Racing the mullet bike | A history lesson Plus, who can forget Specialized’s precursor to the Demo, the Big Hit, with its 26in front and 24in rear wheel.īut it wasn’t until 27.5in wheels appeared that brands really started finding the potential of mixing wheel sizes, with specialist companies Foes and Liteville offering bikes with a 29in wheel at the front and a 27.5in wheel on the back before other brands had even considered the idea. When it comes to off-road riding, the godfather of mountain bikes, Keith Bontrager, created the 69er back in 2009 – a Trek hardtail with a 29in front wheel and a 26in rear wheel. It’s worth remembering that mixing up wheel sizes on two-wheeled machines is nothing new. Business at the front, party at the back, in other words. Mullet bike proponents claim the 29in wheel offers rolling speed and better bump roll-over at the front, with the 27.5in wheel bringing sharp handling at the rear.
For those not au fait with bad haircuts, the name is a reference to the once-popular uneven haircut, short on the front and sides, long at the back.
Mullet bikes use different sized wheels, most commonly a 29in front wheel paired with a 27.5in wheel. A mullet bike uses different sized wheels, most commonly a 29in wheel at the front and a 27.5in wheel at the back.