Two hours into a marathon, the course drops you into a field of roots you have ridden before. On a 29er you pick a line and brace for it. The rider next to you, on 32-inch wheels, simply rolls through and is already five bike lengths ahead when you come out the other side. That small, repeated difference is what the Yarrow SL32 is built around.
What you notice first on the trail
The effect of a bigger wheel is easier to feel than to measure. Roots, rocks and washboard bite less, because a larger wheel meets them at a shallower angle, and the bike keeps its speed instead of being checked by every obstacle. We explain the geometry in our article on 32-inch MTB wheels, weight and stiffness. What matters on the bike is the result: you spend less energy accelerating after every hit, and that adds up over a marathon.
A larger tire also carries more air and puts a longer contact patch on the ground. On a loose, steep climb that gives you grip where a smaller tire starts to slip, and on a long descent it filters out part of the trail chatter before it reaches your hands. It is not a replacement for a good fork, but late in a race, when you are tired, it takes a bit of the beating out of the ride.
How we built the Yarrow SL32
A wheel this large has two problems to solve: weight and lateral stiffness. The Yarrow SL32 rim is 25mm deep and 32mm internal, wide enough to support a modern wide MTB tire at the lower pressures that give grip on technical ground. The ART asymmetric rim design evens out the spoke tension left and right, which keeps the wheel stiff under the extra leverage a bigger diameter puts through it. The set has 28 Alpina spokes and DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs, and weighs 1445g. The hubs are known for their reliability and can be serviced at almost any bike shop.
That is a few grams more than a 29er, and we say so. A bigger rim needs more carbon and longer spokes. If you want the lightest version we make, the Yarrow SL32 Ninefold uses our own Onda-M hub and RC-1 spokes on the same rim, at 1235g.
Who it is for
The Yarrow SL32 is for XC and marathon riders, and for flow trails and set mountain routes where momentum matters. It is not a downhill wheel. Because a 32-inch wheel only fits frames that were designed for it, the choice is often made by your bike. Taller riders in particular may find a frame that finally fits their proportions. If you are not sure whether 29 or 32 suits you, read our comparison of 29 vs 32 inch MTB wheels.
The 240 hubs with Ratchet EXP are approved for light e-MTBs up to 250W and 32 km/h, and the wheelset is available with Boost, Lefty and Superboost spacing. If your 32-inch gravel bike takes Boost or Superboost, it also works there, with a lower and lighter build than the SandStone SL32.
Every rim is hand built in the Netherlands and, once you register your wheels, covered by our lifetime warranty. View the Yarrow SL32 in our webshop.
