UK 4X racer Dan Wagstaff has been riding a very special bike at this year's national 4X series with a unique AirDrop Filter. When Airdrop first conceived the Filter trail bike they sketched out an idea for a do it all short travel bike. At that point they straight away saw the possibility to do a 4X variant. Call it a 4X bike, a Dual bike, a Slopeduro bike, a Jib bike... whatever you want; but something that you could just have fun on. As the project progressed it became clear that Airdrop couldn't really have the trail bike that they really wanted and a genuine 4X bike in the same package; at least not without making compromises. So reluctantly they had to shelve it.
But like all good ideas this one didn't die. It was there hiding in the shadows waiting for the opportunity to present itself when it could come to the fore. Now this wasn't in the form of a 4X race, instead it was apt, as Airdrop are a Sheffield brand through and through, that it was built for Peaty's Steel City race. It's clear that this bike was too good to end up just on the wall so it's ended up with Dan to not only race National Championships on it (in which he came 5th) but also finish out the UK season alongside the 4X Pro Tour round in Val di Sole. It will be amazing to see this bike get the chance to do what it was built for: battling it at the highest levels of 4X racing.
The main change from the Filter trail bike (that's available right now) and this prototype 4X version is sizing; this sits right between the currently available small and medium. It's still running a 150mm travel fork out front with 135mm of rear travel with a few extra tweaks made to them.
The frame design is beautiful, simple and clean. It has standard bearings used in all its pivots and has external cable routing with a threaded bottom bracket to make working on the bike as simple as physically possible.
In its trail bike configuration, the Filter runs 135mm travel out back. That's with a 185x55mm shock. You can get 50mm stroke shocks in the same size which would deliver 122mm travel, and given that for 4X large amounts of rear travel aren't needed, Airdrop thought about going down that route. Coupling that with Rockshox MegNeg air can with higher pressure would be the dream setup. However, in the end due to budget constraints, it was decided to opt for the 185x55mm standard Rockshox Super Deluxe with all of the tokens in it. There is 215psi of air in it and the rebound is set from 8 clicks from its slowest setting.
Fitted up front is a RockShox Pike Ultimate at 150mm. This is to preserve the head-angle and front-end height, but once again with all the tokens fitted in the air chamber to get a bit more progression. There is 97psi in the pikes and the rebound is set to 5 clicks from its slowest position.
For wheels, there is a workhorse set of Hope Fortus 35's running Hope's Pro 4 hubs. Wrapped around the Hope rims are a set of Michelin Wild Enduro 2.4 tyres which are running tubeless. Dan was running 27psi in the front tyre and 30psi in the rear.
It's a full SRAM groupset on Dan's Filter 4x. With SRAM's GX DH groupset installed including the 7-speed cassette and a super nice KMC gold chain.
There's more from SRAM's GX range with a set of its aluminium cranks installed with a DMR Blade 34t chainring mounted. The chain is kept in place by the E*thirteen TRS chain guide with a top guide and lower bash guard. Like all 4X racers it's clip pedals for Dan with a set of HT's X2's fitted here.
Nice little race touches with grip tape added to the SRAM GX shifter for the extra grip when you need it.
Some old brakes are fitted but if they work they work. It's more SRAM here with their Avid X0 Trail brakes being used with a set of SRAM 160mm discs front and rear.
Burgtec provides the bar and stem combo on Dan's bike. For bars there is Burgtec's Ride High Josh Bryceland Signature alloy handlebar cut to 780mm wide with 50mm rise mounted to a Burgtec Enduro MK3 stem and finished off with a set of DMR Deathgrips. The Burgtec parts don't stop there, with the UK brand also providing its Cloud Boost saddle.
A massive thanks to Dan and to Airdrop for their help putting this together.
High rise Burgtec bars (hope they don’t break, ahhh, hahah), external routing “make it easier to work on”, 27.5 because that’s how to party.
WTF is the industry (and PB) thinking?
Mullet is no more playful than a full 29er, stoopid rabbit.
May I take your coat sir?@AirdropBikes:
All the time
Every time
Would be Interesting to try a mini millet set up to see how that reacts
But please keep acting like there is some big conspiracy "by the industry" to controll what u ride.
You want 26" DJ you can buy new forks all day long. Because that's the only place CONSUMER DEMAND has always been... But lets face it, even there the demand is not comparitivly high.
time for a nap
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
You complained that the industry killed off 26". I've clearly made the point that it was lack of consumer demand that has reduced 26" to a niche market.
"You want 26" DJ you can buy new forks all day long. Because that's the only place CONSUMER DEMAND has always been... But lets face it, even there the demand is not comparitivly high."
so I can but, I can't errrr whut
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
like I said zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
NO WONDER YOU KEEP FALLING ASLEEP... you got nothing interesting to say!!
Says the guy in a REPLY...... an you question my reading ability......?
GFY
Please tell me what anything you've said has to do with gated racing or this bike?
My recent user name change is because of this very bullshit, PB is boring, MTB is boring and YOU, are boring
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YOU said this => "chicken egg. how can you say no one buys 26 when 26 isnt an option? because industry"
And I've responded multiple times that this is BS because back when 26" had as much floor space as the other sizes nobody was buying it. Done. That's not because of the industry. That's because of the lack of customers for the product.
Here's a hint. A "conversation", would be "IF" you were able to refute that point or add to the discussion. It doesn't seem like your capable of that because instead you just keep vomiting garbage...
If this is so boring then just stop replying.
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You know f*ck ALL about what your chatting shit about
The thread is old an dead.....
But you know what.... you win... youve heard the joke about arguing on the Internet
..... well well done congrats you just won the special Olympics
Prick
YOU said this => "chicken egg. how can you say no one buys 26 when 26 isnt an option? because industry"
And I've responded with good points. You got nothin...
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go ride your XC bike
I don't have a XC bike right now...?
Great stuff!! Airdrop have gone very high in my opinion!
But
needs the ability to run 26 both ends an mini mullet, maybe a flip chip dropout, that would make this bike PERFECT!!
How difficult is to adding adjustable dropouts and make this bike mini mullet compatible. Dont need to sell the bike like this. Just offering this to the riders that want to have a bit more of acceleration at the gate starts as an option.
I think this will be well received and be probably one of a few companies that can offer this.
Glad to see something different from Wagon wheel enduros. What's the HT angle ? Trendy slack or fast and accurate ?
Fudge
would be dope AF
Awesomesauce
@henryquinney told me to have an opinion, I'm sticking to it. If you've genuinely tried a 29er or mullet and don't like it, then by all means ride a short travel 27.5" bike!
Also, I didn't know there where rules to jibbing? After all, we are all just out in the woods playing with bikes.