Scott's wild 32-inch-wheeled "RC Gravel" prototype isn't just a show pony — it won the 350-mile Unbound XL on its race debut, even as Scott swears it will never be sold.
What Scott actually built
Scott's RC Gravel 32 ("RC" stands for Racing Concept) is a ground-up prototype: a one-piece, lugless full-carbon frame and fork with subtle aero shaping, a D-shaped seatpost, a short, forward-set head tube and a long, low-slung rear end that makes it look more like an aero road bike than a gravel rig. The headline is the wheels — bespoke 32-inch hoops (roughly 813 mm overall) wrapped in 50 mm Schwalbe G-One RX tyres on custom Industry Nine hubs.
Scott has been blunt that this is a lab piece, not a launch. The brand calls the bikes "purely prototypes" that will "never be released to the market", framing Unbound as "the perfect proving ground to take innovation out of the lab into real-world racing conditions". Both frames wear one-off paint: Jones in silver-and-pink, Gemperle in silver-and-green.
By the numbers
Source: Bikerumor
“This bike makes you feel like you're levitating over the surface. I'll be experiencing a road race while everybody else is racing gravel.”
Why 32 inches — and what's the catch
The pitch mirrors mountain biking's jump to 29ers, only bigger. A taller wheel holds momentum better, rolls over ruts and braking bumps more smoothly, and lays down a longer contact patch so you can drop tyre pressure for grip without pinch-flatting. On Unbound's fast, open, washboard roads, that adds up to a real-world edge.
The catch is everything that made 26in holdouts nervous about 29ers, amplified. GranFondo's Jan Fock flags slower acceleration and reduced agility from the roughly 10% bigger circumference, plus forced geometry compromises — longer chainstays, toe-overlap risk and awkward fit on frames below about 56 cm — and the inconvenient fact that there is no industry standard for a 32-inch rim or tyre. Brilliant for a six-foot pro on an open course; tricky for the rest of us.
View data table
| Overall diameter (mm) | |
|---|---|
| 700c / 29er (622 mm rim) | 722 mm |
| Scott RC 32in (bespoke rim) | 813 mm |
32-inch gravel wheels: the trade-off
- Lower rolling resistance and better rollover on rough, fast gravel — the 29er logic taken further
- Bigger contact patch lets you run lower pressures for grip without pinch-flats
- Carries momentum well over long, open courses like Unbound XL
- Already a race-winner: took the 350-mile Unbound XL on its debut
- About 12% larger wheel means slower acceleration and less low-speed agility
- Forces long chainstays, toe-overlap risk and awkward fit on frames under ~56 cm (per GranFondo)
- Bespoke rim and tyre size with no industry standard — almost no tyre choice
- Scott says it will "never" be sold, so it's a halo project, not a product
- Made little measurable difference to the 200 result (Jones 10th; race won on 700c)
Two riders, two builds
Cam Jones vs Robin Gemperle — as raced at Unbound 2026
| Cam Jones (Unbound 200) | Robin Gemperle (Unbound XL) | |
|---|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Shimano 1×12 Di2 (XTR mech, Dura-Ace shifters) | SRAM RED AXS XPLR 1×13 wireless |
| Crankset / power | GRX 160 mm cranks + 4iiii power meter | RED XPLR 46t + power meter crankset |
| Handlebar | ENVE Aero Road, 370 mm | Syncros HB-R 100 alloy, 360 mm flared |
| Aero extensions | — | Profile Design ASC Carbon clip-ons |
| Wheels | Industry Nine, ~55 mm deep | Industry Nine, ~60 mm UD carbon |
| Tyres | 50 mm Schwalbe G-One RX | 50 mm Schwalbe G-One RX |
| Pedals | Shimano XTR SPD | HT PK01 carbon road |
| 2026 result | 10th, Unbound 200 | 1st, Unbound XL |
Specs: Bikerumor
Did it actually work? Unbound 2026 results
This is where it gets interesting. On the mud-clogged, brutal 2026 edition, the 32-inch bike split its two outings. In the headline Unbound 200, Cam Jones came home 10th — solid, but the win went to Denmark's Mads Würtz Schmidt (Specialized) on conventional 700c wheels, soloing in at a 22.38 mph average about five minutes up on Matt Beers.
