Stumpjumper EVO MULLET: am I wrong?

I imagine this conversion is more useful for descending than climbing. Seems like a major disadvantage for steep climbs

I finally got around to trying my size S5 stumpy Evo with the specialized link and 27.5 rear wheel. I like it a lot. I think It benefits the handling with an XL bike. It took me about a year to finally try it out, since the 29/29 combo was so good, but I prefer the mullet.

There's no point running a mullet set-up if your front wheel is never on the ground, you're just carrying unnecessary weight! 😜
On a more serious note, I thought mullets were supposed to change direction more easily and were more playful in the sir,?

Smaller rear tyer more easily follows the front tyer in terms of agility and nimbleness...

anyone know the celtic tune Jeff uses at the beginning of the video?

You forgot to get a mullet haircut at the beginning like everyone else haha.

I have a stumpy mullet wheel setup without the mullet link, how much of a difference does the link make?

Also can totally agree that mullet bikes handle different off the lip and in the air, I'm thinking it has to do with the rotational mass off the larger front wheel creating a dropping front feel. Almost like hitting the brake in the air

My old Santa Cruz super 8 (2004) ran 24" back and 26" up front...nimble! Lol

You need to consider other bodies and skill levels in this review. Sure if you're a 6ft pro mtb er that has ridden 29 for the last 10 years, you're not gonna see the benefits. As you can see from the reviews most supporters of the mullet are doing it for the tire clearance. And yes 27.5 is easier to manual, for someone that has issues getting enough power to lift the bike, the smaller tires gets the front end up and allows you to focus on the manual. Easier to learn, certainly. As an expert, could be worse.

29in wheel measures 24.5in (622mm) and a 27.5in wheel measures 23in (584mm) so the difference is 1.5in (38mm). Whereas a 26in wheel measures 22in (559mm) which is only 1in (25mm) less than a "27.5in" wheel. You can reduce the difference in diameter by running a plus rear tyre.

I trust the product managers to spec a complete package. Stock for me regardless of wheel size.

@JeffKendallWeed have you tried the new Ibis HD6 with the mullet setup? Would like your review on the new bike setup.

Love this video, in fact, all your videos. I described you as the most honest feedback mtb videos you'll find on the internet to my friends. Not mullet-related questions, but since you swap the coil fork on and said the coil fork is excellent for wet conditions. My obvious assumption is that coil fork is more supple on very more bump sensitivity, but since it is consistent with no ramp-up, is traction better for medium size trail obstacles and braking bumps? does it make the bike much less poppy as it would with rear shocks?

Would love to see a video from you comparing air vs coil fork just like you did on rear shock on the firebird video.

Thanks for this video! Do you happen to know if the carbon and alloy frames use the same mullet link?

Shorter rider here at 5'8 and i would buzz my ass every time i was in the steeps or jumping/bunnyhopping or doing steep rolls. 29/29 just felt like too much bike for me to be throwing around and im a huge fan of the mullet set up for clearance and handling. I dont know if id ever ride 29/29 outside of a XC/tame trail riding scenario.

Sooooo.. I run the mullet link WITH the 29" rear wheel. 2.4 rear, 2.6 front tires. Adjust the headset angle and rear flip chip to suit what type of riding area I'm at. Gains a good amount of pedal clearance for tight, rocky northeast trails. Have ridden Sedona and other southwest areas too and still super stable at speed.

My first mullet(bike) was in 03'. Rigid SS 26ers where what all us shop rats where riding. When wtb started making 29er tires, we'd build them up on touring rims and run them as front wheels stuffed into suspension corrected 26" forks. The benefits on a rigid setup where obvious. The steering was....iffy but, the concept makes sense. Less giroscopic resistance below your hips on the rear wheel and a big ol front wheel for rolling over things in lieu of suspension. I appreciate your perspective on modern geometry and the traction benefits of dual 29's. Been thinking about a stumpy...you may have just helped me pull the trigger.

Great vid! That's quite the flap hat! Bring back the handlebar stache!!!

Heyy jeff I have a transition patrol v3 and I kinda have the same ride style as you. It is a 27,5 front and rear now. Butt should you recommend trying a 29er up front? So yes still with 170mm of travel or should I go less travel. And I have heard you say now that you don’t like the float x2 shock because it’s to linear and im running against that same wall even with the max volume spacers in it. But what shock should you recommend or should I think about a cascade link on there?

The videos are rad and all the info u drop.

Really appreciate how you clarified what you meant after saying it made the bike more nimble. Always great to hear the specifics of what that term means to the individual

Bought this bike for my wife because it could me mullet. Stand over and bum buzz are real issues for her.
OEM Mullet link makes the bike to linear iMO. Even chalk full of volume spacers.
Wrp link in heading across the sea now, Cascade link is already in hand. Hopefully that will solve the progression issue.

BTW, I much prefer the full 29 setup. Rear whee traction is my #1 complaint when I go from my mullet Levo, to my specialized Enduro.

I wonder, could you use the normal (or cascade) link and set the headset to -1degree to compensate? I love my mullet with really low bottom bracket and short cranks to make it extra twisty.

Thoughts on a 150 mm fork of the 2022 alloy? Maybe upgrading to Marzocchi front and rear?

