Mullet Bikes - Post you Bike

[leonman]

This is my mullet bike.  This crazy mini-mullet has a 140 mm fork up front with the 27.5 and 26inch in the rear.

My reasoning was just because I could and it has been fun for the last two years and we keep rolling over bigger obstetrical(Thanks to the larger wheel .

[Eddy Gordo]

is it quicker?

[Jewbacca]

I tried it with my Cotic Solaris Max. 27.5x2.8" rear, 29x2.5" up front. The bike became super slack, climbed like shyte and had no benefits whatsoever on the descents.

 

I do think there is merit to the concept, but the frame geo must be designed around it.

Did you drop the fork travel by 20mm?

 

Everyone seems to be missing this important point. So it basically only works properly as follows; 120/140mm (or similar) 650b, which would then become a 120/120mm mullet with almost identical Geo as before.

 

Or a 650b hardtail based around a 140mm fork then becomes a 120mm Mullet. 

 

Depending on your sag settings in the fork, Geo won't change by more than 0.5mm or 0.3'

Edited August 7, 2019 by Jewbacca

[leonman]

is it quicker?

Honestly I have no idea, and my stava times did not have a significant increase.  But I was able install the bigger tyre I wanted.

[Grease_Monkey]

Did you drop the fork travel by 20mm?

 

Everyone seems to be missing this important point. So it basically only works properly as follows; 120/140mm (or similar) 650b, which would then become a 120/120mm mullet with almost identical Geo as before.

 

Or a 650b hardtail based around a 140mm fork then becomes a 120mm Mullet.

 

Depending on your sag settings in the fork, Geo won't change by more than 0.5mm or 0.3'

It was a decision made 30mins before a Sunday afternoon ride... so no. But yes, that would fix the angles. The reason I didn't try that on another day (even though I have a 110mm air spring) though is because 110mm of travel with the right angles in mullet configuration still seems like I am worse off than 130mm with the right angles and same size wheels.

 

That's why I say geo should be designed around it - I just think that you either sacrifice travel or geo - and neither of those sacrifices are going to put me in a better position than I was when I had the same size wheels.

Edited August 7, 2019 by Grease_Monkey

[bikebloke]

if you have a front wheel and rear wheel specific tyre there really is no point in having the same wheel sizes.

 

i'm surprised there hasn't been more development in this field

 

 

 

 

 

there was Raleigh made millions they where called "chopper"  they where deathtraps

Edited August 7, 2019 by bikebloke

[Jewbacca]

It was a decision made 30mins before a Sunday afternoon ride... so no. But yes, that would fix the angles. The reason I didn't try that on another day (even though I have a 110mm air spring) though is because 110mm of travel with the right angles in mullet configuration still seems like I am worse off than 130mm with the right angles and same size wheels.

 

That's why I say geo should be designed around it - I just think that you either sacrifice travel or geo - and neither of those sacrifices are going to put me in a better position than I was when I had the same size wheels.

Well yes and no.. If it's say a 140/160mm 650b and you change it to a 140mm Mullet, you still have ample travel and a bigger contact point for grip. A 120mm Mullet trail bike would be amazing on our local trail centres.

 

I still believe 99% of South Africans confuse an Enduro bike with a trail bike and spend their lives fighting against the trails.

 

I'm not at all saying it's the answer to life. It is for me, an answer to a question I never cared to ask.

 

I just think people are making false statements about a 'mullet bike' without really having tried on out 'properly'. Throwing a 200mm fork onto my trail bike will make it rubbish, which is basically what everyone is talking about here. The experiment, in theory, is quite a bit more thought out than most people seem to be aware of.

 

I have Jeffsy. I love Jeffsy. For once in my life I have bike satisfaction and the only thing I want to change is from a 150mm air spring to a 140mm in the Pike. 

[Grease_Monkey]

Well yes and no.. If it's say a 140/160mm 650b and you change it to a 140mm Mullet, you still have ample travel and a bigger contact point for grip. A 120mm Mullet trail bike would be amazing on our local trail centres.

 

I still believe 99% of South Africans confuse an Enduro bike with a trail bike and spend their lives fighting against the trails.

 

I'm not at all saying it's the answer to life. It is for me, an answer to a question I never cared to ask.

 

I just think people are making false statements about a 'mullet bike' without really having tried on out 'properly'. Throwing a 200mm fork onto my trail bike will make it rubbish, which is basically what everyone is talking about here. The experiment, in theory, is quite a bit more thought out than most people seem to be aware of.

 

I have Jeffsy. I love Jeffsy. For once in my life I have bike satisfaction and the only thing I want to change is from a 150mm air spring to a 140mm in the Pike.

Hmmm, I agree and disagree with you - sure a 140/160mm travel bike will still have ample travel if it becomes a 140/140mm mullet bike... BUT, I bought my 140/160mm travel 29" bike because that's exactly what I wanted, a monster truck. Now, taking off 20mm of front wheel travel will not make it not a monster truck - but perosnally I feel like I'll be sacrificing more than I'm getting from the mullet configiration (but that's me). Not to mention the now lower BB on a bike with a BB that was low to start with (converse is true for a 27.5 frame).

