Anybody built a mullet?

[grahame]

Not quite a Mullet, but I do run a few bikes (DeKerf UK Ltd, DeKerf Singlespeed, Fisher Sugar Team, Breezer Jet Stream) with 26"x2.5" Vittoria Mota tyres at the front and 26"x2.2" Schwalbe Nobby Nic's at the rear, giving a larger effective diameter at the front (with seemingly infinite grip).

 

[MattiThundrrr]

DeKerf UK Ltd, DeKerf Singlespeed, Fisher Sugar Team, Breezer Jet Stream

I'm sure nobody wants to see pictures. Especially not the DeKerfs.

 

[DrDaveTampa]

I borrowed a 100mm travel fork and wheel from my 29er to fit onto my On One 456. For me it was a success with the front wheel rolling over stuff much better, neither did I miss the 130mm travel of the 26er fork it replaced, (no overall weight gain either).
All of my riding buddies were keen to try it but without exception they all felt that the bars were too high and it was difficult to "ride the fork" over rocks. Depending on where you plan to ride the high bars would seem to help though.
My plan was to put things back as they were and start saving for a fork and wheel, it proved difficult to find a 29er fork with a straight steerer and then I broke the frame so I gave it to an unemployed mate who had it welded up and uses it still.
Sorry no pics but hope this helps.

Haha I built the same frame into a rigid 69er. Went all OCD trying to get the geometry just right. It was a good conversation starter, and it had a nice ride but the handling was just comical, the front had WAY more stickum than the back so I was drifting all over creation. Riding it back-to-back with my Trek 29er, I don't think I gained anything with maneuverability and the rear wheel definitely felt more draggy. I was much quicker around the loop on the 29er and it was less tiring besides...

There were a couple of things going on at the time, among them a debate about whether bigger was better, and whether fatter was better. Clearly, on 2" tires there's a world of difference between 26 and 29, and two 29" wheels are WAY better than one. Factoring fat tires into the mix changes things considerably. To me, it is possible to have too much of a good thing, under some circumstances. My mid-fat steel 29er is plush, and a great ride, but it doesn't work all that great on every trail. Ironically, I'm building out a 26er for some of the tighter trails on my loop. With the idea being, there's nothing fundamentally *wrong* with a 26er, not anything a fat tire and/or a decent fork won't take care of. I wouldn't *mind* going 27.5 but 26 is way cheaper and any more it's easier to find parts for em, so...

69er is a solution searching for a problem imo; also, I wish I'd a kept that on-one frame, it would have hit the spot nicely for the build I have in mind

 

[Imlach]

I'm sort of been interested in building a mullet sometime. When I look it up online it seems most do 27.5 and 26 rear, or 700c front and 27.5 rear which is quite subtle. 700c and 26 rear seems a bit more drastic, changing the characteristics to a more extreme degree. May give this a go on my rockhopper.

Thinking it might make my rockhopper more enjoyable after running it norba for so long. Bit more slack.

 

[Imlach]

Not quite a Mullet, but I do run a few bikes (DeKerf UK Ltd, DeKerf Singlespeed, Fisher Sugar Team, Breezer Jet Stream) with 26"x2.5" Vittoria Mota tyres at the front and 26"x2.2" Schwalbe Nobby Nic's at the rear, giving a larger effective diameter at the front (with seemingly infinite grip).

Yeah fatter grippier tyre up front is a proven concept that can't be beaten. When I eventually go proper knobbly on my kocmo again I'll go 2.5 up front and 2.3 rear

 

[novocaine]

Mullets belong in the 80s or on the heads of Southern USA kids.

now, where do I get a cheap as chips 27.5 front wheel and tyre from? errrr, asking for a friend.

 

[xtaffa]

Not quite a Mullet, but I do run a few bikes (DeKerf UK Ltd, DeKerf Singlespeed, Fisher Sugar Team, Breezer Jet Stream) with 26"x2.5" Vittoria Mota tyres at the front and 26"x2.2" Schwalbe Nobby Nic's at the rear, giving a larger effective diameter at the front (with seemingly infinite grip).

Ditto. 2.1 Hutchinson Toro (that looks more 1.9) in the back, 2.35 Hans Dampf up front.

 

[DrDaveTampa]

Found a picture.

It was a fun build. Gave it to my friend Bill cuz he didn't have a bike. He turned around and sold it a couple of weeks later to a bike shop for $50. Buh bye, Thomson seatpost and stem, buh bye to the last frickin Pacenti 26" rim on earth. Fork by Mark Slate, designed for his Blackbuck 29er... buh bye. Remind me to kick Bill in the nuts next time I see him

 

[Antwack]

Found a picture.

It was a fun build. Gave it to my friend Bill cuz he didn't have a bike. He turned around and sold it a couple of weeks later to a bike shop for $50. Buh bye, Thomson seatpost and stem, buh bye to the last frickin Pacenti 26" rim on earth. Fork by Mark Slate, designed for his Blackbuck 29er... buh bye. Remind me to kick Bill in the nuts next time I see him

Bill doesn’t sound like a very sensible man and certainly needs a kick in the nuts!

 

[Rebikecumbria]

i am currently toying with an old orange mr xc for racing xc this year and put a 29 up front with some fox 100mm evolutions, i ve only tested it a few times but its an absolute hoot and wants to moto every corner which is super fun in the twistys. def feels faster overall than it was standard especially on the downs