Wheels mfg Blog

Some bikes at MADE pull you in from across the room. This was one of them. For the 2026 MADE Bike Show, Wheels Manufacturing partnered with James Bleakley of Black Sheep Bikes on a 32-inch titanium gravel bike that is hard to fit into any normal category. It has a titanium soft-tail frame, Black Sheep truss fork, custom titanium cockpit, 32-inch wheels, and a single-speed drivetrain built around our purple SOLO-XD Single Speed Conversion Kit. There is a lot going on, but somehow it all works together. Black Sheep 32-Inch Gravel Bike: Build Highlights Builder James Bleakley, Black Sheep Bikes Builder location Fort Collins, Colorado Bike type Custom titanium gravel bike Wheel size 32 inches Frame Titanium soft tail Fork Custom Black Sheep titanium truss fork Cockpit Custom titanium stem and drop handlebar Drivetrain Single speed Conversion kit Purple Wheels Mfg SOLO-XD Rear cog Purple Wheels Mfg 19T SOLO cog Bottom bracket Purple Wheels Mfg T47 bottom bracket Finishing parts Purple Wheels Mfg headset spacer kit, seatpost collar, and bottle-cage bolts Why Build a Gravel Bike with 32-Inch Wheels? James has never been afraid to experiment with wheel size. He has built bikes around 36-inch wheels and was working with 32-inch wheels long before they became one of the bigger conversations at MADE. The appeal of a larger wheel is easy to understand. A bigger wheel approaches rocks, roots, and rough sections of trail at a shallower angle. That can help it carry momentum across uneven terrain. For taller riders, a larger wheel may also create proportions that feel more natural than building an extra-large frame around smaller wheels. But a 32-inch gravel bike is not simply a 29er with larger tires. Increasing the wheel diameter affects the geometry and handling of the entire bike. Fork offset, trail, wheelbase, toe clearance, rider position, frame fit, and gearing all have to be considered together. That is what makes the Black Sheep build interesting. It does not look like an existing gravel frame modified to accept bigger wheels. The frame, fork, cockpit, and wheel size all look like they were meant to be together from the beginning. What Is a Titanium Soft-Tail Gravel Bike? A soft tail is designed to provide a small amount of rear-wheel movement without the pivots and shock found on a conventional full-suspension bike. On this bike, James used a shaped titanium plate near the seat tube to build compliance into the frame. The design allows controlled flex at the rear of the bike while keeping the overall structure simple. It is a smart use of titanium. Instead of hiding how the suspension works, the flex plate becomes part of the bike’s design. It adds another handmade detail without making the frame look overly complicated. The same thinking continues at the front of the bike. Black Sheep’s titanium truss fork gives the bike its unmistakable profile, with matching shapes around the fork and head tube that tie the front end together. James also fabricated the titanium stem and drop handlebar. Those parts could be overlooked next to the wheels and frame, but they are a big reason the finished bike feels complete. Nothing looks like it was added simply to finish the build in time for the show. Converting an XD/XDR Hub to Single Speed With this much detail in the frame, fork, and cockpit, a simple drivetrain felt right. The bike uses our purple SOLO-XD Single Speed Conversion Kit for XD/XDR hubs. The system installs on an XD or XDR freehub body and uses a carrier, adjustable spacers, cog, and lockring to create a dedicated single-speed setup. Those spacers are important because they allow the cog position to be adjusted. That makes it possible to line the rear cog up with the chainring rather than accepting a fixed chainline. A straighter chainline can help the drivetrain run more smoothly and reduce unnecessary wear. The standard SOLO-XD kit includes an 18-tooth cog, but this bike was fitted with a purple 19-tooth SOLO single-speed cog. The 19T cog is made from 7075 aluminum and is designed specifically for use with the SOLO-XD and SOLO-SPLINE carrier systems. For riders who already own a wheel with an XD or XDR driver, the conversion kit makes it possible to build a single speed without purchasing a different wheel or freehub system. Purple Wheels Mfg Components Complete the Build The SOLO-XD kit set the direction for the rest of the component package. From there, we carried the purple finish through the bike with a Wheels Mfg T47 bottom bracket, headset spacer kit, seatpost collar, and purple bottle-cage bolts. The purple headset spacers and top cap were a small detail, but an important one on a bike with this much custom work at the front end. They create a clean transition between the titanium head tube and stem while tying the cockpit into the rest of the purple component package. Against the raw titanium, the purple parts are easy to notice without taking over the bike. They draw attention to the drivetrain and smaller details while leaving James’ fabrication at the center of the build. That balance was important. This was always going to be a Black Sheep bike first. Our components needed to support the idea, work with the single-speed drivetrain, and look like they belonged there. Wheels Mfg Parts Used on the Black Sheep Build SOLO-XD Single Speed Conversion Kit for XD/XDR hubs, purple 19T SOLO single-speed cog, purple T47 bottom bracket, purple Headset spacer kit, purple Wheels Mfg seatpost collar, purple Bottle-cage bolts, purple More Than a Show Bike The best collaboration builds are not just collections of expensive parts. They show what can happen when a builder starts with an idea and every component supports it. James brought the big idea. Our part was helping him finish it with components that worked for the single-speed setup and looked at home on a one-of-a-kind titanium bike. The finished Black Sheep is big, simple, strange, and incredibly well thought out. It is exactly the kind of bike we like seeing our parts on. And the purple did not hurt. See more details and photography in The Radavist’s Wheels Manufacturing showcase from MADE 2026, or visit Black Sheep Bikes to see more of James Bleakley’s custom titanium work. Frequently Asked Questions What is a 32-inch gravel bike? A 32-inch gravel bike uses wheels with a larger outside diameter than conventional 700c or 29-inch wheels. The frame and fork must be designed around the larger wheel size because it changes the bike’s proportions, geometry, handling, and gearing. What is a soft-tail gravel bike? A soft-tail bike provides a small amount of rear compliance without using a traditional suspension linkage. The Black Sheep build uses the flex characteristics of a shaped titanium plate to allow controlled movement at the rear of the frame. Can an XD or XDR hub be converted to single speed? Yes. The Wheels Mfg SOLO-XD kit converts compatible XD and XDR freehub bodies to single speed. Its adjustable spacers allow the rider or mechanic to position the cog for the correct chainline. Which single-speed cog was used on this bike? The Black Sheep 32-inch gravel bike uses a purple Wheels Mfg 19-tooth SOLO cog. The cog is designed for the carrier used in the SOLO-XD and SOLO-SPLINE conversion systems. Where was the bike built? The frame, fork, stem, and handlebar were fabricated by James Bleakley of Black Sheep Bikes in Fort Collins, Colorado.