32" Wheels? Interesting...

[DaveMatthews]

When I went from 27.5" to a 29er setup I was happy with the result. Love the way they roll over rough terrain.
Not sure 32" is going to catch on in the same way, but...
Thoughts?

 

[LandoftheGiants]

Well I for one am not young anymore and trowing my leg over the 29er is quite enough, as is falling from it lol. 32"? Not for me, and I really can't see the point unless it's for smoothing out the rough roads we ride now, and then it best be coupled with full suspension too.
Note: I didn't watch the vid, I'm over these vids where some guy raves on for 10 minutes about his personal experiences and adds all the background stuff we all know like the back of our hand. Just get to the point I say, and keep your stupid face out of the camera too, you're not a Star.

 

[Chargeride]

It is very odd, we seek out hard terrain and then spend thousands making it easier to ride.
I would prefer 27.5, but as Seth says they are a niche product now.

 

[stompandgo]

For BMX, yes. They would be great for wheelie bikes, but I'd be surprised if they make it to mainstream MTB's. Mullets are still popular for a reason.

 

[Chazmo]

Bigger is better?

 

[Chargeride]

I find the 29 inch wheels a handfull on steep rocky, windy or slippy descents.

 

[6zfshdb]

Might be interesting to try, but hard to find a tube for it on the road at a LBS.

 

[PCeBiker]

I've got 26" X 4" wheels,..

29" X 2" wheels,..

And 27.5" X 2.8" wheels,..

They all have the same overall wheel diameter of about 28.5"

.
Note: I didn't watch the vid, I'm over these vids where some guy raves on for 10 minutes about his personal experiences

I didn't bother watching the video either.

All I know is that I wanted to have the largest overall wheel diameter that I could get, so I bought a 29" rim with the largest tire that I could find for it, which was the Schwalbe Hurricane 29" X 2"

29 + 2 = 31
26 + 4 = 30
27.5 + 2.8 = 30.8

It made no damn difference in wheel diameter and all I got was a skinnier tire with a shorter sidewall and the same size wheel.


So,.. did Seth even mention the overall wheel diameter of these fancy new 32" wheels, with the available tire sizes for it?

Is it a bigger wheel??

Is there some sort of actual three inch difference to measure?

 

[mrgold35]

The problem I ran into with my first fat tire ebike +10 years ago was the lack of aftermarket replacements choices for tires, tubes, liners, and rims. Much better today compared to back then. Going 32" will mean limited aftermarket support for awhile and usually higher prices with longer ship times. You also run the risk of 32" being the next in line with a short shelf life like betamax/blackberry/curved TVs in a few years later.

 

[Darth_Vado]

the more things change, the more they stay the same...

 

[speedub.nate]

At Sea Otter last month there were a least a dozen 32" bikes on display, 32" compatible car racks, 32" tires at the Maxxis booth, 32" rims from a number of manufacturers, and Suntour was showing a budget friendly 32" fork at their booth.

But not a single 32" bike to demo!!

I bought one of the first production 29" bikes in 2002 (Van Dessel Buzz Bomb) and, as a 6+footer, I can still vividly recall the sensation of sitting "between the wheels" on my first venture out. I'm eager to try a 32".

And rest assured, a larger wheel diameter does not result in increased saddle height, nor a higher top tube, or any other frame clearance issues (other than maybe toe / front wheel overlap, which the frame designer should be aware of). Heck, Salsa was showing off a 32" frame in a size small fitting 5'2" riders, and if I correctly recall their narrative, has a female lead designer who falls in that shorter height bracket.

 

[PCeBiker]

Is there any actual wheel diameter measurements available?

I'll bet a 32" wheel will clear my fork brace??

This is the 27.5" X 2.8" Schwalbe Super Moto-X tire on my 27.5" Suntour AION Downhill Air Forks

 

[speedub.nate]

All of the 32" rims and tires are based off of a 686mm bead seat diameter.

