{"id":3557,"date":"2026-11-13T09:44:47","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T08:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingreview.nl\/32-inch-wielen-nieuwe-standaard-lange-fietsers\/"},"modified":"2026-11-13T09:44:47","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T08:44:47","slug":"32-inch-wheels-are-the-new-standard-for-long-distance-cyclists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclingreview.nl\/en\/32-inch-wielen-nieuwe-standaard-lange-fietsers\/","title":{"rendered":"32 inch: the new standard? What larger wheels mean for long-distance cyclists"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the beginning of September, LeBron James<\/strong> A bike that, according to his own words, he finally didn\u2019t have to \u2018fit\u2019. Canyon, in which the basketball player is a shareholder through his investment company, built a unique Grizl CF for the 2.06-meter-tall NBA star in size 3XL, with 32-inch wheels<\/a>. A joke for a celebrity? Not quite. Because two months later, wheel manufacturer NEWMEN announces that its gravel wheels Coming soon in three sizes: 28, 30.5 and 32 inch<\/a>. Time for the question: is 32 inches the new standard? And what\u2019s the point if, like the tallest of our staff at 1.93 meters, you never quite fit into a standard bike?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Studio
The Canyon Grizl CF by LeBron James: size 3XL, 32-inch wheels. Photo: Canyon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is 32 inches exactly?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The inch measurements on bicycle wheels are mostly names, not exact measurements. What matters is the diameter of the rim on which the tire is mounted. A regular race bike or gravel bike wheel (700C, 28 inch, in the case of mountain bikes called 29 inch) has a rim diameter of 622 mm<\/strong>. A 32-inch wheel is mounted on 686 mm<\/strong>. That is 64 mm more diameter, so the axle is more than 3 centimeters higher. With a 50 mm wide gravel tire you get an outer diameter of roughly 79 centimeters with 32 inches, compared to about 72 centimeters with a regular wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also see these numbers in the specifications of NEWMEN: the new STREEM G.48 has a \u2018diameter of 622\u2019, the 32-inch STREEM G.62 has a \u2018diameter of 686\u2019. At Schwalbe, the new tires are therefore called 50-686 and 55-686. NEWMEN also wants to offer a 30.5-inch size, a size that hardly exists in the gravel world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why long-distance runners need to be careful<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bicycles are designed around a fixed wheel size. In a S size, the frame is made smaller around those wheels; in an XL or XXL, it\u2019s only made bigger. The result: the longer you are, the smaller the wheels are relative to you and your bike. If you\u2019re 1.93 meters or taller, you\u2019re actually riding on \u2019too small\u2019 wheels. You can see this in the long handlebar tubes, the many spacers, and the saddle bars that stick out far. Larger wheels correct those proportions. With smaller riders, it\u2019s the other way around: the current wheels barely fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more: a long rider sits higher and further back above the wheels. A larger wheel provides more stability and a bike that is better balanced in terms of weight distribution. Canyon called the 32-inch wheels on LeBron James\u2018 bike the \u2019perfect match\u2018 for someone of his height. The geometry of his bike shows how large such a frame is: stack 680 mm, reach 470 mm and a wheelbase of 1,201 mm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does it roll better too?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the brands, certainly on bad roads. A larger wheel \u2018falls\u2019 less deep into a ditch and rolls over a stone or root more easily, because the obstacle comes at a flatter angle under it. That\u2019s called overrun behavior, and it\u2019s the same reason why mountain bikes once went from 26 to 29 inches. Additionally, the contact area of the tire with the ground is longer, which should provide more grip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schwalbe says in its own tests that it has shown a lower rolling resistance, especially on uneven surfaces, plus more grip, stability and comfort. Canyon says the same about LeBron James' bike: less rolling resistance and less impact on the rider. We haven't seen independent measurements yet, so for now take this as a claim from the manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The racing is intense. Robin Gemperle won this year the XL category of Unbound Gravel on prototypes of Schwalbe 32-inch tires. In September, the German Leon Kaiser won the UCI gravel race Sea Otter Europe in Girona on an as-yet-unreleased 32-inch Avona. According to NEWMEN, he rode their STREEM G.62 in 32 inches, and it was the first UCI gravel race won on 32-inch wheels. Kaiser said the big wheels gave him so much control in technical descents that it almost felt like a suspension fork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"32-inch
The 32-inch NEWMEN STREEM G.62 in an Avona gravestone frame. Photo: NEWMEN<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Who offers 32 inches?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The offer is growing, but is still small. An overview of what has been confirmed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n