Product Type: (wheelset, bar tape, hammer, lube etc)
Product Brand: Stoll Bikes
Product Model: P32
Product Size: M
Tester Details: Roadie who loves lycra styleMTB . Lycra style MTBer who rides his drop bar bikes A LOT. Size 1,80m / 73 kg
Overview: sharing my thougts on my new 32 inch race xc / marathon MTB & offering my views for everyone considering buying one. If you have a question - feel free to reach out
Pros: been riding the bike now for 3 weeks, unfortunately not as often as i intended due to long office hours etc, but my initial thoughts: it feels incredibly stable and controlled. It is a bit of a shame that I can’t really isolate the effect of the wheel size since mtbs in general evolved dramatically vs my 2014 Canyon Lux. the geometry, the stiffnes of the frame, quality of suspension components, and—not least—the dropper post all play a role, and the bike is simply in so many ways different to my old bike that I cannot tell which performance effect is from the wheel size. That said, I’d argue that the impact of the wheels on traction is very noticeable in off-camber corners or on steep climbs. You can also clearly feel how well it maintains speed over rougher terrain.
I do not feel that steering is “too slow”, that is simply not a relevant category for me.
For those who don’t know Stoll Bikes - the frames and builds are simply perfect if you like raw carbon. There are many (very positive) reviews in german language media, and i can’t add anything meaningful here. It’s simply perfect.
Summary is simple - I won’t go back to 29 inch. Going for a 32 gravel bike now, should make even more sense than mtb. Happy to share more pics if interested.
Cons: It instantly made my old “difficult” trails a bit less exciting / too easy; be careful with gearing, i come from 34t chainring/50t sprocket on 29" and moved to 32t / 52t which feels a bit too hard, but i need to test that a bit longer.
Rating: 5
Leave some pics!