The 32" Watch: Sam Alison Explains

 Excitement For 32"ers Builds:

I was honored on Tuesday of this week to speak with Sam Alison of Singular Cycles. I wanted to get him on the Guitar Ted Podcast since he has spent plenty of time designing bicycles and has a deep background on geometry and how to apply it for certain characteristics which are desirable in a good handling bicycle. 

Sam also has a fair amount of time on the new-ish 32" wheels which are about to hit the cycling world in a big way here in about a month. 

If you'd rather skip the rest of this and head on over to the audio, here is the link on Spotify for the episode.  

 I should mention we had an idea for saving Sam from having to phone in his interview and end up spending an exhorbitant amount on the call. The idea was sound, (no pun intended), but my audio was the side which suffered. It sounding like a digital phone call even though I was working through my PC here with a USB condenser microphone. 

Oh well..... If I continue to have opportunities to speak over the oceans with folks about cycling I probably will have to invest into something like Riverside FM, or another platform instead of trying to get by not spending money on something I don't often do. We will see. But enough about the technical difficulties. 

The Singular Albatross 32" wheeled bicycle. (Image courtesy of Singular Cycles)

 Sam said something I had not heard before about the early development of 32"ers by Trek. Yes......Trek. Apparently Travis Brown was dabbling with these bigger hoops. Sam said something about stitching tires together and rolling up bigger aluminum rims to test this out with. That's a story which I would like to know more about someday. 

Other than that nugget, Sam did a great job of presenting the good and the maybe not-so-good of 32" wheels. He gave us some great insight on the geometry changes from 29"ers to 32"ers, and  he spoke to who might benefit from bigger wheels. 

Sam also seems to think that Sea Otter will be where this 32" thing will blow up big time. What gets revealed around mid-April should be pretty exciting. I know about one surprise which is coming out, but there will be several, I am sure, which will knock us all back a step due to the impact of the introduction. 

Sam expressed excitement about all of it. And to be honest, this might be the best thing about 32" wheels. That something is worth anticipation and excitement. We really haven't had that in cycling since this decade started. 

And we all know this industry could use some positive energy now. 

Stay tuned...... 

Gravel Grinder News: Singular Cycles Albatross 32"er

Image courtesy of Singular Cycles

Singular Cycles Albatross 32" Wheeled Bicycle Announced:

Well, as many of the regular readers of Guitar Ted Productions know, Singular Cycles has been teasing a 32"er for several months now. Today the company head, Sam Alison, makes it officilly "official" and you can pre-order this titanium bicycle as a "rolling chassis". 

Sam Alison has been designing bicycles, mostly around 29" wheels, since the mid-2000's and he understands the unique challenges of getting a bicycle to look great with big wheels and not like some adolescent teenager with disproportionate body parts, as some early 29"er designs looked. The classically inspired Singular range is enhanced then by the new Albatross, despite the distinct possibility for an ungainly looking end result due to the large hoops. 

Utilizing the light, strong tubes of 3Al - 2.5V titanium in butted profiles, the Albatross has been designed for riders from 5'10" and taller. Any shorter than this and the design would suffer and performance, along with looks, would be compromised. So, the Albatross is only offered in L, XL, and XXL sizes. 

Size Large geo chart (Click to enlarge)

In an effort to ease the burden of sourcing 32" specific parts, the Albatross is offered in a "rolling chassis" format, but Singular does also offer each Albatross customer the option of choosing complete build packages. 

The rolling chassis package consists of the following:

•  Albatross frame in 3Al 2.5V seamless Titanium - butted main tubes
• Full carbon Columbus fork
• Hope (White Industries in US) Headset
• A hand-built 32 inch wheel set with a carbon rim upgrade option
• Maxxis Aspen 32x2.4” tires fitted and ready to roll

Size chart for XXL (Click to enlarge)

The pre-orders are now open and there will be a limited run made, and this will be all for now. Price is set at £3450 or $3900. Complete build packages will cost an additional amount. 

See the Product page for the Albatross and find out more behind this model's development and purpose from Sam Alison himself by clicking THIS LINK.

Thanks to Sam Alison/Singular Cycles for the images and information used in this report.  

Some Things I Am Thinking About

I put short-ish cranks on last year.

 It's Winter. Not much of a chance for longer country rides. With the lack of snow, fat biking went out the window as well. So, I've been left with sitting around more than I'd care to and thinking. 

