Landyachtz dives into 32 with prototype gravel bike

The future is getting closer every day. Vancovuer’s Landyachtz is weighing into the fray with a prototype 32″ gravel bike. The brand was showing it off over the weekend at BC Bike Fest, where even die hard mountain bikers couldn’t help but stop in the booth to ogle those big wheels. It’s also already been raced already, hitting the Buckshot 500 in B.C.

Gravel is very much still a wild west of bike design. So is 32″. That makes 32″ gravel bikes a complete blank slate. All that considered, this Landyachtz prototype actually looks pretty … normal? That’s not a slight. Making a medium sized bike, like this one, look normal is proving to be one of the challenges with the new wheel size. Not the only one, by any means. But a big one for public acceptance. We all like our bikes to look as fast as they ride, right?

The bike is more than looks, of course. One of the parts that makes this rig stand out is the hubs. By using an oversized flange, the big wheels will work with spokes for slightly less big wheels. I.e. you can run spokes for 29″ wheels on 32″ rims. That is big for two reasons. Landyachtz said it obviously makes the wheels much stiffer, one of the chief concerns about this new wheel size. But it also makes them far more practical in the real world. Spokes for 29″ wheels are everywhere. Dedicated 32″-length spokes are … still really hard to find. Which is important if you’re, say, racing off into the wilderness of B.C.

Some specifics are a dual position fork with all the mounts for bike packing. And some shallow bars with wide flar, running SRAM Apex mechanical shifting latched onto a big 10-52 cassette. A rigid Easton post is topped by Landyachtz own saddle brand, Reform, though the details on that custom, heat-mouldable saddle are still under wraps, for now. Maxxis Aspen ST remain the most available 32″ tire and, by default as well as by function, the choice here.

This prototype comes with rather substantial reinforcements at the head tube. Since 32″ is still kind of an unknown quantity, and this is very much a test rig, the Vancouver brand erred well on the side of safety. Landyactz group rides tend to venture into rather challenging terrain around North Shore mountains, including the occasional trail excursion, and no one wants to get hurt testing out something for the boss. The rest of the brand’s gravel rigs have a super clean look, so it’s safe to say these gussets will be gone by the time this big…