Bike Ahead puts its first 32” MTB on sale after thorough testing that confirms the advantages over the 29”

The 32 inches are no longer a mere technical rarity. In recent months, they have started to gain real traction in the market, first driven by the arrival of specific tires, such as the Maxxis Aspen 32”, and later by increasingly ambitious developments in frames and wheels. Now a new model arrives that is born directly from a real test against the 29".

From experiment to limited edition: this is how the new 32” hardtail MTB from Bike Ahead is born

The German manufacturer Bike Ahead was one of the pioneers in taking this size seriously. First, it developed a specific 32” wheelset for the Stoll P32, the first 32-inch dual suspension MTB to hit the market. Now it takes a further step and, after months of comparative testing, has just presented its first 32” hardtail MTB, based on its lightest platform.

Before launching the product to the market, Bike Ahead wanted to go beyond commercial discourse. In collaboration with the specialists from Ride Better Bikes, the brand designed a comparative test with the same bike and two wheel sizes.

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To do this, they used an experimental prototype developed on their THE FRAME 29, to which they added an extended rear triangle that allows for the mounting of both 29” and 32” wheels on the same base. The final assembly declared 9.5 kg of weight, 90 mm of front travel, and a configuration ready for competition. Both wheelsets were equipped with Maxxis Aspen 2.4 tires, with identical pressure and without sealant, eliminating external variables.

The test was structured into three main blocks:

• Acceleration bench, with measurements to the hundredth and ten repetitions per configuration to obtain reliable average values.
• Absorption and comfort test, on a circuit with bumps, recording times and acceleration data using sensors.
• Test on a real circuit, on a one-kilometer track in the Bavarian Forest, divided into uphill, gravel track, and downhill/trail sections. Times, power, and heart rate were analyzed, with two different cyclists.

After this test, the brand has already hinted on social media that the 32” offered measurable advantages and not just subjective feelings. For now, they have not published all the detailed data, but they have announced that they will continue to unveil results in the coming days.

The performance obtained on trails, in the test bench, and in real conditions was the definitive trigger. What started as a prototype for learning ended up becoming a commercial product.

This is how THE FRAME 32 is born, a 32-inch hardtail that will be launched in a first limited series of only ten units. The base is the well-known THE FRAME 29, one of the lightest frames on the market, re-engineered to accommodate 32” wheels.

Among the technical modifications, a new carbon design that increases stiffness in the steering tube area stands out, aiming to manage the greater loads generated by the longer fork associated with this size. The main triangle is manufactured in a monocoque construction of a single piece, while the rear triangle is extended using specific dropouts developed for the project. The joining process has been validated in the testing benches of the EFBE institute.

The declared weights of the frame are:

• Size M: 965 g
• Size L: 995 g
• Size XL: 1,040 g

Bike Ahead will offer this first series both in frame format and in complete configuration, equipped with its new BITURBO X 32 SAFEWING wheels and 90 mm travel fork, replicating the configuration used in the comparative test.

The 32 inches continue to generate debate in XCO and the high-performance market. But with projects like the Stoll P32 and now this new ultralight hardtail, the development is no longer theoretical. Bike Ahead has not only built a 32” bike but has also tried to back it up with objective data.

We will have to wait for the complete publication of the results to assess the real extent of those advantages, but the message is that the 32” are no longer a mere hypothesis for the future, but a tangible option that is beginning to consolidate.