Light Bicycle has announced a new 32in wheelset designed for cross-country mountain bikes.
Jumping on board the fast-growing trend, the Chinese brand says the Anax32 XC wheelset brings “ultra-light construction and full custom build options” to the emerging category.
Built with hookless carbon rims, claimed to weigh 380g each, Light Bicycle says complete wheelsets are comparable in weight to “modern 29in race wheelsets”, while “offering the momentum and obstacle-clearing benefits” of a larger rim diameter.
Available with an array of hub options from popular brands, prices for the Light Bicycle Anax32 XC wheelset start at $1,464.20 (roughly £1,075 / €1,235 at today’s conversion rates).
- Read more: Are we on the cusp of a 32in wheel revolution? This is what pro XC racers are riding in 2025
Why go bigger?
According to Light Bicycle, the primary advantages of sizing up to 32in rims are primarily that they make it easier to maintain your momentum, especially when riding over obstacles.
In theory, this means less effort is required to roll over rocks, roots and other obstacles on a trail, while Light Bicycle says “trail feedback” is also smoothed out, for a more comfortable ride on rough surfaces.
It also says they offer a larger contact patch when paired with 2.4in mountain bike tyres, which it says offers increased grip and “more predictable, stable handling on any surface”.
Lastly, the brand says they offer a “proportional aesthetic” for cyclists taller than 6ft / 183cm, and the ability to make bikes with “more balanced geometry”.
Big, but not heavy
Key to Light Bicycle’s pitch for the Anax32 XC wheels, is they avoid the pitfall of being heavy and adding too much rotational weight compared to 29in wheels.
The brand says it has used “premium materials, an optimised layup and engineering excellence” to make rims that weigh only 380g each.
A ‘heavy duty’ version, which boosts the rider weight limit from 130 to 150kg is also available, with a claimed weight of 420g per rim.
Both types of rim share the same dimensions, with a 28mm depth, 36mm external width and 30mm internal width.
In comparison, Light Bicycle’s own 29in Helios XC930 rim, which is claimed to be “the lightest in its class”, is said to weigh 245g (albeit, with a shallower, 22mm rim depth).
In terms of complete wheelset weights, the Anax32 XCs are claimed to weigh as little as 1,499g with DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs and aluminium spoke nipples, compared to 1,115g for the 29in Helios XC930 wheelset with the same hubs and nipples.
That said, a provided product photo shows an Anax32 XC wheelset weighing 1,656g with DT Swiss 240 hubs.
Either way, 1,656g would still be impressively light for its size, given it's comparable to slightly less exotic 29in options, such as Hunt’s 1,506g Proven Carbon Race XC wheelset.
Of course, there’s also the impact of tyre weight to consider, given 32in tyres also use more material relative to equivalent 29in versions.
Nevertheless, this latest launch will be encouraging to those who believe we’re on the cusp of a 32in wheel revolution in mountain and gravel cycling.
