OK, so while the photos are loading here's how I got to where I am with the build. The frame is an Ibis Mojo HD140. It's made of carbon fibre and has a fox RP23 Kashima shock. That's activated by a DW link rear suspension pivot, which you can google if you're interested, but basically this patented 4-bar link system reduces pedal induced bob without having to interfere with low speed compression damping, so the rear wheel tracks better under active suspension even when the rider pedals hard. At the same time the setup means that the rear doesn't squat under braking force, and so the suspension again can remain active, giving better tracking and grip.
The frame has swappable "Limbo Chips" which are the anchor points for the upper eye of the rear shock. The frame can be run with a 140mm travel shock, or a 160mm travel shock, and the limbo chips ensure the geometry remains the same with either. So you can run up to a 180mm fork with the 160 shock and the chip keeps the geometry the same as if you were running a 140 shock and 150mm forks. The two standards are based on trail riding like we in the UK know and love, and more aggressive Enduro riding like those foreign johnnies enjoy in the Alps etc.
I'm going to be running the 140 setup but have treated it to a 160mm fork. This will effectively raise the BB height and slacken the head angle by about a degree compared with a 150, although I'll need to compare axle to crown heights with say a 150 Revelation to be certain. The bridleways and bits of technical stuff round here tend to be rocky and steep, so the slightly raised BB height will ensure fewer strikes. The slacker head angle will help with descending. That's the theory anyway.
The frame is burly. It may be carbon, but it's noticeably heavier than my Canyon AM frame. The fork has a tapered steerer and a Syntace 15mm axle. It has 34 mm stanchions and coupled with the tapered steerer and 15mm will mean it's pretty stiff up front. The frame design itself is pretty stiff, and it has a 142mmx12mm through-axle at the back. Basically it ain't gonna flex or deflect in a hurry on that rocky stuff, and it'll take pretty big hits if you ask it to.
Basically it's to be run on technical stuff and trail centres. Mrs C has hinted at an Alps trip as a 50th birthday treat, so this will be ideal. The hardtail Soul is so versatile it'll do more or less everything the 140 trail bike could do, so this is a departure for me into more aggressive stuff.
I have all that I need to build it, and I'll be dismantling my AM bike to transfer drivetrain, brakes, Reverb and bars. I'm going to leave the carbon bar on the Soul and use a 750mm Fat Boy as it's going to need wide bars. The Soul currently has a Hope Proll evo wheelset on Stans Arch Ex rims, and I need to steal them as the wheels on the Canyon won't convert to 12mm axle.
Those pics have finished loading, so here goes.
