For those of us who headbanged through adolescence in the 1980s, the word mullet might evoke images of a haircut we’d rather forget ever having. Elementary school class photos are all the reminder I need of mine, and thankfully those line a dusty drawer at my parents’ house up in “almost Canada” Idaho. The hairdo was a compromise between the long metal-locks I wanted and the boring crop my parents thought was best. It wasn’t the most positive introduction to the concept of compromises.
Are the mullet bikes of today a similarly shabby compromise, or are they the real-deal best way to ride a modern mountain bike? Mixed-wheel or mullet bikes promise all of the front tire traction and plow-like rollover capabilities of a 29er, paired with the faster spin-up and maneuverability of a 27.5″ rear wheel. So is there scientific testing to back any of that up, or is it simply another way for bike brands to add a notch on the N+1 list?
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