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Mullet Madness

Andeh

Customer Title
Mar 3, 2020
1,188
1,153
As a medium sized human (5'-8"), I've become a convert to the cult of the mullet. With similar geometry, I am finding that I'm able to corner much better than in a full 29 setup, and also find that it's easier for me to ride "loose". While mullet setups seem to really be catching on in DH racing, there are very few trail/enduro bikes offered with mullet setups, so people interested trying this out need to do a conversion.

Someone posted this calculator on Vital, which makes it easy to check the impact of mulleting a bike on the geometry: https://geo.syn.bike/
A simple rule of thumb is that swapping like for like (change the 27.5mm fork for an equivalent travel 29mm fork, or put a 27.5 rear wheel on a 29er without changing fork travel) will result in slacking out the head and seat tube angles by about 0.9 degrees, and either raising (27.5->mullet) or dropping (29->mullet) the BB 12mm.

New 12/1/2023:
please see spreadsheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tBJwoNkhPrB1HXKvduXuR7bqOEiEpaWFlNGMmnIDLsM/edit?usp=sharing
I'm no longer actively updating this unless I see a bike that tickles my fancy, but you can PM me and I'll give you editing permissions if you want to add something.

Hope this helps someone. If you know of a factory option, or a potentially good conversion, let me know and I'll update this. My definition of "not too screwed up" geometry is probably something like 63.5-64 HTA, 76-77 STA, 335-345 BB height.
 
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Dogboy

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2004
3,215
618
Durham, NC
The Process X comes stock as a mullet in size small and all other sizes are 29 f&r, but can be converted with the flip chips in the seatstay. Running my medium as a mullet currently.
 

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,109
1,799
Northern California
The Process X comes stock as a mullet in size small and all other sizes are 29 f&r, but can be converted with the flip chips in the seatstay. Running my medium as a mullet currently.
Have you tried back to back with a 29 wheel on it yet? I'm interested to know how different the cornering characteristics are if geometry stays the same.
 

bullcrew

3 Dude Approved
Love big front small rear ran 27.5 front and 26 rear before my hiatus....
Both my 951 and m9 are set up mullet 26/27.5...

The m9 has a 27.5 for the rear as well but prefer the smaller rear...

Been riding mx for long time amd all my bikes have been this...my last 5 450r's I've gone a bit thinner rear as well...
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,831
5,207
Australia
Williams Racing Products also does links for the Commencal Meta TR and AM I think. There's leaked pics of the Nukeproof Giga and Mega in 297 config, but it appears they've held off releasing them for some reason.
 

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,205
429
Roanoke, VA
The Specialized Status is fun AF.
Local shop in Roanoke VA seems to have plenty in both 140 and 160mm variants.
Dumb marketing stunt that these things aren’t in every shop. Mighty fun bike for $2599 retail.

EED0F192-D1A1-403E-B1E6-85EEED2CD660.jpeg
 

vivisectxi

Monkey
Jan 14, 2021
516
617
yeast van
Williams Racing Products also does links for the Commencal Meta TR and AM I think. There's leaked pics of the Nukeproof Giga and Mega in 297 config, but it appears they've held off releasing them for some reason.
was pondering mulleting my TR, but $425aud for a yolk seems a bit spendy (considering cascade is doing a link + yolk for the previous iteration meta for only ~$60 more). wondering if a longer stroke shock would be a workable bodge; wouldn't mind a bit more travel...
 

englertracing

you owe me a sandwich
Mar 5, 2012
1,664
1,158
La Verne
I dont understand why there aren't a plethora of mullet trail and enduro bikes.

Lizzards waiting for the 29" hype train to slow down before making mullets mainstream in 2022?

Or waiting on 30.5" front wheels?
 

Flo33

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2015
2,139
1,367
Styria
As a medium sized human (5'-8"), I've become a convert to the cult of the mullet. With similar geometry, I am finding that I'm able to corner much better than in a full 29 setup, and also find that it's easier for me to ride "loose". While mullet setups seem to really be catching on in DH racing, there are very few trail/enduro bikes offered with mullet setups, so people interested trying this out need to do a conversion.

Someone posted this calculator on Vital, which makes it easy to check the impact of mulleting a bike on the geometry: https://geo.syn.bike/
A simple rule of thumb is that swapping like for like (change the 27.5mm fork for an equivalent travel 29mm fork, or put a 27.5 rear wheel on a 29er without changing fork travel) will result in slacking out the head and seat tube angles by about 0.9 degrees, and either raising (27.5->mullet) or dropping (29->mullet) the BB 12mm.

Factory / officially supported conversions:
2021 Specialized Stumpjumper EVO (mullet link available for purchase, no changes in geo)
Forbidden Druid & Dreadnaught (Ziggy link, slackens 0.5 degrees & drops BB 3mm)
Propain Spindrift (factory option, cannot be changed after purchase)
Kona Process X (mullet flip chip, mullet factory for size small, no changes in geo)
Specialized Status 140 & 160 (mullet only for both)

Unofficial conversions that look like the geometry doesn't get too screwed up:
Guerrilla Gravity MegaTrail 160/165 (with 160mm 29er fork, Gravity mode, short GG lower headset cup): 63.7 HTA, 65.9 STA, 341 BB height
Propain Tyee 170/160: 63.6 HTA, 76.2 STA, 334 BB height
Yeti SB150 170/150: 63.6 HTA, 76.1 STA, 336 BB height
Nomad 5 (high) 170/170: 63.1 HTA, 77.3 STA, 332 BB height

Conversion link kits available:
Hightower v2 (Cascade Components): 65.0 HTA, 76.5 STA, 335 BB height, +5mm CS length
Specialized Enduro (Williams Racing Products): supposedly geometry remains close to the same
Commencal Meta AM & TR (Williams Racing Products): supposedly geometry remains close to the same

Hope this helps someone. If you know of a factory option, or a potentially good conversion, let me know and I'll update this. My definition of "not too screwed up" geometry is probably something like 63.5-64 HTA, 76-77 STA, 335-345 BB height.
Banshee Titan can easily be mulleted, dropouts in high and you're good to go.
 

