Is the Mullet your style? The Boundary MLT: Your New Gravel Ride

When is the outlier the most fashionable? Such is the case of the mullet: the famed haircut that launched many a NASCAR driver’s and hockey player's careers. With short sides and a long rolling tail off the back, and credited with being coined first by the legendary Beastie Boys, there’s a reason folks say the mullet is “business in the front, and a party in the back.” No matter if you call it the Tennessee Tophat, Hockey Hair or Wisconsin Waterfall, the mullet is a statement of confidence.

When the gravel bike started seeing a reference to “mullet,” it meant a departure from the norm—which is ironic, because gravel bikes in and of themselves are just that: a road bike on steroids. A mountain bike with drop bars. However you look at it, a gravel bike is anything that you want it to be. For many, it defies categorization.

When Obed debuted the Boundary MLT (mullet) option this summer, we saw the same: an opportunity to take a bike that we love, and simply make it more fun, in a new, different way, by substituting 700c wheels with 650B variety. Since it debuted, many customers buying their first Boundary decided to get a mullet! (the bike, not the haircut!)

Interesting. But why would you choose a Boundary MLT? Glad you asked. We've found four key components for a mulleteer!

I RIDE IN LOTS OF (choose one): SAND / MUD / WET

Since the MLT wheel allows for a larger volume tire (53mm or 2.05" on 650B/27.5 wheels), you get more tire contact patch on the ground. That means an opportunity for lower tire pressure, and more traction. When the conditions are sloppy, sandy, muddy, rooty or just downright loose, a bigger, fluffier tire can grab bigger handfuls of substrata, and paw along it better.

I DON’T RACE

With a smaller wheel, you have less rollout for every pedal stroke, which means a smaller big gear and less top-end speed, and… yada yada… who cares?  What’s an entry fee? There’s a large lot of us that simply don’t care about going over it fast, or far—any of that. We want to ride to explore, maybe skid a little, blast through a creek, set up a cool shot for the ‘gram, and just have a blast. The Boundary MLT may not have the top end of a bike with 700c wheels, but it may not be an issue… because FUN!

I RIDE AGGRESSIVELY

For the same reason many choose a tire for greater contact patch for more confident riding in wet, others love to get a bigger tire over jagged baked-in rocks on singletrack. The smaller wheels makes technical climbing a breeze as well. We’ve build the Boundary MLT with a KS dropper post for the same reason; for those that hit chunky trails with larger drops, a dropper post allows the rider to move the saddle down and out of the way in order to shift weight to the back of the bike on descents, preventing being pitched over the bars. More confidence on the chunky stuff equals more fun.

I LIKE BEING DIFFERENT

OK, this one’s pretty self-explanatory. Why do what everyone else does? A build like the Boundary MLT makes a statement about what kind of riding you love. It can be the ride, the challenge, the commute, the cruise with friends...the Boundary MLT fits the bill in any category. When making your Boundary build to order online, give the MLT a look!