"mullet" troy 279'er
Would love to hear any experiences if anyone has tried it before I go trying to scrounge parts.
I just built up a used/new 2017 Troy CF. I ended up running a 29ft to start almost accidently,.. I put a 27.5in ft. wheel on my 20 yr old restored FSR Pro MAXbb frame with a 160mm Fox fork+ 2.6 Nobby Nic and I love how the front feels, that bike rides awesome still, so I was open to the idea...
Didn't plan to build a mullet but the 29in front was a steal, & I was curious how it worked after demoing a 29 Transition smuggler. In my parts hunt, I ended up with an as new 'take off' Pike 27.5+/29 spec fork w/i believe, 51mm offset so mulletizing the Troy seemed to be in the cards......
This bike feels awesome ... I've only ridden it maybe 12x the last few months & only w/29in front.
I still 'feel' the size of the 29up front,..I can feel the benefit in roll-over and thru the rough, and w/current geometry and the slightly slacker HA from the bigger wheel & now longer fork, etc, the front feels a bit "out front" of me, Vs "under" me, I'm still getting used to that. I fig. as soon as I stop noticing it, i'm there....I've had no issues with BB height change as a result of the taller fork and larger wheel...fewer pedal strikes is a plus I hear, & I know i'm not nearly as comfy on super tight hairpins any more on this 'big feeling' bike yet, but I think that's due to the overall newness of the bike to me in gen. esp. with short stems & 810mm bars etc..vs the 29in. front specifically...
With 140mm front travel:
I bumped the fork from 140mm to 160mm recently and haven't ridden it in anger yet,.... i'm very curious to learn how that 20mm bump up front makes the bike feel with an even slacker/taller front on the trail..
Unfort. i do not have any experience on 27.5 at all, so i'm no help in comparing that setup BUT I just finally found a great deal on a 27.5 boost front wheel, and i'm excited to ride a proper 27.5er.
So many variables...
I've yet to experiment with tire sizes etc...(2.4 max on the bike yet) i'm struggling to get familiar w/different tire brands and their trends in actual size vs listed sizes.. it's kinda pissing me off lol.
The 29in, Terrene 'Chunk' 2.3 i run up front w/a 30mm rim sits more like a 2.5 and is maybe 3mm narrower than the 27.5 Rekon 2.8(!) i just compared it to at my LBS on a 30mm rim as well. (Oy vey already!)
I'm looking for the right 2.8in front and 2.6in 27.5 rear that'll fit and match my riding these days (Minion DHF/R 2.8's look a bit too tall to fit in the rear and are likely more tire than I need..)....despite the boost spec frame, fork & 30-35mm wide CF rims, I'm still on tire sizes that I run on my 1998 FSR lol
Will update as I learn more ...