Suspension expert Chris Porter on early mullet bikesĬhris Porter from Mojo Rising is arguably one of the most knowledgeable men in mountain biking. World Cup downhill teams argued these rules weren’t relevant to off-road disciplines and, after pressuring the UCI for a rule change in 20, the restriction was lifted in 2019, allowing mountain bike teams to run asymmetric wheels on their bikes. Other than a few maverick manufacturers, it took time for mullet bikes to be proven in the fertile hotbed of MTB racing.Ĭycling’s world governing body, the UCI, initially ruled that both wheels must be the same size, regardless of the discipline, in order to prevent innovative bike designers utilising the aerodynamic advantages of running a smaller front wheel in the velodrome. 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. I was like, oh, what's this Grinduro? And I Googled it.A mullet bike uses different sized wheels, most commonly a 29in wheel at the front and a 27.5in wheel at the back. I would have probably never found out about Grinduro or would have found out quite late had it not been for Kofi, who asked me. I also think we're at a stage where we sometimes need those extra bits of incentive to get the ball rolling. It made it extra special compared to maybe just signing up for something. I think it helped the feeling by going with a bunch of mates. It just gave you that kind of safe space. Having that nucleus in the collective allowed us to go and do other things, meet new friends and talk to other people. 71% of the crew were women and that's almost unheard of. Kofi – There were twelve of us in total and it was a really good balance. I wasn’t there feeling a bit lost, but I don’t know if that would have been different if I’d have entered on my own. Having arrived as part of the Ride For Unity group with Kofi and the rest of the crew, I suddenly was like, oh, yeah, I've got I've got a crew.
It's the first time I'd been to an event where I didn't stick out. Vera - I think that for me, a big part of the enjoyment was having the Ride For Unity and Steezy Collective there. Q - The gravel scene likes to pride itself on being friendly and welcoming to everyone. It’s a lot hillier than my local Norfolk trails! Lex - Yeah, this was my first gravel race, I loved it but it definitely challenged me. I feel like my experience would have been slightly different as a beginner, I would have been walking a lot more sections and it would have felt maybe a little less enjoyable. I received a bike which is capable of taking wider tyres and thought why not enter, but then at the last minute chose to borrow a mountain bike.
Vera - Yeah, ignorance is bliss! I’ve always been a road rider and was lucky enough to win the Pan Celtic Race Ultra Distance Scholarship. It was an amazing experience, literally I was on the biggest comedown on the Monday ever. I’m still smiling - it was such a great weekend. Kofi - Traditionally I’ve always been riding on the road but when the invite came along in January from Grinduro, I really started to think about it and was like yeah, why not. Q - Have you been involved in the gravel scene before? Was Grinduro your first event? Emma Ossenton caught up with Kofi, Vera and Lex who participated in the event to find out how they got on. As their motto states “Everyone is welcome no matter who you are, no matter where you are, together we ride.”Īs part of our 2021 Diversity Matters project, Grinduro invited Ride For Unity to come along and experience the purple party first-hand at Grinduro Wales.