So there appears to be a good number of people on STW who have a Bird Aeris 145 or Airdrop Edit now, but have any ridden both?

I’m in the market for a new frame, and both seem solid contenders and very good value for money.
I’d thought about getting a new frame last year and the Transition Patrol frame was top of the list, but I see it’s up to £1700 this year.
Plus now there seems to be some good competition with both the Edit and the Aeris have similar head angles and more reach than the Patrol. Reviews for both are good.

The Aeris has boost spacing and metric shock sizing over the Edit but as I’ll be using my existing non boost fork I’m bothered bothered about having boost or not.

So for those who’ve ridden both what were your thoughts? Comparisons etc?
Which one feels more lively/poppy? (They have different suspension layouts so how they react does probably feel different, and the Aeris is a bit longer than the Edit)

I have – and I bought the Aeris.

That said, both bikes felt well made and both companies are really good to deal with.

I wouldn’t say either bike is massively ‘poppy’ – having ridden the Aeris back to back with my mates Kona Process 134 – that is a vey poppy bike.

Both the Aeris and Edit are good downhill and will take a pasting. I rode the Edit with a coil shock which I think in hindsight was a mistake – Ed had offered last min to swap the coil out for air and I didn’t want to put him to the effort (I was itching to get out on the bike). With the coil the Edit just swallowed everything but on non gnarly trails it was a bit pedally.

I rode the Aeris the following day with a very similar spec (both had Yaris / Guide R brakes / 1×11 GX drivetrain / Reverb) on probably a more fun trail – although equally not gnarly. The Aeris just felt quicker everywhere for me.

Done 2 rides on the 145 so far and loving it already. 1 on a mediocre fairly flat trail centre in Bristol and once at cwmcarn – I pedalled round Cafell until I got to the Pedalhounds DH run and smashed down that. It was awesome.

So in conclusion I would try and test ride both and make your own mind up – the main difference is probably the length in the cockpit – the Aeris is longer. This makes it really stable but it’s slightly harder to pop the front wheel in the air. It does add confidence though and I cleared my first reasonable jump on it last week – loved it!

I’ve tested both too. Edit was on a Peak route on pretty rocky and rooty terrain, and the bike was built with a monarch plus shock and Yari fork. I enjoyed the ride, the bike was very composed, slightly less playful than I anticipated but I guess this could be changed by spending some time setting up the shock. I would love to try one with a coil shock.

The Aeris was tested at Swinley, on twisty singletrack but nothing rocky (or even that rooty). The bike had Yari and the non piggy-back shock. I was surprised how playful it felt, and loved the geometry. I didn’t get the chance to try it on anything steep and technical, but it seemed quite confidence inspiring on the jumps.

I had an order in for the Aeris, and if it wasn’t for a series unfortunate incidents (including needing a new roof and boiler) I still would… As soon as finances get sorted it’s highly likely to be my next bike.

Sounds like it’s hard to go wrong with either, so trying to fit some demo’s in is the only way forward.

The length of the bikes making manualling harder is something I assumed would be the case, but can hopefully be overcome by a bit more body english.
I guessing pumping the bikes is probably similar and more down to the shock tune you had.

I think both are great, I must admit I was a little put off about the boost spacing on the Aeris, but I was in the market for different wheels anyway.

I think the metric rock shox units are excellent, very sensitive and miles better than the old monarch. If I were going with an edit, it would be with the coil.

Agree you probably couldn’t go wrong with either – just pick the one that suits your riding and that you feel most comfortable on.

On the manual front perhaps I’m a bit lazy and have relied on just pulling the front up with upper body – with the Aeris in having to concentrate on pushing forward with my feet at the same time then it’s fine.

It does pop nicely for jumps I’ve found over the last week – much better than my old bike. Jumping is something I want to improve and it’s already made it more enjoyable / more confidence inspiring.

The length of the bikes making manualling harder is something I assumed would be the case, but can hopefully be overcome by a bit more body english.

