Gemperle himself was quoted as saying afterward: \u201cThis big boy is the actual size gravel racing<\/a> and especially Unbound Gravel<\/a> was waiting for.\u201d<\/p>\n Latest Videos FromCycling Weekly<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: SCOTT Sports \/ Lukas Schumacher)<\/p>\n Meanwhile, from Schwalbe\u2019s side, head of product management Felix Sch\u00e4fermeier says: \u201cAt first, we were skeptical about whether 32 inches would be a meaningful addition. But the more we tested, the clearer the conclusion became: riders on 32-inch wheels definitely notice a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Schwalbe looks to be the first of the big brands to launch a gravel-specific 32-inch tyre with a ‘G’ printed on the sidewall, but US gravel and MTB specialists Teravail already offer both 32-inch tyres and rims for \u201cservice roads\u201d while Silca\u2019s Protocol 32in RCG-3 is also designed for gravel and comes in a massive 2.4in (60mm) width.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Maxxis\u2019s Aspen ST 32 x 2.15in and Aspen AT 32 x 2.4in are mountain bike tyres that could double as gravel tyres while Vittoria and Kenda are expected to launch gravel tyres next year. The former showed off a new Peyote tyre at Sea Otter in April but would not be drawn over when they would go into production. The Kenda Dagger, a \u201ccross country and light trail tyre\u201d is expected to be available in 32 inches soon. There\u2019s no word from Continental so far, but it\u2019s clear the bicycle tyre industry as a whole is getting ready for the new standard.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Schwalbe)<\/p>\n Okay, but where are the 32-inch bikes to use them with? This one could be a bit trickier to answer.<\/p>\n Schwalbe might be the first mainstream tyre brand to release a gravel-specific 32-inch product, but the global bike brands are either noncommittal or playing cat-and-mouse to see who\u2019s going to lead it out.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, NBA star and Canyon shareholder LeBron James rolled out on a one-off 32-inch Grizl<\/a> but Canyon was quick to explain that the bike was neither a prototype nor a display model \u2013 it was a custom bike “engineered from the ground up for a 6ft 9in athlete whose size very few production frames are designed to accommodate.”<\/p>\n There’s no sign of Scott making a production version of the bike Gemperle rode to victory in Unbound \u2013 the Swiss brand stated at the time that it was a \u201cpure prototype\u201d that would never be released to the market.<\/p>\n What to read next<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Mosaic Cycles)<\/p>\n Right now, smaller, mostly US builders are leading the 32-inch charge. Last month, Colorado’s Mosaic released its GT i55 32<\/a>, a handmade titanium gravel bike that owner Aaron Barcheck said was categorically \u201cnot a concept bike\u201d. Stinner<\/a> has already shown its Refugio 32, BTCHN\u2019<\/a> has been preparing its Bandito for production, and Salsa has said 32-inch Fargo framesets<\/a> will go on sale this summer, with complete bikes to follow later in the year.<\/p>\n So where are the 32-inch gravel bikes from Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale et al? There\u2019s no doubt they\u2019re coming but, on the subject of big things, there\u2019s still that elephant in the room that could be getting in the way: not every future rider of a 32-inch bike is going to be 6ft 9in, like LeBron James. What if they\u2019re 5ft 2in? The diameter of a 32-inch wheel with a chunky tyre on it will measure over 80 centimetres, and obviously the smaller the frame size, the harder it becomes to adapt the geometry, particularly the steering, so that the bike still handles in a way that makes the most of the larger wheel size \u2013 as championed by Schwalbe \u2013 instead of being compromised by it.<\/p>\n![\"Robin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/LHudkkfdgsXaJ4MkB8ZRFE.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/o3PmMgDiqk7HrfxVXTgJy9.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"Mosaic](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/7pNQQ3rpcYsEEG9C3DgkfV.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n