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Airdrop Edit V4 Queenstown long term abuse

We have always been interested in documenting just how much wear and tear and consumable parts a bike uses over its life time. We have just never been organised enough to do it. Until we met Rob Lyons.

Rob started working for Vertigo in 2021 after getting stuck in New Zealand due to the pandemic. Rob is an engineer formally working for Triumph motor bikes in the UK. A man with a very analytical mind and lover of spreadsheets, he has kept tabs of all aspects of his Airdrop Edit V4, both in terms of parts used and distances travelled. So 18 months in with his trusty V4, we though it would be interesting to look at just how the bike has survived the rigours of Queenstown under Robs relentless amount of riding.





Rob racing the full Vertigo Ride More DH Series, taking 2nd Overall in Open Mens


Bike Use Stats

Rider: Rob “Hot Potato” Lyons

Age: 29 and 11 months

Height: 183cm

Weight: 85ish kg (don’t ask me after post ride chips)

Years Riding: 4

Riding Background: Full motohead

Ride style: none

How long have you owned the bike: about 18 months

Riding stats since owning the bike, KMs done, Height ascended/descended: 5600km out,

303kmm up, 303km plus about 300 gondola laps down.

Parts used/consumed in that time: Maybe 8 chains and 5 chainrings. 1 brake rotor, 1 shock, 1

rear rim. Loooaaads of bearings - frame pivots, headset, pedals, hubs. I don’t count soft bits

(pads, grips and tyres). Still on the OG cassette.


Done a few km's and still going strong


Bike Spec

Frame: Airdrop Edit V4 Large

Colour: Raw with Matte Black rear triangle/custom graphics

Forks: Rockshox Lyrik Ultimate RC2 170mm with 37mm Offset

Rear Shock: Super Deluxe Ultimate Coil with 500lb spring

Stem: Burgtec Enduro Mk 3 35mm

Handlebars: Burgtec Ride Wide Enduro (800mm - full moto)

Grips: Deity Supracush

Seatpost: OneUp 210mm

Brakes: Avid Code (Just like Brandon Semenuk, cwoodphoto and The Crug Life)

Rotors: 220/200 Sram

Wheels: EX511 on DT350s. Homemade.

Tyres: DD Maxx Grip Assegai, Wire bead DH casing Minion DHRII

Rear Derailleur: Sram X01 Eagle Lunar

Cassette: Sram X01 Eagle Lunar

Shifter: Sram X01 Eagle

Cranks: Sram X01 carbon

Chainring: Sram 32T. Ally in summer, steel in winter.

Pedals: Unite Instinct V1 with homemade pins

Chain: Sram X01 Eagle

Chain Guide: Unite Compact chain guide with bash guard

Customs/personal modifications:

- Shrink wrap on lever blades,

- Custom taller/narrower pedal pins,

- Considerate and tidy cable routing




Details

Tyre Pressures: 20-24, 22-26. Depends on when I last pumped them up.

Fork pressure: 90psi, 3 tokens

Shock spring rate: 500lbs

Suspension Setup: On the fast side of the middle. Nothing crazy.

Brakes - tips/secrets: Use racing DOT fluid to avoid brake fade (higher boiling temp). Service

the calipers regularly. Get the right size rotors. Bleed them before they need it. Keep your levers

and calipers clean, inside and out.

Flats Or Clips? I’d be fired from Vertigo Bikes Queenstown if I tried clips.

Tyre inserts Yay or Nay? I’d rather focus on considered and creative line choice than carry

around a cushion in my cores.


Anything you would change: I’m curious to see what a mullet set up would ride like.

Favourite components:

- Loving the Avid Codes. Unexpectedly better than the Sram Code RSCs I had before. A

bit more power, with as much if not more modulation.

- 210mm of seat drop is now my minimum.

- Specialized Power saddle. No more sore gooch. No more chamois. Cruisy as bro.

Any Secrets Or Setup Tips??

- Get to know the advisor before you blindly follow the advice. If someone weighs 85ish kg

and you weigh 50kg, they probably want bigger rotors than you do.

- X01 chains are the best value Sram chain dollar per km.

- Re-size your fork bushings. Service your suspension when you’re supposed to.

- Spend your time and money maintaining what you’ve got. New bearings are a better

upgrade than fancy anodized pedals. Suspension servicing is not optional.

- Clean and lube your drivetrain more than you already do.

- Go riding :)

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