Bigger wheels are more fun. This realization gradually became established with 27.5 and 29-inch wheels. Before that, 26-inch wheels were as much a part of mountain biking as studded tires and suspension forks. But at some point (almost) everyone had to admit: 29ers have more grip, roll more smoothly over bumps, keep the track better, in short, they are simply faster, whether on cross-country or downhill trails. You could also simply call it technical evolution. After all, cars and commercial vehicles have also become bigger and bigger over time. So when will mountain bikes take the next step, which will of course be beyond the 30-inch mark?
In the meantime, there are a few who produce 36er bikes in (small) series: Truebikes from Bratislava (Slovakia) has specialized in the exclusive bike size and offers a mountain bike in addition to city and trekking bikes. However, its frame is not stable enough for tough trails and downhill races. A tinkerer in Germany has built himself a 36-inch fully with a modified downhill fork out of interest, as he says on the phone. He had to shorten its suspension travel so that it didn't block the front wheel when compressing. Incidentally, there is a reason why the wheels jump from 29 to 36 inches and not 32 inches, for example: off-road unicycles are already 36 inches, which is why this wheel size was the logical starting point for many developers.

Dirty Sixer from New York builds bikes specifically for particularly tall people. A few years ago, the retired basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal, had his custom version, which had to do justice to his height (216 cm) and weight of almost 150 kilos. Recently, the Italian manufacturer Trentasei//36 attracted attention with its carbon bike 36Pollici (pollice means inch in Italian). It should be available from 2022 - provided the components are available. On the YouTube channel of PianetaMTB, a rider thoroughly tests the 36, but his verdict is only available in Italian. The computer illustration of the bike by designer Patrick Ng from Singapore even has 39 inches.

Trek experiments with 32'' and 36'' wheels

It can be assumed that major brands are also interested in this topic. Travis Brown, developer at Trek, gave an interview to Pinkbike in 2020 about his experiments with 32'' and 36'' wheels. What Brown reports is in line with the experiences of the PianetaMTB test rider and others who had the opportunity to try out the giant bikes: Basically, you can highlight the reports about the 29ers compared to 26-inchers: even better rolling characteristics, even more grip, even more stable straight-line stability. The additional volume of the tires makes it possible to further reduce the tire pressure, which is why the 36Pollici, for example, should be comfortable to ride without a suspension fork. The 36-inch wheels accelerate more sluggishly, but they lose speed less quickly once they gain momentum. This video, in which a man rides up a long flight of stairs with relative ease, gives an idea of the terrain that could be ridden on 36" wheels.

One weak point that both the Italian tester and Trek developer Brown point out is that 36-inch rims are less stiff, which is mainly due to the slacker angle between the hub and rim. With the 27.5 and 29er wheels, the hubs grew in width. Consequently, 36ers would need an even wider hub.

Of course, there are major concerns about maneuverability in tight bends. The wheelbase has grown further, the chainstay is even longer and the enormous wheels are a lot more cumbersome than 29ers were compared to 26ers. The difference in size between 29 and 36 inches is significantly greater than that between 26 and 29 inches (+11.6 percent compared to +24 percent). Trek test rider Travis Brown, on the other hand, emphasizes that grip is also crucial in switchbacks and this is outstanding on the 36. In addition, the higher weight of the front wheel in relation to the rest of the bike largely compensates for the disadvantage of the additional length. He concludes: "There aren't many switchbacks that are so tight that the length of the bike makes it impossible to get around."

Just as many shorter riders have long since proven that they can master tight switchbacks with 29-inch wheels, the same will be true of 36ers, provided they are actually rolled out wide. Speaking of shorter bikers: even tall men look small on a 36. Because dimensions such as the reach or standover height are naturally limited, the saddle and steering unit have to move closer to the bike, which makes the bike's look and riding position difficult to get used to.

The next evolutionary stage of the mountain bike

There is a lot to be said for the next evolutionary stage of the mountain bike. The biggest obstacle is the lack of high-quality components: Tires and forks that fit 36-inch bikes are as rare as the bikes themselves. Of course, this was also the case with 29ers until the industry decided to allow this development step. Perhaps it will take a racer to ride away from everyone on a 36-inch bike. According to a report on mtb-news, Florian Vogel has already tried it out and was impressed by the "Big Bird" from his equipment supplier at the time, Focus. Everything seems very convincing until you read the date of the article: April 1.

Now that bike parts are in short supply anyway and the manufacturers' order books are overflowing, hardly anyone is going to plunge into the 36-inch adventure. But if the current boom passes its peak and sales start to decline, who knows whether the first ones won't try to fuel demand with a new wheel size.