I figured
Mullet Madness
- Thread starter Andeh
- Start date
i could put a 275 on my megatrail. but probably wont.
I mean, it will take you about 10 mins to do so, so IMO it's worth a try, even with a borrowed rear wheel if you don't have a spare handy.
Yeah, I’m going to. The only issue I see is lower BB=more pedal strikes on east coast rox. I’m running the full 29 in the high version to minimize that now. Shorter cranks are an option if I love the mullet.
when i ran the nomad as 26 (in the high setting) i did have 170 cranks as opposed to the 175 that i'd normally run. that did help, and i did notice that i thought about pedaling a bit more than usual. but i'd also come from a bike with a much higher bb anyway, so not sure if that was part of it as well. definitely worth a try if you've got the parts in house.
When I was running a mullet with a too low bb, I found that it didn't bother me while descending as much as climbing / XCing. I do still run a bash guard.
At my height I prefer 175s and won't go shorter on any bike that isn't a pure park/shuttle.
At my height I prefer 175s and won't go shorter on any bike that isn't a pure park/shuttle.
Yeah, when I previously tried mullet'ing a Sentinel which got the BB way too low (330 IIRC), I didn't really notice it on smooth trails descending, just pedaling. The feeling was made worse by that bike having pretty poor anti-squat, so when you stood up and pedaled descending it felt like you were going to catch a pedal on anything over 1" high. That was with 170 cranks.
It was in 2012 when I did it to an Ibis Mojo SL with Maverick DUC fork. Had to put an extra bottom out bumper in the fork limiting travel to 145mm.
And the Capra 29 I had before the Ransom had the exact same geo and BB height chip so it can mullet just as well. Only problem would be if you like the steeper geo AND want a 27.5 rear wheel. When treating the Ransom as a trail bike I do like the taller setting with 29" rear wheel.
The Capra 29 has an even slacker ST so nix that one too.
Pole and their 90deg seat angles must be good candidates for mulleting, right?
I had a Smuggler and a Patrol so I briefly tried Mulleting both by swapping wheels between them. IMO, unless a bike has a flip chip or headset extender to compensate for the change it is pretty suboptimal. I don't like running the big rear tyres though so maybe a high volume rear would help correct it.
A properly designed mullet config is the go I think.
After no issues with the 29 rear since October, I had 2 wrecks in one week where contact with the rear wheel came into play. This is mostly down to conditions getting blown out and some extremely steep new trails. I'm going to experiment with mullet once Megatrail stays are available again.
It can't hurt calling or emailing to ask if they'll sell you a set even if they're not on the website. I got mine in February like that.
I've been running one for about 750 miles on my Egg. What do you need to know?
I probably will try mulletizing my Altitude at some point this summer, if I can borrow an appropriate wheel.
I have been getting a few too many pedalstrikes already in it’s slackest/lowest setting, though. But it does have a ride 9 chip, so that could help a bit.
My rear tire was an ass-buzzer all week on the stupid steep stuff.
edit: Just realized wifey has a pretty good 27.5 wheel option that I can borrow...
I have been getting a few too many pedalstrikes already in it’s slackest/lowest setting, though. But it does have a ride 9 chip, so that could help a bit.
My rear tire was an ass-buzzer all week on the stupid steep stuff.
edit: Just realized wifey has a pretty good 27.5 wheel option that I can borrow...
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Any information you can come up with. Setup tricks, ride characteristics, anything I should pay attention to when starting with it. Thx
I have one on my ransom but didn't rode it much since I broke some ribs early last summer...
Initial impression is good, very supple start of the stroke. The hydraulic bottom out is nice too.
I found the formula the manual uses for calculating spring rate to be pretty accurate. For variables, I used 70% rear bias, 30% sag target, and added ~5-6 lbs to my naked weight for riding weight (packless). For that, it predicted I need a 398# spring, and with a 400# I measure 29% sag. In my bike's other mode, it predicted a 374# and I again measure 29% with a 375#.
The damper range I found to be quite good with the clicks noticeable. That said, the rebound feels like it might run a tad slower than normal. Their overall tuning scheme does seem to incorporate the damper a lot more, so don't default to running the compression & rebound WFO... it will feel better if you use some of both. I think I started with rebound at whatever they suggested and have opened it 3-6 clicks depending on what mode I'm running. Compression I started in the middle for both, and ended up opening LSC to about 2/3 open. HSC only changed maybe 1-2 clicks, I think towards closed.
