Bird Aeris owners thread

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flag HardingTrail
Posted: Aug 16, 2019 at 8:15 Quote
Ah not such a bargain after all then. A few carbon frames I’ve seen for around that so I need to decide what I’m doing.

Intense, Bird, Orange or Canyon for this build.

Cheers for the info
flag holt1997
Posted: Aug 16, 2019 at 8:32 Quote
HardingTrail wrote:
Ah not such a bargain after all then. A few carbon frames I’ve seen for around that so I need to decide what I’m doing.

Intense, Bird, Orange or Canyon for this build.

Cheers for the info

Yeah, I think the value for bird comes through buying complete bikes. Before buying a full bike from Bird I looked just getting a frame but, for me, I didn't think it was worth it.
flag Lfcrik
Posted: Aug 18, 2019 at 20:01 Quote
holt1997 wrote:
HardingTrail wrote:
Ah not such a bargain after all then. A few carbon frames I’ve seen for around that so I need to decide what I’m doing.

Intense, Bird, Orange or Canyon for this build.

Cheers for the info

Yeah, I think the value for bird comes through buying complete bikes. Before buying a full bike from Bird I looked just getting a frame but, for me, I didn't think it was worth it.

I disagree, I built mine from frame only, I found it refreshing that I could purchase as a bare frame without being forced to purchase a shock I didn’t want to use and really enjoyed the process and found through shopping around and scoring a few deals I could build up a bike exactly as I wanted for a fraction of what a similar spec should have cost on the configurator.

I think £1000 ish for a bare brand new alloy frame is a pretty good price, slightly undercutting commencal - there are regularly nearly new shocks going through eBay that will fit for £100-200 if you want to keep it cheap.

Personally I already had a really good rear shock from my previous bike and for around £200 I had it tuned, serviced, the stroke lengthened and custom shimmed to fit and suit the AM9s suspension curve
flag R-M-R
Posted: Aug 18, 2019 at 20:13 Quote
HardingTrail wrote:
Ah not such a bargain after all then. A few carbon frames I’ve seen for around that so I need to decide what I’m doing.

Intense, Bird, Orange or Canyon for this build.

Cheers for the info

Depends on what you want. In my case, I wanted specific geometry and kinematic parameters and Bird was almost spot-on at about half the price of other options.
flag Lfcrik
Posted: Aug 18, 2019 at 20:31 Quote
R-M-R wrote:
Lfcrik wrote:
Anyone rocking a 170 fork on the AM9?

(Plus a -1 Angleset? How I’d intend to run it as it retains a lot of the geo)

Back from an alps trip and I couldn’t help but think I just want a bit more!

Before making the change to 170 mm, have you gone through the "do I need more travel?" checklist?

- Are you bottoming out regularly at 160 mm?
- If so, have you tried both more spring rate (ex. air pressure) and / or more volume spacers?
- Many people run too little compression damping in an effort to make the fork feel "plush", but this can actually make a fork feel more harsh. Have you tried more high-speed compression damping?

More travel won't make a fork feel more "plush", it will only help manage the big hits that bottom out your current set-up - and it's only 6% more travel.

If you choose to proceed with 170 mm, here's the concern about the Angleset: you'll preserve the stock geometry at full extension, but you'll have a 1° steeper head angle at bottom-out. I'm more concerned about the head angle from about 50% - 100% travel, as this is when you really need the extra insurance of a slack head angle.

My initial impression is 170 mm with -1° angle offset will cause more problems than it solves.

That’s a good shout, I like your thinking when addressing it.

Firstly when I saw -1 for the angleset i mean taking it from a stock 65.5 to a 64.5 (I already have this fitted) so at full compression it’s going to be 1 degree slacker although that will also feel like a lower front end at that point.

I wouldn’t say I’m blowing though the travel regularly - but I’ve definitely still not found the best setup on my lyrik ultimate yet, even with 3 tokens I’m lacking the support I’m used to on my old 36.

Obviously this isn’t back to back and there’s significant variables like a much bigger bike and 29”’wheels as supposed to 27.5 a steeper head angle and a longer stem but I just didn’t feel as in control on the big bird as I did on my patrol on some of the steep naturals I enjoyed riding the year before.

In a lot of situations in the bike park itself it felt really composed and playful. I experimented with stem length and steerer spacers retuning to my original 50mm stem and raising the stack height by 5mm (although i may drop this if I can find a 2.5 spacer)

Ive also progressively added more compression damping thoughout both my recent trip and time on the bike. Slightly frustrating that with so much adjustment available the advice I read from rockshox was to start from fully open and 6 clicks rebound and apply from there.

With my 36 I was able to use Richie Rudes damper settings (with less tokens) and detuned it slightly as I rode it which was a pretty great thing to be able to do.