That would achieve a 32 in. diameter with a 2.5 in tire.

 

[LandoftheGiants]

Going 32" will mean limited aftermarket support for awhile and usually higher prices with longer ship times. You also run the risk of 32" being the next in line with a short shelf life like betamax/blackberry/curved TVs in a few years later.

How long does a bicycle last? We know the answer, a hell of a lot longer than a toaster or a mobile phone, and corporations stay alive today by growing and making lots of sales. Call me cynical but this 32" is probably just a concept designed to sell a whole new fleet of bicycles to replace bikes that still have a lot of life in them. I have a lot of old 26" MTBs that are basically hardtail road bikes. I like the wider tires and flatbar geometry over the racers that are so popular on the roads now. For exercise and fun they are just as good as the 29ers I ride but I was dragged up because they don't sell the old size anymore and I wanted some new features. 29 is ok but it's not markedly better I'd say. They do allow wider tires on the modern rims which is good for rural riding where it makes sense to get off onto the shoulder when a semi trailer comes up behind you.

 

[Chargeride]

Is there any actual wheel diameter measurements available?

I'll bet a 32" wheel will clear my fork brace??

This is the 27.5" X 2.8" Schwalbe Super Moto-X tire on my 27.5" Suntour AION Downhill Air Forks


View attachment 210006

The DH bike in Seths video had its forks reduced to 140mm so the wheel didnt hit the frame.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The gravel cycling community here says the 32" bikes are just a marketing hype. The bike would only be good for very tall riders, and it otherwise looks weird.

 

[PCeBiker]

The DH bike in Seths video had its forks reduced to 140mm so the wheel didnt hit the frame.

I'll just cut out my fork brace to make clearance.

I bought a set of upside-down double shoulder air forks for my new ebike, but the damn steerer tube is too short.

So I had to buy the Suntour Downhill Forks.

It's possible to extend my steerer tube but it's $100-$200 to do it properly, and extending the steerer tube really isn't a good idea.

 

[DaveMatthews]

All of the 32" rims and tires are based off of a 686mm bead seat diameter.

That would achieve a 32 in. diameter with a 2.5 in tire.

Seems funny to think of a newer mullet design as 32" front and 29" rear.

 

[speedub.nate]

Call me cynical but this 32" is probably just a concept designed to sell a whole new fleet of bicycles to replace bikes that still have a lot of life in them. I have a lot of old 26" MTBs ...

I can make a similar argument for an industry that coalesces around a fixed standard and doesn't adapt, fails to innovate.

29" wheels were meet with similar scrutiny and derision. 20 years later they're practically THE MTB standard.

But look at what else has changed / advanced away from accepted standards in that time: head tube diameters, bottom brackets, 1x drivetrains, gear boxes, dropout spacing, axle choices, internally-routed dropper posts, wireless shifting.

Perhaps wheel diameter is more visible than any of those, but it's just one among many changes that could arguably (a) be to stoke sales or (b) actually offer an enticing improvement.

Bikes DO last a long time. My oldest are in the 20 year range. But they're not museum pieces. I'd hate for the industry to be hampered from experimenting with something new by some notion that what we have is "good enough."

 

[PCeBiker]

The gravel cycling community here says the 32" bikes are just a marketing hype. The bike would only be good for very tall riders, and it otherwise looks weird.

Well, I'm a big fan of weird and intend to get the mandatory haircut to go with my ebike.

After a bit of research, I found out what a mullet bike was,..

That What I Want !!!

This is the first motorcycle that I owned,..

I learned how to ride a motorcycle on my Mullet Motorcycle.

I got used to how it handles, and like it that way.

That's what I'm aiming for with my "Monstrosity".

The downhill forks help with the rake angle, but I wish that I had more headtube angle.

I'd have to start over with a whole new ebike to get it though, so maybe a 20" rear hub motor will rake it out enough for me.