The 32” MTB category is no longer a novelty – it’s rapidly becoming the next big frontier in off-road bike design, with everything from full-suspension mountain bikes to surprisingly capable gravel rigs emerging worldwide.
These extra-large wheels bring noticeably better rollover, increased stability, and a surprising boost in cornering traction. As a result, both major manufacturers and small custom builders are now treating 32-inch wheels as a genuinely competitive size for XC, trail, and gravel riding.
In this article, I’ve rounded up 20 of the most interesting 32″ bikes, from World Cup-tested prototypes to custom titanium hardtails and near-production gravel machines. Together, they show just how quickly this wheel size is maturing, and how close we are to seeing mainstream 32er options.
If you want to know why bigger wheels roll faster, check out my article HERE, where I dive into all the scientific tests.
Right, let’s get into it!
Actofive I-Train 32″ MTB
Simon Metzner of Actofive has built this 32″ MTB based on his I-Train platform, a project that originated at the request of wheel manufacturer DT Swiss, who needed suitable frames to test their 32″ wheels.
This isn’t a modified 29″ frame. Simon designed a completely new CNC-machined main frame and matching seatstays to accommodate the larger wheels. The Actofive 32″ MTB will be offered as either a 120 mm XC bike (pictured) or a 140 mm trail bike, with the possibility of a “mullet” configuration using a smaller rear wheel too.
Geometry was carefully tuned to match the seat position and handlebar height of the 29er. Achieving this required a custom-machined stem with a pronounced negative rise. The bike features an adjustable 65° head angle and long 465 mm chainstays, providing the clearance needed for the oversized wheels.
Up front, the bike uses a conventional DT Swiss telescopic suspension fork. To accommodate the large wheel, DT Swiss developed a dropout adapter that extends the fork length, adjusts offset, and correctly positions the disc brake caliper.
The Actofive I-Train 32″ bike isn’t a one-off: five more frames are already being tested, and there are concrete plans to offer 32″ wheels on production bikes soon.
Alutech E-Enduro 32″ MTB Super Mullet
The Alutech 32″ Super Mullet is a prototype featuring a 32″ front wheel and a rear wheel that can be either 27.5″ or 29″, depending on rider height. The bike is built on the Alutech Pelmo E-Enduro platform, which offers 170 mm of travel front and rear.
Alutech carefully adjusted the geometry to accommodate the 32″ front wheel without creating an excessively high front end or bottom bracket. The stem was machined down, and a flat bar was installed, keeping handlebar height in check.
The matching suspension fork comes from Intend. Thanks to their upside-down design and small-batch production, Intend can quickly create 32″ fork prototypes for bike manufacturers to test.
This bike also showcases the first 32″ Maxxis Dissector tyre, with a more aggressive tread pattern than the Maxxis Aspen XC tyre we see elsewhere. This is further evidence that the 32″ trend isn’t limited to XC applications.
So far, this prototype bike has only been rolled around a parking lot, but Alutech plans extensive testing to determine the viability of the Super Mullet. The main challenge currently is component availability, so the rough timeline for a production version is tentatively set for summer 2026.
Baum DBM 32″ Gravel Bike
Australian custom titanium frame builder Baum Cycles has been testing a prototype of their DBM (Drop Bar Mountain) model. The frame was built for owner Darren Baum, who stands around 183 cm (6 ft) tall. He notes that this is likely the lower height limit for a gravel bike with 32″ wheels, as the front wheel comes close to the down tube and pedals when the fork compresses.
To accommodate the large wheel, Baum modified a Cannondale Lefty Ocho mountain bike fork, which has no arch to interfere with the tyre. Suspension travel was reduced from 100 mm to 80 mm to prevent the front wheel from contacting the down tube under compression, though this is arguably a more suitable travel range for a gravel bike anyway.
Darren’s early impressions highlight an interesting bike handling challenge. When running low tyre pressures, which are necessary for such large-volume tyres, it creates a contact patch with the ground that leads to sluggish handling. Baum Cycles is exploring ways to address this, though perhaps narrower 32″ gravel tyres will appear in the meantime.
