RHEON LABS® Makes its Sea Otter Classic Debut – Bringing Next-Generation Mountain Bike Armour to Monterey

Monterey, CA / London, UK

RHEON LABS®, the London-based materials technology company behind the RHEON™ reactive super-polymer, today announces its first-ever attendance at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California. After years of quietly redefining what rider protection can feel like, RHEON LABS® is stepping into the spotlight at one of the sport’s biggest stages.

Visitors to the Sea Otter expo will have the opportunity to get hands-on with RHEON™ Armour for the first time, experiencing the material that has already found its way into the product lines of more than 20 leading mountain bike and moto brands worldwide. The verdict from riders is consistent: it feels like nothing else on the market. That’s not an accident. RHEON™ is fundamentally lighter, softer, more flexible and more breathable than conventional armour and those four properties combine to deliver something the protection category has long struggled to offer: genuine, all-day comfort.

The impact protection credentials are a given. RHEON™ Armour is CE-certified at Level 1 and Level 2, meeting the same rigorous testing standards as any competing product on the market. But certification is the floor, not the ceiling. Where RHEON™ separates itself is in everything the rider feels between impacts: the absence of bulk, true freedom of movement, airflow through a patented open-cell geometric structure, and a material that moves and flexes with the body rather than fighting it. Riders stop noticing they’re wearing it.

Why RHEON™ Feels Different, and Keeps Performing

The performance gap between RHEON™ and conventional armour comes down to four measurable properties.

Lighter – slim inserts that add negligible weight to any garment.

Softer – naturally compliant against the body, with no hard edges or pressure points even after hours in the saddle.

Flexible – the material can stretch up to 300% without cracking, which also makes it significantly more durable than alternatives.

Breathable – the patented open-cell geometric structure allows air to move freely through the part, dissipating heat on climbs and keeping the protection zone cool throughout a ride.

Together, these properties mean riders can wear RHEON™ all day rather than stashing it in a pack at the trailhead. That matters, because protection only works when it’s on.

Riding with the Best in the Business

Sea Otter marks a milestone moment not just for RHEON LABS® but for the brand partners who have helped bring RHEON™ Armour to riders everywhere. Across knee pads, elbow guards, body armour and integrated protection systems, some of mountain biking’s most respected names have made RHEON™ the standard their customers ride with:

DHaRCO – Full Protection Range

The Australian brand built an entire RHEON™-powered protection range from the ground up, spanning trail to full downhill: Trail Knee Pad (Level 1), Gravity Knee Pad (Level 2), DH Knee Pad (Level 2), Gravity Elbow Pad, Gravity Vest, and Men’s and Women’s Short and Long Sleeve Body Armour. Most recently, DHaRCO introduced Enduro Bib Kits with an integrated RHEON™ Central Back Protector. World Cup DH racers Amaury Pierron, Loris Vergier and Myriam Nicole from the Commencal Muc-Off team race and train in the gear – chosen not just for what it absorbs, but for how little they notice it.

Chromag – Shift Knee Guard

The Whistler-based brand’s Shift Knee Guard is the next evolution of the Rift – the pad widely credited with resetting expectations for what a knee pad could feel like when RHEON™ first arrived in MTB. The Shift steps up to Level 2 CE certification (exceeding EN 1621-1:2012) with a next-generation RHEON™ insert delivering more coverage and greater airflow in a lower-profile, 3D-contoured form. It stays locked in position from first pedal stroke to last descent, without the heat and bulk that makes riders pull conventional pads off mid-ride.

Madison – Flux & DTE Protection Range

Madison’s SS26 collection introduces two tiers of RHEON™-powered protection. The Flux Ultra-Light range offers Level 1 Knee and Elbow Pads for riders who want to barely know they have armour on. For bigger terrain, the DTE range steps up to Level 2 Knee and Elbow Pads without sacrificing the breathability and flexibility that define the RHEON™ experience. All products carry EN 1621 certification.

Rapha – Trail Knee Pads

Rapha’s Trail Knee Pads remain a benchmark for how premium trail protection should feel. A slim sleeve design houses a RHEON™ insert that is pliable and unobtrusive while pedalling and stiffens instantly on impact. Slimline enough to disappear under the tightest race pants, they have become the go-to for riders who want to stop thinking about their protection and start thinking about the trail.

“Sea Otter has always been on our radar as a pivotal moment in the MTB calendar – a place where the community comes together to discover what’s next. The story we want to tell is simple: protection shouldn’t be a compromise. It should be so comfortable you forget you’re wearing it. That’s what RHEON™ delivers, and we can’t wait to get it into riders’ hands.”

Paul Farrar – RHEON Director of Body Armour