NBD - Bird Aether 9

[Numnut]

ae9-medium (1).jpg (526.32 KiB) Viewed 1755 times

Well not quite today, but it should be here in the next few days! It's an ex-demo, but doesn't really look like it's been used very much. Comes with lifetime warranty. I'm sure at some point I'll want some 150 forks, but I think for most of the time this will do everything I need it to. Quite looking forward to trying the Formula Curas too.

Spec-wise:
Rockshox Pike Ultimate Charger 3 RC2 Silver MY23 Silver, 140mm travel
Rockshox Deluxe Select+ RT Debonair MY21, 210×55
DT Swiss M1900 wheelset
Maxxis DHF and Dissector tyres
Sram GX Eagle 12 speed groupset
Formula Cura 4 brakes with 203/180 rotors
BIRD Blank 40mm stem
BIRD Big Baw 780mm width, 20mm rise bar
Raceface Getta grips
BIRD Down dropper post, 170mm drop
BIRD Stork saddle

It's a Medium frame, they reckoned I'd be fine on an M or ML, but given their M is bigger than the T130 M I didn't want to go up to the ML.

As this has 29 inch wheels it is going to render my 27.5 part-worn tyre collection useless! I've also got a nice T130 looking for a new home...

[weeksy]

That's bloody ACE mate. As i implied on the other post, sizing down with a Bird is deffo a good plan IMO as they come up long. You'll easily be able to make the Pikes 150 for the price of an air-shaft and they're excellent forks in their own right.

The rest of the spec looks great. Do check what compound the Maxxis are if you're pedalling a fair bit, the Maxxgrip are very draggy. (if it's the ones in pics they're 3C Max Terra which are excellent)

[Numnut]

Cheers, yeah I'm pretty excited! I did remember your experience with the 7 and didn't want to risk chucking a load of cash at something I wasn't going to enjoy.

Unfortunately these new pikes only go to 140mm, so it'll need to be some Lyriks if I want more travel. I think for the most part 140 is going to do me just fine. I've already got a bag of tokens if I need to put a couple in.

I think it'll do me for a few years... more pictures when it arrives. If it's here before the weekend it'll get a run out at Twisted Oaks otherwise I'll stick a 'for-sale' sign on the T130 as I ride it round!

[Numnut]

It's out for delivery today...typically the weather doesn't look great this weekend but should get a nice day at Twisted on Monday. Pictures when it arrives...

[Numnut]

IMG_6526.jpeg (296.58 KiB) Viewed 1587 times

IMG_6522-2.jpeg (294.88 KiB) Viewed 1587 times

IMG_6523-2.jpeg (205.14 KiB) Viewed 1587 times

It’s arrived! Looks lovely, no marks on the frame, not bad for an ex demo

[Numnut]

Nice amount of orange around the place too. Will be getting some orange decals for the forks too

IMG_6524-2.jpeg (157.1 KiB) Viewed 1587 times

IMG_6525-2.jpeg (60.78 KiB) Viewed 1587 times

[weeksy]

Top job. Feels good ?

[Numnut]

Cheers, yeah in the ride up and down the road a few times test it’s feeling good, controls are pretty much where I want them so will have a longer ride on Monday at twisted and will tweak things there.

Feels lighter than the t130 and the frame is a lot more compact. I’m happy so far!

[Mr Moofo]

That looks great

I know I am a huge oaf but that looks tiny!

[Numnut]

Cheers! It’s a medium, it’s a tiny bit bigger than my medium t130. I was worried it would be a bit small and I should’ve gone for the ML, I think that would’ve been too big for me though at 5’9.

[Numnut]

First ride out yesterday at Twisted Oaks and I’m very happy with it!

It was really easy to turn and goes wherever I point it, it jumped and landed just as I wanted and just felt ‘normal’ straightaway. The cura 4 brakes are awesome, much better than the guide r I’ve had on other bikes.

The Pike Ultimate definitely feel much nicer than the Pike Select I’ve ridden before (unsurprisingly).

Very happy so far!

[mboy]

Absolutely love the colour of that... Identical blue to my old ex-BG Caddy van by the looks of it.

Just looked at the geometry for it... Good shout on the medium, I think the ML would have been too long for sure... Seems the whole world is trying to ride bikes that are too big for them these days, geo on the medium looks spot on for me @ 5ft10 so...

Enjoy the bike!

[Numnut]

The Bird is having a lot of fun... It was so cold when this was taken a couple of weeks ago!

DSC_8847.jpg (140.69 KiB) Viewed 1189 times

It's a really lovely thing to ride and noticeably lighter than both the Whyte bikes it replaced.

I'm still getting there with the suspension, I was running a little too much sag on the front and the forks were sitting too far in to their travel, so I've added some more air and settled around 80psi which is feeling just about right. The HSC and LSC make a noticeable difference too, I think 1 click of HSC and about 6 of LSC is where I left it on sunday and that felt pretty good. On my previous bikes I'd run about 20-25% sag on the rear, but on the Bird I was finding it hard to get the bike to pop, so I removed some air and I'm at about 30% sag now. It's feeling much better and is popping off jumps really nicely.

[Mr Moofo]

TBF, I think I have always run the rear with too little sag - I was aiming for 25%. 30% makes them all move lively

[Numnut]

I always aimed for 20-25 with the whyte bikes I had previously because the bikes pedalled better when I was going to work. I did find that at 30% on the old G170 it was really easy to pedal strike, don’t have that problem any more though!

[Mr Moofo]

I only changed when I read something that Cy (who owns Cotic) wrote saying every could benefit for running more rear sag at the rear and faster rebound at the front

[Numnut]

DSC_0002.jpg (356.48 KiB) Viewed 1019 times

I'm still really enjoying every ride on the Aether, it's just a fun bike to ride. It's really confidence inspiring and I'm riding things (mainly at Twisted) that I didn't think I ever would. There's a couple of new trails there 'Helter Skelter' and 'Big Dipper' which are loads of fun.

I did have an annoying clicking in just one gear that I couldn't adjust out, but I seem to have finally managed it with a combination of quarter turns on limit screws and barrel adjusters! I swapped to an XX1 chain as well as I found one for a decent price. The drive side bearing in the BB had got notchy as well, but luckily I had a spare from one of the old bikes so that was easily sorted. I also swapped the brake pads to Galfer black and they are really good (I read somewhere that the OE Formula pads are made by Galfer so it made sense to grab a set), and were really cheap.

I think this year I need to get across to FOD and maybe do a training day or two.

[Numnut]

I’m still enjoying the Aether, though I’ve not managed to get to Fod or anywhere apart from the usual twisted oaks or chicksands…

Having recently had a play on the Merida E180, I’ve been looking at the Bird Aeris which is their Enduro bike as I enjoy how the long travel bikes feel. I’ve been chatting to a guy selling one running 180mm front and rear (the rear can be 160 or 180) which is running a fancy coil shock and a Zeb fork (along with a lot of other nice bits) I’m really tempted, even though I know it’ll be harder work for the xc type stuff but might be good at Twisted/Chicksands…

[weeksy]

Does Twisted need more travel? Don't think I saw a root on any of the runs.

[Numnut]

Nah it’s not very rooty at all. It’s very smooth really! Chicksands is a bit more rooty in places. Neither are rocky steep places