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by Ed Brazier October 30, 2019 5 min read

Our friend Nush upgraded from a pretty sweet Edit v2 to an even sweeter Edit v3 this summer. We got the lowdown on the new bike and how the two bikes compare. 

You might remember Nush's original Edit v2 custom build - it was certainly unique - and it was the inspiration for our first run of junglist decals. That bike's still going strong but it's had a bit of a hammering in the last couple of years so this Summer Nush put together a new Edit v3 custom build:

Nush's custom Airdrop Edit v3

Rider

Age: 24

Height: 5' 5" or 165cm

Weight: You should never ask a lady her weight!

Years Riding: 3 years

Riding Background: Bikes. I hate horses.

Riding Style: Survive with loads of steeze.

Nush riding in Wharncliffe

Nush's Bike Spec
Frame: Airdrop Edit v3 size Small
Colour: Matte black with matte black rear triangle & bronze decals
Forks: Rockshox Lyrik Select Plus
Rear Shock: Rockshox Super Deluxe Ultimate Coil
Headset: Cane Creek 40 Series ZS44/ZS56
Stem: Burgtec Mk2 Enduro 35mm Reach, 35mm Clamp
Handlebars: Burgtec Ridewide Alloy 35mm clamp, 30mm rise, 760mm wide
Grips: Burgtec Bartender Pro
Seatpost: Rockshox Reverb Stealth B1 150mm with 1x remote
Seatclamp: Chromag QR
Saddle: WTB Koda
Brakes: SRAM Code RSC
Rotors: SRAM Centerline 180mm front, 180mm rear
Wheels: Unbranded carbon rims on Hope Pro 4 hubs
Tyres: WTB Vigilante 27.5x2.5 tough high-grip front & WTB Judge 27.5x2.4 tough high-grip rear
Rear Derailleur: SRAM GX Eagle 1x12
Cassette: SRAM XG-1275 10-50t
Shifter: SRAM GX Eagle 1x12
Cranks: SRAM GX Eagle 170mm
Chainring: SRAM 32t
Pedals: Burgtec Mk4 Penthouse Flats
Chain: SRAM GX Eagle
Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB
Chain Guide: OneUp ISCG05
Modifications:
Weight: 32lb

 

Tyre Choice And Pressures

Full WTB these days, big fan. I used to be partial to a yellow logo but I've seen the light now. I run a Vigilante 2.5" upfront and the new Judge 2.4" out back, both in the high grip compound. I don’t mind the extra drag on the hills if it increases my chances of staying upright on the descents.

As for pressures - too soft according to my boyfriend, but I like them pretty soft at around 18-20psi front and rear. Nice and grippy plus the Tough casing means I can get away with lower pressures and no tyre or rim damage.

Fork

The new Lyrik Select Plus. It’s an OEM only option fork, which sits between the Lyrik Ultimate and Select; it's basically a Lyrik Ultimate without externally adjustable HSC. I did toy with the Idea of going Lyrik Ultimate but I'm not much of a fettler so don’t think I would have made use of the external HSC adjustment. The fork feels real good with loads of control, supple in the beginning - I like it.

Rockshox Lyrik Select Plus

Shock

Rockshox Super Deluxe Ultimate Coil. It’s a bit of a set and forget shock and much less faff than Cane Creek I had before. Once you’ve figured out the correct spring weight and dialled in desired sag all that’s left to do really is set your rebound. It took me about 5 minutes to set up and haven’t touched it since. Sometimes the biggest compliment you can give a product is if you just don’t notice, it just sits there does its job, you never get any funky feedback and it has zero quirks, so yeah I like it.

Suspension Setup

I run two bottomless tokens and 85psi in the fork. 350lbs spring with 1.5 turns of preload which comes out at 33% sag and LSC wide open on the shock.

Rockshox Super Deluxe Ultimate Coil

I'm running a fairly balanced setup front to rear, maybe the forks are a touch firmer. To be completely honest I set the bike up on day one and haven’t really fiddled with it too much. I think the Lyrik / Super Deluxe combo is super easy to set up and rides real well out of the box; it's easy dial in your sag and rebound and you're good to go.

Cockpit Setup

Gold stem! It’s a all Macclesfield based affair - Burgtec all round, 35mm Burgtec Enduro stem in gold for a little bling, 30mm rise RideWide alloys cut to 760mm, the new Bartender Pro grips, topped off with a Burgtec Top cap and bolt. Because why not.

Burgtec Finishing Kit

Drivetrain

GX Eagle. Its great having that granny gear means I can do even more chatting on the uphills.

Nush's Airdrop Edit v3

Brakes

Code RSC’s on 180mm rotors.

Moving up from Guides to Codes has been mint, I have a real bad habit for bending 200mm discs so the extra power from the codes means I've been able to run 180mm front and rear. The brakes are seriously good though and having the pad contact adjust means I can run the brakes just how I like them with the bite point real close to bar.

Dropper and Saddle

150mm Reverb this is actually the post from my old bike and just goes to show if you look after your seatpost properly they do last. 2 years on still going strong, I just make sure it gets a full service every year and it's good as new. Take that Reverb haters!

As for the saddle I'm still running the same WTB Koda from my Edit v2. It's awesome to have a ladies saddle that isn’t a gel covered couch.

Anything you would change?

Nope not really, I'm happy with all of the components and they're all of my choosing. If I did come in to large some of money I would spend it on a riding holiday not some arbitrary bling components.

Favourite components

I'm not sure to be honest, it's hard to pick one particular stand out component. Honestly I like it all.

Nush's Airdrop Edit v3

Any Secrets Or Setup Tips?

Always stop to pet dogs. Keep Smiling.

How does it compare to the Edit v2?

My small Edit v2 was a little longer than the v3 and for me was as long as I would ever want to ride; to compensate for that I had fitted a 30mm stem. So for me the 10mm shorter reach on the small v3 was a welcome change, which allowed me to return running to my preferred 35mm stem length.

When I first jumped on the Edit v3 it felt familiar which makes sense really as the bike shares a lot of same DNA. However after a few rides the differences become obvious. The first thing I noticed was the pedalling position. You sit much further forward on the v3 which means you're more centred and you don’t consciously have to shift your weight forward on steeper climbs. With the small v3 being a touch shorter I think it fits me better and feels a little easier to maneuvre, a lot of my riding is slower speed tech and awkwardness so a little less bike I find is easy to move around. Pair that with a return to my preffered 35mm stem length and the shorter offset fork and I feel like weighting my front wheel is much easier.

The differences between the v2 and v3 are definitely subtle but I have no doubt that I prefer riding my v3. I feel the v3 fits me better and I feel more comfortable on it and that all boils down to bike I have more fun on. Plus look at it, she's certainly a looker, matte black for the win.

Nush riding in Wharncliffe

Ed Brazier
Ed Brazier

Ed is the owner of Airdrop Bikes. A former web and graphic designer, he sacked off his job one day and decided to start up a bike brand.

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