Soldier Hollow will be the ultimate test for 32-inch bikes: all the prototypes we’ll see in the World Cup

The 32-inch wheels began in 2026 as a rarity that appeared occasionally in training and prototypes, but little by little they have been gaining ground in competition. Soldier Hollow could become this weekend the World Cup race with the highest presence of 32" bikes so far. Trek and SCOTT arrive with significant news, Thömus has already shown that its R32 can reach the podium, and CUBE also has its own prototype, although in the latter case it will be more difficult to see it in the race.

Soldier Hollow may gather more 32" bikes than any other World Cup

The moment chosen by brands and cyclists also does not seem coincidental. Once the World Championship in Val di Sole has been held and some of the major goals of the season have been surpassed, several brands have decided to take their prototypes out of the testing environment and bring them directly to the World Cup.

Trek debuts its 32" with Evie Richards at the forefront

One of the bikes that has generated the most anticipation this week is the new Trek XCO with 32-inch wheels.

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After months dropping some hints, Trek has openly shown its new bike and confirmed its intention to debut it in competition at Soldier Hollow. Evie Richards will be one of the riders tasked with putting it to the test, although we will have to wait to see if any other team member decides to use it.

The prototype is a dual suspension that seems to have adapted the XCO platform they were competing with until now and that will not be available for sale, but developed around the new 32" wheels that seem to be the new ones from BERD for this size. Additionally, in this bike we have seen for the first time a specific RockShox SID Ultimate Flight Attendant for 32-inch wheels. The appearance of this fork is relevant because it eliminates one of the major obstacles that brands interested in developing bikes of this size have faced until now.

SCOTT also arrives with a 32" Spark

The other big surprise of the weekend is in the SCOTT-SRAM box. The Swiss brand has brought to Utah a new SCOTT Spark 32 inches that will presumably be used by Filippo Colombo and Fabio Püntener.

At first glance, the prototype maintains the new platform that the Spark 2027, presented just a few months ago, has debuted, and we see characteristic elements such as the integrated shock, the new lower position of the shock, or a very particular rear swingarm. All adapted to 32" wheels.

Additionally, in front appears the same new RockShox SID Flight Attendant 32" that we have seen on the Trek.

For now, fundamental data such as the final geometry or the rear travel of the prototype are unknown. Soldier Hollow will therefore be a first opportunity to see it directly in competition if Colombo and Püntener maintain the planned choice.

Thömus was the first and already knows what it is like to reach the podium with 32"

For Thömus, all this is no longer new. The Swiss brand was the first to dare to place a 32-inch bike on a World Cup starting grid.

The Thömus Lightrider R32 debuted in Lenzerheide and did so with a result that was hard to overlook. Alessandra Keller finished third in the Short Track, achieving the first podium of a 32" bike in the history of the World Cup. Mathias Flückiger also competed that weekend with the new platform. 

For the R32, Thömus redesigned the platform for the new diameter and developed the project together with DT Swiss, which prepared specific wheels and a fork.

In Soldier Hollow, we could see it again under Mathias Flückiger, although we will have to wait until the start to know which bike the Swiss ultimately chooses.

The CUBE 32" will be much harder to see

The fourth project we already know is from CUBE. Ondřej Cink has been using a 32-inch prototype based on the AMS platform, with a FOX fork and Newmen wheels for several races. A bike with which he also competed in the World Championship in Val di Sole.

Cink had previously debuted the prototype with a victory in a C1 race in Ostrava and later decided to bring the CUBE 32" to the World Cup.

However, it will be the hardest to see this weekend. Cink is out due to illness in Soldier Hollow and, unless another team rider decides to use the prototype, the 32-inch CUBE will not be on the grid.

For now, these are the major 32-inch projects that could be present in Soldier Hollow: Trek, SCOTT, Thömus, and, with much less chance due to Cink's absence, CUBE.

The first response will come tonight during the Short Track, and it is worth remembering that riders must maintain the bike they compete with in the Short Track for the XCO. In our preview of the Soldier Hollow World Cup, you can check the schedules, where to follow the races, and the main keys of the weekend.