Buy now or wait? 29“ MTBs vs. the trend shift toward 32“

The 29-inch mountain bikes first saw the light in 2001 with the Gary Fisher Supercaliber, a rigid bike that already bet on this wheel size as a real alternative to the ubiquitous 26”. That first appearance made it clear that the larger diameter offered obvious advantages in terms of traction and the ability to roll over obstacles, but it also opened a debate that would take many years to resolve.

29" MTBs are at their peak: they've never been this good... and they may never be again

The adoption of 29“ wheels was much slower than many people remember. For more than a decade, they coexisted with 26” wheels and later with 27.5" wheels, while manufacturers and users debated whether the larger diameter made up for the loss of agility attributed to those early generations.

The real turning point came in 2016. That year, Nino Schurter won the World Championships and the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on a 29-inch SCOTT Spark, proving that the advantages in traction, clearance, and stability clearly outweighed the drawbacks. Since then, the 29-inch wheel has come to dominate virtually all XC and XCM competition.

But the 29-inch bike we know today bears little resemblance to those early generations. Lighter frames, completely redesigned geometries, more efficient suspension systems, and the emergence of standards like Boost have transformed these bikes into much faster and more capable machines.

The XC has also changed completely

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It wasn't just the bikes that evolved. The courses and the very nature of the competition did, too.

Modern XC demands bikes that are much more stable on descents, more effective on rough terrain, and capable of maintaining much higher speeds throughout the race. As a result, 120-mm full-suspension bikes have become the standard, and the obsessive pursuit of minimal weight has given way to a much smarter balance between lightness, stiffness, shock absorption, and control.

Added to this is the emergence of technologies such as wireless drivetrains, electronic suspension systems, and components designed specifically for competition. All of this has brought 29" bikes to a level of refinement that seemed hard to achieve just a few years ago.

2026: A whole bunch of new 29" XCO models that no one saw coming

The feeling that 29-inch bikes have reached their peak is not solely due to developments in competition. It is also supported by the extraordinary number of new models that have been released in a very short time. Virtually all the major brands have updated their XCO bikes, and others have already begun laying the groundwork for the upcoming 32-inch models.

• The Specialized Epic 9 features a lighter frame, more efficient suspension, and an S-Works build that weighs as little as 8.66 kg. Here you can see all the new models and prices.

   

• The SCOTT Spark RC 2027 debuts a new generation of frames while retaining its signature integrated suspension and a completely revamped lineup. Prices start under €4,000 (for carbon models), and you can view the full lineup here. 

   

• The Santa Cruz Blur 2027 unifies the former Blur XC and TR models into a single 120 mm platform, featuring much more modern geometry. 

   

• The Orbea Oiz 2027 features a completely new frame with Powerspine technology to increase stiffness and improve pedaling efficiency.

   

• The Giant Anthem Advanced SL adopts a new frame and a 120 mm FlexPoint Pro suspension system, moving closer to more technical XC riding.

   

• The Lapierre XR 2027 has been redesigned from scratch with new kinematics, more aggressive geometry, and a vertically mounted shock. 

   

• The Canyon Lux World Cup CFR 2027 evolves into a much more radical concept with updated geometry and a system that allows for anti-squat adjustment.

   

• Trek surprised everyone by unveiling a completely new World Cup prototype that could serve as the basis for its next generation of XC bikes.

   

• Shortly afterward, the first Trek with 32-inch wheels was also leaked, confirming that the brand is already working on this new platform.

   

• Cannondale is already competing with a new generation of the Lefty fork, which previews the next evolution of the Scalpel.

• Cube has also unveiled a prototype of the upcoming AMS Zero99, retaining its signature Four-Bar suspension while completely redesigning the frame. 

The 32-inch model is already starting to set the stage for the next step

Just as 29-inch bikes seem to have reached their technological peak, the first 32-inch bikes have begun to appear.

BMC was the first major brand to showcase a prototype during a World Cup training session last season, but that already seems like ancient history. The Stoll P32 claimed the first victory for a 32" bike at the Cape Epic.

Trek has also publicly unveiled its project, and a model much closer to the production version has since been leaked. And the Thomus Lightrider 32 has become the first 32" bike to finish on the podium at a World Cup event.

Just as was the case two decades ago with 29“ wheels, the change isn't just about fitting a larger wheel. The arrival of 32” wheels requires the development of new frames, suspension systems, geometries, and specific components, so it represents a complete platform shift.

The difference is that this transition could happen much more quickly. Several brands are already preparing models to compete in the World Cup in 2027, and the industry’s goal appears to be to introduce the first commercial models that same year as well.

Is now the best time to buy an XC mountain bike?

Paradoxically, the arrival of 32“ bikes makes current 29” bikes a particularly attractive purchase.

After more than twenty years of development, today’s models represent the pinnacle of evolution for this wheel size. Never before have there been such refined frames, such efficient suspension systems, such carefully engineered geometries, or such a wide range of high-end models.

That doesn’t mean 29-inch bikes are going to disappear. Everything points to them continuing to dominate the market for many years to come, even as 32-inch bikes begin to gain prominence among elite riders.

That’s why anyone buying a good 29-inch XC bike today is likely getting the best version of this platform that has ever existed. And perhaps, precisely for that reason, this is also the best time in history to do so.