32" wheels first reared their heads on the World Cup circuit nearly a year ago when Titouan Carod took to the practise session in Andorra aboard a prototype BMC. Since then, oversized wheels have continued to surface across both mountain biking and gravel racing, with multiple brands quietly exploring the concept behind closed doors.
Most recently, Scott's prototype 32-inch gravel bike won Unbound XL under Robin Gemperle. Now, Swiss team Thömus Maxon has arrived at its home World Cup round in Lenzerheide with what appears to be one of the most polished 32-inch mountain bike prototypes seen so far.
Photos from the first practise session in Lenzerheide show Mathias Flückiger testing a prototype version of the Thömus Lightrider cross-country race bike featuring the larger wheel size. The project appears to be one of the clearest signs that larger mountain bike manufacturers are moving towards a production-ready position for a 32" wheeled bike.
Alex Hunt
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