{"id":936355,"date":"2026-10-22T01:58:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T01:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/936355\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T01:58:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T01:58:18","slug":"forget-32-enduro-pro-zakarias-johansen-says-30-5-wheel-is-very-impressive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/936355\/","title":{"rendered":"Forget 32. Enduro pro Zakarias Johansen says 30.5″ wheel is “very impressive”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Photo: @cubeactionteam<\/p>\n

Last weekend buzzed with Red Bull Hardline BC<\/a> and the last enduro racing of 2026 and, maybe, the final enduro race<\/a> on the World Cup circuit. The Enduro World Championships were held in Finale Ligure, with one very interesting bike in the mix: one wheel larger than the rest \u2014 but not too big.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo: @cubeactionteam<\/p>\n

Cube teases a 30.5\u201d front wheel on its enduro race bike<\/p>\n

In an Instagram post, the Cube Action Team<\/a> shows a picture of Zakarias Johansen and his custom Cube Fritzz, teasing in the caption:<\/p>\n

\u201cSpot the difference in the wheels? \ud83d\udc40 There\u2019s something special about this bike\u2026 Can you figure out what it is? \ud83d\ude09\u201d<\/p>\n

At first glance, no. But a closer look might make you wonder whether the front wheel is just a touch larger than the back. Is it the camera angle? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?<\/p>\n

The Fritzz is Cube\u2019s big bruiser enduro bike, which can be set up as a mixed-wheeled bike (29\/27.5 front and rear) or a full 29er. Johansen\u2019s Fritzz is just a little different, however. While the rider opted for the larger 29\u201d rear wheel, Cube later confirmed<\/a> that Johansen was indeed racing on a 30.5\u201d front wheel.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we just finished World Champs here. First race on the 30.5 wheel. Very impressive; I think it definitely helped me out a lot today. Those two long stages were super rough on the hands, and I could definitely feel the benefit of the bigger wheel. Yeah, so, history made here today.\u201d<\/p>\n

And the 30.5\u201d wheel did pretty well. All said, the race covered over 60km across six stages, with top finishers racing for a rough total of 36 minutes. Johansen finished 17th on the day, a little less than 1:30 behind the 2026 EDR World Champ, Ryan Gilchrist.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Photo: @cubeactionteam<\/p>\n

Will 30.5\u201d wheels actually be a thing?<\/p>\n

As far as we can tell, Cube is the only brand currently experimenting with the idea \u2014 bike brand, that is. Pictures of the bike show that Schwalbe is also involved, as it is their tire wrapped around the larger 30.5\u201d wheel.<\/p>\n

We reached out to Schwalbe about the 30.5\u201d tire, but a brand representative said that it was \u201ctoo early at this stage to share further details.\u201d So, is it a one-off? A fluke? A marketing ploy?<\/p>\n

Schwalbe went on to tell us that they \u201conly bring products to our partners that we fully believe in ourselves. We are currently building our first samples and will then conduct extensive testing \u2013 with no predetermined outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nPhotos: @martin_maes5<\/p>\n

Perhaps it\u2019s a bit more than a marketing ploy, then. This isn\u2019t the first \u201cbig wheel\u201d we\u2019ve seen on the World Cup stage \u2014 but those were the even bigger 32\u201d offerings. At the downhill World Championships in Val di Sole, Orbea racer Martin Maes raced a 32\/27.5 mixed-wheeled bike, notably also with Schwalbe tires. On the XC circuit, 32\u201d wheels were first introduced in Lenzerheide, with a third-place finish<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Screenshot: FSD Bicycle<\/p>\n

Are there other 30.5\u201d bikes?<\/p>\n

While the introduction of 32\u201d wheels caught many of us off guard, the size isn\u2019t as unusual as you think. With 32\u201d anything still incredibly hard to find, many two-wheeled engineers and designers first experimented with 32\u201d unicycle tires and wheels.<\/p>\n

But not so with 30.5\u201d wheels, with any bike designed around the niche wheel size being very unique.<\/p>\n

However, I was able to find a bike that might scratch your 30.5 itch. The company is FSD Bicycle (FuShengDa Sports & Leisure Equipment Co., Ltd.) from Tianjin, China. The Sorun<\/a> is a 30.5\u201d aluminum hardtail with a 30.5 DGB-branded \u201cair suspension\u201d fork, \u201calloy wide\u201d wheels, and \u201cCompass Jumping Hare\u201d 30.5 x 2.25 tires.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Screenshot: FSD Bicycle<\/p>\n

The Sorun features components from brands we\u2019re more familiar with, like Shimano (drivetrain and brakes) and Selle Royal (saddle).<\/p>\n

But be ready to order a bunch of Soruns. While the price is right to try a 30.5\u201d bike (the website says $330-$400), there is a minimum order quantity: 300 bikes.<\/p>\n

So, maybe round up some interested friends and get a \u201cBikes for sale\u201d listing ready for your local classifieds.<\/p>\n

The news stinks. Why not follow Singletracks on Google News<\/a> to bring more joy to your day?<\/p>\n

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