Budget £1400 ish new or 2nd hand. 27.5 boost

My radon jab is to small for me, it’s a large but I am 6 2 and it is a bit cramped. This bike has to do pretty much everything although I have a stanton hardtail as well. Live in peaks but visit scotland,lakes, wales alps etc. Considering

Rocket
Transition Patrol
Airdrop edit
Nomad/bronson

Have some 170mm helms but travel can be knocked down. Anything else I should be thinking about or maybe a bit less travel ?

I’d have suggested my Intense Spider 275c, but it’s a bit over budget 😉

I’d be willing to split though if you were interested. Funnily enough, just before Christmas I was looking at putting a Helm fork on it to go with the coil I recently fitted.

I went 29er and ended up with a Trek Slash 8, which feels like an ace all rounder. Would you not consider a Remedy?

Bird Aeris AM160 fits in your criteria.

Remedy I like but seat tube is to long in my size, I had an aeris and did not get on with it

I’m the same height as you and I get what you mean. Seat tubes are a minefield on XL bikes. Pretty much every bike I’ve had in the last few years has had a 150mm dropper slammed down, or near to the collar.

Yeah I have a 210mm dropper as well, which I can adjust but I do like it as it is, I suspect on the XL remedy I would have to go to 150.

Bloody love my Patrol. An XL would suit you right I’d have thought.
Super fun, poppy bike, and the new ones aren’t hobbled with the appalling Monarch that blights the ride on mine.

2019 Transition Patrol Alloy Frame

Patrols are ace, and your Helms would drop right on at 170mm. Even if they aren’t reduced offset (the Patrol is set with 37mm) then it isn’t the end of the world, will still ride great. We have plenty of customers with 42/44mm offset forks having a hoot 🤟

Fwiw I run 170 on the front of my 16 Patrol with no negative effects. It’s bloody great. Still a total riot, but plenty in the tank to get you out of the sticky situations it’ll inevitably get you into 😀

If you’re considering a Nomad, maybe have a look for a secondhand Radon Swoop 27in frame (or full build probably under your budget anyway).

Bloody amazing bike and longer reach than the Jab IIRC.

Only sold mine ‘cos it didn’t have 29in wheels. Now on the 29in version anyway.

I’ve ridden the V2 version of the Airdrop Edit and then chose to buy an Aeris 145 instead. For me the Aeris was a bit more poppy and just felt better. I felt like I was over the front wheel too much on the Edit – although the rear suspension was very good – it had a coil on it and as long as you cleared just with the front wheel it just ate up rocks.

Which Aeris didn’t you get on with?

I was looking at the Patrol originally and ruled it out on price, but there look to be some great frame only deals at the moment.

I’m not a huge fan of the look of steel fs bikes like the Cotic, but I do like the look of both of the above Santa crux’s.

I think the SC’s will probably pedal better as they are VPP vs the Horst link bikes you are looking at. Not sure if the Cotic will be somewhere in the middle – think that’s a single pivot with a linkage driven shock.

I just lacked confidence on the aeris it felt a bit dead in the rear. Lots of people like them I just could get on with it. I have a demo on a rocket on saturday so will see how that goes.

From your short list, the Edit would be in the lead for me. I find an active Horst link bike far preferable to the way the vpp tends to stall on techy climbs.

I know what you mean about the bird, tested the am9 and the Aeris 145. They weren’t bad bikes just didn’t rate them.
A mate bought an am9 after the demo though and loves it
Transition patrol was on my shortlist after the edit v2 and it’s a beauty! So much fun. I reckon the edit v3 would be similar to the patrol in a lot of ways.
They would be the top of my list. Ed at airdrop is a good guy to deal with and it is very good having the backup of someone on the phone ya few hours away from most places in the Uk.
I liked the rocket on the demo but just found the rocketmax did it all better for me!
Don’t think you could go far wrong!

Current Rocket has £300 off so could be a good deal. If you’re in the peaks you should be able to pop along and get a demo out of their office at Calver

I like the look of the latest orange 5 now, 65 ha, 485 reach and 1240mm wheelbase looks good in XL.