So, after lots of reading, research and arguing with myself i have decided against my previous thread about a new bike.

I have now decided to shortlist to the airdrop edit v2 sport, yt jeffsy al one 27 and the bird aeris 145 shimano or gx versions, unless there are other similar spec bikes i have missed? I really like transition bikes but don’t think i could quite stretch to one unfortunately.

Does anyone have any opinions on which of these would be best? I know different bikes suit different people and there will be difference of opinions but just looking for experiences of them etc.

Thanks

Go get some demos – simple enough for two of those bikes

If you like Transitions get the Airdrop. I wanted a Patrol but went for an Edit, it rides (and looks) alot like my mate’s Patrol. In fact I think its better 😀

Also the sizing suited me, the large is quite big so it fits me very well whilst the L and XL Patrols I tried felt a bit small and bit big.

I would say the Airdrop is maybe a bit more Capra than Jeffsy as well, especially with a 160 fork

Get some demo’s. On paper they are similar bikes with similar geo, but they ride differently.

Personally I’d go for the Aeris 145, but then I ride am Mk1.5 Aeris because I like how the Birds ride.

If you can, ride some. Certainly the Airdrop and the Aeris should be viable.

I ran into a similar conumdrum last year and plumped for the Aeris. I chatted via email with Ed and met up with Dan from Bird. I didn’t go for the Airdrop because it was a little heavier, a little more DH focussed, and didn’t have stealth routing (which the mk2 does).

I test rode an Aeris on a filthy Feb nightride with Dan and liked it. It pedalled and climbed well, and descended even better. I then went to Bird to make sure I needed a large and not a medium. After buying I didn’t like the colour, so went to Bird again and did a straight swap – Ben prep’d the frame in front of me and I ended up buying forks from him too.

I like my Bird a lot, but a good mate I ride with also likes his Airdrop a lot (admittedly he does hit bigger jumps and drops than me).

I’d buy one or the other very happily – both companies are great to deal with and TBH I don’t think you can go far wrong with either. I’d just think about what you want it for and look carefully at the sizing.

Demo’ed an Edit recently and I was really impressed. It rides a lot lighter than you’d think, and Ed strikes me as the sort of bloke who’d be really easy to deal with. They can also do Shimano builds now. Not had experience of Birds and I’d avoid YT after hearing all the nightmare warranty stories.

‘d avoid YT after hearing all the nightmare warranty stories

In the interest of fairness, what warranty stories have you heard with Jeffsy’s? They seem to have it pretty dialled after the spate of early Capra issues.

Unsure about airdrop regards to warranty. I seem to remember it being short (2years) the bird warranty is fantastic, probably the best out there which is surprising given the exceptional value they offer

Jeffsy

Aeris, but I’m biased.

I demo’d the Aeris 145 back in January and promptly bought one (GX, 160mm Boost Lyriks, Super Deluxe rear shock) based on a number of points:
The way it rode – I wrote a mini review of it on here somewhere.
The frame – the level of detail that the guys at Bird have thought about is unbelievable. Almost everything on the bike has been designed and engineered to the nth degree. Ben spent time showing me the leverage curves and explaining how they’d arrived at the shock tune they had, the way the seatstay top section was machined as one piece for stiffness, etc.
The warranty – lifetime transferable, yes please. Having heard so many good stories of Bird bending over backwards to help customers out really reassured me.
The geometry – having followed the development of the Pole Evolink, Mondraker’s Forward Geometry and the Mojo Geometron, I wanted something with properly long proportions (in Large size).

I’ve yet to regret my decision..

kinda depends on whether you like or want a 29er. If you do, then by all accounts the Jeffsy is very good.

Edit vs Aeris is more than likely personal preference, unless you’re just buying a frame and building with parts you already have (Aeris uses boost spacing, the Edit currently does not).

I’ve only ridden the Aeris so far, and it was very impressive. Great on the climbs and very fast on the descents.
The Edit is meant to be the same, good at climbing and very good on the descents, but how they go about it will feel different due to differing suspension designs.
Reach lengths are different too.

RussyH, it’s more the awful experiences mates have had trying to get them sorted than reliability issues with the bikes per se. No contact for weeks, that sort of thing. Admittedly this was with Capras, but still.

Bit of a curve ball for you….lol…
http://www.last-bikes-shop.com/epages/62262325.mobile/en_GB/?ViewObjectPath=%2FShops%2F62262325%2FCategories%2FSpecialOffers

edit (I may be biased)

Very happy with my Edit, certainly the quietest of the many bikes I’ve
owned and it doesn’t seem like a bike that would require warranty, feels bomb proof! Sizing feels spot on for me, the large feels similar to my large Bird zero tr, but I think a large Aeris would be too long for me. Both great companies that give the personal touch.

I think a large Aeris would be too long for me

That’s the beauty of Bird doing 5 different sizes, there’s at least one that will fit you. Possibly the ML if the L is a little big. At 5’7″ I’m comfortable on both the M and ML with slight tweaks to stem length and saddle position. However I find my mates L Edit too big.

Thing is I need the long seat tube for height, I have stupid long legs for my height and big feet, so always masses of seat post showing. The size large Edit and zero fit great with a 35mm stem, but I wouldn’t want any more reach or any less seat tube.

Happy with my v1 edit. Ed has been spot on to deal with and I like the sizing of my medium (i’m 5’8″). After a year of use i’m just about to change the bearings and it’s only £20 for the lot, much cheaper than the £75 I had to pay on my old smuggler.

Ben spent time showing me the leverage curves and explaining how they’d arrived at the shock tune they had

Dan’s article on this was great too.

Thing is I need the long seat tube for height

I’m the opposite. Short legs but like a long reach. In fact I’d prefer a shorter seat tube on my Mk1.5 Aeris. Bikes seem to going the way of longer reach and shorter seat tubes to allow longer droppers.

Yes, we are all different, my Large Edit v2 and 170mm reverb still has 35mm exposed below the collar and I am only five eleven and running low profile 12mm deep pedals. The Edit is a nice long bike with decent reach, but personally I wouldn’t want it much longer.

Never tried a Jeffsy so can’t comment on how they ride. Black mark from me is they are direct sales model in a different country.

I have bought an Aeris 145 which I love, but also demo’d an Edit. Both are good bikes and both owners of the businesses are happy to sit and chat to face and seem really helpful.

For me the AirDrop went uphill ok and swallowed everything on the downhill.

The Aeris pedalled better for me on the flat and uphill and was also good downhill. So I went with one of those. I’d say I had a better place to test ride the Aeris though in terms of peddling a lap of Swinley – I test ride the AirDrop at lady cannings plantation which is a few short runs down hill (both a bit peddally in places and tight corners) then a fireroad climb back up. I think it would have been fairer to find some better trails to try it on, but I didn’t have the time to do that as I had to get back home again from Sheffield.

The Aeris just felt right for me and it has a great frame warranty.