Trying to choose between 2 full sus bikes
One with 160mm travel and 27″ wheels
The other has 140mm travel but with a 29″ front

In truth 140mm travel would be plenty for me but I’m really not keen on the mismatched wheel look

I’d go with 29 front and rear unless you’re riding steep stuff and don’t have enough leg length to not get tangled in the rear tyre – and then the mixed wheel sizes makes sense.

Is the mullet bike designed as a mullet bike, or just a 29er having its’ geometry messed up like the Intense featured on Pinkbike the other day?

“Is the mullet bike designed as a mullet bike, or just a 29er having its’ geometry messed up like the Intense featured on Pinkbike the other day?”

If it’s a 29er with a very steep seat angle, plenty of reach and maybe adjustable geometry so the high setting helps compensate partially for the smaller rear wheel, then it’s not a bad idea. But the Primer isn’t.

I mulleted my 27.5″ Stumpy Evo as part of ongoing mods (160/160, coil front and rear) and it’s been a revelation. BB is now at a workable height but still low.

I’ve found it needs much more muscling to get a turn initiated but once turning, absolutely rails. Gone is the understeer tendency in favour of slight oversteer.

Definitely worth giving one a try!

Never tried one, but in theory I believe a purpose built mullet makes perfect sense for downhill dominant racing with lots of rear travel and maybe a rider under 180cm.

For myself, not a dedicated racer, not so much:
– a rear 29 wheel as more potential for better climbing traction and rollover
– on enduro bikes with 150/160mm rear travel tyre buzz is not dramatic if you are tallish
– as a weekend warrior is nice to have that old spare tyre and rim at home knowing it will fit both ends in an emergency

I like the idea, and I’m sure it’ll work well when done right… but it just looks too daft.

some of the advantages of big wheels

all the disadvantages of small wheels.

whats not to like.

I remember the specialized bigshit – revolutionary cheap at the time , rode like crap hung up on everything .

Ideal if you want big wheels and big travel but are short of leg i guess.

and i know everyones going to say but 650b isnt 24″ ….. the principal is the same, if its good enough you feel you need the roll over angle of attack at the front – well guess what the rear wheel comes next.

I’ve actually owned and ridden one quite a bit, albeit a homemade adaption of a 29er with a high BB.

It improved that bike significantly for enduro-ing, but still had drawbacks compared to full 29. Mainly carrying speed on the flat.

There may be something in the smaller rear wheel for better cornering thing, it did corner incredibly well.

I would have one over a full 27in bike but not over a full 29er.

I remember the specialized bigshit – revolutionary cheap at the time , rode like crap hung up on everything .

Loved mine. It was a great bike and don’t recall it ever ha hung up.

With regards to the OP, mate of mine has just done it to Lenovo and loves it. Re reckons its made his bike loads better.

The real question is… “should I have a 27 front wheel, or a 29 front wheel with less fork travel”… to which I would say the latter. And people won’t even notice the wheels are different sizes unless you point that out to them… they are more likely to notice if you are mixing up tyre brands.

Mullet makes sense on paper, 29″ front to give you the roll and size of a 29″ for usage, whilst 27.5 at the back allows a slightly shorter chainstay and should then mean a more playful bike in that sense. The reality i see mostly is a mullet with a 27.5+ on the back, necessitating the same length of chainstay in many cases as a 29″, so the only benefit is a wider tyre on the back from what i can see?

Seems a good idea for ebikes though with the larger tyres not having to cause even longer chainstays i guess.

I think it’s the smaller wheel diameter that supposedly helps it corner better, not a shorter chainstay.

Was hard for me to separate the rear wheel size from the lower BB in my ride impressions, but probably a bit of both contributing to improved ability to carve corners.