Bike Ahead Composites 32″ MTB
This 32″ XC hardtail is a custom build from Bike Ahead Composites, and it weighs in at just 9.6 kg (21.1 lbs)!
To fit the larger wheels, Bike Ahead adapted its 29″ XC carbon frame by extending the rear triangle with new dropouts, making room for the oversized rear wheel, hence the slightly higher bottom bracket.
A custom stem from Radoxx Components with a negative rise keeps the handlebar height similar to their 29er, while an Intend Samurai suspension fork with 100 mm of travel manages front-wheel traction.
The wheels are Bike Ahead Composites’ own Biturbo Monocoque wheels, featuring the brand’s signature 6-spoke design. According to Bike Ahead, the larger diameter of a 32-inch wheel allows the monocoque construction to perform even better, delivering a significantly improved weight-to-stiffness ratio compared to conventional wheels.
A production version of this Bike Ahead 32″ MTB isn’t currently planned; this test mule was built to showcase and evaluate their new 32″ wheels.
Black Sheep Rigid 32″ MTB
Black Sheep Bikes has never shied away from experimentation. Builder James Bleakley has crafted everything from 24″ fat bikes to 36″ gravel machines.
A 32″ rigid MTB, then, is no surprise. This bike was actually built six years ago, but couldn’t be ridden aggressively at the time, as suitable wheels and tyres didn’t exist. According to James, it felt too heavy and sluggish, and eventually ended up tucked away in a corner of his workshop.
Now, the bike is fulfilling its original vision. Fitted with lightweight Astral Outback 32″ rims and tubeless Maxxis Aspen tyres, it’s shed over two kilograms, and it finally rides well.
The titanium frame, with its double-curved top tubes and adjustable dropouts, is visually striking. A “Deathplosion” fork with titanium leaf springs helps absorb vibrations, while the fully removable rear triangle makes the bike easy to travel with.
BMC Project Fahrenheit 32″ MTB Prototype
BMC made waves earlier this year when they unveiled a highly modified full-suspension MTB with 32″ wheels at the Andorra Mountain Bike World Cup. Factory Racing rider Titouan Carod took it out for two practice laps before returning to the pits, giving the rest of the field an unexpected opportunity to inspect the brand’s latest experiment.
The frame combines aluminium head tube and bottom bracket sections that are bonded with carbon fibre tubes. This approach is common among prototypes, as it allows for rapid iteration and testing.
Up front, a standard DT Swiss F 232 One 29er fork has been modified with a CNC attachment on the lowers, enabling the use of a 32″ wheel and allowing the R&D team to experiment with fork offsets. The stem is designed to mount both above and below the head tube, positioning the handlebars almost below the tube’s centreline, keeping bar height consistent with the 29er version.
The overall design closely mirrors BMC’s current 29er Fourstroke, with the intent of isolating wheel size as the primary variable. By keeping geometry and suspension design consistent, BMC aimed to evaluate the impact of 32″ wheels without fundamentally changing bike feel.
BTCHN Bikes 32″ Gravel Bike
Tyler Reiswig of BTCHN Bikes recently completed a steel 32″ drop-bar gravel bike with an exceptionally short wheelbase. Built as a singlespeed for himself, Tyler – standing 175 cm (5′9″) – notes that riding a 32″ gravel bike at his height works without compromise, provided the setup is rigid.
A 3D-printed chainstay yoke provides ample tyre clearance on the ultra-short 423 mm rear centre, while a custom bar and stem with an effective 16 mm stem length ensures proper fit and toe-wheel clearance.
A 70° head tube angle paired with 55 mm of fork offset results in light, responsive steering. The fork is particularly innovative, featuring a 3D-printed stainless steel crown and dropouts bonded to titanium legs. The front axle is positioned slightly behind the fork legs, reducing load reversal.
Both front and rear hubs use Boost 148 mm spacing and wide singlespeed flanges to improve spoke bracing angles and maintain wheel stiffness.