Dangerous activity, I know, but here are a few things I've been thinking about recently which I may or may not delve into further in 2026.  

No particular order here, just a few things I thought I'd share. 

Shorter Cranks: I've been intrigued by this idea over the past year or so. I put on a set of 170mm cranks on my Raleigh Tamland Two last year to try something out which I had not done before. 170mm may not seem "short", I understand, but this is where I was willing to start. If it was somewhat worse than 172.5mm, (my preferred gravel length up until this point), then it couldn't be that much worse. However, say I went with 165mm cranks and did not like them. Well.......

I guess so far I seem to feel a difference in a positive way running 170mm cranks. So, I could see trying 165mm cranks on a gravel bike. Thing is, I am not into 12 and 13 speed drive trains, and well..... Maybe I could set up something in 11 speed, I just have not looked that hard yet. Something I'm still thinking about.... 

Singular Albatross 32"er prototype. Image courtesy of Singular Cycles.

32'er Bikes: So, I've been interested in this entire development on the 32"er platform. Not so much from a mountain biking perspective, but from a gravel riding one.

Of course, no one else seems to be onboard with this idea, so all the prototyping and testing has been centered around off-road type equipment.  

32" seems a no-brainer from a gravel riding perspective to me though. Momentum of those bigger wheels has to be a factor in being able to carry more speed over the rollers here. Additionally the longer tire contact patch will be something which will make vibrations less, and make the bike more stable on fast, loose gravel descents. 

I know MG is getting one of these bikes to try out, and he will probably try it on gravel. I cannot wait to hear his take on this. Until then, I will be dreaming of a drop bar set up for gravel and 32"ers. 

Maybe someday....

Clik Valve

Clik Valve vs BBB CoreCap: Inflation in terms of cycling is a good thing. You know.....for your tires? I know people are keen on this subject bcause of the number of hits I got covering Clik Valve last year. 

I really like the system. It is SUPER easy to use, and otherwise is no issue at all. Yes - You have to have a proper Clik Valve pump head to enjoy all the benefits of Clik Valve. So, in this way, it is a big commitment. 

A competing valve standard has arisen promising big airflow, less clogged valves, and ease of use. It is from BBB and is called CoreCap. 

CoreCap utilizes the Schrader compatibility you already have and is a system which simply replaces a removable Presta valve core. Simple. Could be a winner. 

I can see the benefits from a tubeless user's standpoint. I do not see it as being "easier" to use, because Clik Valve is so stupidly easy to use it would take a miracle to beat it out in terms of ease of usage. However; the standard does require a change which many people will balk at. (Note: You can inflate a Clik Valve equipped tire with a standard pump. You just lose the ease of use.) 

You can read more about the BBB CoreCap on my blogging compatriot's site HERE. Muddy Moles will be testing these out soon, so keep abreast of his updates, or just visit his blog. I have it linked in the right sidebar on this page. 

That's about it from my brain dump today! More thinkering (if the Winter drags on) to come.  

Friday News And Views

Image posted by an account "John_Doe" on X social media.

 Rumored Cannondale CAAD14:

Rumors and images have been swirling across the internet of late showing what is purportedly the next CAAD road bike. Cannondale is notable for perpetuating aluminum frame racing bikes, despite everyone else's fascination with carbon fiber, (which Cannondale also does, admittedly).  

Interesting features being discussed online are the return to traditional seat stays, rumored 32mm tire clearances, and fully integrated cabling.  

Comments: I'm not a roadie, far from it. I don't typically show road bikes in this space. However; I found this interesting as it is an example of some classic design cues being seen as "refreshing" in comparison to what is seen on offer from many other brands.  

Are riders being drawn toward classic looks while also desiring modern touches? Perhaps this is what has been missed by other brands who are chasing aero and showing sloping top tube frame design as being what is "cutting edge". Perhaps people are missing bicycles that look like.....bicycles? The only thing missing here is silver componentry. 

What do you think of this?  

Calvin Jones. Image courtesy of Park Tool

Director of Education At Park Tool, Calvin Jones To Retire:

Perhaps you've seen this man's face before. No wonder, as Calvin Jones has become "the face" of Park Tool over the past couple of decades. 

