Q&A: Are 32-Inch Wheels a Fad, or the Future of Mountain Biking?

The Gist

• Hype to Headlines: from Maxxis’ prototype tire at Taipei Cycle Show to World Cup previews by BMC and KTM, 32-inch wheels have moved from rumor mill to early stage, real-life R&D.

• Big Wheels, Big Tradeoffs: Contender owner Ryan Littlefield weight in, noting the clear performance upside of 32s (rollover speed, stability, traction, better fit for taller riders), but cautions about weight, agility, and fit challenges, especially for smaller frames.

• Fad or Future?: while 32s won’t displace 29s entirely, Ryan sees potential in niches like gravel, XC racing, and taller riders, with 2027 the earliest we'll see 32s go mainstream. 
  

Introduction

If you spent any time this year on the mountain bike interwebs–from news websites to forums to Instagram feeds–chances are you saw them: massive wheels that looked almost cartoonish at first glance. Not 27.5, not 29, but 32-inch behemoths that looked more fit for a monster truck rally than a cross-country (XC) mountain bike race. 

The buzz didn’t come out of nowhere, of course.

The trail of digital breadcrumbs started back in March at the Taipei Cycle Show, where Maxxis unveiled a 32-inch prototype tire (on its Aspen tread),  one of the first, more serious signals from a major brand. By July, French World Cup XC racer Titouan Carod was spotted testing a 32-inch BMC prototype at a race in Andorra. The momentum grew in August, when multiple builders rolled out 32s at the Made tradeshow in Portland, moving the idea from prototype to cultural talking point. And in September, KTM pushed the conversation even further with its 32-inch hardtail prototype, dubbed the “Sixty Four,” at the Lenzerheide World Cup race.

Beyond prototypes and major brands simply testing the waters, we’re also seeing a handful of boutique builders that are going full send on 32s. DirtySixer is now offering 32-inch gravel and mountain bikes, clearly targeted at taller riders, while Neuhaus Metal Works is offering a 32-inch rigid single speed mountain bike. In addition, Glory Wheels has launched a dedicated, 32-inch wheelset. 

And that’s where the historical perspective comes in. Mountain biking has a long record of once-derided ideas becoming essential, with full suspension, dropper posts, disc brakes, and even 29-inch wheels all perceived as “gimmicks” before going on to change the sport.

Could 32-inch wheels follow the same path, eventually becoming part of the mountain bike firmament? Or will they join the ranks of forgotten, failed experiments?

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Q&A: Are 32-Inch Wheels a Fad, or the Future? Ryan Weighs In 

To cut through the hype, we turned to Contender owner Ryan Littlefield, a former road racer, and longtime mountain biker. Having watched more than a few fads come and go, Ryan lends his unique perspective on why 32s are creating such a stir, the benefits and advantages they might offer, and whether it’s time to start paying attention.

Q: First things first: as you’re aware, the concept of 32-inch wheels is having quite a moment in the mountain bike universe. Are you surprised at all the buzz and speculation? Or based on your multiple decades in the bike industry, does this seem consistent with the ebbs and flows of new bike tech? 

• A: For me it seems like déjà vu with the 2001 era, when 29” wheels started to show up on Gary Fisher bikes. Yes, there were dirt bikes with 700c wheels before this period (early 90’s Bianchi and DiamondBack)  but they were lacking proper tires or front shock options and were more like today’s gravel bikes. When 29” wheels were introduced by a bigger brand across several models, it seemed like there had to be some staying power. Like 99.99% of people reading this, I have not ridden a bike with 32” wheels. So this is totally speculative.
  
  In my opinion, the driving force behind creating these bikes is a desire to make faster and more stable bikes (at least in certain conditions). It is like we already have slalom and grand slalom skis, and now they’re adding a Super-G ski. It just happens to be much more complex fitting bigger wheels on a bike without disrupting rider ergonomics than making a longer ski with a different sidecut.  

Q: If 32-inch wheels were to reach a tipping point, going mainstream, what do you see as the pros or advantages of 32s? And conversely, what do you see as the cons or potential downsides? 

