At the Bespoked handmade bike show in Germany this weekend, Bike Ahead Composites is showing their prototype 32-inch mountain bike, the FRAME HT Project 32″. The carbon hardtail XC race bike looks quite refined for a prototype, and not only that, the brand posted a test ride video showing it in action on the trails.
“We built it with love,” the brand wrote in an Instagram post yesterday. “It’s completely rideable. But for us, it’s currently an experimental prototype.”
It’s running an Intend BC inverted fork and 32×2.4″ Maxxis tires
With any 32-inch mountain bike, the question is: Which fork, wheels, and tires are they using? For this build, Bike Ahead specs the Intend BC Samurai inverted fork with 100mm of suspension travel, and the arch-less design appears to provide plenty of clearance for the oversize wheels.
Speaking of wheels, the FRAME HT Project 32″ showcases Bike Ahead’s own wheel tech in the BITURBO RSX 32″ carbon wheels. The six-spoke monocoque construction is not something mountain bikers are used to seeing, though the German brand utilizes a similar design for road and gravel wheelsets, and recently introduced a mountain version in 27.5″ and 29″ diameters. The BITURBO RSX wheels are wrapped in Maxxis Aspen 32×2.4″ tires, a new tire that is quickly becoming a popular choice for 32er builds.
Other notable component choices include Bike Ahead’s own HYPERSADDLE, a lightweight carbon fiber model that further highlights the brand’s designs and capabilities. The negative rise stem is custom-made by RadoxX Components, and slams the bars by 40° for an aggressive riding position. The bike on display at Bespoked also features the new Wolf Tooth CTRL clipless pedals that officially launched just yesterday.
Bike Ahead Composites is known for seriously lightweight MTBs, and their 32er is no exception
The original FRAME HT, a 29er, is offered in builds that weigh as little as 8kg for a size medium, which is just a hair over 17.5lb. Bike Ahead says that makes it the “lightest series race bike in the world,” and through customization, buyers can potentially get the weight even lower.
The Bike Ahead FRAME HT Project 32″ build is said to weigh 9.6kg, size unknown. The bike does include a dropper post — a Wolf Tooth Resolve with 125mm of travel — while the 8kg FRAME HT 29er build ships with a much lighter rigid carbon post.
Looking at the Project 32″ build and the video above, it’s clear the designers were thinking about XC-style racing with this bike. The bar position in particular ensures riders get low, perhaps to counteract the bike’s increased axle height.
32-inch mountain bikes are rolling out
The Bike Ahead 32er joins a growing list of bikes with big wheels that have been announced or released over the past 12 months:
- 36pollici Trentadue: hardtail
- Bike Ahead FRAME HT Project 32″: hardtail, prototype
- BMC 32″ XC bike: hardtail, prototype
- DirtySixer MTB: hardtail
- Faction Big Ben: full suspension, prototype
- Zinn Cycles B.I.G. 32er: full suspension
The use cases for mountain bikes with 32-inch wheels are split between tall riders looking for a more proportional fit and XC racers looking for a speed and efficiency advantage. Thirty-two-inch wheels have neither been explicitly approved nor banned from elite-level UCI mountain bike competition, though rumors suggest that pro teams and racers are testing them.
“Are extra-large wheels the next big thing?” Bike Ahead wrote. “The arguments are better rollover behavior and increased grip. On the other hand, they are heavier and have worse acceleration. The discussion is reminiscent of the debate about 26-inch and 29-inch wheels.”
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