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Short answer: for most riders, buy a 29er now. 32-inch mountain bikes roll over rough ground more easily, but they cost more, weigh more, turn slower and have few forks, tires and bikes. Trek is racing 32-inch prototypes but hasn’t announced them. Taller riders and racers chasing small gains are the exception.
Are 32-inch mountain bikes worth it? Trek racing 32-inch prototypes, a 32-inch winner at Unbound XL and new titanium and carbon frames have made 32-inch mountain bikes the hot question for anyone buying an XC, down-country or gravel bike this winter. Here’s what changes, what you can buy, and why a 29er is still the smart Black Friday buy. Shopping deals? See our Black Friday bike deals tracker.
What are 32-inch wheels?
32-inch wheels are the next step up from 29. They need their own frame, fork, wheels and tires, so you can’t convert a 29er. Tires exist now: Maxxis makes the Aspen 32 x 2.4 (an XC tire, 770 g per BIKEPACKING.com), and Vittoria told BIKEPACKING.com it plans 32-inch mountain and gravel tires by 2027. Forks are the bottleneck. The 32-inch Fox 34 seen on Trek’s bike is unreleased, per Pinkbike.
32 vs 29: what changes on the trail
Bigger wheels roll over rocks and roots more easily and hold speed, but they turn slower and make the front of the bike taller. We haven’t ridden 32-inch bikes, so here’s what the builders told Singletracks:
- Faster rolling. “It rolls faster. It definitely rolls faster,” Vassago Bikes owner Tom Ament said. “And it seems like you can push a little bigger gear.”
- Smoother over rough ground. Ament said wide, high-volume tires like the 32 x 2.4 Maxxis Aspen help to “smooth things out a little bit more.”
- Not a huge jump. “I thought the jump from 26 to 29 was pretty drastic… But from the 29 to the 32 it’s not that big a jump,” Ament said.
- Marginal gains. Starling Cycles founder Joe McEwan, who has been riding a 32-inch front wheel, called the rollover gain noticeable but marginal: “racing is always used as an example, and then they blow up the importance of marginal gains, but they don’t matter for everybody else.”
- Harder for shorter riders. Ament said the front of the bike has to be significantly taller, which makes it relatively unwieldy for shorter riders, and Singletracks notes bigger wheels mean a larger turning radius.
- Cost. “You’re not going to be able to upgrade a 29 to a 32,” McEwan said. “You’re going to have to buy a whole new bike.”
DirtySixer founder David Folch doesn’t see 32 replacing 29: “It’s not about replacing 29 or signing the death of 26… The 32 is just going to be an additional solution for people that are interested, and that are maybe over 5’8″, 5’9″, and are curious enough.”
What’s Trek doing with 32-inch bikes?
Trek is racing and showing 32-inch XC bikes, but it hasn’t announced names, specs or prices. Pinkbike’s Matt Beer reported a production-looking carbon 32-inch hardtail, “presumably the Procaliber,” photographed by a Wisconsin NICA athlete at the state championship in Waterloo, home of Trek’s headquarters. Pinkbike says it had an unreleased 32-inch Fox 34 fork, a SRAM XX SL Transmission drivetrain, a Reverb AXS dropper and Maxxis Aspen tires.
A 32-inch full-suspension Trek was on display too. Pinkbike says it could be a new Supercaliber or Top Fuel SL and is likely the bike Gwen Gibson of Trek-Unbroken raced to 2nd in the XCO at Soldier Hollow. If you want a Trek 32, waiting for the official launch is the only way to know what it costs. We’ll cover it in the Stash Brief when it’s official.
32-inch mountain bikes with published prices
Only a few 32-inch mountain bikes list a price on the maker’s own site. Here’s what they cost.
Revel El Jefe Grande
A titanium hardtail from Revel, based on its El Jefe 29er. Price: $3,499 for the frame at revelbikes.com. Per Revel’s press release: designed around a 100 mm fork (550 mm axle-to-crown), a 3D-printed titanium head tube for front-end strength, Boost 12×148 UDH sliding dropouts with 17 mm of adjustment, 32 x 2.4 rear tire clearance, 73 mm BSA bottom bracket, 34T max chainring and five sets of bottle and accessory mounts. Revel claims 24.9 lb for the complete bike as shown. Revel founder Adam Miller said “most of them feel awkward like they’ve just been stretched out to fit the wheels,” and that the geometry took “a lot of trial and error.”
Zinn B.I.G. 32er M2 – XT
Zinn builds this full-suspension 32er for very tall riders. Price: $7,850 at zinn.bike. Aluminum frame, 110 mm rear travel with a Fox Float Performance shock, 120 to 140 mm up front on an inverted Wren fork, Shimano XT 1×12, Maxxis Aspen 32 x 2.4 tires and a 12×157 Super Boost rear.
32-inch gravel bikes
32-inch gravel bikes are further along than mountain bikes, with carbon and titanium frames you can order from the brand. Scott’s 32-inch gravel bike, which Robin Gemperle rode to win Unbound XL, is a prototype Scott says won’t go into production, per BikeRadar.
Avona Callis 32
A carbon race gravel bike from Avona. Prices (in euros; Avona doesn’t list a US dollar price): €5,799 with SRAM Rival XPLR, €6,599 with Force XPLR, €8,999 with Red XPLR and a power meter, or €3,599 for the frameset. Avona lists an 898 g painted frame, 409 g fork, complete bikes from 7.78 kg, 55 mm tire clearance, single chainring only (40T on its builds), SRAM XPLR AXS 13-speed and Schwalbe G-One RS 50 mm tires. Avona claims 8 to 16 watts saved at 35 km/h versus its 29-inch Callis, depending on terrain and tire (Escape Collective reported the claim at launch).
