Bike Check: Callum's Edit v3

Callum's a freelance sports & adventure photographer based in Queenstown, NZ. He's also a good friend. With a bit of help from Vertigo Bikes, we hooked him up with a sweet Edit v3 custom build. 

Callum's a man of few words, but that's OK: we'll let his pictures do the talking. And I'm sure you'll agree, he's put together a nice looking bike. The build was done at Vertigo Bikes in Queenstown but the spec's not far off the Edit v3 Works build we offer here, with a couple of personal twists to make it perfect for Callum. Anyhow, take a look and see what Callum's got to say about it... 

Rider

Age: 26

Height: 5' 9" or 175cm

Weight: 69kg

Years Riding: 12-15 years

Riding Background: Like every city kid I dabbled in some BMX then moved to bigger wheels.

Riding Style: Excited Sloth.

Callum's Bike Spec

Tyre Choice & Pressures

Went all in on WTB which was a first for me after the guys at Airdrop recommended them. A 2.5" Vigilante upfront and a 2.4" judge out back both in the soft compound. After being partial to a yellow sidewall sticker for the last few years and having had my fair share of sidewall cuts, the WTB’s have been a welcome change; traction for days, no issues with tyre damage. Spot on.

Fork

It's red, love it. Big improvement over the previous generation Lyriks on my older bike.

Shock

First coil on my trail bike and I'm sold. I feel so much more confident on the bike in the rougher stuff. I even feel slightly less slow...

Suspension Setup

Honestly I don’t know a great deal regarding suspension setup! High speed this and low speed that, for others it’s the Holy Grail… Everything happened to feel so good out of the box so I kinda just left as is other than an extra token in the fork and around 70psi. ish.

Cockpit

I've gone for the full Burgtec setup up-front. 38mm rise Josh Bryceland Limited’s (big fan) which feel good on the wrists. And a 35mm Enduro stem to keep the steering snappy.

Wheels

I wanted a solid wheelset and it was a bit of a struggle finding a factory built set that met all my criteria without costing the earth. So I decided to get the lads at Vertigo Bikes to build me something up. Went for DT Swiss EX511 rims on Hope Pro4 Hubs. If you’re after a solid wheelset that doesn’t break the bank I reckon this is where it’s at. Sure there are lighter options out there but I wanted something that would last and could deal with me casing jumps and taking all the wrong lines for the foreseeable future. I'm 6 months in now and not touched them - bearings are perfect and never had to get the spoke key out so great success.

Drivetrain

In a time of Eagles and Seagulls i went for a prehistoric 11spd SRAM GX setup. I had X01 Eagle on my last bike and never really found myself getting up in to that overdrive gear, even with a 34t chainring up front. I also have a bad habit of riding into things so 12 speed's finer tolerances and bent derailleurs aren’t exactly a match made in heaven. So splashing the extra cash on a extra gear I would rarely use and a expensive mech I would no doubt bend out of shape pretty quick seemed daft. Long live 1x11!

Brakes

SRAM Code RSC’s, 200mm rotor up front and 180mm rotor out back. Struggling for what to say about these great brakes. Plenty of power on tap, good modulation, no reliability issues. Sweet As.

Flats or Clips?

Burgtec Penthouse Flat Mk4. Simple and elegant.

Anything You Would Change?

I’m really not sure there is a anything I would, its certainly isn’t a weight weenie build but i don’t feel that when uphilling (that seat angle helps for sure). Maybe a white frame ;-)

Favourite Components?

Super Deluxe Coil. Burgtec 38mm rise Ride wide bars.

Any Secrets or Setup Tips?

Whittaker's 5 Roll Refined chocolate before every ride.

What Was Your Last Bike? How Does The Edit v3 Compare?

My last rig was a plastic Kona Process, a good bike for sure but I always felt like I wanted something a little more planted and the Edit v3 delivered in that way and much more. Felt good to get back on an alloy frame too, I'm not really sure why but I definitely prefer it, I think with my previous carbon bike I always had a little bit of paranoia about impact damage and that’s the last thing you want to be thinking about when you're busy riding into blunt objects.

I really can’t say enough good stuff about this new Edit, I felt at home instantly and it has given me a new lease of confidence. It’s a planted but snappy ride that gets on the gas with ease, cliché I know but it’s the truth!

Bravo Fellas!

Callum Wood Photography

Callum Wood is a freelance adventure and sports photographer based out of Queenstown, New Zealand; he produced all the photography for this blog post himself. You'll be seeing a lot more of his work as our partnership with Vertigo Bikes develops. And although he might not confess it himself (he's a humble kind of chap), we think he's a master of his craft. Look him up:

Instagram: @cwoodphoto

Website: www.cwoodphoto.co.nz