It seems that the lion’s share of the 32” wheel conversation points to the XC corner of mountain biking. We’ve even seen the adoption of the wheel size at the World Cup level and expect to see big wheels this upcoming XC race season.
DirtySixer, however, has been promoting larger wheels for over a decade, regardless of potential World Cup results. They showed us their 36” wheeled bikes in 2013, adding 32” wheels to their portfolio three years later.
And these bikes weren’t pigeonholed into one, XC race genre. Instead, they are fulfilling a specific need: taller riders need larger bikes. DirtySixer sizing starts at size L and extends up to 4XL in some cases. Some bikes they tease are for on-road use; others are for off-road use.
Well, the latest offering from DirtySixer is undoubtedly for the latter. After we saw their prototype DH 36er at Eurobike last year, the brand is teasing another prototype with a bit more travel—the 32er MonsterEnduro.
What We Know
To be clear, this bike is still in development, and DirtySixer is finalizing key aspects of the design. They were able, however, to give a sneak peek at what they’ve developed so far.
The frame is hand-built from 6061-alloy hydroformed tubing and features a four-bar suspension platform. While charts and graphs aren’t available yet on suspension performance, DirtySixer says the bike will have “Horst link-type kinematics.” Regardless, they say the bike will have approximately 140mm of travel, front and rear, depending on the chosen shock/fork combo.
A T47 bottom bracket meant for fat bikes with inboard bearings is used, delivering a Q-factor of 186mm. The rear hub spacing also comes from the fat bike world, at a super-duper boost size of 197mm. The front hub is spaced to 150mm, with custom Manitou Dorado crowns CNC’d by DirtySixer to achieve the larger spacing.
The MonsterEnduro also hasn’t finalized its geometry just yet. DirtySixer said the current prototype falls between an XL and 2XL, with final adjustments after the final testing phases. They did share, however, that the head tube and seat tube will be approximately 65° and 75°, respectively. The chainstays will be around 490mm.
Along with the custom Dorado, DirtySixer expects to use SRAM’s Eagle 90 drivetrain and Magura Louise brakes with 200mm rotors. They are also currently testing different carbon rims and working with different tire insert brands to develop inserts for a 32” wheel.
And while they didn’t specify a dropper post spec, the frame can support 200mm of drop.
Available Now?
No, not yet. Despite not having a complete build spec or a finalized geometry list, DirtySixer is accepting pre-orders. They are offering a 30% discount for those who pay upfront and a 15% discount for those who make a 50% deposit. The 32er MonsterEnduro retails for $8,999.
They expect the bikes to ship by the end of the summer.