• A: The main advantage is the bigger wheels will just roll better. They should be superior in rolling over embedded rocks and carrying speed. Potentially, the tire’s longer contact patch will give added traction without adding larger, slower-rolling tread/knobs, like and enduro tire. The downsides will primarily be the same ones that we talked about when 29” wheels arrived: added weight and slightly less agile handling. Another significant challenge is how 32s will fit on smaller frames.  
  

Q: Mountain biking has a history of ideas that seemed kooky or ‘out there’ at first, that eventually went on to reshape the sport. Do you see 32s fitting into that same lineage, or is this something totally different? Or perhaps too early to tell? 

• A: While I do not see this totally displacing 29” wheels like what happened to 26” wheels, in due time, I think this idea will have a significant impact on both mountain and gravel bikes.  

Q: Categorically, do you see specific types of riding or riders where 32s might start to get traction or early adoption? Endurance or XC riding, or especially tall riders, for example?

• A: 32s definitely make sense on taller riders, and niche brands have already been doing this. Back in 2001, I remember building a custom mountain bike for a 6’11” rider. It looked so awkward. For XC riding and racing, it seems that the added stability will be a plus, as fast as they are riding now. I can definitely see where it would be an asset descending the Columbine segment at Leadville. If the UCI will loosen up and allow mullets (big front wheel, smaller back wheel), then I would guess it might make quicker inroads into enduro and downhill. Bigger wheels on gravel seems like a place where the pros would drastically outweigh the cons. 
  

Q: Building on my last question, is it a fair assumption that 32s will have the most fit and efficacy for taller riders? 

• A: Without a doubt, it is easier to fit bigger wheels on bigger bikes. Bigger, taller riders–including the physics and what they demand from a mountain bike–will be best equipped to take advantage of all the benefits offered by 32-inch wheels.   
  

Q: Right now, we’re seeing a flurry of activity on 32s across the industry, from major brands experimenting and prototyping, to boutique brands fully invested, with broadly available products. Do you see this as genuine exploration and R&D, or more in the realm of data gathering, with brands testing the waters to gauge customer interest? 

• A: I think brands are most interested in figuring out if it is faster. If it is fast, there will be demand. This go-around, it is a little harder to dive all-in. In the 29’er roll-out, welding an alloy or steel frame with longer tubing (which is how the boutique brands are doing it now) was easy, making carbon molds is exponentially more difficult and expensive to do. So we are seeing frames that are clearly prototypes to test geometries before they commit to making the tooling.

Q: From a component and design perspective, what pivots would you expect to see, or what would need to be true for 32s to go mainstream? And by the same token, is there a certain milestone that would indicate to you that 32s are ready for broad adoption? 

• A: There just needs to be ample component selection to support it. Obviously tires and wheelsets, but also front suspension options. Gearing will need to be tweaked as well, as the bigger wheel has a larger rollout. In other words, to have the same gearing we’ll need to downsize the front chainring. The big question is can they make it fit people who are shorter than 5’10”?
  

Q: If a customer walked into the shop tomorrow asking about 32s, how would you advise them?

• A: As this is wholly speculative, I’d say probably don’t plan on riding anything from the big brands until model year 2027.  There are too many exceptional bikes and too much good riding to be done between now and then to get too focused on this!
  

Q: Finally, on a personal note: are you excited to ride a 32–inch mountain bike at some point? If given the chance to test ride one, what would you be looking for? 

• A: I am super excited to try 32s! Looking back on the 29’er rollout, I can remember how eye-opening the changes were. That said, I do have a few questions and curiosities as to how it will work. For example…
  
  How will the added weight of 32-inch wheels change the bike’s acceleration and climbing? How much better traction does it provide and does it roll over pumps?
  
  How small can they make a bike and can they keep the bike from having toe/front tire overlap especially on these smaller sizes? How does the bike handle and is there a negative impact on the bike’s agileness?
  
  Finally, the biggest question to me is what type of bike or riding is going to be best for these wheels? I can see 32s working awesome on gravel and XC-oriented mountain bikes. But what about e-bikes? Seems like a bike that is going faster will benefit from the bike’s added ability to roll over obstacles.
  
  So yes, I cannot wait to give 32s a shot!