 

I think we are saying the same thing, but getting to different conclusions - the mullet experiment is a bit more involved than just slapping on 2 different sized wheels. You are happy to make the sacrifices/changes that come along with that, I am not.

 

That said, I do think there is merit to it if the frame is designed around it and I have the travel, bb height, and STA and HTA I want... I'd be very keen to swing a leg over a bike designed around it.

 

Either way, I'm just not so keen to mess with either my Enduro bike or my hardtail (right now anyway).

Edited August 8, 2019 by Grease_Monkey

[Louis for real]

There's some good feedback and discussion in the pinkbike forums

https://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=195591

And here done right

[Jewbacca]

The whole premise of this bike is based around using a 650b frame?

 

But nevermind. I have tried explaining it.

 

Bringing a 29er frame into this discussion isn't relevant.

 

Anyway, I'm done here. I will go and ride Jeffsy

[Dirt Tracker]

I still believe 99% of South Africans confuse an Enduro bike with a trail bike and spend their lives fighting against the trails.

 

Start a new thread with this statement then shut it down. Job done. 

I've got a longer legged Enduro / AM rig that the reviews claim was one fo the best climbers, great descender, great acceleration, super poppy, blah, blah. I'm sure it is compared to other pretty down focused sleds but compared to my aggressive trail bike it still is hard work for 80% of riding in the cape. Pedaling is part of the deal here even on the trail and it's not all north shore terrain. Next bike I'll be getting back to the Jeffsy, Following, New Process 134, Ripley, Smuggler, Remedy arena. Things that pedal good and drop like a stone as well as everything in between. I realize going fast isn't everything and sessioning is fun but also I love going fast down stuff and that is super fun. I still have the fastest times in Tokai, Hoogies, Conties, Garden Route and Jonkers back on my 29'r 130mm trail / am bike than I do on my 160mm / 150mm enduro racer.

 

One exception is Ezelenduro and first part of DH1 I'll take as much travel as I can! 

[Transporter]

Merida

[Grease_Monkey]

The whole premise of this bike is based around using a 650b frame?

 

But nevermind. I have tried explaining it.

 

Bringing a 29er frame into this discussion isn't relevant.

 

Anyway, I'm done here. I will go and ride Jeffsy

Well besides for the bb doing the opposite thing in a 29er frame vs 650b frame, the rest of the geo is affected in the same way - so I don't really see how it's irrelevant.

 

Either way, no use going round in circles about something that's makes very subjective increase/decreases in performance to the ride.

[Frosty]

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Edited August 11, 2019 by Frosty

[Jewbacca]

Well besides for the bb doing the opposite thing in a 29er frame vs 650b frame, the rest of the geo is affected in the same way - so I don't really see how it's irrelevant.

 

Either way, no use going round in circles about something that's makes very subjective increase/decreases in performance to the ride.

The geo wont change at all in a 650b frame if you do what I said. 

 

That's why you drop the fork travel by 20mm in the front. 

 

I have explained all of this previously and also why one would try use a 650b bike frame built around a longer fork than rear travel. 

 

I don't think you have actually looked at fork/wheel lengths or how the geo works when taking a 160mm 650b fork and wheel and comparing it to a 140mm 29er fork and wheel.

 

With the rise in popularity of 29er trail bikes, this Mullet was an experiment in making 'old, cheap' stock (read 650b trail bikes no longer in vogue and going cheap) relevant. 29er trail forks flood the market too with everyone 'upgrading'.

 

So take said frame bought cheaply, said fork bought cheaply, add 2nd hand wheels from part bins and stuff you have at home and boom! A Mullet bike with exactly the same geo as before, but with a 29er front wheel for grip and bounce.

 

But ja.... Totally subjective

[Grease_Monkey]

The geo wont change at all in a 650b frame if you do what I said.

 

That's why you drop the fork travel by 20mm in the front.

 

I have explained all of this previously and also why one would try use a 650b bike frame built around a longer fork than rear travel.

 

I don't think you have actually looked at fork/wheel lengths or how the geo works when taking a 160mm 650b fork and wheel and comparing it to a 140mm 29er fork and wheel.

 

With the rise in popularity of 29er trail bikes, this Mullet was an experiment in making 'old, cheap' stock (read 650b trail bikes no longer in vogue and going cheap) relevant. 29er trail forks flood the market too with everyone 'upgrading'.

 

So take said frame bought cheaply, said fork bought cheaply, add 2nd hand wheels from part bins and stuff you have at home and boom! A Mullet bike with exactly the same geo as before, but with a 29er front wheel for grip and bounce.

 

But ja.... Totally subjective

Yes... I agreed with you on that front (as I have said). Where we differ is that you are willing to live with the 20mm drop in suspension for the different wheel sizes, I am not. Like I mentioned, we are saying the same thing but coming to different conclusions.

 

For you, mullet wheels and slightly less travel is better (in this scenario anyway), for me, same size wheels and 20mm more fork travel is better. Very subjective...

 

But I do understand what you are saying about geo not changing, and I am not arguing that at all.

Edited August 11, 2019 by Grease_Monkey