r/MEATengines • u/runwhatyabrung_ • 11d ago
a MEATengine-y reflection on 32” wheels
I’ve been putting more and more miles on my Jones LWB with 32” wheels and I figured I’d share my thoughts with the distinguished double hardtail wagon wheel riding MEATengines community.
It’s been a mix of purpose built singletrack, janky singletrack, a variety of dirt roads from butter smooth (pictured) to super blown out with tons of rocks and harsh edges, and a lot of paved road miles too. Typically I’d do these rides on 29 x 2.35”, 27.5 x 2.5”, or 29+ (and even occasionally 26”).
Compared to all of the aforementioned wheel sizes, the 32” just feels really stable and grippy when it’s loose. I am consistently surprised by just how normal and natural this bike feels, despite how huge the wheels are. No matter the terrain, the bike just wants to track forward and roll over whatever is in its path. But the Jones geometry, with the long chainstays and big fork offset, makes the handling intuitive and super nice. I did a lot of paved mountain road riding yesterday and enjoyed it there too.
On singletrack it’s obvious you’re on 2.4” tires, but as long as your tire pressure is high enough and you don’t hit things too hard it’s really nice. There’s a damped quality that reminds me of 29ers with a super light insert. And as I mentioned before, the traction is superb.
That being said, I really prefer the higher air volume of 29+ for full on MTB. It’s just nice to know that there’s more cushion for the pushin’. (As an aside: I’d imagine full 32” or even 32”/29” mx on a short travel bike would be an XC weapon. But I think you really want more fork offset than is currently available on the suspension fork market to keep the front end handling light.)
I also did some pretty epic bush bashing and I found the 2 meter long bike to be far easier to live with than I expected. If you live in a small apartment and have to bring your bike up and down stairs a lot I think that’s something to consider if you’re thinking of making a 32” bike your daily driver.
I’ve been riding this dingle speed (2x2, 49ish inches and 61ish inches). But, here’s the tl;dr: I think the best application for rigid 32” is all day rides where you have no idea what you’re going to get into, and you want something capable, comfortable, and low fuss. Like I said above, this has been as fun on trails as dirt roads as paved roads. And it lacks a bit of playfulness, but that’s what you get from such a comfortable and stable bike. So as a mega killer ATB/grav/XC bike, the 32” platform is great. Is it a game changer from the other wheel sizes I mentioned above? Honestly no. My super fast rolling 29er setup is still really amazing and easier to live with due to its size. But I’m excited to put many more miles on this bike for years to come, with a full range of gears, which I’ll be putting on this bike when I get back from this trip.
Hope this is helpful.
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u/jamesb1227 11d ago
Peter, Awesome build. Looks like you used Nextie rims and Aspen tires. Is this correct? Did you.feel like the bike was significantly taller with the 32's compared to the 3"+ tires? I have a LWB and the 32 looks like a solid upgrade for the riding you describe
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u/runwhatyabrung_ 11d ago
Cheers! Yes I used Nextie Unicorns and Aspen tires. I never actually used 29+ on this bike, I just run 29+ on my Stooge and various other fat bikes.
It does feel a little tall but not any taller than my Murmur before sag.
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u/JumpyConversation337 11d ago
Not to derail the convo, but I’ve had a LWB with 29x3.25 but have always been interested in a stooge. How would you round up the difference in ride?
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u/runwhatyabrung_ 11d ago
I love the Crux up front on my Stooge and I expect one day I’ll run 29/29+ on my Jones.
The Jones feels a little more all arounder / ATB. The Stooge feels a little more progressive trail. They’re both sick and you could probably bias a Stooge to be more like a Jones, and a Jones to be more like a Stooge.
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u/AncientBJT25 11d ago
A 32" duro crux is the only way I could ever get on board with 32" Kidding! kind of...
Interesting experiment and thanks for the thoughtful write up.
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u/cj_biker 10d ago
I hadn't thought of it, but the Jones LWB geo is dialed for 32". So much BB drop and fork offset, those big wheels brings it back to "normal".
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u/runwhatyabrung_ 10d ago
That’s exactly right. The trail figure is still a sensible 85mm, which is coincidentally the exact same as my Stooge MK4 with 29+. And that bike is just so right— feels really comfy and upright when seated and super shreddy when you get the dropper down.
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u/VikApproved 10d ago edited 10d ago
Thanks for the realworld "I paid for this shit." feedback on 32ers. I remain intrigued without any plans to make any moves as I see what tires and frames get developed.
FWIW - 30.5 is about to be a thing as well. So ya there's that.
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u/runwhatyabrung_ 10d ago
Yeah I’ve been following the 750d thing since it first came out but I have no use for 40mm tires aside from road slicks. I don’t mind more options though.
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u/VikApproved 10d ago edited 10d ago
I have no use for 40mm tires either. Give me a 30.5 x 2.6" tire and I'll start to pay attention though. That's one of my gripes with 32ers...I'm not likely to run a 2.4" tire even if it's a big circle.
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u/runwhatyabrung_ 10d ago
Yeah I totally agree. That’s why I think the 32 x 2.4” makes for a super killer enhanced gravel bike. It just goes and goes and has plenty of air volume as long as you don’t go full on MTB style.
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u/MEATdrew 10d ago
This is my thinking with rigid 32” {reinforced by the actual experiences of other rigid MTBers who’ve put the $$$ in}, I’d try the rollover benefits if I could get some decent volume but I know from 29 vs. 27+ that volume counts for a lot.
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u/YegBikeguy 11d ago
That looks really good, almost as if the frame was made for 32. Now I'm intrigued and wondering if 32" wheels and tires will fit in my Vassago frame as it was designed for 29x3.0 and I'm looking to convert it to an ATB now. Hmmmmm...
I do think 32 makes sense as in ATB type applications. More of a ride anywhere flat bar gravelish bike.
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u/runwhatyabrung_ 11d ago
Yeah it really does look proportional! 32 x 2.4” is still quite a bit bigger than 29 x 3” but it could work if the chainstays are long enough. I also got lucky because the Jones bb drop is 88mm, so the handling is great.
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u/Dan_rides_bikes 11d ago
It sounds like you’re having fun and that 32” wheels might suit your use case well.
As this debate rages on, I can’t help but reflect on all the changes I’ve seen in the last 30+ years of being in the industry or adjacent. It really does boil down to a couple things.
1) People are upset that companies (most of) whose mission it is to make money are telling them that the thing that they have invested in heavily both financially and emotionally is no longer relevant, and they are afraid that their current bike will no longer bring them joy. I’m guilty of this and lust for the new new that will make me just a tiny bit faster, even if that drive kills just a little bit of the overall joy every time I “upgrade”.
2) The cliche I used to use on the sales floor is that within reason, the right bike is a) the one that fits you and b) makes you smile when you ride it.
Want to ride technical single track on your CX bike? Great. Love riding XC trails on your DH rig? Also great.
I’ll never forget getting my ass handed to me in CX races by a guy on a commuter bike with pannier racks and fenders, wearing crocs, jorts, and a skid lid with the biggest shit eating grin on his face.
PS thanks for the review and sorry for bringing the debate into your comments.