Mosaic GT-1 i55 32 and GT-2 i55 32
Titanium gravel bikes from Mosaic. The GT-1 uses custom double-butted titanium with rider-specific custom geometry and fully internal routing; the GT-2 uses straight-gauge titanium with semi-internal routing. Both clear 32 x 55 mm tires, use a Zero Components 32-inch carbon gravel fork, run 1x up to 46T and are UDH compatible. Mosaic doesn’t publish a price; contact Mosaic for a quote.
Prefer a proven 700c gravel bike? See our best gravel bikes under $3,000, under $5,000 and under $10,000, plus our gravel tire picks.
Should you wait for 32-inch wheels or buy a 29er this Black Friday?
Buy a 29er now unless you’re tall, race, and can skip a season. Here’s how we’d decide:
- Buy a 29er now if you want the widest choice of bikes, forks, tires and deals, plan to resell later, or ride tight, twisty trails.
- Consider waiting if you’re tall, race XC or marathon events like Leadville, and want to see what Trek and the fork makers launch.
- Consider a 32-inch bike now if you want a titanium hardtail or a 32-inch gravel bike and accept limited forks, tires and wheels.
Racing next year? Our sister site Gravel Stash covers the Leadville 100 lottery and the Unbound Gravel lottery. More bikes on sale are on our Black Friday bike deals tracker.
Best 29er alternatives right now
If a 32-inch bike isn’t for you yet, these 29ers at Competitive Cyclist are proven XC and down-country picks, several of them marked down for Black Friday.
Santa Cruz Highball C Eagle 90
The hardtail to compare with the new 32-inch hardtails. Carbon frame, 100 mm RockShox SID SL Select+ fork with remote lockout, SRAM Eagle 90 T-Type 12-speed. Price: $4,149.01 at Competitive Cyclist.
Santa Cruz Blur C GX AXS Transmission
A light XC race full-suspension bike: 107 mm rear and 110 mm front travel, SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission, 26.58 lb claimed. Price: $5,799 at Competitive Cyclist (on sale, was $6,849.01).
Pivot Mach 4 SL Pro X0 T-Type
A down-country 29er with a 120 mm Fox Factory Step-Cast 34 fork, Fox Factory Float shock and SRAM X0 Eagle AXS Transmission. Price: $5,799 at Competitive Cyclist (on sale, was $8,999).
Salsa Spearfish C Eagle 90
A marathon and bikepacking-friendly full-suspension 29er: adjustable 100 to 120 mm rear travel, 120 mm RockShox SID Select+ fork, SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission. Price: $5,799.01 at Competitive Cyclist.
Yeti ASR T2 Eagle 90/X0
The premium pick: TURQ series carbon, 115 mm rear and 120 mm front travel with RockShox Ultimate suspension and remote, SRAM X0 Eagle AXS Transmission, 23.93 lb claimed. Price: $7,900 at Competitive Cyclist.
More guides are on our gear hub, plus news on MTB, gravel and news and trends.
FAQ: 32-inch mountain bikes
Are 32-inch mountain bikes worth it?
For most riders, not yet. 32-inch wheels roll over rough ground more easily, but bikes, forks and tires are few and prices are high. They make the most sense for tall riders and XC racers chasing small gains. Everyone else gets more choice and better deals on a 29er.
Are 32-inch wheels faster than 29-inch?
Builders say they roll faster and hold momentum better. Vassago’s Tom Ament told Singletracks “it definitely rolls faster,” and Avona claims its 32-inch Callis gravel bike saves 8 to 16 watts at 35 km/h. Starling’s Joe McEwan calls the gains marginal for most riders.
What are the downsides of 32-inch wheels?
Slower turning, extra weight, a taller front end and few parts. Builders quoted by Singletracks say the taller front is hard to fit for shorter riders, and you can’t upgrade a 29er to 32, so it means a whole new bike.
Who should ride 32-inch wheels?
Taller riders and racers, according to builders. DirtySixer’s David Folch told Singletracks 32 is “an additional solution” for riders “maybe over 5’8″, 5’9″.” Shorter riders face a tall front end and less room behind the saddle.
Is Trek making a 32-inch Procaliber?
Trek hasn’t announced one. Pinkbike photographed a production-looking carbon 32-inch hardtail, “presumably the Procaliber,” with an unreleased 32-inch Fox 34 fork, and a 32-inch full-suspension Trek has been raced in XC. Names, specs and prices aren’t official.
Can you put 32-inch wheels on a 29er?
No. A 32-inch wheel needs a frame and fork built around it. Starling’s Joe McEwan told Singletracks, “You’re not going to be able to upgrade a 29 to a 32. You’re going to have to buy a whole new bike.”
Are there 32-inch gravel bikes?
Yes. The Avona Callis 32 is a carbon race gravel bike from €5,799 (euros), and Mosaic builds the titanium GT-1 and GT-2 i55 32 (price on request). Scott’s 32-inch Unbound XL winning bike is a prototype that won’t be produced, per BikeRadar.
Should I wait for 32-inch wheels or buy a 29er on Black Friday?
Buy a 29er if you want the widest choice and the best deals, or ride twisty trails. Wait only if you’re tall, race, and can skip a season. 29ers like the Pivot Mach 4 SL Pro X0 T-Type are marked down to $5,799 at Competitive Cyclist.
We compare listed specs and live prices; we haven’t ridden these bikes. Prices subject to change. How we research
