32-inch steel hardtail with 11.5 kilos: Leovelo Goliath in the bike check

After BIKE editor Jan Timmermann had soldered his own customised frame in Leovelo's frame building course, it was clear that this 32-inch hardtail would be more spectacular than any before. For the frog-green colour scheme, the custom fan was inspired by the creations of frame builder Peter Verdone. The red accents were modelled on an old Niner S.I.R. ("Steel Is Real").

The Dreambuild with upside-down suspension fork, carbon monocoque wheels in the new 32-inch wheel size and exclusive lightweight parts then crowned the project. Despite the large steel frame and even larger wheels, the finished bike weighs an impressive 11.52 kilos.

Hand-picked: The manufacturers behind the Dreambuild

Of course, you don't assemble a hand-built frame like this with just any components. We take a look behind the scenes at local manufacturers and early players in the 32-inch movement. These six manufacturers produce technology carriers and tuning parts for the Dreambuild.

1st Intend

While Fox and Rockshox are still keeping a low profile, the label from Freiburg is already bringing a 32-inch suspension fork into series production. This puts Intend an estimated one year ahead of the rest of the industry and makes it a real driver of innovation.

Installation length, offset, collision course of the bridge: Frame geometries for 32ers can only be tested with the help of a suitable fork. Almost all bikes released to date with the new wheel size therefore feature an upside-down suspension fork from Germany.

The first in-house development was presented by Intend mastermind Cornelius Kapfinger in 2014 on a reader's bike in BIKE. The hydraulics expert founded Intend out of his student flat share and even today, when the company has achieved worldwide fame, Ikea shelves and a familiar atmosphere in the workshop are reminiscent of the early days. The centre only has two and a half rooms. Here, the 100 or so individual parts for an Intend suspension fork are assembled by hand.

Inside, the Intend Samurai XC 32 relies on the proven air damping with semi-open oil bath of its 29er sister. Thanks to the upside-down design, the bushings should be permanently lubricated, work smoothly and remain permanently free of play. In contrast to conventional telescopic forks, it also has no space problems with large wheels without a connecting bridge. The stanchions have a diameter of 35 millimetres.

For the dream build of our hardtail, we opted for the Intend Energizer cartridge with a three-stage lockout system and 100 millimetres of travel. A maximum of 130 millimetres of travel would be possible. The diameter of a 32-inch wheel with tyres is 74 millimetres larger than that of a 29-inch wheel. Due to the larger lever of the longer fork, completely different forces can occur in practice. Intend has therefore specially adapted its Samurai to the needs of 32-inch mountain bikes and, among other things, reinforced the crown and redesigned the dropouts.

2. vecnum

Dissatisfaction was the decisive factor in the founding of Vecnum. After years of professional experience in the aerospace sector, Marcell Maier was frustrated by what he saw as the poor quality of bike parts being produced and sold.

Product focus from the very beginning: Retractable telescopic seatposts with long durability and low weight made in Germany. At the company headquarters in Isny, the entire process chain is in our own hands. The CAD design for development, CNC programming for the machines and prototype production are all created here in the Allgäu.

Vecnum products are produced in the local machining centre on a dedicated five-axis milling machine. To ensure accuracy of fit, tolerances are only in the hundredths of a millimetre range.

For our Dreambuild, our 190 centimetre tall editor opted for a Vecnum Nivo with an adjustment range of 212 millimetres. Despite its length, it remains comparatively light at 539 grams. Price: 439 euros. A five-pack is sufficient for servicing.

3 Bike Ahead Composites

For many bikers, the saddle is probably the last place to save weight. But this is precisely where the difference between standard and Dreambuild lies. Compared to an average saddle, the Bike Ahead The Hypersaddle, which weighs just 87 grams, saves 200 grams of weight.

The lightweight component is manufactured by hand in small series near Würzburg. It is the result of a research project on fibre composites and is produced in monocoque carbon construction. With a purchase price of 369 euros, the saddle is a statement component for technology nerds. The Hypersaddle weighs less than a bar of chocolate, but is more than 200 times as expensive.

Also from Bike Ahead: The Biturbo X 32 Safewing wheelset and The Unit ICR. The handlebar/stem combination for our custom build weighs just 207 grams. The fact that the cockpit is nevertheless certified according to level ASTM4 for e-bikes illustrates the engineering achievements of the Bavarians. Unit price: 599 euros.

4. maxxis

When Maxxis presented a production-ready 32-inch Aspen model at the 2025 Eurobike trade fair, it was clear that the new wheel standard was coming! Among other things, the large rubber tyres offer greater rolling efficiency on rough surfaces and a larger contact area.

In the meantime, the tyre manufacturer from Taiwan has even expanded its 32-series line-up. For more grip, there is now the higher-profile Aspen AT and for fast, dry cross-country courses the Aspen ST in the new giant size. As more and more gravel bike manufacturers are experimenting with 32-inch wheels, the latter is also available in a 2.15-inch width. The new wheel size has even arrived in the trail bike segment with versions of the Maxxis Forekaster and Dissector.

5th Sram

"You can hardly change gears more precisely" was the title we gave the Sram Eagle 90 Transmission groupset after our test. The only point of criticism: too heavy and therefore uninteresting for race bikes. However, with the right choice of parts in the Sram portfolio, you can get the right mix-and-match principle. a lightweight SL version of the mechanical drive configure. The upgrade to the carbon cranks from the XX-SL series alone saves around 350 grams. Add to this a cassette and chain from Sram's lightweight groupset and the world looks different.

If you want to go the whole hog, treat the rear derailleur to a carbon cage, as we did. This upgrade saves nine grams and costs 130 euros. Speaking of price: At 1890 euros, the SL setup costs over a grand more than the standard groupset. On the other hand, the configuration is even lighter than the most sophisticated wireless version from Sram. On the scales, it is only beaten by a mechanical Shimano XTR. On the other hand, the Eagle 90 SL offers greater precision under load and the stability of the transmission standard.

6. wolftooth

The History of Wolftooth began in 2013 in a basement in the US state of Minnesota. Three engineers there developed an innovative tooth profile to improve chainrings for the emerging single-speed drivetrains. Just one year later, demand was so high that the founders quit their jobs to concentrate fully on the young company. Instead of scaling quickly, however, Wolftooth remained true to its DNA and only expanded its portfolio very slowly, step by step.

Today, Wolftooth still develops, designs and produces all of its products itself at its Burnsville site. The original basement of a residential building has been transformed into 3500 square metres of headquarters. Over 60 employees produce thousands of bicycle parts there every year. Manufacturing in the USA is part of the brand identity. Wolftooth hopes that this will give it maximum control over properties, materials and processes.

Extremely tight tolerances are aimed for in the in-house CNC machining department and while design iterations can take months in a typical supply chain, the local team can act quickly and flexibly. The development department is staffed exclusively by bikers. They try to solve the requirements of the real bike world with their creations. According to Wolftooth, innovation does not always have to be loud. Instead, the parts should stand out through clever solutions and high quality.

The portfolio now ranges from headset to seat clamps and pedals to thru axles. The Americans grant their customers the "Right To Repair" for all of this, ensuring the interchangeability of small parts and a comprehensive supply of spare parts. Wolftooth does not use disposable products on its bikes. The company is currently facing high raw material prices and US customs policy. Nevertheless, 2026 is set to be the most exciting year for new products in the company's history.

Conclusion

When building my custom bike, I wanted to include early players in the 32-inch movement and tuning parts as well as manufacturers whose production is characterised by transparency. Whether Bike Ahead, Vecnum or Wolftooth: these companies provide an insight into their production and are therefore ideal for my do-it-yourself project! - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor

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