Jone's videos have become a staple resource for home mechanics, bike shop employees, and others interested in knowing how bicycles work over his 28 year tenure as Park Tools' Director of Education. Known for his clear, concise explanations of typical repairs, his video legacy will live on bearing witness to his valuable contributions. 

Jones will still be involved in some Park Tool videos and educational efforts, but he says in Park Tools announcement he plans of doing more riding and will be a contributor to local cycling efforts. 

Comments: Congratulations, Mr. Jones! What a career and your contributions to cycling will always be treasured. In some ways, Calvin Jones is the video equivalent to Sheldon Brown, who if he had lived long enough, would have surely been a staple of You Tube as well. Between those two icons of bicycle mechanics, you should be able to accomplish most any typical bicycle repair. 

Image courtesy of Sam Alison/Singular Cycles

The 32"er Watch: Singular Cycles Albatross:

 Sam Alison of Singular Cycles dropped a few images of the new 32"er bicycle he is testing and planning on releasing later this year in a limited drop. Dubbed the "Albatross" for now, this bike is a 32 inch wheeled MTB design. 

 In the comments on the post seen on Facebook, Sam had a few interesting things to say about the bike's performance and ideal rider size. 

 "The most obvious and immediately noticeable thing is just how well they roll and carry speed. The momentum over rough ground is really quite incredible. 

Climbing traction is also pretty insane..... The long stays, low BB and long contact patch combine to get up just about anything. 

 Of course, it's a big old bike and they are some huge wheels, so you do definitely notice the gyroscopic effect - turn initiation is definitely slower. Practically speaking I think riders will need to be > 6'/183cm for these to make sense."

Sam stated he would have rolling chassis available "soon" for pre-order with delivery hopefully this Spring. Look for details on Singular Cycles site, or reported here soon. 

Image courtesy of SRAM 

SRAM Files Patents For Gear Box E-Bike Drive Train Sans Derailleurs:

Some patent images have been making the rounds on the internet of late showing a drive train system utilizing a gear box. This has been met with interest and with some saying "derailleurs are dead!" Well......maybe for electrified bikes. Which, when you consider the slow evolution of these toward becoming electric motorcycles, makes all the sense in the world.  

By the way, in another, separate filing by SRAM, they have revealed they are playing around with wireless -sans hoses and cables - type brakes. 

Yeah....no.  

Comments: Of course, you might guess this will be all integrated into SRAM's AXS protocol for electronics with a likely addition of automatic shifting. I'd say that is quite likely. 

With weight being less an issue with this type of bicycle, (ahem!), if we can call this a bicycle anymore, you will also probably see automatically adjustable suspension as well. Simply plug in your weight, riding style, and  the bike will self-adjust. Then, to activate your "ride", simply start pedaling at whatever cadence and power you want, and the bike will self-adjust to this input with gearing and power assist adjustments. All you have to do is hang on, guide the bike down the correct course, and be able to use brakes. 

Or you could just play video games. Your choice. 

Honestly, this development isn't surprising, or even shocking. But it probably will be expensive. Yeah.....I'm pretty sure about it. 

Image courtesy of Brembo

Motorsports Brake Giant, Brembo, To Enter DH Bicycle Competition:

Brembo, a name more familiar to F1 and NASCAR aficionados, has released news concerning their partnership with Specialized Bicycles in their DH racing program. 

Brembo will supply braking systems with prototype designs exclusively for the team for now. There was no indication the company will begin production of OE or aftermarket brake systems, but one might assume this is in the cards for the future. 

Featuring 18mm pistons with thermal insulators for heat management, the calipers and levers are both DH specific. Braided steel lines connect the two components in the system. Interestingly, Brembo runs their rotor spokes in the opposite orientation than every other bicycle rotor for disc brakes. Their claim is this is how motorcycle rotors are oriented and causes the rotors to work under tension instead of compression. 

Comments: Interesting development. My take is this is Brembo's dress rehearsal for entering the electric bicycle market. I could be wrong, but this makes more sense than a general entry onto bicycle disc brake systems, since DH is a very demanding category on par with demands for electrified bikes which are heavier and need more powerful brakes. 

So, while it is not out of the realm of possibilities, I do not foresee gravel bikes getting Brembo brakes anytime soon. Perhaps I will be proven wrong, but at any rate, it is an interesting development.  

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Get outside and ride those bicycles!