We're all about building bikes, and we know a lot of you are too. That's why we design all our bikes using only tried & tested technologies and standards. It's the best way we can help to make sure that the build kit you've already got will fit onto your new frame, or if you're sourcing new parts to build a bike to your exact specification, there will always be an option that's compatible. If you're planning to build up an Airdrop bike, it's useful to know what components are compatible with the frame, and how it can be set up. We've produced this handy guide to compatibility issues to help. Just pick the right frame from the tabs below:
If you bought your Airdrop Edit from January 2016 to February 2017, it's probably a v1. If you're in doubt, it's easy to identify an Edit v1 by looking at the bottom of the seat tube. If there's no port for internal dropper routing, it's a v1. If there is a port there, it's the later v2 model. Click on the link below to jump to the relevant section:
We sell all our models as a frame only option, which means you can build up a new Airdrop bike using parts from a previous bike. The question we get asked most often is "will my rear shock fit the Edit v1?" so we've put together a handy list of all the shocks that will, a couple that won't, and those that we haven't tried yet:
Compatible Shocks:
Rockshox Monarch, Rockshox Monarch Plus, Rockshox Vivid Air, Rockshox Vivid Coil, Fox Float X2, Fox DHX2, Cane Creek DBcoil, Cane Creek DBcoil CS, Cane Creek DBcoil IL, Cane Creek DBair, Cane Creek DBair CS, Cane Creek DBair IL, Cane Creek DBinline, DVO Topaz T3 Air, DVO Jade Coil.
Non-compatible Shocks:
Rockshox Kage, Fox Float X, Fox DPS, Marzocchi Bomber CR.
Not Yet Tested:
Fox DPX2, X-Fusion Stage, X-Fusion Vector Air, X-Fusion Vector Coil, X-Fusion O2 Pro.
The Edit requires a shock with a 200x57mm specification. That means the eye-to-eye length of the shock is 200mm and the stroke length is 57mm. In old money that's 7.875"x2.25". Although it may be possible to fit alternative shock sizes, this will dramatically affect the bike's geometry and performance, and will invalidate the warranty.
We like to keep things simple, so we designed the Edit v1 to use the same mounting hardware for the rear shock's upper and lower mounts.
Upper Shock Mounting Hardware: M8 x 22.2mm
Lower Shock Mounting Hardware: M8 x 22.2mm
We recommend that you use the same brand's mounting hardware as your rear shock to ensure compatibility. Please note that shock mounting hardware is included with all frame & shock, bundle and bike purchases but not frame-only.
The Edit v1's seat tube is designed to be compatible with modern dropper posts as well as standard rigid posts. We have not exhaustively tested every seat post on the market, but if you follow this advice you'll be able to make the right choice.
Seatpost Diameter: 30.9mm
Seatclamp Diameter: 35mm
Minimum Insertion Depth: 100mm on all sizes, even if the advice on the seat post is different.
Maximum Insertion Depth: Small = 300mm / Medium = 340mm / Large = 380mm
Hose Routing: External only. There are dedicated hose guide tabs along the underside of the top tube.
Getting the right headset is critical to the performance of your bike. We also know it can be a bit of a minefield, but if you follow our guide you'll have no trouble at all. And remember, if you need us to supply the right headset, all you have to do is contact us and we'll be happy to help.
Upper Headset Cups:
The Edit v1 accepts a 1 1/8" Zerostack (sometimes referred to as integral) upper headset cup. This is typically referred to as a ZS44 headset cup. We recommend the Cane Creek 40 Series ZS44 Upper Headset or Hope Tech ZS44 Upper Headset.
Lower Headset Cups:
The Edit v1 accepts a 1.5" Zerostack (sometimes referred to as integral) lower headset cup. There are two different sizes available; the correct on is the ZS55 which is sometimes referred to as a "Scott or Lapierre" headset cup. This is not to be confused with the slightly larger ZS56 headset cup, which will not fit. We recommend the Cane Creek 40 Series ZS55 Lower Headset. Please do not attempt to fit a ZS56 lower headset to an Edit v1. This will invalidate the warranty and may result in a damaged headtube (the later Edit v2 takes a ZS56 lower headset no problem).
