HISTORY:
Like its sweet namesake haircut, mullet riders value performance over aesthetics, hitting the sweet spot by combining the two wheel sizes. Today’s mullet bikes use a 29 wheel in front & 27.5 in the rear, relying on the strengths of each: easy & fast roll-over in the front & tight cornering with higher strength in the rear.
The first commercially produced mullet bike that I’m aware of, Specialized’s Big Hit, was launched in 2004 with a 24-inch rear wheel & 26-inch front. The Big Hit was not a big hit with riders. I remember watching racers on Big Hit bikes during DH events in Moab. You could literally see that small 24” wheel hanging up on every square-edged rock in the trail. Specialized quietly discontinued it a few years later.
In 2009, Trek produced a mullet called the 69er. It had a 26-inch rear wheel & 29-inch front. The bike showed promise & earned a dedicated following. Ultimately it didn’t survive. My guess is that mountain bikers weren't ready for the idea of a performance MTB with differently sized tires. One of the earliest custom bikes that Mojo Cycling produced was for a rider who was enamored with his old Gary Fisher bike, but his lanky height, the bike’s 26” wheels & overly conservative geometry made the bike a potential endo situation every time he rode. As part of this resto-mod, we added a Manitou Tower fork up front, creating room for a new 29” wheel. We also added wider riser bars & a 1x drive system. We rounded-out the build by adding disc brakes in the front & then adding a custom mount in the rear to put a disc brake on the 26” rear wheel. The customer was thrilled, & rode that bike for nearly 10 more years.
The mullet mentality struggled on with a handful of small-batch manufacturers & even enthusiasts who fabricated their own bikes. However, in the last 2-3yrs, mullets have had a dramatic resurgence, starting with the downhill & freeride communities. I remember first seeing mullets in the international arena when riders used them in the Red Bull Rampage a few years ago. Since then, they’ve shown up consistently in DH racing. Now, companies like Orbea, Forbidden, GT, Canyon, Intense & others produce bikes that come in mullet form, or have a special-order mullet option. Which brings us to the elephant in the room: should you purchase a mullet bike, or convert your current sled? Let’s jump into a discussion of the performance differences between these two wheel sizes.
IS A MULLET RIGHT FOR YOU?
Leaving behind all the fun imagery of Pit Viper sunglasses & Joe Dirt movie references, mullet bikes can offer some pretty alluring performance benefits. I feel like I’m uniquely suited to walking you through this discussion. This is because my last 2 bikes have been mullets. I rode an Intense Tazer, when Mojo sold that brand; now I ride an Orbea Wild. One difference between the 2 bikes is that the Tazer came with a 27.5 rear wheel, while I converted my Wild by taking off its 29” rear wheel & replacing it with a 27.5.
One of the reasons that I opted for Mullet bikes over the last few years is that they generally have a slacker geometry. The big 29r wheel in the front raises the front end, thrusting the wheel forward & out front of the bike. This geo can help center you in the bike, allowing you to go faster during descents. But, this change is a two edged sword; the same geo that helps you ride more swiftly on descents can hurt your ability to get over the front of the bike during steep climbs. This makes ascending more difficult. By working on the skill of body-positioning, you can maximize the descending benefits of a mulleted bike, while mitigating some of the negative aspects during climbing. But, this is a riding competency that you must develop.
A 29r wheel in the front is phenomenal in the rock gardens. It’s great to watch it out front, rolling fast & making roots & ruts feel insignificant. The idea is the same as in the 4WD industry & is why drivers put larger tires on their off-road vehicles. The greater diameter of a tire allows it to roll over larger objects. 29 wheels also gather speed & roll faster than their smaller compatriots, much faster. I was astounded the first time that I rode a 29r bike & understood why riders were drawn to them. But, there are some down-sides to a larger wheel. It takes more power & lower gearing to get them rolling. It’s simple math. A larger diameter wheel requires more energy to get it rolling. Also, a larger diameter wheel cannot corner as sharply as a smaller wheel. This, too, is proven by math. Summary: So . . . we have a fast-rolling wheel size that cannot get going or corner as well as smaller wheels.
The 27.5 – or 650b – wheel is a fast-rolling beast; but, it is harder to make it roll as quickly as a 29r wheel. (That said, a 27.5 wheel is quicker “off the line” than a 29r because of its smaller size. But at some point, the 29 wheel will surpass the rolling speed of the smaller 27.5 wheel.) 27.5 wheels are, however, stronger than their larger compatriots. The smaller diameter means that spokes are shorter; those shorter lengths create a greater ability to withstand impacts. The smaller diameter also means that 27.5 wheels can cut & corner in smaller circles than a 29r. Summary: So . . . . we have a wheel that’s fast off the line, is strong & can corner sharly.
Today’s bike manufacturers considered these two wheel sizes like the people did in those old Reese’s peanut butter cup commercials: “You got your peanut butter on my chocolate” “Hey you got your chocolate on my peanut butter” “Wow, they're two great tastes that taste great together.” Modern CAD design now ensures that contemporary bikes are not cumbersome Frankenstein-ish beasts. Rather, they’re balanced & tuned machines that take advantage of the best aspects of both tire sizes. The 29r up front rolls fast, keeps the front end high, makes big roots & rocks look like bumps in a road. The 27.5 out back spins up to speed fast, tracks well behind the front of the bike. They take a hell of a beating & can corner “on a dime.”
My experience with mulleted bikes has been entirely positive. Over the last few years, I’ve prized the mullet set-up for providing the exact performance that I crave, in the exact locations that I need it: Blazing descents & shreddy cornering. Bam! However, I’ve been riding my new Forbidden Druid more & having the 29 rear wheel is great. Exciting enough that my next e-bike will likely be a traditional 29 set-up.
ANSWERS TO LIFE’S QUESTIONS:
The discussion comes to this point; you want to know if a mullet bike is right for you. The simple answer is that I don’t know your needs, abilities or riding style. So, I can’t tell you. But, that’s a cop-out answer. So let’s dive a bit more deeply. Generally (big caveat), trail riders or cross country racers will not benefit in the areas where they’d like a bike to succeed. If you’re a rider who likes long rides, races against Strava regularly or wants to be Captain KOM on long pedal sections, stay away from a mullet. However, riders who descend very aggressively, attack corners & hit larger obstacles &/or jumps will be served well with a properly mulleted bike. To ride well, you want bike performance where you need it. Be smart & honestly evaluate your riding style. A wisely-chosen mullet(ed) bike may propel you to your next level of riding.