Clydesdale BFG 32″ Gravel Bike
The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) is a purpose-built bike for very tall riders. These titanium bikes are available with either 32-inch or 36-inch wheels, creating properly scaled geometry for riders up to an incredible 226 cm (7’5″).
The BFG is suited to everything from city riding and bike paths to gravel and mountain bike trails. Riders can choose between drop bars or flat bars, and the bikes can be configured with either a 1× drivetrain or a 2×11 setup.
To match taller proportions, the BFG can be fitted with extra-long crank arms and extra-wide handlebars, ensuring a comfortable fit. The wheels are custom-built in Zinn’s Colorado workshop using their own Clydesdale hubs, rated for riders up to 204 kg (450 lbs). Each wheel uses 36 double-butted spokes and DT Swiss brass nipples, providing the durability and long-term trueness required for heavier, more powerful riders.
Clydesdale Bronco 32″ MTB
The Clydesdale Bronco follows the same design philosophy as the BFG, offering properly scaled bikes for larger riders. This titanium hardtail is available with 32-inch wheels and comes in sizes from Medium to 4XL, covering riders from 175 cm to 213 cm (5’9″ to 7’2″).
The Bronco is built around a Wren Sports inverted fork, which can be run at reduced travel, 120 mm instead of the standard 150 mm, to prevent the larger 32-inch wheel from contacting the fork crown.
As with all Clydesdale builds, key contact points and components are tailored to the rider. Crank length, handlebars, stem, saddle, and wheels are all adjusted based on individual measurements and weight.
The Bronco also uses a 157 mm wide rear hub spacing, allowing for a significantly stiffer and more torsion-resistant rear wheel – an important consideration for a heavy rider rolling on 32″ wheels.
Dead Rabbit XCO 32″ MTB
Dead Rabbit has crafted a distinctive cross-country MTB prototype, featuring an aluminium frame paired with 32″ wheels. Its neon yellow and purple retro paintwork bridges the gap between 1990s style and modern tech.
The bike is built by Björn Aeschlimann, owner of Dead Rabbit Bikes, who makes a living designing custom frames for other bike manufacturers. In fact, his Swiss workshop is currently developing 32″ MTB prototypes for multiple big brands.
This prototype offers 100 mm of rear travel and 97 mm up front, with a frame geometry carefully designed to reduce the visual bulk of the 32″ wheels. The swingarm features an elevated chainstay design, keeping the stays short while ensuring ample tyre clearance and space for a chainring.
The cockpit stands out as well: a custom stem with low stack height and negative rise allows for a longer 100 mm head tube without raising handlebar height. To maintain a low bar position, Björn added a custom extra-flat upper headset cap.
The Bright Racing suspension fork is made in Italy, but the moulds for the carbon uppers were produced by Björn in Switzerland. Its upside-down design makes it ideal for testing, as different dropouts can be milled quickly to experiment with offset settings.
Björn aims to release a production-ready version of this bike, with the frameset expected to retail for €2,600.
DirtySixer Gravel with 32-Inch Wheels
DirtySixer describes this as the ultimate 32″ gravel bike for tall riders, offering three frame sizes that suit cyclists from 178 to 210 cm (5’10” to 6’11”).
This aluminium (or titanium) gravel platform is built around a carbon fork and DirtySixer’s own 36-hole alloy rims, paired with a Ritchey Comp Beacon XL handlebar and a SRAM Apex 12-speed drivetrain. It rolls on VeeTire T-Monster 2.40″ tyres, which are reassuringly chunky for rough gravel and light trail use.
To maximise wheel stiffness and strength, DirtySixer employ fat-bike hub standards – 150 mm wide up front and 197 mm wide at the rear. This widens the crankset width by roughly 40 mm compared to a conventional gravel bike. Most taller riders usually won’t notice the extra width, but those closer to the lower end of the height range (around 178 cm) may find it wider than ideal.
The frame clears tyres up to 2.5″, and includes two bottle mounts inside the main triangle, along with fender mounts. The complete bike is priced at US $5,899.