Fork Steerer Tube:
The Edit is designed for use with forks that have a tapered steerer tube, which is the most common type for mid-long travel forks and offers superior stiffness. Tapered steerers measure 1 1/8" at the top and 1.5" at the bottom. It is not possible to fit a straight 1.5" steerer. It is possible to fit a straight 1 1/8" steerer; to do that you will need to buy a ZS55-44 headset reducer cup.
The Edit v1's removable dropouts are compatible with a 142x12mm Rockshox Maxle, Maxle Ultimate or Maxle Stealth type bolt-through axle. The drive-side dropout is threaded so it is not possible to run a Shimano E-Thru type axle. The specification for the Edit v1 is 174mm length, 20mm thread length with a M12x1.75mm thread pitch.
Please note that a rear axle is included with all frame, bundle and bike purchases.
The Edit v1 is compatible with post-mount type disc brakes; there are no mounts for rim-type brakes such as V-Brakes. It is possible to fit IS (international standard) type disc brakes with the relevant adapter.
Minimum Rear Rotor Size: 180mm
Maximum Rear Rotor Size: 203mm
Please note that if you choose to run a 180mm rear rotor, you will in most cases be able to mount the brake rotor directly to the mounts. If you choose the run a 200mm or 203mm rear rotor, you will need the relevant adapter to ensure the brake calliper is in the correct position.
The Edit v1 is not compatible with any type of front mech. This is a deliberate design decision.
The Edit v1 has a 73mm threaded bottom bracket shell. This is a tried & tested standard which we've found to be the most reliable and easiest to work with. It is also far less likely to cause that infuriating creak that you get with press-fit type bottom brackets.
You will need to use a 73mm BSA threaded type bottom bracket. All the major cranks and bottom bracket manufacturers offer this as an option.
The Edit v1 has a single set of bottle cage bosses on the inside of the down tube. This uses a standard 64mm spacing and M5 bolts, so it's compatible with just about every bottle cage and bottle cage mount accessory out there. In our testing we've found that you can fit a good sized water bottle even when running a piggy-back type rear shock.
The Edit has ISCG05 type chain guide tabs on the drive-side of the bottom bracket shell. This is compatible with the most popular chain guides from all the top manufacturers.
If you bought your Airdrop Edit after February 2017, it's probably a v2. If you're in doubt, take a look at the seat tube; if there's a port for internal dropper post routing, it's a v2. Most of the specs for the v2 remained the same but we made some key changes to the headset and dropper post routing that are worth noting. Click on the link below to jump to the relevant section:
We sell all our models as a frame only option, which means you can build up a new Airdrop bike using parts from a previous bike. The question we get asked most often is "will my rear shock fit the Edit v2?" so we've put together a handy list of all the shocks that will, a couple that won't, and those that we haven't tried yet:
Compatible Shocks:
Rockshox Monarch, Rockshox Monarch Plus, Rockshox Vivid Air, Rockshox Vivid Coil, Fox Float X2, Fox DHX2, Cane Creek DBcoil, Cane Creek DBcoil CS, Cane Creek DBcoil IL, Cane Creek DBair, Cane Creek DBair CS, Cane Creek DBair IL, Cane Creek DBinline, DVO Topaz T3 Air, DVO Jade Coil.
Non-compatible Shocks:
Rockshox Kage, Fox Float X, Fox DPS.
Not Yet Tested:
Fox DPX2, X-Fusion Stage, X-Fusion Vector Air, X-Fusion Vector Coil, X-Fusion O2 Pro.
The Edit requires a shock with a 200x57mm specification. That means the eye-to-eye length of the shock is 200mm and the stroke length is 57mm. In old money that's 7.875"x2.25". Although it may be possible to fit alternative shock sizes, this will dramatically affect the bike's geometry and performance, and will invalidate the warranty.
We like to keep things simple, so we designed the Edit v1 to use the same mounting hardware for the rear shock's upper and lower mounts.
