Is the Mountain Bike World Ready for 32-Inch Wheels? This Brand Thinks So

"32" wheels have been accepted by the UCI and are welcomed in XC racing next year. BMC has been prototyping a full suspension cross country bike with 32-inch wheels, Dirty-Sixer has a production 32" wheel-equipped hardtail and gravel bike, Zinn Cycles has a host of 32" (and 36") wheeled full bikes, Maxxis has been making 32" tires to facilitate the growth, and now, Stoll Bikes has unveiled the P32, a carbon full suspension XC bike with 32" wheels."

"Details are scarce for the P32, mainly the complete geometry charts, and the bikes are available for pre-order now through the brand's website. "The new wheel size will fundamentally change mountain biking and push the boundaries," reads the marketing literature on the Stoll Bikes website. "The 32-inch wheels are so much faster that no performance-oriented athlete will be able to resist them.""

"Wheel-size debates have been an essential part of the industry since the introduction of 27.5 wheels to mountain biking. When 29-inch wheels dropped, the debates only intensified - and there's seemingly no right side of the argument, just more options and an ever-expanding list of benefits and drawbacks to riding the "wrong" wheel size. All the arguments are in good fun, but we might actually be preparing to welcome another wheel standard to the bike industry."

UCI approval has opened the door for 32-inch wheels in cross-country racing, and several manufacturers are developing bikes and tires for that size. BMC, Dirty-Sixer, Zinn Cycles, and Maxxis are prototyping frames, producing wheel-equipped models, and supplying 32-inch tires to support adoption. Stoll Bikes introduced the carbon P32 full-suspension XC bike with 32-inch wheels and is accepting pre-orders while publishing limited geometry details and premium pricing. Marketing for the P32 asserts notable speed gains, suggesting potential future XC standardization if real-world performance proves decisive. Wheel-size debate persists as riders weigh advantages and drawbacks.

Read at BikeMag