{"id":2149898,"date":"2026-09-17T17:43:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T14:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2149898"},"modified":"2026-09-17T17:43:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T14:43:51","slug":"trek-just-posted-photos-of-their-32er-so-we-estimated-the-geo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2149898","title":{"rendered":"Trek just posted photos of their 32er \u2014 so we estimated the geo"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photos: Trek Instagram<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By now you may have heard that Evie Richards will be competing in this weekend\u2019s World Cup cross-country races at Soldier Hollow, Utah, aboard an all-new Trek mountain bike with 32-inch wheels. The Wisconsin-based brand teased the reveal earlier this week and posted photos of the bike today. More details will surely drip out about the bike \u2014 like whether it\u2019ll ever be put into production \u2014 but in the meantime, we decided to do some sleuthing of our own.<\/p>\n

Pirelli 32er tires<\/h2>\n

Right off the bat, it\u2019s clear that the Trek 32er is running prototype Pirelli tires thanks to the brand name and the word \u201cprototype\u201d emblazoned in all caps on the sidewalls. This is the first we\u2019ve heard of a Pirelli 32er tire; back in April, we noted<\/a> the brand was one of the few that hadn\u2019t<\/em> announced one. Though it\u2019s tough to know for sure based on the photos, the tire appears to be a Scorpion XC RC, the brand\u2019s World Cup race tire. Which makes sense.<\/p>\n

It will be interesting to see how wide Pirelli decided to go with their 32er tire. So far, most brands seem to be choosing a 32\u00d72.4\u2033 size for mountain biking, even for lightweight XC tires.<\/p>\n

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Slack geometry for an XC race bike<\/h2>\n

I analyzed one of the photos Trek posted of the 32er race bike to get a sense of the geometry.<\/p>\n

The head tube angle is perhaps the easiest to estimate from the photo. I used an online tool to draw a line tracing the fork, along with another line connecting the front and rear axles. Based on that, the bike looks to have a roughly 65\u00b0 head tube angle. I tried a few other online tools as well, and they estimated the angle between 63\u00b0 and 67\u00b0, which is a very wide range.<\/p>\n

If 65\u00b0 is in the ballpark, the bike is much slacker than the Trek Supercaliber, which has a 67.5\u00b0 head angle. <\/p>\n

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View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A post shared by Trek Bicycle Company (@trekbikes)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Estimating the chainstay length, reach, and stack height numbers is even trickier. Unfortunately, the photo perspective is slightly distorted, with the rear wheel appearing closer in the frame than the front wheel. Still, it\u2019s safe to say the chainstay length is likely much longer than the Supercaliber, and the bottom bracket drop is greater. <\/p>\n

An extreme negative-rise stem on the front end shows how much the designers needed to compensate for a taller stack height. According to an undated athlete profile on 100percent.com<\/a>, Richards is 5\u20193\u2033 (160cm), though other sources have her listed slightly taller, at 164cm. Based on the Trek Supercaliber sizing chart, Richards would ride a size small frame, though this\u00a02023 bike check<\/a>\u00a0says she rides a size medium Supercaliber. Either way, the slammed stem makes perfect sense.<\/p>\n

Trek is the first major brand to put a 32er in competition, and the wheel size is yet to be proven<\/h2>\n

Though there have been rumors about a Trek 32er, and other brands like Cannondale and BMC are said to be testing the waters as well, Trek will be the largest company to test one in World Cup competition so far. <\/p>\n

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