Oops!... We Did It Again

Just as 29-inch wheels shook up mountain biking in the 2000s, even bigger 32-inch wheels are doing it again. Major brands and custom builders alike are betting on the new standard, signalling 'big' changes in bike performance and design.

- By MATT PHILLIPS

AT MADE THIS YEAR ~ THE HAND-BUILT and custom bicycle trade show in the US ~ several mountain bikes were built around the emerging 32-inch wheel standard.

The custom bike to your left, for example, made by Cameron Falconer, was displayed at the Astral wheels booth. It’s a stunning example of the trend, outfitted with a suspension fork (and brakes) from German company Intend Bicycle Components. The Falconer was at the Astral booth to showcase prototypes of their 32-inch Outback alloy MTB rims. So-called ‘32ers’ were also seen at the BTCHN and Neuhaus booths.

A show like MADE often telegraphs trends that will soon go mainstream. And it looks like we're at the beginning of the next big wheel shakeup.

We've been through this before. As a grizzled old gear guy, I was testing MTBs for Bicycling in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when 29-inch wheels first appeared. Based on that experience, I have a good idea how the transition to 32-inch wheels might unfold...

However, there’s a notable difference that will make adopting the 32-inch standard different from adopting the 29-inch standard: back when the 29er trend started, 29 was new to mountain bikes, but it wasn’t new to the bike industry. 29-inch was just the common 700c wheel, by another name. So, even though there were major growing pains to bring the performance of 29-inch mountain bikes to where they are today, it wasn’t like the industry was starting from scratch.

With 32-inch wheels, they are essentially starting from scratch. But I think that the knowledge gained during the 26-to-29 transition will help make the transition to 32-inch wheels much ‘smoother’, should the demand for bigger wheels necessitate the shift.