32-inch Gravel Gains Steam with New Tires from Continental and Rene Herse

In anticipation of next year, when many brands are rumored to be launching 32-inch gravel bikes, two new tires fit for that new wheel standard have been announced. Over the past week, both Continental and Rene Herse announced they will be releasing 32-inch gravel tires in April 2027.

At Big Sugar, Continental unveiled its new 32-inch Dubnital tire that will launch in April. The tire is virtually unchanged from the 700c Dubnital and adds size optionality to the 32-inch width spectrum.

The Rene Herse Indiana Pass will also add to the same category with a 55mm semi-slick option, despite the brand’s CEO’s skepticism of the viability of the new wheel size.

Here is what we know so far:

The Dubnital is the starting point for Continental as 32-inch gravel gains steam

While the Dubnital is the first move to big tires from Continental, this is very much the beginning of a broader push.

Considering the comments the brand has made in it’s soft launch of the 32-inch Dubnital, Continental will add to that 32-inch catalog soon, but on the initial run it will be just the 50mm version of the brand’s popular gravel and cross-country tread.

The Dubnital 32-inch will be available in the race-rapid compound and casing configuration, Continental’s fastest setup for its gravel and mountain bike tires, and is slated to be one of the few 50mm, 32-inch gravel tires.

“The growing interest in 32” wheels is clear, and our priority is ensuring riders have immediate access to Continental’s flagship tire technologies as new wheel sizes emerge,” Alexander Haenke, Product Manager for MTB & Gravel at Continental Tires, said. “Choosing the Dubnital as our first 32” release allows us to support evolving setup preferences and frame designs right out of the gate.”

Continental told Velo that the reason why the Dubnital is the first 32-inch gravel tire from the brand is because of its similarity to the 32-inch mountain bike tires the German brand had been working on.

Speaking to professionals in the industry, 32-inch gravel tires are lagging behind the mountain bike tires because R&D from the big brands on 32-inch gravel began much later than 32-inch mountain bike tech. Interestingly, come next year, when many of these 32-inch bikes start to roll out, there might be more gravel options than mountain bikes.

The Dubnital 32-inch 50mm tire will be a key addition to the market because when those gravel bikes start to roll out, there are not tons of great gravel-sized tire options.

Rene Herse adjusts course and plans to launch 32-inch tires in April 

Similarly, Rene Herse has also announced 32-inch tires that will enter the 50-55 mm width market to meet the anticipated demand that will come from the new bikes. The Rene Herse Indiana Pass, named after the high point of the Tour Divide, uses the Rene Herse semi-slick tread, will come in four different constructions, and will be available in 55mm.

Rene Herse is a notable entry into the 32-inch tire game because Jan Hiene, the brand’s CEO, has been a vocal opponent of the bigger wheel size. He was so vociferous in this stance that we hosted a debate between Heine and John Karrasch, one of 32-inch wheels most vocal proponents of 32-inch wheels, on the Velo podcast.

The flip from the brand doesn’t seem to be a change of opinion. Instead, it was a response to requests from Rene Herse’s professional athletes to have tires to support the new bikes they will be riding in 2027. In particular, the tires will support Meaghan Hackinen, the 2026 Tour Divide winner who will race the Salsa Fargo 32 next year, and gravel pros Ted King and Brennan Wertz.

“Both Ted and Brennan are tall and very strong riders, so they are perfect candidates to benefit from the larger wheels,” Jan Heine said in the press release. “They are curious about the new wheel size, but they don’t want to give up the speed, comfort and grip of their supple Rene Herse semi-slicks. That’s why we’ll offer their favorite tires in the 32-inch size.”

Neither of these tires are available yet, as both tires are set to roll out in April.