FULL SUSPENTION PROTO - RAW
Thomas Callahan
Here we have a First! A passion project a long time in the works. A full Suspention Horse! Steel front triangle and a Carbon rear triangle. This project started in 2022 and I wish i had finished it sooner because this sled is a blast to roll.
ABOUT THE BUILD
I sourced the carbon rear triangle and linkages from overseas and worked with a factory to dial everything including geometry, ride quality, intended terrain, front and rear travel etc. The front end is steel and modeled roughly after the Horse Hound Hardtail which is a blast to ride and a super capable bike. I still have new parts coming for the final iteration but the specs currently on this build are as follows
Tech specs:
Fox 34 140mm fork
Rockshox 210x55 rear deluxe ultimate giving it 135mm of rear travel and 150 with a flip chip
63.5 head tube angle / 75 seat tube / 320mm bb
Horst link rear swing arm
27.5 x 2.6 in this configuration, (waiting on ENVE am 30 29” wheels)
Sram eagle Gx drivetrain / Sram Guide RSC 4 piston 180mm front and 160mm rear
White industry hubs, and headset
Engine seatpost clamp
Older fox transition from 2018 150mm dropper.
I’ve been loving riding this beast! It super fun to ride a new bike and be able to ride and tweak something you have built. I alway love that feeling and it sticks around for a while. This is such a big part of why I love building bikes and why i have been doing it for 20 years.
Unfortunately the manufacturer i was woking with for the new swing arm is no longer able to produce the product and i will be building my own steel rear end. This way i will not have to depend on an outside source for this component. This will also allow me to continue to tweak, modify, and develop the Geometry and Kinematics to the needs of different riders and terrain.
Allot of the testing on this bike has been done locally at the Giggle Hollow Belleayre Mountain Bike Trails, link HERE. The trails are super fun and i would urge anyone interested to check them out. If you do, drop me a line, i’d love to come for a ride.
I am excited for the final iteration of this bike with some fun new parts, most notably the Enve wheels and 210mm dropper. The final chapter will be to pick a paint schema for this bike which is always difficult . And although this raw version is unbeatable, i do look forward to riding this capable rig to its final, painted, shreddy state.
