Dammit’s adventures in mountain biking

Nah, rogates great. You can go there on a squishy-rig, but also on a standard trail bike. You might not do everything, but will get round 90%. And the runs really are fun there.

Bonza, that’s the plan for the weekend then.

Might join you!

What day suits you?

Probably Sunday as I'll have a later curfew than Saturday. Work for you?

Yep, that's good - I'll head to Swinley on Saturday, then Rogate on Sunday.

Corona virus may delay my RC295, according to Pace. Which suggests that if it’s not delayed it might come with Corona virus.

Would it survive in a shipping container for the duration of the journey to the UK?

Not without a live host as I understand it.

No.

And delivery has just been pushed back a month

I think eMTB are still in the period when you might spend £8,000 on what turns out to be Betamax. Better to hire, when going to for e.g. BPW.

Let’s see if a 170mm dropper will fit in the Scalpel frame.

Apparently it’s 50mm longer than the one I have in there. Hmmm.

With enough money and time it is possible to make your legs longer.

I'm contemplating selling the Scalpel frame, fork, and set of wheels with the correct offset, if the Pace a) arrives and b) is good. If anyone is interested in it, please let me know. It's an L.

Before BN tags me in this, I do not have the budget or space :)

Does anyone have experience of riding a mullet set up? The RC295 can be configured to run that way, and I’m on my own (literally) in a Japanese restaurant in Copenhagen, so thinking about whether running mullet in the Alps and 29er at home makes any sort of sense.

Other than doing it for the sake of doing it, I don't really see the point.

Slackens things slightly, moves to a 2.8” rear tyre, puts you further behind the bars rather than on top of them- what I have heard or read.

Did you bring this very British weather along?

Does anyone have experience of riding a mullet set up?

Does this count?

Edit:

Slackens things slightly, moves to a [larger] rear tyre, puts you further behind the bars rather than on top of them- what I have heard or read.

Confirmed

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Sold, I shall buy a 27.5 rear wheel immediately.

Have no experience but a mullet setup for Alpine riding is something I would try, but this is mostly a fit consideration for me. Many short riders run this setup to prevent tyre buzz on the backside on steep sections when you're low on the back wheel. On the downhill circuit, for example, a mullet setup is more common for short riders (5'8" and under) whilst riders 5'9"-6" odd just run straight 29er.

But inherent advantages to a mullet set up are literally a mullet: business up front, party in the back. The 29er front gives superior front end control via better rolling capacity and grip finding whilst the rear allows playful breakaways better negotiation of tight axis turns. Also for really steep sections you are more rearward and less prone to OTBs. Plus the 29er front provides, once again, better grip and control.
In theory.

I spoke to one of the test guys for Fox and mechanic for the Athertons and he seemed to really like the mullet setup for steep stuff especially. He's around 5'8" or so.

Personally, if I were you, I'd test both systems back to back. Have a pure 29er wheel setup and a 27.5" rear. Your initial thoughts about mullet for alpine riding and 29er for home may be correct.