{"id":1908633,"date":"2026-04-29T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1908633"},"modified":"2026-04-29T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T07:00:00","slug":"my-first-32er-mountain-bike-test-ride-suggests-the-hype-is-outrunning-the-tech-but-not-for-long","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1908633","title":{"rendered":"My first 32er mountain bike test ride suggests the hype is outrunning the tech. But not for long."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n

My main quest at Sea Otter was straightforward: Test ride a mountain bike with 32-inch wheels. In fact, I had been hoping to test a big-wheel bike for more than a decade after seeing a dusty Black Sheep 36er<\/a> mountain bike at the Interbike Outdoor Demo in 2010. Sadly, I was told it wasn\u2019t available for a test ride.<\/p>\n

Though I found plenty of 32er bikes on display at Sea Otter this year, it turned out no one was set up to offer bike demos. Despite all the hype, consumers are still being asked to look but not to touch. I would later develop a theory for why this was the case.<\/p>\n

Revel is one brand experimenting with 32-inch wheels through its Concept Labs<\/a> skunkworks, which is known for producing one-offs like a 3D-printed DH bike<\/a> and a CBF-suspended titanium bike<\/a>. After chatting about one of the bikes, to my surprise, Revel Global Brand Strategist Chris Reichel agreed to let me ride a prototype on the trails outside the Sea Otter expo.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"Close-up<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

On the trails with 32-inch wheels<\/h2>\n

Right off the bat, the Revel 32er prototype provided a comfortable fit. The titanium frame sat somewhere between a size large and extra large, and as you can see from the hero photo at the top, the wheels look quite proportional. I even ended up with a negative saddle-to-drop height despite the tall front end.<\/p>\n

Pointing the hardtail downhill, the bigger wheels definitely feel more stable. And through short, chunky sections, it seemed like the bigger wheels smoothed things out better than 29er hoops, but then again, it\u2019s possible I only imagined the effect. After all, I\u2019m well-versed in the supposed advantages of 32-inch wheels<\/a>, namely improved rollability, and confirmation bias is real.<\/p>\n

The Maxxis Aspen tires proved to be woefully undergunned, even for the mellow Fort Ord singletrack, and had me braking hard before the turns to avoid sliding out. To be fair, the Nerds-candy-over-hardpack trail surface is going to be a challenge for any mountain bike tire. Fortunately, we\u2019re starting to see knobbier 32-inch tire options, and a hardtail like the Revel prototype could certainly benefit.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The inverted Intend Samurai XC is surprisingly stiff and responsive in the corners. It\u2019s supple off the top and feels as dialed as anything from RockShox or Fox.<\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/a><\/figure>\n

Uphill, the 32er put me in a comfortable pedaling position. The Revel prototype was set up with a 32T chainring, which is what I\u2019m used to riding on my 29ers. As a result, each pedal stroke noticeably propelled the bike forward a little more than usual, thanks to the larger diameter wheels. On the steepest stretches in my biggest gear, I was out of the saddle to keep the bike moving forward. If this were my own bike, I\u2019d be tempted to drop down to a 30T chainring.<\/p>\n

Before my test ride, Revel founder Adam Miller warned me the steering on the prototype 32er still wasn\u2019t completely dialed. It\u2019s early days for 32er geometry, and builders like Revel are working to find the right balance. Go too slack on the head tube angle, and the front end wanders on the climbs. Too steep, and it\u2019s sketchy going downhill. And it\u2019s not just the head tube angle: pretty much every measurement affects weight distribution, which in turn affects how the bike handles.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Based on my brief test ride, I\u2019d say the front end felt pretty good, both going uphill and down. It was only at low speeds, on flat ground weaving through the crowds at Sea Otter, that the steering wanted to flop. Panicked, I overcompensated, which only made matters worse. Some of the people around me might\u2019ve wondered if it was my first time riding a bike.<\/p>\n

I suspect this isn\u2019t a geometry problem, but rather a wheel size problem. The taller front axle height, combined with the necessarily longer wheelbase, simply isn\u2019t as agile as the 29ers I\u2019m used to riding. The higher front end feels great otherwise, and I suspect it will just take time to adjust my steering input to compensate. However, the longer wheelbase will continue to pose a challenge in tight situations.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/figure>\n

