The cycling industry seems to be grappling with new standards all the time, and the latest to cause a stir is 32in wheels.

Now tyre manufacturer Schwalbe has revealed it is “fully convinced” by the extra-large size and BikeRadar can reveal it will be releasing 32in tyres in 2027.

The tyre size has mostly been discussed in the world of mountain biking. Last year, Maxxis revealed 32in tyres at Eurobike and BMC athletes were spotted riding prototype 32in wheels. Then, in November, the UCI said the new size would be permitted in XC racing from 2026. 

During a presentation at the Velofollies tradeshow last week, Schwalbe’s product manager Jakob Maßen said the company would be introducing 32in tyres “for nearly all cycling categories”. 

Schwalbe has been experimenting with 32in tyres in its lab. “The Schwalbe lab gives us the freedom to experiment and to test new ideas and innovate things without any pressure,” Maßen said.

Testing ideas in the lab is a way for Schwalbe to see if they could become products. One example Maßen cites that started in the lab is Schwalbe’s Radial mountain bike tyres, which have carcass threads at a more obtuse angle to increase the tyre’s contact area. 

Schwalbe began testing 32in tyres in the lab with the same mindset, to see if the size would make a viable product. 

“We went into this with an open mind. Some of us were sceptical but with field and lab testing, we saw that there are advantages and these will also be a benefit for the consumer,” Maßen said.

Schwalbe found 32in tyres provide more grip due to a larger contact patch with the ground, increase stability, allow for higher cornering speeds and improve comfort. 

“We could also prove, scientifically, an improved lower rolling resistance, especially on uneven surfaces,” added Maßen. 

This led Schwalbe to commit to the new size. “We are fully convinced of this new technology, and we will be introducing new products in this size in 2027,” said Maßen. 

One question that remains is whether Schwalbe will produce 32in road bike tyres. 

“Road cycling is heavily restricted by the UCI and there is a rule that the diameter of the overall wheel and tyre is not supposed to exceed 700mm,” Maßen said, adding that a 700c wheel – the wheel size found on the majority of road bikes – is already at this limit when fitted with a 35mm tyre. 

Maßen said Schwalbe doesn’t know whether this UCI restriction will be lifted. He added that: “We don’t know what the future holds, but we’re exploring all options.” 

Alongside discussing its plans for 32in tyres, Schwalbe revealed its new Pro One Allroad road bike tyre at Velofollies. The tyre is said to ‘close the gap’ between road and gravel bike tyres for the extreme conditions of races such as Paris–Roubaix. The tyre is available in sizes up to 40mm wide. 

Addressing the trend for wider road bike tyres, Maßen said: “I think this year we will see more really big options, but it really depends on the frame manufacturers – if they can offer a bike that is fast and account for these figures.” 

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At the end of 2024, I was invited to join Zwift in Mallorca in April of 2025.  My first reaction was incredulity: Could Zwifters ride outside in a group without crashing? After my husband told me he would divorce me if I didn’t go, I reluctantly agreed to sign up. I knew at least that I would meet people whom I respected and counted as friends in the organizers’ community. And if need be, I would give everyone a very wide gap.

To make the trip from California worth it, I also went before the start of ZCL to ride with my COALITION teammates on a different part of the island. Riding with the women that I had known for years was fun, and when I transferred to ZCL, I thought it couldn’t get better than that.

Turns out it could. The beauty of such a large group of bikers getting together to ride without their families in tow was as unexpected as it was awesome. Each day I chose whether I wanted to ride slow, medium, or fast and whether I wanted to go for a short ride, a medium ride, or a long ride. Those crazier-than-normal bikers got to choose a long, fast ride with an after-party thrown in. Each day I got to talk to another rider from a different part of the world who also loved Zwift. The group leaders were amazing, had different backgrounds and expertise, and made the rides enjoyable for all. And everyone got just what they wanted, whether that was a soul-crushing, hours-long climb or a sampling of pastries bookended with a flat, short ride. And after the rides? No one had anything else to do, so everyone hung out.

I saw so much potential in that gathering, which was big enough to support everyone’s perfect day.  While in a small group setting, everyone has to sacrifice a little bit so everyone can get mostly what they wanted from the training camp. But in a bigger group, everyone got just what they wanted from the rides. As an extremely mediocre rider who values cookies and cocktails over a bump in FTP, I may have been an outlier in many of the groups. But I found former chef Karla to be similarly impassioned and the head of TBR (James) to be as curious about the island as me.

Even though I self-describe myself as mediocre, I also saw the potential for these days to teach me something about riding in groups. At home, I use my personal draft van, which is my husband, but I rarely follow a stranger’s wheel. I’ve always thought myself to be too old and too bad a biker to react to an unexpected brake or blind descent, but in that one week I learned that I was stronger than I thought. And I want more of it! I want to be in that position again, and this time, I want to bring some of my friends with me—friends that I am willing to brave Fox Hill three times for, for instance.

Benefits of Attending a Cycling Training Camp

Cycling camps can be awesome for so many reasons, both the stuff you can measure and the good vibes you can’t.