That’s not something I’ve found on the trail tbh.
And for some reason, it’s the easiest full sus I’ve wheelied.

Poppyness is tricky to define.
To be honest, I think the X-fusion shock I originally demod was more fun than the piggybacked Debonair I’ve got now.

(original Aeris, not the 145).

On the manual front perhaps I’m a bit lazy and have relied on just pulling the front up with upper body – with the Aeris in having to concentrate on pushing forward with my feet at the same time then it’s fine.

The amazing coaching bike! 😉 Pulling the front up with your arms works over small logs etc but with anything bigger it just pulls your centre of mass forwards straight after the initial front wheel lift and makes it harder to get over things.

Indeed, it’s going to help improve my technique – already riding with my weight further forward in corners – tight corners and jumps are my nemesis at the moment (always have been). Felt much better on it last night in the dry weather really railing corners.

Alexsimon – have you got a mk1 Aeris? If so that’s a bit shorter in the top tube so probably easier to manual etc.

Alexsimon – have you got a mk1 Aeris? If so that’s a bit shorter in the top tube so probably easier to manual etc.

Really – that’s not how I read the numbers. Medium to Medium look similar length to me (wheelbase is longer, but it has a slacker HA)

That’s what Ben suggested when I was demo-img the bike. He said the extra length has made it more stable at speed downhill but does make picking the front wheel up a little harder.

The Edit has very similar geometry to the mk1 Aeris but the mk2 Aeris moved things on with the extra length.

I’ve got a ML Aeris which was what Bird suggested for my size (5’9) and it feels very comfortable and confidence inspiring from the moment I’ve started riding it. Just having to work a little harder on lifting the front wheel at slow speeds.

Practice required – and I probably need to strengthen my core and shoulders anyway after 6 months off proper exercise after a shoulder operation.

Just for comparison purposes I spent 5 or 20 mins trying to get my technique right for mausllybthe Aeris when I did the demo day at Swinley and was eventually getting it right. Jumped in my mates Kona Process 134 and near enough hurled myself off the back of the bike on the first go. That bike manuals so much easier – but I suspect it will have the pay off that at speed it will feel less stable etc. Plus I buried him anywhere there were roots and rocks (admittedly not a lot at Swinley) as the Aeris was epic.

Which one feels more lively/poppy? (They have different suspension layouts so how they react does probably feel different, and the Aeris is a bit longer than the Edit)

not ridden an Aeris, but TBH you can get the Edit to behave any way you want really, firm it up a bit to make it “poppy” or if it’s grip you’re after, 10psi out the shock and it sticks like shit to a blanket quite frankly. Length takes a bit extra body english to get the front up, but working out where the balance point is no different than any other bike I’ve ridden.

As many have pointed out, I don’t think you’d be disappointed with either. I think my Edit’s bloody ace!

Just to add when I rode the Edit I think the front was a little bit easier than the Aeris to pop up, but not a lot in it.

I went down a very rocky track on the Edit and just lifted the front up a few times and the rear end just took everything in it’s stride. Gave up after 3 runs because at the speed the Edit was encouraging me to go it could have ended badly! Hooligan of a bike – just needed a better fork than a Yari to match the coil on the back.

Felt like a mini DH bike to me.

I rode the Aerial 145 yesterday at Hamsterley and I am seriously considering one.
It climbs very well, with notably controlled suspension – active but taught. The back end was noticeably tighter than my last three bikes T130, Reign and Enduro 29er.
It didn’t feel ponderous or too long, which given the reach figure for the large surprised me. I had no problem getting it up… And also no problems getting it turned.
The descents felt good and at one point I overtook Danny Hart. He was sitting on a bench, but I don’t wish to sully my achievement with ugly things like facts.
I was quite impressed with the quality of the frame pivot hardware, often something both small and large companies get wrong.
Only thing I’m not sure about is whether to buy a frame or a when bike….

