What has long been common on motocross bikes is now becoming fashionable on mountain bikes: the MX wheel mix of a large front wheel paired with a small rear wheel. This ensures smooth running and better rollover behaviour without the bike becoming sluggish.
Thanks to the smaller rear wheel, the so-called mullet or hybrid bikes inspire with light-footed handling on winding trails. At the same time, you can enjoy the sublime 29er feeling on high-speed passages.
As tempting as the concept may be, there is still a catch: if you "mix" the wheel sizes on a mountain bike, the engineers are faced with new challenges when designing the frame. All riding characteristics, from handling to the response behaviour of the suspension elements, change as soon as the front wheel axle is higher than that of the rear wheel.
Mullet: MX wheel mix without compromise
And it is precisely this challenge that American Mike Vidowich has made his life's work. For four years, he and his team have been working on the perfect geometry for bikes with a 29-inch front wheel and 27.5-inch diameter rear wheel. The name of his still young brand could not be more fitting: Mullet Cycles.
Today, four years later, the small forge claims to have found the formula for happiness and presents the Mullet Peacemaker frame. Specially optimised for the MX wheel mix, with single-pivot rear suspension and 150 millimetres of travel, the frame should provide the perfect basis for a successful trail bike. The geometry data is apparently so special that Mullet Cycles keeps the decisive values to itself - a secret recipe, so to speak.
Key data Mullet Peacemaker (manufacturer's specifications)
- Frame material: Aluminium
- Price from 2499 euros (with DVO Topaz Air or Manitou Mara Pro shock)
- CNC-milled dropouts
- Bottom bracket: BSA standard, 73 millimetres
- Seat tube diameter: 31.6 millimetres
- Headset: ZS 44 top / ZS 56 bottom
- Hub standard: 12x148 millimetre Boost
- Tyre clearance up to 3.0 inches
- Frame weight in size S: 3.08 kg
- 5-year guarantee
Mullet Cycles relies on single-pivot rear suspension
Nowadays, fullys with single-pivot rear suspension are often associated with negative side effects such as insufficient rear suspension stiffness or compromised shock settings. With the Mullet Peacemaker, the Americans want to have solved all these problems and promise that the customer can only benefit from the low-maintenance single-pivot design.
Four massive precision bearings are designed to keep even extreme lateral forces in berms or botched landings in check. The oversized bearings also reduce leverage forces, which contributes to the longevity of the construction. Mullet Cycles itself describes its rear triangle as practically maintenance-free. Mullet Cycles limits the suspension travel on the fork to 150 to 170 millimetres.
The geometry of the Mullet Peacemaker
Price: This is what the Mullet Peacemaker costs
If you pre-order your new Mullet Peacemaker frame, you can save 500 euros on the RRP price of 2490 euros. In addition to the frame, Mullet will supply either a DVO Topaz Air shock or Mara Pro shock. In addition, the manufacturer offers three further shock options for an extra charge: Cane Creek Kitsuma (250 euro surcharge), Fox Factory DPX2 (350 euro surcharge) or, for an extra 400 euro, the Öhlins TTX Air.
Honeymaker: Mullet hardtail for 2021 made from aluminium
In addition to the full-suspension Peacemaker, Mullet Cycles has a second innovation in store for 2021. The trail hardtail frame called the Honeymaker is now also available in aluminium, previously it was only available in titanium (s. BIKE report here). The key data supplied by the manufacturer: approved for 120 to 160 millimetres of suspension travel and tyres up to 3.0 inches wide as well as a frame weight of 2.06 kilos in size S.
Max Fuchs
Editor
