DT Swiss brought a 32" MTB to Nove Mesto and it is now for sale

The 32-inch mountain bikes continue to advance step by step, and the World Cup in Nové Město once again became the best showcase possible to prove it. Although no rider dared to compete with a 32” bike in the official trials, the Czech circuit did show signs that this trend continues to evolve at a rapid pace.

The 32” MTBs are back on display at the World Cup, and DT Swiss is already testing an almost definitive fork in Nové Město

In the paddock of Nové Město, we could once again see the Actofive I-Train 32, the radical German MTB presented at the end of 2025 with giant wheels developed alongside DT Swiss. But this time, the attention was not only on the wheels. The big news was that the bike was equipped for the first time with a fork also signed by DT Swiss, and all signs point to it being a practically definitive version.

DT Swiss accelerates the development of specific components for 32”

Throughout the weekend, several official testers from the brand were riding with this configuration on the Nové Město circuit, one of the most demanding venues on the XCO calendar. The presence of this fork confirms that DT Swiss is actively working on a complete ecosystem for 32” wheels, which is key for this new format to truly reach competition.

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So far, one of the major problems with 32 inches has not been so much the frame as the lack of compatible components. Tires, wheels, and especially suspensions remain the main bottleneck for brands to launch complete bikes ready to compete at the highest level. In that sense, this bike also debuted another important novelty, the new Schwalbe Rick Pro tires in 32".

The first real production Trail/Downcountry bike with 32” wheels

The small German brand Actofive was one of the first brands to move from prototypes to a real commercial product. Its I-Train 32 is not just a simple experimental bike, but a platform designed from scratch for giant wheels and aimed at downcountry and fast Trail riding.

The frame, entirely made of CNC-machined 7075 aluminum, has been completely redesigned compared to the 29” version. Actofive reinforced the front triangle, modified the chainstays and seatstays, and adapted the entire kinematics to withstand the greater loads generated by a 32” wheel.

The result is a bike with 120, 130, or even 140 mm of travel, modern geometry, and a very different proposal from what we had seen associated with 32 inches, which are usually more linked to pure XC.

The geometry also makes it clear that the goal was not to create an extreme bike, but to maintain sensations similar to a conventional modern Trail bike. With 32” wheels and a 130 mm fork, the I-Train 32 offers a head angle of 65°, a seat angle of 77.5°, and chainstays of 458.5 mm, as well as a flip-chip system to vary heights and geometries.

Additionally, as we have already mentioned, the Actofive I-Train 32 is available for sale for €6,990 (frame) and can be ordered directly from their website.

More speed and stability without losing agility

Simon Metzner, CEO of Actofive, explained during the presentation that the bike's performance surprised even him after several weeks of testing.

According to Metzner, the great advantage appears on rough terrain, where the wheels maintain speed better and convey a huge sense of stability and security. The most striking thing is that he claims not to have found a loss of agility as great as one might expect in a bike with such a large wheel diameter.

However, he also acknowledges that very steep descents require adaptation and that shorter riders might have space issues with the rear wheel.

Nové Město makes it clear that 32” bikes are still advancing

Although we have not yet seen any rider officially compete with a 32” mountain bike in the World Cup, the presence of these projects in the paddocks is starting to make it clear that we are no longer talking about simple isolated experiments.

The appearance of a practically finalized DT Swiss fork is probably the most important signal to date. Because if the major component brands start to validate specific suspensions and wheels, the leap to competition could come much sooner than expected.