I was weighing up that option – was thinking about swapping the components from the frame I had. Boost was a problem for me as last bike was non boost. In the end I sold my old bike and bought a whole build from Bird. Glad I did as it’s all shiny and new all over. Wheels came tubeless setup as standard and there aren’t any bad components on the bike. All I’ve done is add my own dropper as I didn’t want to pay for a reverb.

The descents felt good and at one point I overtook Danny Hart. He was sitting on a bench, but I don’t wish to sully my achievement with ugly things like facts.

this made me LOL 😆

I’d love to give the Aeris a raz ’round here (Calderdale)

Steep stepped tech was not something I got to ride yesterday and that is where I need most confidence. My little T130 is surprisingly good at steep stuff, you just need balls to match it.

I am still no further forward with my frame or whole bike musing.

Frame would be cash neutral for me, I have money from frame sales in my PayPal account and a T130 frame to sell.

Whole bike could be as cheap as £300-500 depending on spec.

All this depends on my value estimates for secondhand frames/bikes… Perhaps I need to start a dreaded what’s it worth threads?

Lost what I wrote, CBA to retype it. I chose an edit, arrives tomorrow.

Steep stepped tech was not something I got to ride yesterday and that is where I need most confidence.

Since I got my Mk1.5 Aeris I have rode much steeper tech than I ever have before. Skills compensator or improved skills? Possibly a bit of both. But the bike certainly helped give me the confidence to hit bigger and harder stuff than I have before.

Agree with Mark’s point – already hit a kind of double jump that I was unwilling to try before and clearing it like it’s not there now. Also on some steep techie stuff I went down a bit I got off and pushed down before earlier this week. No problems at all. So far so good!

Well this thread certainly gained some traction.
It does seem that anyone who’s ridden the Aeris has commented on it being easier to jump things. The same for the Edit.

I guess its similar to how jumps are usually easier on a downhill bike as they’re longer and slacker.

I’m looking forward to demoing the bikes.

Both are comfortably better than the Boardman Pro FS I was riding before. To be fair that wasn’t a bad bike – 4 bar rear suspension with Rockshox Monarch and 130mm of travel at the back and 150mm Rockshox Revelations at the front. I think it’s the slacker head angle and longer reach on the bikes in question that make them more confidence inspiring.

Managed to get a demo on the Aeris, and first things first, the suggested sizing was spot on with a 35mm stem.

Climbing capability was fantastic (I left the shock wide open the entire time and never felt the need to move it), and I was able to just dig in and find grip.

On some tight winding trail sections and a few technical bits I never had any issues with the length of the bike, and it just tracked where I wanted.

On the descents it was very composed and stable. Pumping felt pretty good, as did jumping. While I wouldn’t say it felt poppy, it did feel responsive.
Adding 5 psi or tweaking the shock settings would probably change how it feels too. The RS Super Deluxe is a very capable shock and seems to be much better than the old Monarchs.
I didn’t have much luck manualing it, but as I suck a trying to manual anyhow it’s hard to say how it performs in this regard.

Have also demoed a medium size frame with 40mm stem (previously tried the ML with 35mm stem), and it was interesting.
On climbing the ML was simply better everywhere and felt more comfortable (not that the Medium feels by any means short).
On the descents it did feel a bit more nimble (maybe more playful? Hard to say), but I do feel the ML was a bit more composed and jumped nicer.
The medium was abit easier to get the front wheel up over stuff, probably due to the shorter reach, but better technique/practice is probably the answer. (high rise bars on the ML might help too)

At the end of the day, looking at/comparing the numbers is a good start but then you just need to go have a demo.

I found the same with manualling – but spent 5 or 10 mins having a play trying to get it right on the demo I had.

I think previously I’ve relied on just pulling the front up- where you should be also pushing forward with your feet I think. When I started doing that I managed to pop the front up – just a change of technique. Had a gonon my hardtail on the way home from work and I’m now popping that up so easily.