If there’s one factor we discovered in 2025, it’s that 32-inch wheels, tires, and mountain bikes are coming in 2026. Maxxis seemingly opened Pandora’s field again within the spring with the introduction of the 32-inch Aspen on the Taipei present. Since then, we’ve seen prototypes from Faction Bike Studio and BMC, together with quite a few hand-built 32er frames on the MADE present. Parts manufacturers have created 32-inch-specific unfavourable rise stems and light-weight carbon wheelsets, and the UCI has given the inexperienced mild on 32-inch wheels in XC World Cups subsequent season. Just lately, Actofive even opened up preorders for the I-Practice 32, one of many first commercially accessible full-suspension 32-inch bikes you possibly can really purchase.
Till now, nonetheless, one factor we haven’t heard something about — however is arguably some of the necessary items of the 32-inch puzzle — is tubes. In preparation for the 32-inch revolution, Tubolito is saying the Tubo-MTB-32, a light-weight TPU tube particularly designed to be used with 32-inch mountain bike wheels and tires. From the product announcement: “The mountain bike world is rising — actually. With the introduction of the brand new 32-inch wheels, an thrilling evolution within the off-road section has begun, and we at Tubolito are prepared for it.” It goes on to say, “With the Tubo-MTB-32, we’re making a transparent assertion: We don’t simply comply with new developments — we make biking lighter, sooner, and higher.”
Provided that some unicycles use 32-inch wheels and {that a} small variety of customized body builders have been producing 32-inch bikes for years, 32-inch tubes exist already, after all. However in the event you seek for a 32-inch bike tube, you’ll discover that the present choices are literally very restricted. Most are created from extra conventional Butyl rubber, and one possibility we discovered is made from EFT, an unvulcanized rubber created from modified TPE.
With the bigger diameter leading to extra materials, it stands to cause that 32-inch tubes are going to be heavier than these made for smaller diameters. That might be including to what’s prone to be an already greater rotational mass and inertia from the bigger diameter (heavier) tire and rim that’s additionally farther away from the hub. Whereas we couldn’t discover a claimed weight for the 32-inch Butyl tube we discovered on-line, the flowery clear tube created from EFT has a claimed weight of 240 grams (~8 ounces). That’s fairly vital.
To maintain the tube weight to a minimal, it is smart to make use of a light-weight materials corresponding to TPU. Usually talking, TPU tubes are 50% lighter, or extra, than these made from Butyl rubber, plus they’re smaller whereas claiming to be stronger and with higher air retention. It is smart that Tubolito, one of many originators and leaders in TPU bike tubes, can be among the many first to determine the necessity for light-weight, high-performance 32-inch tubes and produce them to market. Given the speed of product improvement within the 32-inch house, nonetheless, we think about they’ll have some competitors fairly quickly.
Tubolito MTB 32”: Pricing and Availability
Thus far, extra particulars on Tubolito’s MTB 32” tubes are fairly sparse. The product announcement merely says “coming spring 2026,” and there’s no point out of pricing. Provided that Tubolito’s present MTB tubes promote for $28 every, we predict it’s honest to imagine that the 32” model will value no less than that a lot, however most likely a number of {dollars} extra. Hit the hyperlink beneath to learn the product announcement or to be taught extra about Tubolito’s different merchandise.
tubolito.com
