MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif.—Bicycles are a strange technology.
While there have been some notable modifications from the dandy horse to the penny-farthing, since the advent of the “safety bicycle” in the 1880s, the fundamentals of bike design haven't changed all that much. Put another way, most bike riders today could understand how to use a bike made in the 1890s.
Still, for any bike fan, Sea Otter Classic—the biggest consumer trade cycling show in the world—showcases all kinds of new rigs and creative accessories. It’s basically Christmas for bike dorks.