So itchy feet is striking again after 3 and a half years ownership of a mk1 bronson. Currently looking at the patrol carbon frame only and after some feedback from people who have either ridden it or owned it. Read all the good reviews etc but after real world reviews not ‘they threw money at us to review it’ review. (I’m aware of the irony of this statement seeing as I ride a Santa Cruz)

Paging stewartc…

You NEED one so I can try it before I buy one! Simples!

Yeahhhh I’m sure our height differences won’t skew it at all!

I like mine. If you are near Brum and think a large would fit you would be welcome to try it for size.

Also really interested in one, read lots of good things but not tried one. Slightly worried about the whole ‘too much bike’ thing… Obvs imagine it’d be great at BPW/Gatwon/Antur which i’d make it too occasionally along with a few enduros but wonder how it is for more traily/pedally UK stuff?

It’s fine on most trails. Obviously not as taut as a full on XC machine, but it’s fun on most stuff.

They look amazing and get 5 star reviews. I’ve bounced around on one but that didn’t tell me much. Don’t know anyone that owns one.

Slightly worried about the whole ‘too much bike’ thing

Buy a Scout. Every bit as cool but possibly way more suited to UK riding. I’d consider one as I don’t live in Squamish and write Pinkbike reviews.

Test riding one in a couple of weeks after throwing a leg over one. Even the wife, who’s normally a medium, felt that was too small so she’s trying the large.

I had one. It’s probably the bike i’ve owned for the least amount of time in recent years.

It was to replace a Reign Team Advanced I had, which i’d been on for yearly 2 years. I wanted something a bit more lively than the Reign, but also similar travel etc as I race a lot of DH & Enduro on my only bike, so on paper it looked like a good candidate. Numbers all stacked up, steeper seat angle was certainly a welcome improvement.

In fairness to it, it was certainly a lot more lively and fun to ride. It was also, however, a lot slower for me. My race results were noticeably worse on that bike.

The Monarch Plus on it was terrible to start with, so I went for what I ran on the Reign, a Float X2, which was an improvement, but a total sh*t to set up, it still wasn’t a patch on the Giants Maestro system though.

I think their bikes suit certain riding styles (not mine!) I tend to ride off the back of the bike & it just didn’t work – they run a lot of sag as standard and my riding style just made that worse. It felt in most cases like I was riding a 120mm rear travel bike. Totally weird.

I fought it for 5 months and conceded defeat.

So, I would say getting a demo is important, as is spending the time to set it up. If it suits you, it’s probably the great bike that gets a lot of praise. If it doesn’t, then you would be like me – not enjoying it at all.

Oh, and it was a VERY noisy bike – which doesn’t help, as that’s a big pet hate of mine.

Really interesting comments above. Worth noting that the new version comes with a metric shock so if you don’t get on with the shock, options are not as plentiful as others.

THought they had QC issues with them?

I personally wouldn’t bother with the carbon version, its pretty expensive and doesn’t save much weight. The new version with the metric shock have a better leverage curve compared to the old. I run a coil on my suppressor and it soaks up the bumps and I’m really happy with the bikes ability. no issues with climbing either particularly with the CS on the shock. Didn’t like the monarch at all on the frame. I don’t run the 35% sag transition suggest though. I don’t have any issue with noise on mine.

If I was buying a bike now, the airdrop edit would at the top of my list.

Mine is running a Bos Kirk and this shock seems to suit the bike as tuned. I run 30% sag and it certainly doesn’t blow through the travel or by the same token fail to use it either.

I like steep technical riding more than fast open trails and it seems well suited to this and my riding style. I have ridden some other bikes with similar travel in particular the 2015 Enduro, YT Capra and more recently a 2016 Slash. I have preferred it to all of them – it feels more lively that them all and yet more planted than them too… Might just be my bias though.

Mine is silent BTW. No noise at all.

thanks for all the comments, interesting about it not suiting you and being noisy. I profess to being a weight weenie with the Bronson being carbon so carbon is on the ‘to buy’ list. I also have a hardtail I ride at other times so not too worried about it being over travelled, if anything a bit more travel than the Bronson would be welcome.

It’s a right pain in the bum shopping for a new bike, too many conflicting opinions and other bikes out there!!

I can sympathise. My carbon wonderbike recently left me so I’ve been looking around. Obviously, as I’ve “reached” the level of boutique carbon, I wanted to stay there. However, the bike that has turned my head most so far is the humble Airdrop Edit. It’s “only” aluminium, but the ride is lovely.