DirtySixer 32″ MTB
DirtySixer is also preparing to bring a 32-inch hardtail into full production.
The brand has spent years designing big-wheeled bikes specifically for taller riders (typically 190 cm and above) who fall outside the size ranges offered by most mainstream manufacturers. This prototype 32″ MTB features a 120 mm Wren suspension fork and T-Monster tyres, and the frame has all the modern features – UDH dropouts, internal routing for a dropper post, and numerous eyelets for accessories.
According to founder David Folch, DirtySixer builds its frames well beyond standard certification requirements to ensure they remain strong and safe for taller, heavier riders.
The DirtySixer hardtail MTB is currently available for pre-order in three sizes, from XL to 3XL, suitable for riders between 175 and 211 cm (5’9″ to 6’11”). Complete builds retail for US $6,499.
Falconer 32″ MTB
This Falconer 32″ MTB was among the first frames designed specifically to work with a suspension fork. Pictured here with a modified Intend fork, a custom BTCHN’ flat bar, and Astral aluminium rims, it was built for Alec White of White Industries, who is 180cm (5’11”) for reference.
The bike is intended as an ultra-stable cross-country machine. Its long 650 mm top tube, upright fit, and short seat tube put it firmly in line with the modern geometry trends seen on more progressive hardtails.
Builder Cameron Falconer believes that fully unlocking the potential of 32″ wheels will require the widest possible hub spacing to improve bracing angles and keep the wheels stiff enough for aggressive riding. This bike runs a wide-flange singlespeed setup to support that goal, helping maximise wheel stiffness as part of the overall design.
KTM Sixty-Four 32″ MTB
KTM unveiled its new aluminium 32″ MTB at this year’s Lenzerheide Cross Country World Cup. The brand calls this prototype “Project 64”, a nod to its pair of 32-inch wheels (32×2).
Although the KTM Sixty-Four didn’t make it onto the start line, it appears to be a highly refined prototype with a finish that’s essentially production-ready. Interestingly, KTM chose to keep the top tube straight rather than lowering it for more standover. It certainly gives the bike a cleaner silhouette, but the resulting frame could still feel tall for riders with shorter inseams.
Component-wise, KTM has fitted an Intend suspension fork, and it tapped into its team partnership with Mavic for the wheelset. The involvement of the iconic French brand suggests that Mavic may be close to releasing a production-ready 32″ wheel option.
Leovelo 32″ Rigid MTB
Leovelo has built a lightweight, rigid 32″ MTB that stands out immediately thanks to its short chainstays. At just 10.4 kilograms, it’s impressively light for a steel hardtail built around such massive wheels.
The custom Columbus steel tubeset combines a flat, ovalised top tube, a sharply curved seat tube, elegant wishbone seatstays, and 445 mm chainstays, giving the bike a striking visual presence. The Columbus Adventure carbon fork, along with the Bike Ahead Composite 32″ rims and seatpost, are all custom-painted to match for a cohesive finish.
Leovelo will soon be offering 32″ builds as part of its custom frame programme, so anyone intrigued by the 32″ wheel size can get in touch with Leo directly.
Neuhaus Nova 32″ Rigid MTB
Neuhaus Bikes takes fit and geometry scaling very seriously, offering an impressive 16 stock sizes for their 32″ Nova model. The aim was to recreate the handling of their 29″ Hummingbird hardtail with larger wheels – adjusting dimensions where necessary, but without pushing anything into extreme territory.
Neuhaus ultimately opted to forgo a suspension fork, deciding it pushed the stack height beyond their target fit and feel – plus, there are currently very few 32″ suspension forks to choose from.
With a rigid chassis, Neuhaus is relying on the oversized wheels to shoulder some of the workload: the improved rollover smooths out impacts, and the larger contact patch of 32″ tyres delivers noticeably more grip. And of course, riding a rigid bike tends to make you a better rider anyway.
The Neuhaus Nova will be production-ready and shipping in early 2026.
