2026 UCI world championships are here and, with that, a slew of newly painted bikes. If you look a little closer, some secret tech is hiding in the pits as riders seek any advantage they can find in the hunt for the rainbow jerseys. This year, some of those secrets are easier to spot than others. Because, well, it’s hard to hide the massive size of a 32″ wheel.

While we all expected a few 32″ bikes on the XC start line, Martin Maes and Orbea delivered a wild card. The Belgian is practicing for the downhill race on a prototype Mega Mullet.

What’s a Mega Mullet? 32/29″? No, that’d be way too reasonable. Maes and Orbea are going all-in for the steep Val di Sole track with a 32″ front wheel and a 27.5″ out back.

That requries some special parts. Orbea has a prototype aluminum frame for Maes, and makes its own OQUO wheels in house. But that Fox 40 is looking a little prototype-y, significantly modified to fit the big wheel comfortably out front. And Schwalbe dives deeper into 32″ with some proper downhill tires which are… not exactly something you can whip up at home. That suggests the brand think’s there enough interest in a monster-big Magic Mary to warrant creating the tire.

Mega Mullet: Method or madness?

It’s madness, with a bit of method thrown in. Maybe. Val di Sole is steep. The advantages of a “traditional” 29/27.5″ mullet were always more pronounced on steeper tracks. The sort of track steep enough that a lot of riders were raising up the front end of their bikes for more control, except Maes is doing it with a big wheel instead of Reece Wilson-style mega-high stack.

If Maes does race this configuration (he has a more normal Orbea Rallon DH in the pits, too), it’d break new ground. While Neko Mulally races a 32″ mullet back at Sea Otter, this would be the UCI competition debut and international debut of a 32″ wheel in a gravity race. While 32″ wheels have a few appearances (and podiums) on the XC side, the big wheel’s yet to make it across to downhill in competition.

Anyway, here’s a look at Maes’ wild Mega Mullet Orbea Rallon DH: