Continental has teased its first 32-inch tyre, set to sell from April 2027, a larger version of its Dubnital that the German company has designed for both gravel and cross-country mountain biking.
The 32" Dubnital Race Rapid was previewed in Hanover on October 16. It pairs Continental's lightweight Race Casing with its Rapid Compound, the speed-focused rubber the brand positions for acceleration on flat ground and climbs. Continental has not released the tyre's width, weight or price.
The Dubnital launched in April 2025 as the successor to the Race King, aimed at fast cross-country and downcountry riding. Continental added a 50mm version for aggressive gravel racing in April 2026, offering it in Race or Trail casing, and said at the time that the 55mm Dubnital was already popular with gravel riders. The tread is built for dry to damp conditions on rocky ground, hardpack and medium-loose soil, with siped centre knobs and reinforced transition and shoulder knobs for cornering and off-camber grip. So far, only the Race casing has been announced in the 32-inch size, a split Continental also uses on its Terra Competition gravel tyre.
Continental said it had scaled the tread pattern to the larger diameter, and it claims the result retains momentum better, rolls over obstacles more easily and offers more traction and stability. It also said the casing and compound combination improves rolling efficiency and reduces fatigue on long rides and rough terrain.
"The growing interest in 32" wheels is clear, and our priority is ensuring riders have immediate access to Continental's flagship tire technologies as new wheel sizes emerge," said Alexander Haenke, product manager for MTB and gravel at Continental. "Choosing the Dubnital as our first 32" release allows us to support evolving setup preferences and frame designs right out of the gate."
The Dubnital will join a growing range of 32-inch gravel equipment. NEWMEN's Streem G.62 wheels have 27mm internal rims designed for 45-50mm tyres. Mosaic's made-to-order GT-1 i55 32″ has clearance for 32-inch x 55mm tyres. Schwalbe's first 32-inch gravel tyres, the G-ONE RS PRO and G-ONE RX PRO, come in 50-686 and 55-686, and will also go on sale in April 2027. Schwalbe athlete Robin Gemperle won the 2026 Unbound Gravel XL on prototype RX PRO tyres, and the brand said more 32-inch mountain bike tyres are in development.
What 32 inches asks of the bike
A 32-inch tyre seats on a 686mm rim, against 622mm for both 700c and 29-inch wheels. Because a tyre's bead diameter has to match the rim's bead-seat diameter, the new Dubnital will only fit 32-inch rims, and the wheel grows by 64mm in diameter.
NEWMEN, which tested more than 60 wheel builds in the lab and around 20 configurations on trails, said the larger format needs longer fork axle-to-crown lengths and longer chainstays, which increase leverage and loads on the frame and fork. Keeping the front end low can require shorter head tubes and different stem setups, especially on small frames. In its comparison of otherwise identical builds, a 32-inch wheel was on average 31.36% less laterally stiff than a 29-inch wheel, while wider hub flange spacing on its gravel wheels improved stiffness by 15.5% at the front and 11.5% at the rear.
NEWMEN's Streem G.62 uses Boost spacing and weighs a claimed 1,670g with carbon spokes, 140g more than the smaller version, and went to bike manufacturers before aftermarket buyers. Mosaic developed its frame, rear triangle, axle standards and a dedicated Zero Components carbon fork together, with a 15x110mm front and 12x148mm rear axle. Canyon's one-off 32-inch Grizl for LeBron James needed a specially engineered 3XL carbon frame and custom Boost-spaced thru-axles, and Canyon said the bike would not be sold.