It’s an idea that has kinda been growing - my thinking being that I can effectively raise the front end - gain a slightly slack HT and have a bit more travel to play with.
flag Lfcrik
Posted: Aug 18, 2019 at 20:34 Quote
R-M-R wrote:
HardingTrail wrote:
Ah not such a bargain after all then. A few carbon frames I’ve seen for around that so I need to decide what I’m doing.

Intense, Bird, Orange or Canyon for this build.

Cheers for the info

Depends on what you want. In my case, I wanted specific geometry and kinematic parameters and Bird was almost spot-on at about half the price of other options.

^same - with the exception of the HT angle! I had a big shopping list not gonna lie I was surprised by just how dialled the bird looked
flag R-M-R
Posted: Aug 18, 2019 at 20:38 Quote
Lfcrik wrote:
^same - with the exception of the HT angle! I had a big shopping list not gonna lie I was surprised by just how dialled the bird looked

What were you looking for in the head tube angle?
flag Lfcrik
Posted: Aug 18, 2019 at 22:56 Quote
R-M-R wrote:
What were you looking for in the head tube angle?

around 64-64.5 - on paper I should be there but i think I’m measuring steeper than that still with a 160 up front (my Patrol was sitting around 63.5)
flag R-M-R
Posted: Aug 18, 2019 at 23:23 Quote
Lfcrik wrote:
R-M-R wrote:
What were you looking for in the head tube angle?

around 64-64.5 - on paper I should be there but i think I’m measuring steeper than that still with a 160 up front (my Patrol was sitting around 63.5)

Keep in mind that a slacker static angle doesn't change your bottom-out angle.

What about reduced offset instead of a slacker head angle?
flag holt1997
Posted: Aug 19, 2019 at 4:01 Quote
Lfcrik wrote:
holt1997 wrote:
HardingTrail wrote:
Ah not such a bargain after all then. A few carbon frames I’ve seen for around that so I need to decide what I’m doing.

Intense, Bird, Orange or Canyon for this build.

Cheers for the info

Yeah, I think the value for bird comes through buying complete bikes. Before buying a full bike from Bird I looked just getting a frame but, for me, I didn't think it was worth it.

I disagree, I built mine from frame only, I found it refreshing that I could purchase as a bare frame without being forced to purchase a shock I didn’t want to use and really enjoyed the process and found through shopping around and scoring a few deals I could build up a bike exactly as I wanted for a fraction of what a similar spec should have cost on the configurator.

I think £1000 ish for a bare brand new alloy frame is a pretty good price, slightly undercutting commencal - there are regularly nearly new shocks going through eBay that will fit for £100-200 if you want to keep it cheap.

Personally I already had a really good rear shock from my previous bike and for around £200 I had it tuned, serviced, the stroke lengthened and custom shimmed to fit and suit the AM9s suspension curve

True - In hindsight I disagree with myself too.
flag Lfcrik
Posted: Aug 19, 2019 at 6:13 Quote
R-M-R wrote:
Keep in mind that a slacker static angle doesn't change your bottom-out angle.

What about reduced offset instead of a slacker head angle?

On it already, I’m in the middle of moving house but will try and get out and test in the uk, I do wonder it may be sensation related to the bigger wheels at slow speeds;

I don’t understand how it won’t change the bottom out angle though - negating stroke length two forks at equal travel going though the same stoke at different fixed angles will surely result in a different finishing angle

shorter cranks are in the offing as well, heading back to 165 over the 170 I fitted on this build as well.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Aug 20, 2019 at 4:56 Quote
Lfcrik wrote:
I don’t understand how it won’t change the bottom out angle though - negating stroke length two forks at equal travel going though the same stoke at different fixed angles will surely result in a different finishing angle

Same crown, same lowers. At full compression, the lowers nearly touch the crown. At full compression, you wouldn't be able to tell a 150 mm fork from a 170 mm fork.
flag theraggyone
Posted: Aug 20, 2019 at 5:26 Quote
ive updated my Aeris MK1.5 over the last couple of months slowly moving away from the more stealthy version i was running . happy with the outcome loving the new to me wheels and fork ,so thought i would post it here. one day i will get a newer bird but this bike still shreds so im happy.

photo
flag Lfcrik
Posted: Aug 20, 2019 at 5:32 Quote
R-M-R wrote:
Lfcrik wrote:
I don’t understand how it won’t change the bottom out angle though - negating stroke length two forks at equal travel going though the same stoke at different fixed angles will surely result in a different finishing angle

Same crown, same lowers. At full compression, the lowers nearly touch the crown. At full compression, you wouldn't be
able to tell a 150 mm fork from a 170 mm fork.

I see what you mean dude, yeah that's true - though you were referring to the angleset and still same bottom out angle as one with out
flag HardingTrail
Posted: Aug 20, 2019 at 6:10 Quote
Finally decided on and ordered a 110lt after speaking to Dan and Ben at Bird.

Properly helpful and worked out spec with me.

 


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