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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