The verdict<\/h2>\n

Based on this short test ride, on a prototype 32er that\u2019s likely to see changes before it\u2019s released (if at all), I\u2019m bullish on big wheels. That might not be what you want to hear, but keep reading.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

At 6\u20193\u2033 (1.9m) tall, most extra-large bikes are still too small for me. Even with riser bars and a long seatpost, I\u2019m left hunched over the bars. This Revel 32er prototype, likely without even trying, just<\/em> fits<\/em>. While we\u2019re slowly starting to see stack heights increase on 29ers (the new Surly Sorceress<\/a>, for example), 32ers naturally bring the front end up to a level that\u2019s comfortable for tall riders like me.<\/p>\n

I also like going for long, pedally rides, and this 32er is an excellent choice for that type of ride. (For the record, I like short, no-pedal downhill rides and slow tech rides too.) A 32er would be perfect for bikepacking and for all-day epics too, though not so much for my local trails, which are tight and require endless starts and stops. I don\u2019t race, but it makes sense that 32-inch wheels offer an advantage here as well. <\/p>\n

And lastly, to be completely transparent, 32-inch wheels are good for journalists like me. With any new mountain bike development, riders have questions, and answering those questions keeps me employed. To be clear, I don\u2019t have a vested interest in whether 32ers succeed or fail. I\u2019ve been doing this long enough to know that there will always be something new for the mountain bike media to dissect. At the moment, it\u2019s 32-inch wheels.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

There\u2019s a good chance you won\u2019t be riding a 32er in the future<\/h2>\n

Are you tall? Do you like all-day, pedally rides? Do you race? Are you a cycling journalist? If you answered no to one or more of these questions, you probably don\u2019t need a 32er. And in that case, my advice is simple: don\u2019t buy one. <\/p>\n

Even if you answered yes to some of the questions above, my advice is the same: don\u2019t buy one. Yet. Be patient. Hell, for years 29er geometry was so bad that a lot of riders decided to trade in their 29ers for 27.5\u2033 bikes, only to switch back years later once the bikes finally improved.<\/p>\n

So why was<\/em> it so hard to find a 32er demo bike to ride at Sea Otter? My theory is that it\u2019s because the bikes aren\u2019t dialed yet. The hype has outrun the tech, at least for the moment.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Though it\u2019s unlikely 32er will become the next 29er, the benefits are real for a certain set of riders. And for the sake of all<\/em> of us, it\u2019s good to have choices.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!–<\/p>\n

\n

Related articles<\/h4>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t–><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/div>\n

\t\t\t\tjQuery(function() {
\n\t\t\t\t\tpostpayloads._2a69d9fd8b9ae78c76c9e8761999c286 = {“ids”:”715461,713754,712860,660103″,”posts_per_page”:null,”offset”:0,”style”:”4up”};
\n\t\t\t\t\tpostcounter._2a69d9fd8b9ae78c76c9e8761999c286 = {start: 0, step: 0, end: 0};
\n\t\t\t\t});<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A<\/a><\/p>\n
Mountain Bikes and Gear<\/a><\/div>\n
The pros and cons of 32″ wheels, and what we can learn from 29er adoption<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A<\/a><\/p>\n
Hardtail bikes<\/a><\/div>\n
The Singular Albatross swoops in with a 32er mountain bike<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A<\/a><\/p>\n
Hardtail bikes<\/a><\/div>\n
The Vassago Maximus Ti 32er is the next evolution of big wheels<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A<\/a><\/p>\n
Trail Bikes<\/a><\/div>\n
Revel Rascal Nails Sophomore Release [Review]<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My main quest at Sea Otter was straightforward: Test ride a mountain bike with 32-inch wheels. In fact, I had been hoping to test a big-wheel bike for more than a decade after seeing a dusty Black Sheep 36er mountain bike at the Interbike Outdoor Demo in 2010. Sadly, I was told it wasn\u2019t available […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,274],"class_list":["post-1908633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-singletracks-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1908633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1908633"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1908633\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1908633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1908633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1908633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}