This isn’t the first 32” we’ve seen from Btchn. The brand wowed us at last year’s MADE with a 32” drop bar bike that was, just, wow. Now, Tyler Reiswig (founder of Btchn) is taking 32” to a mountain bike platform.
The Alpina is a 32” hardtail that can accommodate up to a 130mm fork. And, needless to say, it looks pretty Btchn (bad pun, I know, but I couldn’t help myself).
Btchn Frame Design
One of the key factors that Btchn points out is that this 32” rig isn’t a “scaled-up 29er.” In some cases, brands have essentially enlarged an existing frame to accommodate larger wheels. Rather, the Alpina is a ground-up design, intentionally pointed at eeking out the unique attributes and advantages of the larger wheel size.
Btchn offers the bike in three sizes (M–XL), batch-building these tig-welded Reynolds Steel frames with help from Falconer Bikes. The bottom bracket drop is increased relative to axle height, providing an “in” the bike experience, even with the larger wheel size. The result is a stable, planted ride characteristic, but with ample clearance for pedals on rough terrain.
Bottom bracket height is at 315mm across all sizes, with a (massive) BB drop of 92mm. A size Medium Alpina has 450mm reach, topping out at 500mm on a size large. That said, the chainstays are relatively normal, starting at 439mm (M), 448mm (L), and 459mm (XL). The wheelbase ranges from 1,194mm to 1,269mm.
According to Btchn, the Alpina will fit riders 5’7” to 6’4”.
Combined with the increased rollover efficiency of 32” wheels, the result is a calmer, more efficient ride. Btchn says that the larger wheels track the ground better, providing confidence even on rough terrain.
Btchn builds all the Alpina frames in California, focusing on domestic manufacturing. They use components from White Industries, Astral, and Madrone and have frame clearance for 32 x 2.6 tires. It features super-boost spacing (12 x 157mm) and a 55mm chainline with a BSA73 bottom bracket.
32” Alpina Build
Btchn offers a standard build for the Alpina, with optional upgrades on certain components. As stock, the Alpina comes with a WREN Inverted 32” fork. However, this can be upgraded to an Intend BC Inverted fork if so desired.
The wheels are also available for an upgrade. The alloy Astral Jester wheels and Astral Approach hubs can be upgraded to a carbon Btchn wheel build with White Industries CLD hubs. To be fair, though, White Industries owns Astral, so we may be splitting hairs.
Btchn says the Alpina frame weighs about 2,380g, and we imagine that is a Medium frame. The complete build (on a Medium frame) weighs 29.17lbs. The upgraded build (still a Medium frame) drops the weight slightly, down to 27.44lbs.
The Btchn Alpina starts at $6,800. Head to their website for details and availability.
