Just a couple of days ago, we spotted a couple of mixed-wheel bikes at Sea Otter, featuring 32” wheels up front and 29” wheels in the rear. Some people are calling these “mega-mullets,” and it’s not at all surprising to us that people and brands are experimenting with mixing the latest wheel size. In fact, we assumed this would probably happen back around the new year. Just yesterday, however, Neko Mullaly raced his Frameworks mega mullet bike to a historic victory in the Sea Otter Classic DH race.
The Sea Otter DH being won on a mega mullet bike was something we did not have on our 32” wheel size bingo card. But Neko Mullaly has never been one to shy away from trying new things. His Frameworks bikes are a great example of stepping outside the industry norm and doing things on one’s own terms. We’ve appreciated his product development video series as well, giving a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into designing and testing, which we consumers don’t always get to see.
So, it wasn’t too surprising when folks around the Sea Otter expo were talking about Neko’s mega mullet bike. We found it in one of the Fox suspension booths and gave it a quick once-over. To be completely honest, there wasn’t a lot to unpack beyond the mixed wheel setup. To run the 32” front wheel, Neko opted for the Fox Podium fork, with travel reduced to 140mm to keep the tire from contacting the crown at full compression.
We weren’t able to identify the rim brand from the photo, but we can see that it’s a Maxxis Aspen 32” front tire with the logos blacked out. The front wheel is clearly running a Race Face Vault hub. The Vault hubs are somewhat oversized, which may help with both bracing angles and spoke availability for building larger wheels.
Otherwise, Neko was running a 29” ENVE M7 carbon rear wheel with a Continental Cross King tire. He rides TRP components, including brakes and DH drivetrain, along with 5DEV cranks. At the front of the bike, a tuned mass damper appears to be externally mounted next to the head tube. Oh, and let’s not forget the Fox Transfer Neo dropper with the black, Performance Elite series stanchion, which isn’t a very common sight.
And, if you’re thinking, how could someone riding a bike with 140mm of travel and a Maxxis Aspen front tire win a downhill race, well, that’s the Sea Otter DH. It’s smooth, fast, pedal-y, and is often won by enduro racers on trail bikes with fast tires. So, this was probably the perfect course to try out the mega mullet setup. Okay, based on the win, it was definitely the perfect course for it. Congrats Neko!
