Erik Chalhoub here, feeling inspired to compete in next year’s Life Time Sea Otter Classic after attending the event for a couple of days over the past weekend. With a little bit of training, I know I could complete one 30-mile lap in the gravel race—I consistently ride around 19 miles on Fort Ord National Monument. Getting a top time is out of the question, as is anything more than a lap, but that wouldn’t be my goal.
As I experienced this weekend as a first-time attendee, the Sea Otter Classic is so much more than just a bike event—it’s a cultural phenomenon where everyone, regardless of age or ability, is celebrated.
Despite spending two days, I barely scratched the surface of everything on offer at the expo. More than 500 vendors from across the planet set up shop over the four days. Many were there to unveil new products (I lost track of how many pre-event press releases I received from businesses), while others helped riders clean up their bikes or repair them, offer giveaways or just put on a show.
And put on a show they did. Everywhere I turned, there was something to witness. In one booth, Fox Racing invited attendees to a “bag holding strength contest,” which is exactly as it sounds—whoever could hold a heavy bag on their outstretched arm the longest wins the bag. As competitors dropped out one by one, it took more than four minutes to crown a winner.
There were plenty of pop-up sideshows and competitions happening on the expo floor and beyond, officially or not. One attendee told me later that things got very competitive in the camping grounds as the sun went down on Saturday night.
What struck me about the overall event is how close-knit, welcoming and inclusive the Sea Otter Classic is—many events had para and non-binary categories, for example. Beyond that, no matter how young or old you are, there is something for you, and the wheelie competition on Saturday afternoon was a good example of that.
While 17-year-old Diego Rodriguez of Upland emerged victorious—holding a wheelie through most of the straightaway between WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca’s turn 4 and 5—it was a toddler who stole the show, earning a round of applause as he lifted up the front wheel of his push bike.
Bikes are the great equalizer. Don’t have the fitness level? No problem—you can hop on an e-bike and go to places you may not have been able to go to before, as I described in this week’s article on VineCycle.
I also got confirmation from multiple vendors that my bike, a 25-year-old Specialized, may be officially obsolete, but it has plenty of life left and joy to give. Still, after witnessing the countless incredible bikes at Sea Otter Classic, I need convincing that I don’t need to buy a nice, shiny new one with the latest tech and features. But it might be a losing battle.