In the 350-mile Unbound XL, though, Robin Gemperle won outright — 21 hours 20 minutes, more than 34 minutes clear, despite being forced to walk an estimated 21 km of unrideable mud. He reckoned the bike was "faster than what I would have been riding otherwise". The big wheels won the race where rollover and momentum matter most, and were all but invisible in the one where they didn't.
From secret prototype to XL winner
- 2024–25Behind closed doors
Jones and Gemperle quietly test an unfinished prototype — "with crucial parts still developing" — for over a year.
- May 2026Public reveal
Scott unveils the RC Gravel 32 at Unbound, calling it a pure prototype that will never reach the market.
- Unbound XLGemperle wins
Robin Gemperle takes the 350-mile XL on the 32-inch bike in 21:20:04, 34 min+ clear of second.
- Unbound 200Jones 10th
Cam Jones finishes 10th in the 200; the race is won by Mads Würtz Schmidt on standard 700c wheels.
What the cycling press makes of it
Independent verdicts from across the cycling press — follow each link for the full review.
It won the 350-mile XL
“It is faster than what I would have been riding otherwise.”
Read the full reviewClever for extreme races, risky for everyone else
“For high-end bikes and extreme races like UNBOUND, where the courses are fast rather than especially tight or steep, this concept could make sense.”
Read the full reviewLittle impact — and that's a good thing
“The results? Hard to say, as I'd say it had little impact on the results, which is a good thing.”
Read the full reviewA genuinely fast moonshot that has already won a 350-mile race — but Scott's "never to market" line plus real fit and standards problems keep it a halo, not a buying guide. This is our labelled editorial assessment, not a third-party test score.
Tap to vote — see how readers lean
32-inch gravel wheels: your questions
What does "32-inch" actually mean for a gravel wheel? +
It's the rough overall diameter — about 813 mm with a 50 mm tyre, versus roughly 720–736 mm for a 700c or 29er. The rim itself is a bespoke size with no current industry standard.
Can I buy the Scott RC Gravel 32? +
No. Scott has repeatedly stated it's a pure prototype that will "never be released on the market". It's a halo project, not a product you'll find in a shop.
Did the big wheels actually win anything? +
Yes — Robin Gemperle won the 350-mile Unbound XL on it. In the 200-mile race, Cam Jones finished 10th; that race was won by Mads Würtz Schmidt on standard 700c wheels.
What tyres and groupsets did the two bikes run? +
Both rolled 50 mm Schwalbe G-One RX tyres. Jones ran a Shimano 1×12 Di2 mix (XTR mech, Dura-Ace shifters, GRX cranks); Gemperle ran SRAM RED AXS XPLR 1×13 with a 46-tooth ring.
Will 32-inch wheels catch on in gravel? +
Opinion is split. A few bespoke builders and brands have flirted with oversize wheels, but slower acceleration, fit problems on smaller frames and the lack of a standard make mass adoption a long shot.
Sources and further reading
- Scott 32″ Aero Gravel Bike Prototype Set For UNBOUND Racing Debut — Bikerumor
- 32″ Scott Addict Gravel raced to 356-mile Unbound XL win — Bikerumor
- Cam Jones to race Unbound on a 32″ prototype that will never reach market — Cycling Weekly
- "I'm genuinely scared": Cameron Jones to race Unbound on 32in wheels — BikeRadar
- Scott's 32″ gravel prototype: the future of gravel racing? — GranFondo
- Unbound 2026 unwrapped: a brutal day of muddy drama — road.cc / off-road.cc
The Scott RC Gravel 32 is that rare concept bike that backed up the hype with a result — a 350-mile win on its race debut. But treat it as a glimpse, not a shopping list. Scott says it will never sell one, the fit and standards problems are real, and at the sharp end of the 200 it made no measurable difference. For now, the smartest takeaway for South African gravel riders isn't the wheel size — it's the recipe: fast-rolling 50 mm tyres, lower pressures and an aero-minded position. Those you can actually buy.
