IN BRIEF
Avona is selling the Callis 32, a version of its gravel race bike built around 32-inch wheels. The German brand claims a saving of 8 to 16 W at 35 km/h compared with the 29-inch Callis, which it attributes mainly to lower rolling resistance. The frame weighs 898 g in size M, painted, and takes 55 mm tyres. Three SRAM XPLR 13-speed builds are offered, from €5,799 to €8,999, as well as a frameset at €3,599, in just three sizes: M, L and XL.
| Price | €5,799 (SRAM Rival XPLR 13-speed), €6,599 (Force XPLR), €8,999 (Red XPLR with power meter) |
| Frameset | €3,599 with cockpit and seatpost |
| Frame weight | 898 g (size M, painted) |
| Fork weight | 409 g (painted) |
| Complete bike | from 7.78 kg |
| Wheels | 32-inch, Faserwerk Kornkreis (42 mm) or Newmen G.62 |
| Tyre clearance | 55 mm |
| Drivetrain | SRAM XPLR 13-speed, single 40-tooth chainring (50 teeth maximum) |
| Sizes | M, L, XL (riders from 165 to 200 cm) |
| Maximum system weight | 130 kg |
Avona’s 32-inch bike is moving beyond the race-prototype stage. Avona, a young brand based in Mogendorf, Rhineland-Palatinate, has published prices and spec sheets for three builds of its Callis 32, a gravel race bike that takes the name of its 29-inch model but not its wheels.
The gain comes from rolling, not from the wind
Avona announces a saving of 8 to 16 watts at 35 km/h, depending on terrain and tyre, compared with the 29-inch version. Escape Collective notes that the brand bases the bike’s case on rolling resistance rather than aerodynamics: a larger wheel rolls over uneven ground with fewer losses.
The official website details one measurement, taken with the Virtual Elevation method on an out-and-back course of bumpy category 1 gravel: at 35 km/h, for a combined bike and rider weight of 86 kg, the recorded difference corresponds to 11.7 W less rolling resistance.
Avona Callis 32: a stiffer frame without losing comfort
The frame weighs 898 g in size M, painted, and the fork 409 g. Escape Collective gives 1,728 g for the complete frameset and reports that the frame gains 7 % in torsional stiffness and 12 % at the bottom bracket over the 29-inch Callis, with the same vertical compliance. The complete bike starts at 7.78 kg, and the official spec sheet lists a maximum system weight of 130 kg.
Only three sizes, from 165 cm
The Callis 32 comes in M, L and XL. Escape Collective points out that the 29-inch model’s size S disappears and that the range covers riders from 165 to 200 cm, as Avona states. The brand explains on its website that experience shows a 165 cm rider can ride a size M.
Single chainring and tyres up to 55 mm
The frame takes 55 mm tyres and a single chainring of 50 teeth at most. All three SRAM XPLR 13-speed builds ship with a 40-tooth chainring. Escape Collective indicates that it is an Avona chainring, with a 38-tooth Garbaruk option, to match the Boost chainline. Escape Collective adds that the CeramicSpeed chains are waxed on every version.
Two wheelsets are available: the 42 mm-deep Faserwerk Kornkreis, which Avona presents as the most balanced option, or the deeper Newmen G.62, for straight-line speed. The Rival build, at €5,799, rolls on Schwalbe G-One tyres in 50-686, according to the spec sheet published by Tour.