Upper Shock Mounting Hardware: M8 x 22.2mm
Lower Shock Mounting Hardware: M8 x 22.2mm
We recommend that you use the same brand's mounting hardware as your rear shock to ensure compatibility. Please note that shock mounting hardware is included with all frame & shock, bundle and bike purchases but not frame-only.
The Edit v2's seat tube is designed to be compatible with modern dropper posts as well as standard rigid posts. We have not exhaustively tested every seat post on the market, but if you follow this advice you'll be able to make the right choice.
Seatpost Diameter: 30.9mm
Seatclamp Diameter: 35mm
Minimum Insertion Depth: 100mm on all sizes, even if the advice on the seat post is different.
Maximum Insertion Depth: Small = 300mm / Medium = 325mm / Large = 350mm
Hose Routing: Internal, or 'stealth' routing only. The hose is routed externally along the top of the down-tube and into the seat tube through a port protected by a rubber grommet.
Getting the right headset is critical to the performance of your bike. We also know it can be a bit of a minefield, but if you follow our guide you'll have no trouble at all. And remember, if you need us to supply the right headset, all you have to do is contact us and we'll be happy to help.
Upper Headset Cups:
The Edit v2 accepts a 1 1/8" Zerostack (sometimes referred to as integral) upper headset cup. This is typically referred to as a ZS44 headset cup. We recommend the Cane Creek 40 Series ZS44 Upper Headset or Hope Tech ZS44 Upper Headset.
Lower Headset Cups:
The Edit v2 accepts a 1.5" Zerostack (sometimes referred to as integral) lower headset cup. This is typically referred to as a ZS56 headset cup. We recommend the Cane Creek 40 Series ZS56 Lower Headset or Hope Tech ZS56 Lower Headset.
Fork Steerer Tube:
The Edit is designed for use with forks that have a tapered steerer tube, which is the most common type for mid-long travel forks and offers superior stiffness. Tapered steerers measure 1 1/8" at the top and 1.5" at the bottom. It is not possible to fit a straight 1.5" steerer. It is possible to fit a straight 1 1/8" steerer; to do that you will need to buy a ZS56-44 headset reducer cup.
The Edit v2's removable dropouts are compatible with a 142x12mm Rockshox Maxle, Maxle Ultimate or Maxle Stealth type bolt-through axle. The drive-side dropout is threaded so it is not possible to run a Shimano E-Thru type axle. The specification for the Edit v1 is 174mm length, 20mm thread length with a M12x1.75mm thread pitch.
Please note that a rear axle is included with all frame, bundle and bike purchases.
The Edit v2 is compatible with post-mount type disc brakes; there are no mounts for rim-type brakes such as V-Brakes. It is possible to fit IS (international standard) type disc brakes with the relevant adapter.
Minimum Rear Rotor Size: 180mm
Maximum Rear Rotor Size: 203mm
Please note that if you choose to run a 180mm rear rotor, you will in most cases be able to mount the brake rotor directly to the mounts. If you choose the run a 200mm or 203mm rear rotor, you will need the relevant adapter to ensure the brake calliper is in the correct position.
The Edit v2 is not compatible with any type of front mech. This is a deliberate design decision.
The Edit v2 has a 73mm threaded bottom bracket shell. This is a tried & tested standard which we've found to be the most reliable and easiest to work with. It is also far less likely to cause that infuriating creak that you get with press-fit type bottom brackets.
You will need to use a 73mm BSA threaded type bottom bracket. All the major cranks and bottom bracket manufacturers offer this as an option.
The Edit v2 has a single set of bottle cage bosses on the inside of the down tube. This uses a standard 64mm spacing and M5 bolts, so it's compatible with just about every bottle cage and bottle cage mount accessory out there. In our testing we've found that you can fit a good sized water bottle even when running a piggy-back type rear shock.
The Edit has ISCG05 type chain guide tabs on the drive-side of the bottom bracket shell. This is compatible with the most popular chain guides from all the top manufacturers.