Mullet Talk.

[rideit]

Discuss.

[toast2266]

Seems like a non controversial subject. Some friends think they're fun.

[jackstraw]

All bidness up front and paarty in da back bro!

[XXX-er]

A little more mullet pleez, 24/ 29 is gona be so mullet !

but seriously if you want a faster bike the full 29 is gona be fastest rolling

[Laps]

For gravel bike (road shifter & mtb cassette in back) or MTb (29r front and 27.5 rear?)

I am a fan of the first for ec gravel/adventure riding. Haven’t tried the latter yet.


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[rideit]

Whatever mullet configuration you wish to discuss is welcome.

[toast2266]

For gravel bike (road shifter & mtb cassette in back) or MTb (29r front and 27.5 rear?)

I am a fan of the first for ec gravel/adventure riding. Haven’t tried the latter yet.


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What's the logic behind gravel mullet?

[Andeh]

As a mullet advocate, and 5'-8", I'd concede that full 29 is faster in straight sections of trail. But on tight turny stuff, being able to move the bike around and cut tighter radii will help more than a little bit of inertia.

Also, someone else made a great post here several months ago, pointing out that "modern" geometry landed at about the same time as full 29ers. For a lot of people, their first "modern" geometry bike was also their first 29er, and probably associate more of the improvements from the geometry with 29" wheels than is warranted.

The fact that many pro DH racers up to around 6'-ish are now running mullets after doing lots of back to back testing is also telling. A common comment I see from videos they post about that is that it's not any slower for them but it feels better cornering, and races are won in the corners.

[TheK12]

I built up a Carbon Patrol V1 as a mullet - 29 front with 29er 150mm Lyrik and 27.5 rear. Works really well, especially on flow/jumpy trails. For chunky trails and flat out speed, I still like my full 29er better.

Just as a sanity check, though, I rode the same trail in 27.5 and mullet mode multiple times and the mullet mode was noticeably different and in my opinion, more fun. But maybe that's just confirmation bias... whatever. Bikes are fun and I like to tinker.

[toast2266]

As a mullet advocate, and 5'-8", I'd concede that full 29 is faster in straight sections of trail. But on tight turny stuff, being able to move the bike around and cut tighter radii will help more than a little bit of inertia.

Also, someone else made a great post here several months ago, pointing out that "modern" geometry landed at about the same time as full 29ers. For a lot of people, their first "modern" geometry bike was also their first 29er, and probably associate more of the improvements from the geometry with 29" wheels than is warranted.

The fact that many pro DH racers up to around 6'-ish are now running mullets after doing lots of back to back testing is also telling. A common comment I see from videos they post about that is that it's not any slower for them but it feels better cornering, and races are won in the corners.

I also think it's a little easier to pump minor terrain features with the smaller wheels. 29ers just kinda trundle over a lot of that stuff, which is good for smashing but bad for pumping.

Personally, I don't have the fitness to pump every little root. I can do it for about 30 seconds before I'm exhausted. But if you watch top level DH guys ride, they're pumping hard over everything.

[Toddball]

What's the logic behind gravel mullet?

Gravel mullet (road brifter + wide-range MTB cassette) is for people who want MTB gearing on their drop-bar bike, for carrying steep loads up hills I guess. See here: https://bikepacking.com/gear/guide-t...t-drivetrains/

[rideit]

Bikes are fun and I like to tinker.

EXACTLY.
I have a complete 29 wheel ready to swap depending on the trail choices. But I figure 100k of descending should be enough mullet action to see the benefits or not for me. It’s obviously a ‘thing’ right now that is worth exploring.

[toast2266]

Gravel mullet (road brifter + wide-range MTB cassette) is for people who want MTB gearing on their drop-bar bike, for carrying steep loads up hills I guess. See here: https://bikepacking.com/gear/guide-t...t-drivetrains/

Ah, gotcha. It's just the drivetrain. I was trying to wrap my head around why someone would want a smaller rear wheel on a gravel bike.

