Rene Herse launches 32-inch TPU tube as the big-wheel movement gathers pace

Rene Herse 32" PTU inner tubes — (Image credit: Rene Herse Cycles)

In further evidence that a wave of 32-inch bikes could be coming, Rene Herse has launched a TPU inner tube specifically for the emerging wheel size.

Thirty-two-inch wheels, built around a 686mm rim diameter, have been one of the bike industry's biggest talking points this year, appearing on prototype gravel and mountain bikes at some of the off-road world’s biggest races and industry shows.

And they’re set to again be a leading theme at this weekend’s MADE bike show in Portland, Oregon. Just in time for the largest showcase of handmade bicycle craftsmanship, Rene Herse is making sure riders will have something to put inside those increasingly large tyres should tubeless sealant fail.

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Until recently, however, inner tubes for 686mm wheels have been hard to come by. Conventional options have largely been aimed at cruisers, custom 32ers and unicycles, complete with Schrader valves and considerably more bulk.

Performance-oriented options are beginning to appear, however, with Tubolito also launching a TPU mountain bike tube for 32-inch wheels earlier this year.

Rene Herse expects most riders adopting 32-inch wheels to run tubeless, but most riders do still carry an emergency inner tube, no matter the diameter of their wheel.

The new Rene Herse 32-inch TPU tube fits tyres from 45 to 68mm (1.8–2.6 inches), weighs just 66 grams, and uses a 70mm threaded Presta valve with a removable inner core. They're available directly from the Rene Herse website and its select retailers for $43.

Whether 32-inch becomes the next 29er or remains a niche is still an open question, but the momentum has been building all season.

At April's Sea Otter Classic, 32-inch wheels went from internet talking point to something approaching an industry trend. Nearly all of the major tyre manufacturers had 32-inch products or prototypes on display, while bikes built around the larger platform were shown by Salsa, Stinner and BTCHN’.

Then came Unbound, where Scott unveiled its RC Gravel 32-inch prototype for defending Unbound 200 champion Cam Jones and ultra-endurance racer Robin Gemperle.

With bikes, tyres and wheels increasingly appearing around the new platform, Rene Herse’s arrival in the 32-inch tube market is another small sign that brands are preparing for the possibility that bigger wheels could be here to stay.

Cycling Weekly's North American Editor, Anne-Marije Rook is old school. She holds a degree in journalism and started out as a newspaper reporter — in print! She can even be seen bringing a pen and notepad to the press conference.

Originally from the Netherlands, she grew up a bike commuter and didn't find bike racing until her early twenties when living in Seattle, Washington. Strengthened by the many miles spent darting around Seattle's hilly streets on a steel single speed, Rook's progression in the sport was a quick one. As she competed at the elite level, her journalism career followed, and soon, she became a full-time cycling journalist. She's now been a journalist for two decades, including 14 years in cycling.