Increased Fitness and Endurance

Putting in sustained effort over multiple days typically results in a significant boost to cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance. Getting intense, focused training is a massive plus. When you dedicate several days just to cycling, you can really dial in structured, high-volume workouts—something that’s tough to manage with all the usual daily commitments. Plus, pushing hard for multiple days usually gives your cardio and musclular endurance a serious upgrade.

Cycling camps are also perfect for honing your skills. You get the chance to practice things like riding in a group, descending, cornering, and pacelining in a supportive setting. And finally, you get vital exposure to different terrain, letting you take on challenging routes (think long climbs, technical descents, and varied roads) that you might not have back home.

Socializing and Community

Camps are fantastic for meeting people and making friends. You bring together like-minded cyclists from all walks of life, and that really builds a strong community feel. Going through the shared “suffering” and triumph on the road creates truly unforgettable memories. You also get insider tips and encouragement by talking directly with group leaders, former pros, or coaches who can give you personalized advice.

Making It Easy (Practical & Logistical)

Cycling camps take the headache out of everything. The organizers typically sort out all the meals, routes, support cars, and places to stay, so all you have to do is pedal. This is backed up by supported rides, which usually include a mechanic, sag wagons, and medical help. That takes a massive weight off your shoulders regarding potential mechanicals or emergencies. Finally, camps are usually set up in places with perfect cycling weather, which means reliable conditions for consistent, quality training.

Cycling camps are honestly a win-win-win situation, delivering major benefits: you get physically fitter and more skilled, you feel awesome thanks to the shared effort and achievements, and you make amazing social connections both during the rides and afterward. For the indoor crew, especially the Zwift folks, taking those technical smarts and building real-life community at camp creates stronger relationships out of the real bonds forged in game. When this motivated and organized group transitions from the screen to the open road, they’re perfectly positioned to bring a huge wave of new energy and camaraderie to the wider cycling community.

What About You?

Have you ever done an IRL training camp with Zwift friends? Share below!

Engineers from the University of Trento in Italy are working on a system that captures the heat energy created by braking to charge the electronics on your bike.

A paper on the technology outlines a method by which energy is captured from braking and sunlight to run electronic components, including electronic gears, dropper posts, power meters and data telemetry equipment.

F1 cars and electric vehicles can use regenerative braking to capture kinetic energy as the vehicle slows down. Such a system could, theoretically, be possible for bicycles, too.

Thermal and solar energy harnessed

The paper identifies that “low-power, wireless actuators” are becoming increasingly common on bike components such as dropper posts, derailleurs, and even suspension forks and shocks. 

This creates a need for batteries to power the tech. The paper investigates whether “innovative energy harvesting and management solutions that do not compromise rider experience” could reduce or eliminate reliance on batteries.

It examines two sources of energy; thermal energy generated by the brakes and solar energy. PhD student Maria Doglioni, one of the paper’s authors, explains the focus was to generate enough electricity to run actuators on electrical components, not generate enough current to charge large batteries such as those used on electric bikes. 

This concept for energy harvesting is quite different from the regenerative braking systems used in electric cars. “We use wasted heat from friction when we push the brakes, whereas [electric] cars use reverse-running motors as generators,” says Doglioni.

Thermal energy captures the heat generated as your brakes convert kinetic energy from slowing you and the bike into heat energy. Instead of that heat energy dissipating into the atmosphere, thermal capture could harness it and channel it into a modern bike’s electronic system.

The system described in the paper captures energy from sunlight alongside thermal energy. The solar energy is captured using photovoltaic panels, changing the sun’s radiation into electrical current, which can then be combined with the energy from the braking system and fed into electrical components.

How does it work?

The system uses an aluminium plate. This contacts the disc brake pads to transfer the heat energy to the thermal generator. 

The thermal generator is attached to a 3D-printed mount. This bolts onto the post-mount disc brake caliper bolts and sits above the brake pads. The thermal generator transforms the heat energy into electrical energy, which can then be passed through wires to be used elsewhere on the bike.

It looks as though the system might be adaptable between different bicycle brakes without the need for spending big on bespoke calipers or unwieldy hardware.

Because it relies on thermal energy, this technology is also friction-free. This offers an advantage over dynamo setups, which introduce drag to your bike.

Elsewhere, the system utilises photovoltaic panels to capture solar energy. This is used in tandem with the thermal energy capture, to investigate whether, when combined, these two systems could create enough power to run electronic components, removing the need for batteries entirely.

The paper also states a possible use for the energy generated could be for running telemetry used on mountain bikes when descending. An example would be Mondraker’s MIND system, which collects suspension data that the rider can access via the myMondraker app.

Giuseppe Pasquini, another of the paper’s authors, explains a different approach was taken compared to the MIND system, which powers its own GPS (Global Positioning System). Instead, Pasquini says the research team used a custom app that employs a smartphone’s GPS for real-time data collection, saving harvested energy for the onboard sensors.

What does the future hold?

“To effectively power components like shifters and telemetry, we are advancing beyond standard technologies by implementing both lower power consumption and higher energy production,” says Pasquini.

Even in its prototype form, the product looks very minimal. It could bode well for a finished product if this pre-production version is already small and neatly packaged.