOC, cruise on down to Cannery row and enjoy the beauty of Monterey. Don't forget to sample the clam chowder. Overall a must attend expo if you love cycling and everything related to it. I plan to take my fiancee next year (2013)so her can experience herself. read more

A 4-day festival of all things bike, with plenty for road bikers and mountain bikers alike. This venue is ideal for competitors and spectators alike. read more