26 ain't dead - ARRRGH but 32 is ALIVE - the FrankenHoop now rolling near you ....

[2manyoranges]

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/32-inch-wheels-will-be-permitted-in-uci-xc-racing-in-2026.html

and there's more where that came from

36
Thirty six
THIRTY SIX!

https://singletrackworld.com/2021/08/is-36-inches-the-measure-of-fun/

great....a whole new set of standards to Fart Around With and for independent bike shops to expend capital on ... dead stock ....

 

[elite504]

It'll never last. We've all seen 700D, 29, and 27.5 is all a flash in the pan. It'll never last. Why would anyone migrate from 26?

 

[Lucidone]

It's bad enough trying to transport a 29'r - gonna be interesting to see how far one of these will overhang in a rear car carrier! Probably need a lwb van to avoid taking a wheel out.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Meanwhile, at the MTBR, they're lapping it up. They absolutely love the idea. It will sell, 100%.

https://www.mtbr.com/threads/32-wheel-xc-bikes-coming-in-2025.1236269/post-16384334

https://www.mtbr.com/threads/32-wheel-single-speeds-lets-get-this-going.1242360/

https://www.mtbr.com/threads/where-to-post-about-discuss-32-bikes.1242373/#replies

https://www.mtbr.com/threads/32”-summer-wheel.1241042/post-16537119

...and then there's 36ers on the horizon

https://www.mtbr.com/threads/32-and-36ers.1238119/post-16445406

Hooray for standards

 

[7Speed]

So much money to be made here that it’s going to be driven very hard by the industry. I am open to the idea it might be the right path for mountain bikes - but I still have more 26” wheel bikes than 29” so I am clearly stubborn and difficult!

 

[2manyoranges]

It's bad enough trying to transport a 29'r - gonna be interesting to see how far one of these will overhang in a rear car carrier! Probably need a lwb van to avoid taking a wheel out.

second that.

About five years ago I bought a Yeti, on the basis that I could fit 3 bikes in the back, front wheels off. Yep, jump bikes went in fine. But then I bought some new long low and slack enduro bikes - 29 and 27.5 - and arrrgh - they barely fit with front wheels off. Just about but not really. Fine in the Touran (our lovely 300,000 mile VW) - which was great until my partner killed it with a misfuel - homicide, not simply death of a car. So now it's Thule on top every time. And they are pushed with 29 ers....ok-ish

 

[7Speed]

A Q for all the engineers on the site - isn’t there a trade off at some point on benefits from wheel size vs rotating mass and agility of the bike? How does that trade off in real terms or is it a non-issue? Would you be better off with a 32 on a fast rolling course and a 29 on a tight technical and hilly course?

 

[MattiThundrrr]

The unsprung horror

"The weight of a 32-inch wheel depends on its type and construction, but examples include a 32-inch cross-country wheelset weighing around 1,600 grams and a 32x2.25-inch tire weighing 1,160 grams. For comparison, a 29-inch wheelset might weigh slightly less, while a 32-inch wheel for a more rugged application could weigh close to 2kg (2,000 grams). "

https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/why-i-think-32in-wheels-will-never-roll-in-mtb-451821#:~:text=Imagine the weight of a,let alone the geometry issues.

https://lennardzinn.substack.com/p/choosing-between-32-36-750d-and-other

yes they will absolutely take more effort to get up and rolling and more work to steer. Good thing there are newer and more powerful legs motors now