I think you nailed the ideal configuration, but to me the real benefit of optionally running a mullet configuration on a hardtail: the 2+2=4 setup. You can run a light, carbon, lithe wheelset with quicker rolling tires that you can primarily home on the hardtail for going fast, and have the trailbike predominately run the beefier mullet wheels, but if you're covering a lot of ground on the FS trailbike, make the swap - ditto in winter, run the hardtail full mullet mode when it's wet and sloppy, or you just want more tire volume. Basically, when the conditions dictate that you're not carrying momentum anyway, make the hardtail an absolute laugh and it absolutely works.
Hub selection would play into that too - some nice baller ones on the lighter/narrower wheelset, and you can honestly run cheap chonkers on the mullet wheelset.
Dec. 18, 2021, 10:38 a.m. - Tehllama42
I think you nailed the ideal configuration, but to me the real benefit of optionally running a mullet configuration on a hardtail: the 2+2=4 setup. You can run a light, carbon, lithe wheelset with quicker rolling tires that you can primarily home on the hardtail for going fast, and have the trailbike predominately run the beefier mullet wheels, but if you're covering a lot of ground on the FS trailbike, make the swap - ditto in winter, run the hardtail full mullet mode when it's wet and sloppy, or you just want more tire volume. Basically, when the conditions dictate that you're not carrying momentum anyway, make the hardtail an absolute laugh and it absolutely works. Hub selection would play into that too - some nice baller ones on the lighter/narrower wheelset, and you can honestly run cheap chonkers on the mullet wheelset.