Retrotec Custom
This is a fun bike to include on this list! It’s one of the earliest 32″ MTBs with a suspension fork, and it dates back to around 2017, when pro racer Carl Decker approached Curtis Inglis of Retrotec with the ambitious idea of building a 32-inch bike. They had access to 32-inch aluminium rims, but had to get creative with the tyres, stitching together sections of 27.5-inch tyre casings to make their own 32-inch versions.
Fitted with a RockShox RS-1 suspension fork, the Retrotec prototype ended up with geometry that Carl felt was ideal for riding around Bend, Oregon. By today’s standards, though, its head tube angle is noticeably steeper than and the top tube shorter than what we typically see on modern big-wheel bikes.
Stoll P32 32″ MTB
After extensive testing with an aluminium mule, Swiss brand Stoll has unveiled the first carbon full-suspension 32″ bike.
The Stoll P32 is clearly designed to be a fast cross-country rig. The 1,750-gram carbon frame can be set up with either 100 or 120 mm of travel, with all cables routed cleanly through the headset. Complete bike weights start at 10.9 kg, which is right in line with today’s World Cup machines.
Geometry details remain under wraps for now; Stoll is intentionally keeping their findings confidential while the rest of the industry develops their own full suspension bikes around 32″ wheels.
Stoll will offer the P32 in four build variants priced between 9,500 and 14,000 CHF, with a frameset available for 5,000 CHF. A downtube storage compartment can be added for an additional 450 CHF.
All Stoll P32 models will run an Intend inverted suspension fork. Wheel options include Duke Lucky Jack carbon rims laced with PiRope spokes to DT Swiss hubs, or Bike Ahead Biturbo RS 32 wheels.
Production begins in early 2026. Medium sizes are expected to ship in April, followed by large sizes in June – covering riders from roughly 170 to 192 cm. Stoll is currently evaluating whether a smaller size is feasible, and there is no word on an extra-large size just yet.
Trentadue 32″ MTB & Gravel Bike
Italian brand 36pollici (which literally translates to 36 inches) has been building 36-inch bikes for a long time, and is now applying that experience to some 32″ bike models.
Under the new TrentaDue label, the company plans to launch an aluminium mountain bike equipped with an inverted RST fork offering 75 mm of travel. A gravel version will also be available, paired with a rigid fork.
Given that 36pollici’s 36er MTB weighs just 12 kg (26.6 lbs), the upcoming TrentaDue models are expected to be competitively light – especially with the inclusion of the Damil carbon 32″ wheels.
Zinn BIG Full Suspension 32″ MTB
Zinn has long specialised in bikes for the big-and-tall community (usually under the brand Clydesdale), and their new full-suspension 32er finally puts XC trail riding on the table for tall riders who want 32-inch wheels.
With 120 mm of travel front and 110 mm rear, the BIG Full Suspension comes in 2XL and 3XL sizes. The unusually long head tubes allow tall riders to achieve a comfortable bar height without excessive saddle-to-bar drop. The 2XL is designed for riders from around 193 cm to 203 cm (6’4 to 6’8), while the 3XL suits anyone taller than 203 cm (6’8).
Zinn notes that they can also build 32ers in smaller sizes (M, L, and XL) on request.
Because there are still no suspension forks purpose-built for 32″ wheels, Zinn is currently using the Wren Sports inverted fork, which can be run at reduced travel without shortening its overall length – crucial for maintaining correct geometry with the large front wheel.
The suspension linkage is engineered to confidently support riders up to 136 kg (300 lbs). Zinn has also chosen a lower leverage ratio than typical full-suspension bikes, allowing heavier riders to achieve plush performance without simply maxing out shock pressure.
To handle the loads of tall, powerful riders, the frame uses oversized, thick-wall tubing in the front triangle, reinforced by a support brace joining the top tube and seat tube directly to the rear shock pivot cluster. The BIG 32er also employs 157 mm rear hub spacing, enabling stiffer, more torsion-resistant rear wheels, which is especially important with the 32″ rim diameter.
