Colossal Ripper becomes first production 32-inch BMX bike

SE Racing has officially entered the 32-inch wheel conversation, releasing what it says are the first production 32-inch BMX bikes: the Colossal Ripper and the 32-inch Quadangle.

The bikes debut at a moment when oversized wheels are bubbling across cycling. Mountain bike brands are experimenting. The UCI has opened the door to 32-inch wheels at World Cups next season. But in BMX, SE is first to market with complete production bikes you can actually buy.

“We were definitely the first BMX company to have a 32,” says SE Racing brand manager Todd Lyons.

Two bikes, two lineages

The Colossal Ripper follows directly from SE’s most recognizable platform. It is, quite literally, the biggest Ripper the brand has ever made. Alongside it sits the 32-inch Quadangle, a chromoly-framed bike that pulls directly from SE’s early freestyle and race DNA.

“We have a 32-inch chromoly Quadangle, and we have a 32-inch Big Ripper, uh, Colossal Ripper in two different colors,” Lyons says.

Both bikes are designed as cruisers, not race machines. But they are not novelty items either. Lyons stresses that ride quality, proportions and geometry were all carefully considered.

Not just bigger for the sake of it

One of the key challenges with 32-inch wheels has always been tires. Without proper rubber, the category stalls. SE addressed that problem directly.

“We opened a mold for the tires,” Lyons says. “And it’s not just generic, it’s our SE tire.”

That move alone signals long-term intent. This is not a one-off experiment.

Lyons says the bike surprised even him once it was rideable.

“I’m only 5’6″, and this bike is comfortable,” he says. “To me it’s more comfortable than the Big Ripper, which was our previous biggest bike.”

A bike people actually choose to ride

Perhaps the most telling detail is that Lyons kept riding the bike when no one was watching.

“When the prototype was just in my garage when it was blacked out, I didn’t want anyone to know about it or see it,” he says. “When I’d just ride with my local buddies, I grabbed that every time. And it wasn’t because I grabbed it like, ‘Oh, let me go promote this bike.’ It’s like, no, it was just a nice bike to ride.”

Short rear ends and familiar BMX feel

Despite the wheel size, SE worked to keep the ride feeling playful.

“The rear end’s not super short, but as short as we can make it,” Lyons says. “The tire’s about a half-an-inch from the seat tube.”

That…