Powered by Outside

2018 Enduro Mullet conversion

PB Forum :: Specialized
2018 Enduro Mullet conversion

 Post Message | Latest Comment
Author Message
flag headshot
FL
Posted: Nov 13, 2025 at 1:43 Quote
Im 188cm tall and ride a 27.5 Spesh Enduro from way back in 2018. Bike works well, has a bottomless rear suspension feel, a short head tube and the geo is still relatively current. It does however have quite short chainstays, relatively compact reach for an XL and a slackish seat tube angle. So, how would this pan out if I added a 29er front wheel to the bike? With the help of a friend who went to a 38, I received a 160mm travel fox 36, a wheel and an Assegai and the testing began. My 180 Yari had almost the same axle to crown measurement as the 36 29er fork so the bigger wheel was going to make quite a difference.

It was pretty apparent straight away that some significant geo changes had occurred. The bars were now 25mm higher at least and the HTA had slacked out to around 63.5 degrees and the BB had been raised . I slammed the stem which reduced my bar height by about 10mm and added some air to the rear shock. First ride was at Jonkershoek - Cape Town's premier enduro/DH riding area. up a 500m climb called Irish 1-8 and surprisingly, aside from the still too high bars the climbing was quite manageable. The ride back down Armageddon went well too. I expected some negatives from the bigger wheel and higher BB in the corners but was pleasantly surprised. The front felt calmer and the grip was improved noticeably over the smaller front wheel. The 160mm fork proved to be a winner but needed some air pressure adjustment to aid comfort. I did manage some Strava PR's on the descent.

I decided to experiment with a lower bar height and replaced the Spank 75mm bars with a narrower 38mm risers. The next ride took place at Tokai on the AM trail and DH 1 to 4. Bike felt very different with the lower than normal bars but climbing was improved. I noticed the bigger front wheels roll over on climbs - fewer hang ups on protruding rocks than I'm used to. Again, I did not notice the higher BB in cornering situations which remained confidence inspiring from a front end grip perspective. The lower bars did affect my ability to lift the front wheel but probably something I could get used to. that said I am considering some 50mm rise bars to even things out a bit better.

A further test ride this morning at Tokai - my local AM/DH trail area -yielded some PR's down the DH line for the first time in years. I still need to find the ideal fork/shock pressures but as a proof of concept, the bike seems to be a winner. The super slack HTA does indeed lead to some wheel wandering while climbing but its quite manageable even at very slow speeds.

Anyone else done this to their X Wing?

 


Copyright © 2000 - 2026. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.008130
Mobile Version of Website