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A mullet drivetrain pairs drop-bar shifters with a wide-range mountain bike rear derailleur, often arrange 1x.
Mullet drivetrains provide the vary of a mountain bike groupset whereas offering drop-bar consolation for lengthy days within the saddle. They’re mostly seen on gravel bikes.
Mullet drivetrains have been on the perimeter of gravel tech for a few years, with few formally endorsed setups provided by mainstream manufacturers.
Nonetheless, a number of groupset producers now provide formally suitable mullet setups, with some bike producers speccing them as inventory.
On this article, we’ll clarify what a mullet drivetrain is, how they work, what sort of bikes you will see them on and description the problems with compatibility.
What’s a mullet drivetrain?
Within the easiest type, a mullet drivetrain is a hybrid groupset that pairs highway bike shifters with a mountain bike derailleur and wide-range cassette.
Mountain bike derailleurs are suitable with the most important cassettes. Many are additionally stronger than highway or gravel bike derailleurs.
They’re more and more standard as aftermarket or custom-build upgrades as a result of they provide the identical (if not larger) vary as a 2x setup, however with the simplicity of a 1x drivetrain whereas retaining a drop handlebar for place selection on lengthy rides.
How does a mullet drivetrain work?
A mullet drivetrain works in the very same means as a daily highway/gravel or mountain bike drivetrain, however provided that the cable pull ratios of highway shifters and mountain bike derailleurs are the identical.
SRAM and Shimano use totally different ratios for his or her mechanical mountain bike and road bike groupsets. This makes combining elements throughout disciplines unattainable with out an improve or adaptor equipment.
The state of affairs is easier with electronic groupsets. SRAM AXS derailleurs and shifters will converse to one another no matter whether or not they’re highway, gravel or mountain bike elements.
There’s additionally extra restricted compatibility between Shimano Di2 highway, gravel and mountain bike groupsets (full compatibility is outlined on Shimano’s site).
Mechanical mullet drivetrains will also be configured utilizing bar-end shifters, with Microshift making suitable shifters for Shimano drivetrains.
Bar-end shifters are much less sensible than hood-mounted shifters and might trigger knee obstruction in some circumstances. They’re, nevertheless, very sturdy, which makes them a preferred selection for hardcore touring bikes and bikepacking bikes.
Cable pull ratio converters, such because the Wolf Tooth Tanpan or Jtek Shiftmate can be utilized to pair in any other case incompatible elements with one another. Which means unique mash-ups – similar to pairing SRAM shifters with Shimano derailleurs – can be utilized.
Which bikes use a mullet setup?
Mullet setups are most typical on gravel bikes, the place the ergonomics of a drop handlebar pair effectively with the big selection of a mountain bike drivetrain.
Bikes similar to 3T’s Exploro Ultra and Moots’ Routt ESC might be specced with mullet drivetrains, each within the type of SRAM’s AXS groupsets.
Some touring bikes may even function a mullet drivetrain as a result of it permits for an easier setup with fewer elements which will fail, whereas additionally giving a gear vary that lets you faucet out hills on a closely loaded bike.
What about gravel groupsets?
Whereas, strictly talking, a mullet drivetrain ought to embody each highway and mountain bike elements, many producers now produce 1x gravel groupsets that almost match the vary of a real mullet setup.
Nonetheless, gear vary continues to be lower than a mountain bike derailleur and cassette combo, which frequently function cogs north of fifty tooth.
Mullet drivetrains by producer
SRAM mullet drivetrains defined
SRAM has absolutely embraced mullet drivetrains with its AXS vary.
Any AXS shifters might be paired with any AXS Eagle rear derailleur.
On its mechanical groupsets, SRAM makes use of two totally different cable pull ratios, with Actual Actuation used on the highway derailleurs and X Actuation used on the model’s 1x mountain bike derailleurs, making the 2 incompatible with out modification.
Nonetheless, SRAM’s new mechanical Apex Eagle levers use the X Actuation pull ratio, making them suitable with all Eagle drivetrains.
Shimano mullet drivetrains defined
Like SRAM, Shimano makes use of totally different cable pull ratios on its highway and mountain bike groupsets. This implies it’s troublesome to mix elements with out a third-party cable pull ratio adjuster.
Its Di2 groupsets might be arrange in mullet orientation, however at the moment the answer is extra of a bodge than an marketed function.
Shimano’s new Cues drivetrain holds promise for future mullet conversions, with each shifter within the new vary utilizing the identical cable pull ratio.
Tiagra is but to fall into the Cues vary, which means drop levers are at present unavailable, although there may be hope we’ll see an reasonably priced mullet setup from Shimano quickly.
Microshift mullet drivetrains defined
Microshift is uncommon within the reality the identical cable pull ratio is used on each highway and mountain bike groupsets, permitting for prime ranges of compatibility.
The model’s Creation and Advent X vary allow you to mix a clutched rear derailleur with a most cog measurement of 46-tooth and a drop-bar shifter, though this restricts you to cable-operated disc brakes.
Microshift additionally makes a wide range of bar-end shifters which are suitable with Shimano and SRAM drivetrains, enabling you to function a mullet drivetrain and nonetheless use hydraulic brakes.
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