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The lead-in to the 2025 edition of the Sea Otter Classic is – thankfully – unlikely to be replicated. Ever. (Famous last words).
Just as elements of our industry started to sense some light at the end of a prolonged and extremely challenging period, trade tariffs dominated global news headlines.
With this in mind, BikeBiz asked Dominic Langan, a three-plus-decade industry veteran and CEO of the UK’s largest distributor, to share thoughts and experiences from his time on the ground in Monterey, California.
I’ve been attending Sea Otter Classic in Monterey since 2018, following the demise of Interbike, which bowed out with its final show in Reno. Interbike had lost its spark by then, but Sea Otter has steadily grown in importance, both in atmosphere and relevance.
The USA shows have always had strategic value for Madison. We’ve long championed a strong portfolio of American brands in the UK and Ireland, so Sea Otter is a great opportunity to connect face-to-face, discuss new product, and align on plans. Beyond that, I’ve always appreciated how closely our markets follow the US. Being there in person allows me to tap into upcoming trends, speak with US distributors and retailers, and take the pulse of the market from the ground.
Sea Otter is held at the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, nestled in the hills just outside Monterey. It’s a couple of hours’ drive south of San Francisco, and it plays host to around 70,000 visitors, with over 7,000 signing up to race. You’ll find 500+ exhibitors and roughly 1,000 brands—from household names like Shimano to up-and-coming garage start-ups, including some familiar UK brands who exhibit too.
This year, however, there was a different tone to the event. On April 2nd, Donald Trump unveiled a swinging new tariff list—China 34%, Vietnam 46%, Taiwan 32%, Thailand 36%, and the list went on. These aren’t fringe manufacturing locations—they are the beating heart of the global cycling supply chain. For an industry still navigating oversupply, squeezed margins, and consumer price sensitivity, this couldn’t have come at a worse time.
The flight over to San Francisco was unusually quiet. My cabin was half-empty. I spotted just one other UK distributor at the airport. That’s unusual. And while I did come across one more at the event, it did make me wonder—has the “America First” narrative begun to deter European business visitors? Judging by reports of declining EU travel into the US, I’d say it’s a growing concern.
Opening day at Sea Otter (10th April) felt noticeably subdued compared to previous years. As the weekend approached, footfall increased, but the atmosphere was undeniably muted. By this point, China had responded with a 125% retaliatory tariff, and the US countered again—escalating to a jaw-dropping 145%. Beneath blue skies and a biting wind, the EZ-UPs stood resilient—but conversations under them were filled with disbelief and frustration.
Brands were reeling. Initial mitigation plans crafted during earlier tariff rounds had now collapsed. Production lines were being paused, containers rerouted or cancelled altogether. Nobody had clear guidance. Even long-time Trump supporters among brand owners admitted this wasn’t the outcome they’d envisioned or what they had voted for. Those manufacturing domestically were slightly more upbeat but cautious—their optimism tempered by concerns over lost export potential if reciprocal tariffs remain.
It’s hard not to draw a parallel with Brexit. Both MAGA and Brexit share a yearning for a version of the past that perhaps never really existed. But industrial globalisation isn’t a tap you can turn off. The genie is out of the bottle—and trying to force it back in with protectionist measures is already showing signs of widespread disruption.
The current tariffs are on a 90-day delay, with China excluded—but carveouts for tech have already started to appear. That said, the path forward is anything but clear. There is a real risk of further fragmentation. Should Far East factories start to buckle, and product originally intended for the US end up in Europe, we could face renewed downward pressure just as we begin to stabilise post-Covid.
Yet, amid the uncertainty, Sea Otter continued. By day two, crowds had grown, the energy had lifted, and conversations had turned—as they should—to bikes, riders, and the shared passion that binds this global industry and cycling community together.
In these unpredictable times, one thing holds true: when the world goes mad—all we can do is just keep pedalling and ride on.
