I built my MkIII Soul up with all the parts from my slightly upgraded 2011 Zesty. The only standard parts left are the Formula Red Metal wheels and the standard QR Fox Float open bath forks set at 130mm.

I ride it on trails all over the Quantocks and Haldon off piste, but i also take it to Triscombe and to trail centres like Cwmbran and BPW so it gets ridden pretty hard.

Basically, i’m considering buying some better wheels and some forks with bolt through, keeping on the more aggressive side of trail riding.

What forks and wheels would people suggest? Hope Evo and stand Arch? Rockshox Rev?

Hope and stans flow or arch would be the default choice. Revs at 140 good too, or Fox Talas if you can find/afford them?
I’ve got Hope/Arch and Rebas on mine but would like a bigger fork.

Ooh. Soul eh?

I can’t much contribute to your thread (I’ve got old Pikes on mine, which I like but it’s hardly the latest fork and the Soul’s never had anything else on, and a Stans crest front and arch rear rim, having quickly killed the first crest) but let’s go for a ride.

It’s been a long time!

Luke

Hey Luke, yeah I’ve had a Soul for about a year now and really enjoy it. I just think that i’ll benefit from some bolt through forks and better wheels, but i could just be itching to spend some money.

Thanks to fatherhood and being a student paramedic I don’t get much free time anymore, and I don’t ride Haldon anywhere near as much as i’d like. Living in Wellington also doesn’t help. But it does mean that i ride the Quantocks at quiet times during the week

Sector Gold RL for £280 http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/rockshox-sektor-gold-rl-solo-air-forks-15mm-2015/rp-prod109679

Or Rev RCT3 for £435 http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/rockshox-revelation-rct3-solo-air-forks-15mm-2015/rp-prod109674

Are the Revs really twice as good?

what does bolt through offer that QR doesn’t? is it just more secure?

As above, Hope/Stans Arch EX on mine and no complaints there. Went for some Fox 32 Float FIT RLCs 120mm forks (super cheap at the time on CRC) and they’ve worked out great for both trail centre hammering and all day epics.

Check out a site called alltricks for forks. Seems pretty cheap.

Stiffness and security?

Waves from Trull.

I’d go 130-140mm revs from alltricks.com and hope/crest or arch depending on how heavy you are.

Loco, dual position sektors and he can put in the correct spring to begin with?
http://locotuning.co.uk/rockshox-forks.html

The bigger axle basically brings rigidity to the fork and makes it far less likely the front will be turned by impact although unweighting should sort that anyway… It’s something that you probably won’t notice until it’s time to point down. Longer forks tend to have more tendency to noodle at a given stanchion width, so again it helps.

Tbh, I used to like my mk 2 Soul with Fox 32’s at full 150 and around 30% sag. I revised this opinion after some steep climbing involving tight switchbacks. 130-140 is about right for me. I’m going straight in at 130 on 275 with Flow EXs…

I’ve got 120mm dual air reba’s on mine with 15mm axle and they feel perfect for the bike, did think about putting a 140mm fork on but don’t think I really need that much travel.

I’m using crests and ride all the triscombe d/h tracks quite regularly and they take the abuse but I am only 10 stone which probably helps 😆

The new Reba RLs with black stanchions at 120mm and with tokens would be my choice if I had a Soul again.

Wheels? Everyone goes on about Hope…but I’d go spank oozy tbh.

DT 350 hubs are good value with same internals as the 240s, less noisy than Hopes unless you like the loud click.

I’ve been running mine with Fox 32 140s and Flows on Pro 2 Evos for almost 4 years now. It’s had quite a battering in that time, lots of singletrack and local DH runs plus uplift days all including a fair bit of air (I’m no dirt jumper but it’s regularly dropping 3-5′ off things and casing smaller gaps). I’ve had the wheels trued once in that time – the front is still perfect but the back isn’t quite circular anymore although it’s perfect laterally (I hit a rock at Antur hard enough to pinch flat a UST tyre).

The Fox 32 is great on my local trails but it’s out of its depth at rockier gnarlier spots, both in stiffness and damper control. As my Spitfire does the away trips that isn’t a problem for me but if I was building a Soul up now I’d put a Pike or similar lightweight 34+mm stanchion fork on it. I’ve heard that Revs are a lot stiffer than Fox 32s so maybe they’d have enough extra controllability? In terms of fork length I’d go for 130-140mm depending on the A-C length – I prefer how it behaves with the slacker angles from a longer fork.

Regarding rims most would go with Arch EX as they’re as wide as the old Flows and should be strong enough – however if, like me, you would rather have a stiffer, stronger, wider, longer-lasting rim then Flow EX aren’t all that much heavier. Don’t think you can go wrong with either.

Its Pro 2 Evo hubs have been faultless as have the newer ones on my Spitfire – great hubs for UK conditions.

Admittedly I do not do Triscombe on my Soul but I find my U Turn Revs seem at there best at 115mm for singletrack fun on the Q’s
Waves from Hemyock

Fit some 120mm 650b forks and a 650b front wheel. I happen to have a Recon for sale that’ll do just that!

I think I’m just going to keep a look out for all these cheap 26″ bargains that everyone is talking about….

I’ll start with some Hope on Stans Arch with a standard QR front and then convert them when I find some Revs or Talas. I’m liking the idea of 140-110 travel adjust as I loved it at 140 on my Floats for the downs, I just felt the front was too much hard work on the climbs so adjusted them to 130mm as a compromise. I’ve never had adjustable forks before but I’m assuming they’re good for a climb and descend set up?