[cydwhit]

Gravel mullet (road brifter + wide-range MTB cassette) is for people who want MTB gearing on their drop-bar bike, for carrying steep loads up hills I guess. See here: https://bikepacking.com/gear/guide-t...t-drivetrains/

Yeah, I'm pretty close to doing this to my "gravel" bike. Even just an NX Eagle cassette would make a huge difference for me the five or six times a year I use that bike for things that I really shouldn't. With worn out Minions on it my limiting factor is always gearing, not traction.

The other kind of mullet seems nice. Chances are my next bike will have differently sized wheels on the front and back. But I'm also a hack so it's sorta irrelevant.

[rideit]

I run a 48/32 with an 11-40 on my gravel bike, I’m prepared for uphill track stands (or just grinding up the pass).

[grskier]

The other, semi consistent thing I hear about the back to back tests from the pros is the lack of getting buzzed by the rear tire on the mullet vs. the 29er.... particularly for those that are a little more vertically challenged.

[rideit]

Absolutely, that was my number one reason to try it. The cornering in the twisties is an added bonus.

[wendigo]

What's the logic behind gravel mullet?

she is on a mullet - needed to clear the seat bag
could change out the front wheel, sometimes lazy wins...



actually it gave her a bit more upright ride which is not a bad thing for a 500 km trip

[evdog]

I really don't get the point. Seems like this is just another thing industry will hype to drive sales to riders who won't be able to tell the difference, yet will prattle on like it's the best thing ever. Even better than the last thing that was the best thing ever!

[Andeh]

It's not just hype. I've been running a mullet setup for 4 months now, and have had zero butt buzz, whereas I previously got it about once per ride. It feels better in corners, and I find it easier to get lift as well. This is with essentially the same bike, just slightly different rear travel and seat angle. I converted from a GG Smash with 145mm travel to a Megatrail with 155mm travel. Same 160mm fork up front, same shock out back (just changed stroke & spring rate accordingly). Head angle is within 0.1 degree or so, and BB height is within a mm or two. Even same model of rim/hub/tire out back.

[HAB]

Also, someone else made a great post here several months ago, pointing out that "modern" geometry landed at about the same time as full 29ers. For a lot of people, their first "modern" geometry bike was also their first 29er, and probably associate more of the improvements from the geometry with 29" wheels than is warranted.

That was me, I think. I've definitely said some version of that before.


I'm mostly of the opinion that mullets are of greatest benefit to short(er) people who find the bigger rear wheel to be more limiting in terms of how they can move around on the bike. I'm 6' tall so it's not so much of a thing for me, but I still like the way 27.5'' wheels corner and pump better than 29'' ones. Mullets don't feel like they claw back enough of that for me to really be worth bothering with. 29'' has real advantages when it comes to carrying speed and so on, but for me, mullets feel like an awkward middle ground that give up too much of what 29ers do well and don't gain back enough of what 27.5'' is good at. But again, I bet I'd feel differently if ass to 29'' wheel clearance was a bigger issue for me.

[rideit]

Yeah, I’m 5’ 8”, with the 29 rear on really, really steep trails, I was buzzing enough to actually slow the bike down, or at least it felt like that. Maybe 5 times on one particular ride, it was pretty annoying. But I don’t ride many trails like that around here.

[babybear]

I had a mullet Santa Cruz Bullit back in the early 2000’s.
I was on the low end of the height range on the medium so we mulleted it out (26ers then so a 24 in the rear)
It worked well. I rd the hell out of that thing on the pass and at big sky for several yrs

[geomorph]

A mullet haircut is short in the front and long in the back, so shouldn't the big wheel be on the back of a mullet bike?

[snowaddict91]

A mullet haircut is short in the front and long in the back, so shouldn't the big wheel be on the back of a mullet bike?

Business in the front, party in the back.

I'd be curious to demo one, but for the terrain where I am now I don't feel like I give up much with a normal 29'er.