32-inch wheels fully arrive in competition: Just not where anyone expected

For the past few years, mountain biking has obsessed over one question: When are 32-inch wheels coming?

2026 was supposed to be the year, but so far it’s been a slow start. A 32″ bike won a stage at Cape Epic. Neko Mulally won the Sea Otter DH on a 32″ mullet. An World Cup XC racer was spotted riding a 32″ prototype during practice. But despite all the speculation, nobody has fully committed to racing 32-inch wheels yet.

The first serious race for the giant wheels is happening where nobody really expected it: UNBOUND Gravel.

This weekend in Emporia, Kansas, Scott Sports athletes Cameron Jones and Robin Gemperle will line up aboard full prototype 32-inch gravel bikes. Which at this point, feels perfectly on-brand for gravel racing.

The giant wheel experiment leaves the lab

UNBOUND Gravel is not exactly a controlled, testing environment. The race covers 200 miles of rough Kansas roads. It is one of the few cycling events brutal enough that simply finishing can feel like an accomplishment.

So naturally Scott decided this was the ideal place to test giant prototype wheels.

“This bike makes you feel like you’re levitating over the surface,” said Jones, the defending UNBOUND winner and reigning Life Time Grand Prix champion. “I’ll be experiencing a road race while everybody else is racing gravel.”

Jones also claimed the traction and cornering grip feel “revolutionary,” adding that he is “genuinely scared” how fast the bike could descend on proper gravel descents.

Gravel might actually make more sense

For years, the argument around 32-inch mountain bike wheels has been obvious: bigger wheels roll faster over rough terrain. The downside is that they can feel awkward, heavy and difficult to manoeuvre in tight technical terrain.

But gravel racing? Especially something like UNBOUND? That changes the equation.

The terrain is rough, but not usually tight. Speeds are higher. Riders spend hours seated and pedalling instead of twisting through switchbacks or hucking drops.

In theory, a giant wheel could smooth out the terrain and maintain momentum more efficiently over huge distances.

Built for racing, not production

Scott says both athletes have been testing the bikes since last season as part of the company’s “Racing Concept” development program.

According to the brand, the project started as a simple “what if” conversation before quickly turning into working prototypes.

“We started by riding an unfinished bike, with…