I've mullet'd all my bikes at this point (except the gravel bike lol) I have a 29 inseam despite being 5'11 so the small wheel helps with butt buzz issues and for me it corners so much better. I have bought a Stumpy Evo LTD (pre-mullet'd from Spesh) can't wait to get some time on it. Been really enjoying the Stumpy series you have been doing!

would you pick evo over ripmo?

Congrats, you just made your bike into a Status.

I have the Stumpy Evo alloy and run it with the mullet link and have tried it as a 29er as well. At 5'8 I find it lets me drop into steep rollers with a bit more butt clearance which is nice. I also find it enters and exits the turns quicker. I'm wondering if your lack luster experience has something to do with the 170mm fork?

I had a Status 160 (mullet) and have also ridden a stumpy evo 29er. I currently have a Norco sight 29er. Definitely noticed the cornering better with the mullet, but the big wheels can still turn. But more than that, with the 29er I felt the increased rollover when climbing/descending, and the better braking which is ultimately what made me sell the status and get the 29er

The status 160 is the same spec however it’s already mullet

Love the format, really enjoying it. But I want to ask, thoughts on the Stumpy vs your Knolly? Thanks!

I wish LMNT wouldn't use Stevia..........yuk

Could it be that you are totally on pair when you say that bikes with good geo wont benefit as much running mullet as a "worse" geo frame?
You are not the first saying that their new 2022/2023 bike doesn't work as well mullet as before. Mabey geo has caught up on mullet in some cases ?

I did a short mullet test on my Chameleon. I rode that bike for four seasons as a 27.5. It has a 29 er 36 set at 150mm travel as it was originally set up as a plus bike. I didn’t care for plus tires. I bought a set of We Are One 29 wheels and started riding that a lot. Since I had the smaller wheels at hand I went out with both wheels and rode a 20 minute loop back to back. The. I did it again a few months later. I really didn’t detect much difference. I’m not tall at 5’4" and I get butt buzz sometimes on any wheel size. I wonder if a rider gets a different experience changing a 29 to a mullet versus changing a 27.5 to a mullet?

Why not just buy the Status?

On analog bikes, I like full 29. On my ebikes, I like mullet. On ebikes with weight and motor, I can get a shorter chainstay.

Enjoyed the video! Activating the algo

Mullet can also mean the classic 26/24.

27.5 all day, don't like buzzing my ass in the rear wheel and ripping shorts/ trousers on 29er.

Good insight. I just got the carbon frame of this and I'm having it built up to a mullet...mostly because my previous frame (2014 specialized Enduro) was mulleted due to my mechanic not having another compatible 29er wheel at the time for my GX Eagle I put on there and I wanted to try it out as a mullet anyways...I also don't have the desire to spend even more money on another 29er wheel at the moment 😋Mulleting my 2014 enduro helped my downhill game alot since slackened the geometry from its stock and now archaic 67.5 and the lesser weight and traction on the back felt like to give my front more priority making me and my very average technique a bit less prone to front wheel washouts. Definitely felt snappier overall and only only a little harder on climbing (which is low priority for me anyways since my uphill tennis elbow pain turned me into more of a downhiller). I might post another comment once this bike is built up but I don't know if I'll be going back to full 29er any time soon.

I agree. I prefer the 29/29 for the same negatives that you described about mullet. You sacrifice traction and roll over compliance for marginal cornering quickness.

Thanks for the review! The only thing left to test is the mullet set-up with the WRP yoke and WRP yoke + cascade link.

At 5'7" I ha been on a V2 Ripmo for about 2 full seasons. Last year I picked up a V4 Bronson designed specifically to be a mullet. After about 3 rides on the Bronson I sold the Ripmo happily. Why? First and foremost at my height...more freedom of movement for my rear end. No tire buzz, could get lower etc. The bike was easier to throw around and I was simply having more fun on trails I am very familiar with. Only real downside which is minor is a bit more ping ponging around of the back end in a really chunky section at speed. Minor inconvenience. Again....I'm a fairly short intermediate+ rider and the well engineered mullet just for whatever reason left me smiling more.

Are you faster than Loic Bruni? No? You're welcome...

lower bb?

Just swaped my maxxis tyers for the new specialized butcher T9 and eliminator T7 on my old 2019 enduro. They are so good. Don't think i will go for maxxis any time soon. Rols faster and supprisingly i have a better control over the bike when i corner. Uphills were faster and easier as well.

Running a mullet setup on a Rocky Mountain Altidude 2021 (with the MX link by Rocky). I find it to suit very well my style (very active riding, not racing, jibbing, drifting for pleasure, lots of jumps), but it comes with downsides. I'm my opinion mullet is a very niche setup for people with shorter legs (I'm 5'8'') who wants to jib their bigger enduro rigs
+ I do find technical manual easier due to legs' increased range of motion, easier to turn during manuals
+ Way more solid wheels (main reason I switched to the mullet config.
+ I find it better for jumping but this is really personnal choice
+ Less tire buzzing my rear in steep-tech terrain, which was my second reason for going mullet. Never buzzed my ass riding Mont Saint-Anne before riding 29'' bikes, on some trails it became inevitable...
- Pedals will touch the ground way more (3x more in average in my case)
- Technical climbs got harder.
- Less grip on off cambers or flat corners.

Anyway, great content from you Jeff I like your honesty.

Ey up Jeff ,if you like a bit Celtic music then try out Dave Brons !!