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,088
1,235
El Lay
Good thread.

I didn't realize the Status was mullet. I guess I missed that day on the internet or am too old to have been marketed to.
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,506
6,414
UK
Weirdly, Santa Cruz and YT (possibly others) went Mullet for e-bikes and still haven't gotten a regular version available.
Yeah but OG Emtb mullets like YT and Canyon used 2.8-3.0 rear tyres paired with 29x2.4 upfront

ie. horrible
 

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,205
429
Roanoke, VA
Good thread.

I didn't realize the Status was mullet. I guess I missed that day on the internet or am too old to have been marketed to.
The marketing on that bike is unacceptably esoteric. I still don’t think it’s on the USA website?

The shops that can get them seem to have bought LCL amounts- besides ebikes there literally aren’t anything except statuses available down the local Specialized dealer here.

As a cranky, crabby, cornerning obsessed old man, I've enjoyed going left and right immensely on the Status that is currently living in my basement, and i’ll be kinda bummed when i drop it off with it’s new owner in a few weeks when Bryce opens.

622/584 mullet action is definitely better than when i tried 622/559 20 years ago.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,589
2,022
Seattle
Nicolai G1 has a factory supported mullet configuration.

I haven't done the math on it, but the Rocky Mountain Altitude seems like a strong contender. It's geometry is pretty adjustable, and trends a little bit on the steep/high side of the spectrum.
 

Andeh

Customer Title
Mar 3, 2020
1,188
1,153
Gambler and Ransom do the mullet with the bb height chip in the link.
Ransom fails my acceptable geometry (specifically slack seat angle) even before mulleting (which makes it even slacker).

Nicolai G1 has a factory supported mullet configuration.

I haven't done the math on it, but the Rocky Mountain Altitude seems like a strong contender. It's geometry is pretty adjustable, and trends a little bit on the steep/high side of the spectrum.
Yeah, looks like the Altitude can squeak by in Steep setting with a -1 or -1.5 degree angleset. I'll add that and the Nicolai.
 

Dogboy

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2004
3,215
618
Durham, NC
Have you tried back to back with a 29 wheel on it yet? I'm interested to know how different the cornering characteristics are if geometry stays the same.
I did a bit over 200 miles on it with 29/29 and have been running it with the little wheel for about 75 miles. I'm definitely feeling some differences, but they are a little slow to show themselves. I need some more time on the mullet and then I'll throw the big wheel back on. I should be able to tell more then. I will say it's pretty fun to play around with :thumb:
 

Rhubarb

Monkey
Jan 11, 2009
463
238
Banshee Spitfire V3 is another one that is doable. The Status has really good reviews, seems more of a fun, play, park bike.
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,831
5,207
Australia
The Status has really good reviews, seems more of a fun, play, park bike.
My brief experience with the Status is that it is very fun, would be a great candidate for a premium offering, and is definitely more skewed towards "fun" than "fast".

Also the marketing team should be dragged out into the street and shot. Although, I've heard some people say Spesh is going to push the Status under a smaller umbrella company in the long term.
 

englertracing

you owe me a sandwich
Mar 5, 2012
1,664
1,158
La Verne
I have been tempted to drop a 29" fox 36 to 140mm and slap a 29" front wheel on my pivot 5.5
Thus having a 140 x 14x travel bike with minimal geometry change.

I'm not sure it would be worth it, then again there's only one way to be sure right?
 

FlipFantasia

Turbo Monkey
Oct 4, 2001
1,693
549
Sea to Sky BC
bronson v4 is allegedly mullet or mullet capable, but I have no first hand knowledge...friend is running his 5010 with a 29 front end, and was hauling on steep chunky shore yesterday
 

bullcrew

3 Dude Approved
26 rear 27.5 front

large 2014 m9 26 rear 27.5 front longest rear g3 setting (i can reduce wbalmlst an inch and steeper HA to 63 by moving it to shortest chainstay
48.7 we
13 5/8 bb
62 ha

The m9 will accept a 27.5 rear and with right fork 29 front...bb will go up a smidge wb same and ha should stay same..

Large 2011 951 2011 26 rear 27.5 front
47.7 wb
13.8 bb
63 ha


Started to look at the enduro's that can be ran similar and some of the ones mentioned here...
 

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jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
17,326
14,145
Cackalacka du Nord
26 rear 27.5 front

large 2014 m9 26 rear 27.5 front longest rear g3 setting (i can reduce wbalmlst an inch and steeper HA to 63 by moving it to shortest chainstay
48.7 we
13 5/8 bb
62 ha

The m9 will accept a 27.5 rear and with right fork 29 front...bb will go up a smidge wb same and ha should stay same..

Large 2011 951 2011 26 rear 27.5 front
47.7 wb
13.8 bb
63 ha


Started to look at the enduro's that can be ran similar and some of the ones mentioned here...
nomad?
when i first got mine i ran it 26 both ends for a while in the high setting just for the hell of it! :D