Are 32in MTB wheels about to hit the mainstream? 32in Maxxis Aspen XC tyres spotted

 Could the new standard make its way onto the UCI World Cup XC start line?

A 32in Maxxis Aspen cross-country tyre has been leaked on Instagram by DirtySixer, fuelling debate on whether we'll see the new standard used on XC bikes in the UCI World Cup this year.

The new tyre is pictured on the brand’s Gravel bike and appears to use Maxxis’ MaxxSpeed compound and EXO casing.

DirtySixer is known for making 32in and 36in bikes aimed at taller riders and has joined the likes of Cannondale and Canyon in making a bike for 7ft 1 basketball legend, Shaquille O'Neal.

It looks as though the tyre is a late-stage prototype and doesn’t feature the 'Test Pilot' branding we’ve come to expect on unreleased Maxxis tyres.

The Aspen is Maxxis’ lightweight cross-country tyre, with the low-profile tread pattern usually favoured by racers in dry conditions thanks to its fast-rolling nature.

While we’ve seen brands such as Vee Tire cater to the 32in size, Maxxis would be one of the first mainstream tyre manufacturers to adopt the standard, possibly paving the way for wider use in the industry.

The implications of this could mean we see 32in cross-country bikes at the start line of the UCI World Cup sooner than anticipated.

It has long been speculated that bike manufacturers have been trialling the wheel size, with 32in wheels rolling over rough terrain easier and increasing the tyre contact patch when compared to 29ers.

In theory, these factors should lead to faster lap times, but there are some disadvantages compared to the current standard – such as slower acceleration

Unlike the UCI’s rules regarding road wheel sizes, which limits them to 700c, there’s no such regulation for mountain bike wheel size.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen a wheel-size change in mountain biking, with the jump from 26in to 29in marking a new level of capability.

Initially, 29in wheels were received with scepticism and ridicule, but their increased performance benefits have seen them become the standard across all disciplines of mountain biking.

Whether that’ll be the case for 32in is questionable, but we’re likely to see them introduced in the near future.

 Buy low...Sell high...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Rita Hayworth 

 

 

 

 Chris Froome is 'keeping the door open' to racing in 2026 

- could he ride on?

Don’t believe everything you read on ProCyclingStats. If you were to head over to the database website now, and navigate to Chris Froome, you would see an ominous sentence at the top of his page: Will retire on 2025-12-31.

The phrasing makes it sound definite, a total certainty. Froome will retire, end of story. And yet, in the words of the four-time Tour de France winner himself, there’s nothing concrete about it, not yet anyway.

“I haven’t 100% decided that I’ll be retiring at the end of this year,” Froome told the Never Strays Far podcast at an early season training camp. “Chances are, yes, I’ll be calling it a day, but I’m just keeping the door open. [I’ll] see how this year goes, see how I’m feeling towards the end of it.”

For months now, the Brit has said he wants to keep racing until the age of 40, a birthday he’ll celebrate this May. Many have assumed this means he’ll retire this season, but the milestone has only ever been a goal for him, not a finish line.

Of course, only a handful of riders choose to continue beyond this point. The oldest male WorldTour pro this season is 38-year-old Jayco AlUla rider Alessandro De Marchi. Closely trailing the Italian is Ineos Grenadiers' Geraint Thomas, only six days younger, and planning to retire at the end of the year.

At 39, Froome is older than both, but under no obligation to give up just yet. In fact, some riders have continued to find success in their 40s. Look at Alejandro Valverde, for example, who took his last WorldTour victory aged 41 at the Critérium du Dauphiné, or Annemiek van Vleuten, a 40-year-old winner of both the Giro d’Italia Donne and Vuelta Femenina.

Needless to say, recent results show Froome’s competitive level is not the same as Valverde’s or Van Vleuten’s towards the end of their careers. But if he feels he can continue to play a support role, then he might still be valuable to a team, although with which team is another question.

This is where the crux of Froome’s future lies. At the end of this season, the Brit's five-year deal with ProTeam Israel-Premier Tech is set to time out. It is very unlikely his contract will be renewed; Froome's salary is understood to be worth millions of euros, and IPT’s owner, Sylvan Adams, has said that signing the Tour winner was “absolutely not” value for money.

Might another team take a gamble on him? Let’s look at his CV.

Froome is considered to be the greatest Grand Tour rider of his generation. He has won four Tours, two Vueltas a España, and a Giro d’Italia, and is one of just three men to hold all three at the same time, alongside Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault.

In 2019, however, then aged 34, the course of Froome’s career changed rapidly. As he completed a recon of the time trial course at the Critérium du Dauphiné, he crashed at high-speed, breaking his femur, elbow and ribs. He was airlifted to hospital, rushed into intensive care, and doubts were cast about his future as a pro cyclist.

Eight months later, Froome returned to the peloton – an impressive feat in itself – but he hasn’t won a race since. His last victory, in fact, was the Giro d'Italia in 2018, while his highest placing last year was 21st on a stage of the Tour du Rwanda. He might be the greatest Grand Tour rider of his generation, but that generation is no longer at the top.

This current form, combined with his age, would make him a hard sell to potential new employers. It’s clear Froome is under no illusion the case is otherwise. “Chances are, yes, I’ll be calling it a day,” he said, realistic about his future. Still, it’s hard not to admire his will to carry on.

For almost two decades now, Froome’s life has been anchored in his career as a pro cyclist. “Once you’re into it, you’re into it,” he told Never Strays Far's host Ned Boulting. Is he not bored of the lifestyle? "No!" Froome snapped back.

Today, he stands among the last remnants of a generation of British Grand Tour greatness. Yes, he will soon be 40, but his passion still burns. Don't rule out seeing him in 2026 just yet.

 

 

 Red Bull doesn’t give you more energy..

It only robs energy from the future 

 

 

 

  “Hell, you might just be the best damn girl in Texas.” 

– Clyde Barrow

 

 

 

 

 

 70 days until Barry Roubiax