Love it or leave it, this year’s Sea Otter Classic had a new wheel size on display and it’s large. 32” big, to be exact.
THE CASE FOR GOING BIGGER
(Image credit: Future / Lisa Charlebois)
First, a quick physics lesson on the benefits of a 32” wheel. More tyre means more contact patch, which translates into more grip. A larger tyre enables you to run lower pressures without sacrificing traction. Lower pressure means more compliance (i.e. the tyre will flex and deform more easily over rocks and bumps). Finally, a bigger wheel has greater momentum and therefore, we’re told, carries more speed. So the buzz is understandable.
WHERE ARE ALL THE 32” WHEELS THEN?
(Image credit: Future / Lisa Charlebois)
Most of the big brands weren’t in the big wheel game, at least not yet. However, Boyd Cycling out of South Carolina was one of the brands that did have something to show. Head Honcho (yes, that’s the actual title on his business card) Boyd Johnson told me there were only five of his 32″ wheelsets in existence. The company took their current CCC aluminium gravel rim and built it up to a 32″ spec, anodising them in all kinds of eye-catching colours. Expect full production in 2027.
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SUBSTANTIAL AND SUSTAINABLE AT VITTORIA
(Image credit: Future / Lisa Charlebois)
At the Vittoria booth, one of those rare Boyd 32″ wheels was on display, wrapped in a very special concept tyre: the Peyote 2.4″, the first sustainable MTB tyre ever made.
If this looks familiar, that’s because it’s a scaled-up version of the Terreno Pro gravel tyre. They’re created the same way, using recycled nylon sourced from commercial fishing nets. This compound is then blended with natural rubber and combined with soybean oil, and silica derived from rice husks. Sustainable and a pretty striking looking fashion statement to boot. Production is TBD.
Looks aside, the performance hype for 32” is real. In an independent test, comparing the performance between a 29″ and 32″ tyre, using the same construction and same compounds, the larger wheel showed a five watt difference. Expand that over several hours and that’s some real savings.
However, Vittoria’s engineers were quick with a caveat: not all 32″ tyres will be faster than 29″. The benefit is construction and compound dependent too. Hype is not a substitute for engineering.
Price: TBD
MORE DURABLE. MORE SPEED AT TERAVAIL
(Image credit: Future / Lisa Charlebois)
Perhaps a little closer to production than other brands was Teravail. Their well-known Cannonball gravel tyre has been beefed up for a 32″ wheel. Now in a 2.2″ width with some genuine improvement including an upgraded casing, stronger nylon that’s simultaneously more durable and more supple, and a higher rebound rubber for lower rolling resistance. Expect to find these tyres at your local bike shop later this summer.
Price: $95
THE BIKES: 32″ IN FINE FRAME FORM
(Image credit: Future / Lisa Charlebois)
Tyres and wheels are one thing. What about a frame to fit it all?
Stinner Refugio 32 — Titanium for the Tall
Much like an amusement park ride, you must be 5’9 or taller to ride this bike. Running in sizes medium to extra-large, the Refugio 32 is the larger cousin to their current Refugio Standard gravel line. And this will be the first bike to launch with Stinner’s new components. Timing is TBD, but in my conversations it sounded like if the interest was there, production could move quicker.
Price: Frame and fork from $2,895
(Image credit: Future / Lisa Charlebois)
BTCHN’ Bikes Bandito — Smooth is Fast
I’m a sucker for anything anodised, so walking by the Shimano booth (where this bike was on display) the BTCHN’ Bandito caught my attention right away. Hand-built out of Chico, California, the Bandito is a 32” gravel bike designed around the wheels, not a pumped up version of a 700c ride. The geometry reflects that. With a 120mm bottom bracket drop, it’s a bike built with stability in mind.
And while the story here is about performance, this bike just oozes style. From the punk rock head badge to the Paul Components stem and even anodizing on the handlebars, it’s giving way-too-cool vibes. And that’s not a bad thing.
While no specific date was given, looks like production will be set for later this spring with two build options planned, including an upgraded titanium handlebar and carbon wheelset.
Price: TBD
(Image credit: Future / Lisa Charlebois)
Salsa Fargo — 32″ Bike For Everyone
Just when I was about to write off 32″ as a format exclusively for tall people, I found the Salsa Fargo. Not only was this a 32″ bike I could actually ride, but it was designed by a woman. Her philosophy is simple: if Salsa builds a bike, it gets built in every size. Small to extra-large, no exceptions.
They paired the frame with a set of 32” BERD wheels (the name comes from Bike Nerd, which tells you everything you need to know about their philosophy). Featuring what looks like spokes made of string (they’re actually made from Dyneema) which according to BERD is also known as “an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene.” The result is an incredibly strong wheel.
Watch for framesets (steel and titanium) available for purchase later this summer and complete bikes available later in the year.
Price: TBD
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: WHO IS IT ACTUALLY FOR?
While the benefits are clear, the geometry simply doesn’t work at smaller frame sizes without some significant engineering resulting in a good chunk of the cycling population locked out before the format has even properly launched. This doesn’t make it a bad thing, but in an industry that’s already facing headwinds, it does beg the question, is the juice worth the squeeze? We’ll have to wait and see.
WHERE THE BIG BRANDS STAND
The most telling detail from my four days at Sea Otter were the conversations that didn’t happen. While the smaller brands were quick to move, many of the larger players had little to say, or share. Don’t take that silence as inaction. I imagine there’s some big announcements and launches to come, but right now, we’ll let the giants sleep.
What I did find on display at Sea Otter was more a reflection of the companies that are nimble and could make quick moves. Versus some of the bigger ships that take a little more time and effort to change course. Big news is coming — from whom and when is hard to say. Either way, the coming months will definitely be worth watching.
THE FINAL VERDICT
32″ wheels aren’t coming, they’re here. The tyre development is genuinely underway, and the rider appetite is there (maybe not for everyone, but certainly for some).
What’s still up in the air is the timing, the accessibility, and whether the format can work across a full spectrum of rider sizes, not just the tall end of the size chart.