I profess to being a weight weenie

look else where, the carbon patrol isn’t light.

Yeah Onza, I liked the customisability of the airdrop edit at least but yep like you, not carbon so no go!

I tend to ride off the back of the bike & it just didn’t work

Yeah that’s not really gonna work too well with transition geometry.

Why was your bike noisy? Internal routing can be completely silenced with a bit of narrow pipe insulation, or I just shoved a cut sponge down the downtube on my smuggler which stops the cables moving . With a dt rear hub it’s basically silent.

Yeah that’s not really gonna work too well with transition geometry.

Why was your bike noisy? Internal routing can be completely silenced with a bit of narrow pipe insulation, or I just shoved a cut sponge down the downtube on my smuggler which stops the cables moving . With a dt rear hub it’s basically silent.

I don’t think it was the geometry – the Reign I came from was, save for the seat angle, almost a like for like bike.

I can only assume if was the way the suspension worked & the (lot of) sag they want you to run. Anyway, it totally didn’t work for me.

The carboon has cable runners inside, it wasn’t the cable that was the issue, it was chain slap – it was outrageously loud. I can only put it down to the wider profile of the carbon chain stays over the aluminium meaning the chain ran closer to the stay & the exceptionally hard rubber used on the protector. It quietened down when i put a couple of layers of 3M mastic over the top to dampen the noise, but it was still loud.

I’ve seen other reviews comment on how quiet the bike is, and equally others complaining about the noise, so I know it’s not an isolated incident.

Chain was the correct length, and rear mech worked fine – Everything else has gone over to my new bike (Trek) and it really is silent by comparison.

GolfChick – Member
Yeah Onza, I liked the customisability of the airdrop edit at least but yep like you, not carbon so no go!

I think I might go the other way. The ride on the Airdrop is so good, I’ve had to bend my own criteria about the next bike being carbon.

How did you sort out a demo for it then Onza? local stockists or just an arranged demo day?

Heavy? Mine is under 28lb – weighed on real not ‘magic’ scales.

We just contacted Ed at Airdrop and took it for a ride in the Peak. Not sure what happens if you’re further away but if you can make it, it’s well worth the journey.

I got one and love it coming from a Spicy. Not as light as i thought it would be. Very quiet but i have a ’17 frame where cables exit the frame further forward – not sure if that makes a difference for cable rattle. Chain slap not an issue at all. The metric shock is great at 35% too. I have gone for a size up as the seat tube is short so i can get away with a longer bike. This means i am forced to get my weight forward which suits me. Although looking at photos from this weekend, i could get a lot further forward. Compared to my old bike i am loving the wheelbase, reach and head angle – i might go slacker! I’m not bothered about pedalling uphill or flats quickly which is why i went Patrol over a Scout or similar. In hindsight, i dont really need a Carbon bike.

jamj1974 – Member
Heavy? Mine is under 28lb – weighed on real not ‘magic’ scales.

What is your spec out of interest.

Interested to know, as mine was built light, other than the Float X2 and it was a good chunk heavier.

For a thread about Transition Patrol’s there’s lots of mentions of the Airdrop Edit. I must admit it’s tempting and the V2 has addressed all of the niggly problems of the original. Plus you can now get a black one.

And I live in Sheffield, not Seattle. I might arrange a test ride…

Bos Kirk shock
Bos Deville FCV fork
Renthal Fat Bar Carbon 780mm
Renthal Apex stem 35mm
Renthal Tacky Grips
Specialized Command Post
Old Fizik Gobi Ti saddle
XX-1 shifter, mech and cassette
RaceFace SixC 165 cranks w/ 30T ring
RaceFace BB
Specialized Boomslang pedals
Formula RO brakes w/203F 185R
Roval Fattie wheels
Magic Mary 2.35 TL Easy Snakeskin Trailstar
Hand Dampf 2.35 TL Easy Snakeskin Trailstar

Have to say mines exceptionally quiet.

I did think I’d have to wrap the chainstay in something but I haven’t had to.

Ffs I just said that out loud. Kiss of death.

Fair few people seem to be riding them so cheers for that, might have to try and fix up a demo. Have to admit it’s selling factor currently is the non boost rear hub, if I embraced the change there’s probably other bikes I’d pick. I think I read two year warranty only as well which is a big sticking point for me if that’s right. I put a fair amount of importance on the warranty of a bike and the experience of customer contact too. Not to say that’s an issue with transition but the fact after two years it may be ‘tough luck’ is worrying.