Airdrop Bikes (United Kingdom) - Press Release: We give you the lowdown on the new Edit v4; what we've changed, why and how we made it all happen.

We love the Edit v3 (and so do plenty of you) but we can't stand still for too long; Mountain Biking is too progressive for that. The new Edit v4 represents an evolution of the Edit. The same tried and trusted kinematics and layout with a handful of carefully considered updates to ensure the Edit remains the best it can be. 

This wasn't a ground-up redesign in the way the v3 was. As a small, homegrown bike brand producing everything in small batches, we can bring updates in as and when we choose or when we feel that we can change things up for the better. We don't have to worry about model-years or competitive advantage; for us it's purely about making the best bikes we possibly can.

So What's New?

We'll deep-dive into each point below but the short version is:

• A new one-piece CNC machined rocker
• Increased clearance for the latest generation of shocks
• An externally butted seat-tube
• New geometry aimed at refining the sizing
• Lighter alloy pivot hardware throughout

In addition to the technical changes to the Edit v4 frame, we've also made a bunch of improvements to the range, the specs on the Edit v4 bikes and the way we're doing custom build options:

• Updated build kits: new Luxe, Deluxe and Works bikes
• Handbuilt wheels on the Works bike
• New range of custom build options with an online bike builder tool (coming soon)

Geometry and Sizing:

It's been almost two years since we launched the Edit v3 and in that time we've learned a lot both from our own day-to-day riding and from customer feedback. Whilst we're not afraid to go our own way when we need to, we're also ready to listen and learn, and to use that to improve.

One of the key trends was for customers to choose to upsize, particularly in the overlap between Medium and Large. It's not so much a question of the dimensions of either bike and more a question of where we chose to split those two groups, so we were keen for the Edit v4 Medium and Large to be sized more definitively and make that choice easier for customers.

We also listened to a number of customers whose concern was around the 'Effective Top-tube' dimension which when published originally gave the impression that the bikes were shorter than they are. In truth that was driven by the (for the time) extremely steep seat-angle and was not a reflection on the reach of each bike at all. Nevertheless, it was clear that there was a preference for bikes to be a little longer and so we have added 5mm to Small, 10mm to Medium, 5mm to Large and 5mm to X-Large. As a result the Edit v4 is longer across the board and the sizing is more evenly distributed. You should now be able to follow our sizing advice with more confidence.

We also chose to drop the seat-tube lengths to get absolutely maximum standover clearance on all sizes. With the advent of longer drop seat posts there's really no longer a need for tall bikes - even for tall riders.

The key performance elements of the Edit's geometry remain the same. We love the way the Edit rides so if it ain't broke, don't fix it.