The EXT bushings are really nice for me, and feel quite slick. I don't need to use a vice to press them in. But 2 other guys who I know who've got them complained that they're a bit tight. So YMMV.
If you got yours from Suspension Syndicate, they're now 3d printing a little plastic adjuster tool for the compression, so that you don't need to carry a wrench. You should ask for one of those.
Oh, and use a couple drops of super glue to attach the plastic bottom-out bumper disc to the thin foam bumper. It rattles around otherwise.
Some good info there, very much appreciated.
I got some spring recommendations from Banshee that were way softer than my pre choices, 300/325 for my 67 kg naked body and 350/375 after explicitly asking for a stiffer setup. I would have been aiming at 425/450 coming from a 500 in my RC4 on my '16 Reign with a higher lev ratio.
I'm used to and prefer to run a good amount of comp damping, so shouldn't be too unfamiliar.
Thanks for the advice, I'm eager to try and learn. Has been a while since I got a new shock, RC4 served me well.
Oh, and no, mine is not from the syndicate but directly from the factory south of the border. The plastic tool sounds very useful. Maybe I can get my hands on something similar.
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If you're on a Titan, 325, 350, and 375 should work depending on what you're looking for. That's a very progressive bike. Using the EXT formula that should get around 31%, 29%, & 27% sag for 70 kg riding weight. I'm pretty sure EXT direct will also exchange springs if one of them just won't work for you - their guys in the US do that for no charge.
Same here, guess I'll try the Ransom as a mullet.
Tried it today. Need more time to have fully fleshed out thoughts, but it's definitely in the realm where it works without doing anything super weird.
Posted in the daily thread, I had a super-duper experience with the Mullet toay
(xpost)
Ok, so quick update after a few hundred miles and about 100k of vert...the new altitude rocks. How much actually surprised me. But what rally surprised me was running it mullet today...it FUCKING rocked. Easier to wheelie, easier to turn in crazy tight switchbacks, and no ass-buzzing (which was happening all the time with the 29. I’ll write more impressions later, but that’s what I have for now.
Super-stoked on this bike.
(xpost)
Ok, so quick update after a few hundred miles and about 100k of vert...the new altitude rocks. How much actually surprised me. But what rally surprised me was running it mullet today...it FUCKING rocked. Easier to wheelie, easier to turn in crazy tight switchbacks, and no ass-buzzing (which was happening all the time with the 29. I’ll write more impressions later, but that’s what I have for now.
Super-stoked on this bike.
I liked it best in the slackest position as a 29er. First mullet ride I tried the middle position, which should make it about 0.4 degrees slacker, and lower the BB a little. So it's not identical, but could be really close in one of the steeper positions.
The geometry adjuster also changes the suspension kinematics a bit, and it's super progressive in the slackest one. Mellowing that out a little also helped.
Like pizza, there are regional varieties that are authentic. I think mine came from the mullet capital of the US, Minnetonka. It then migrated north and west.
if you decide to go full mullet
will the mullet hair style naturally follow suit?
so other riders off trail can instantly recognize you are full mullet?
will the mullet hair style naturally follow suit?
so other riders off trail can instantly recognize you are full mullet?
Yeah... I think you should start a cult.
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I'm surprised the Commencal Supreme geo numbers have a much longer chainstay and wheelbase #'s than the full 29" version...
Came across this thread after seeing the Loam Ranger do a 29er mullet conversion using the Ibis Ripmo AF. Riding a medium Pole Machine at 5'9" is just a tad bit tall when things get steep and bumpy. Stuck a 27.5 wheel which lowered the BB to 335 so was thinking of going the whole hog with an 2mm offset bushing (mounted the other way (bolt hole furthest away from the shock body) on the lower shock mount to raise the BB, re-steepen the seat angle. Bushing manufacturer doesnt recommend it and I doubt Pole would too. Will give it a ride when trails open back up here and find out if I ruined or improved the bike.
Offset bushings tend to rotate under force, so they'll pretty quickly migrate back to -2mm.
I bet it will be fine and super ripping!
BB “too low” is down to your local trails and your riding style and skills.
BB “too low” is down to your local trails and your riding style and skills.