I’ve got a Bird AM Zero on order
http://www.bird.bike/product/zero-am-gx/?v=79cba1185463#configuration
I’ve added a Reverb and swapped the brakes for sram’s guide RS. Sram 1x11spd GX Build comes in at £1700.

However I stumbled across this http://www.stif.co.uk/Morf. XT 1x11spd build is 2k.
The looks are a bit dividing admittedly but I happen to like it and the minimal graphics appeal to me – reminds me of mint sauce.

Which would you guys go for ❓

I think you would struggle to beat the Bird Zero. It’s an exceptionally well thought of bike.

I’m also not a massive fan of some of Brants HT designs. I don’t think the Morf is his best work.

Can’t comment on the AM, but just been on a spin on my new TR and can’t see how it could be better. Climbs really well, descends even better, light, nice paint job, well specced, arrived tubeless…

I had a planet-x years ago supposedly designed by Brant – not without it design flaws for sure, good fun though.

Are the bird frame graphics under the clear coat anyone know?

They are on the tr.

They are on the tr.

poobags, i was hoping they might be stuck on, i like the bikes but i find the graphics a bit gaudy. I suppose there is the stealth option but that looks like it would attract fingerprints.

Alpkit Sonder Transmitter? Seems to be great value, Brant designed (I think?) frame.

Alpkit Sonder Transmitter

Would probably be my choice too

Orange P7

The transmitter and Morf seem to be polar opposites of Brant-designed construction. I wasn’t taken with the Morf when I saw it at ‘Ard Rock. Ymmv of course.
The new Pace was more my kind of steel hardtail. Aesthetically at least.

P7 is cool, seems a bit pricy by comparison though.

The transmitter and Morf seem to be polar opposites of Brant-designed construction. I wasn’t taken with the Morf when I saw it at ‘Ard Rock. Ymmv of course.

Maybe the frames being Alu / Steel ? dunno. I would like to see a morf in the flesh really, anything in particular you didn’t like? I’ve seen a few birds in the flesh and had the obligatory spin around the car park at least.

Geometrically the Morf and Zero AM are very similar. The two big differences are the former being steel and only 130mm travel. I like how light the Zero is and having ridden Pikes at 130, 140 and 160mm I find they’re not quite so great at 130mm.

Bird Zero AM review (warning, bicycle content)

I was quite excited by the Morf, when I first saw it. Unusual for me – cos I’ve got an almost irrational and total dislike of steel as a frame material on modern bikes. (Steel has no place anywhere outside of the drop-dead gorgeous 1993 Orange Clockwork). Then I read that the Morf was Designed-By-Brant™ and my heart sank.. now you’re telling me the Sonder is too????? I was quite beginning to like that one also.

I think Brant is great – he certainly knows how to design a certain kind of British™ bike, to an effective price-point. (Perhaps, in fairness, not quite my kind of short-steep small-wheeled fast-fun-XC type of bike). But I probably wouldn’t want to own a bike that was knowingly designed by him, simply because of associations with previous levels of cheapness and brands with dodgy build quality issues, etc. It would feel like just buying another On-One, Vitus, Nukeproof, Ragley, etc. (delete as appropriate), but with another head badge slapped on.

Shame really, as the Morf actually looks quite nice*…

Bird, on the other hand are free from all this baggage, so owning one wouldn’t make me feel a little bit (albeit irrationally) queasy.

* Actually, maybe not. Just had a good look at those hi-def photos on the Stif website and now it just looks to my eyes like a Ragley with some different stickers whacked on it.. 😐

I’d have the Morf if for no other reason than the lads at Stif are ace and really know their stuff. Can’t imagine they’d sign something off that wasn’t top notch. Seen one in the shop and they look very well built to me and better in the flesh compared to pictures.

Oh, and it’s steel.

NED- 1992 Clockwork, orange/white fade with orange Hotrods FTW. 😉

I have a Zero AM, sounds like the same build. Also in stealth black (no fingerprint marks in the frame).

It’s a truly great bike, I have gone from a ASR5 and a Strive to the Bird and it is a more fun ride than either. No slouch on the uphills and it’s a real flyer on the downs. I ride it at the Golfie and Inners off piste and it is more than capable for the trails.

No regrets buying the bike, would recommend to anyone who is looking for a hooligan HT.

Morf decals are gross. I’m out.

Brant. Haven’t heard anything but praise for Ragley Pig and Piglets designwise, quality control yes but not design.

On the black am the graphics are on top of the lacquer, but permanent not stickers.

Sat / rode the Morf at Ard Rock and it felt (handling wise) like my full sus

Was nice to swap between em and not feel like it was majorly different. For that feel, I’d be happy to buy one – if I was looking for that kind of bike. But I’ve already got one of those in full sus flavour

Not sure if it helps but if you have a long low slack full sus and want a similar HT then the morf is ideal

But I probably wouldn’t want to own a bike that was knowingly designed by him, simply because of associations with previous levels of cheapness and brands with dodgy build quality issues, etc.

Seriously!?! I know Brant is a bit marmite for some folk but i do credit him with knowing how to design a hardtail. I think the cheapness and low CS levels have taken a turn for the worst since Brant left…hell, at least folk could ‘page’ him on STW if they had problems!

I like the look of the Nerfs geometry but frame only seems a little pricey to me and no fan of the graphics, what graphics there are

Of the two I’d go for the bird. I like aluminium, I’d rather have the 10-42 GX cassette than XT and….I own a mk1 Zero that I’m very happy with (though despite being 172cm I went for a large to get a little extra length and put a works slackset in from the off. The current models have both sorted as standard)

Tough crowd.

Bird looks fun. Certainly less polarising than the Morf or Transmitter.

@nuke

See also:

I think Brant is great – he certainly knows how to design a certain kind of British™ bike, to an effective price-point.

And:

(albeit irrationally)

Anyways, I haven’t even seen the thing in the flesh (it might look even better) and I haven’t bought a bike older than 2013 vintage, so I’m probably not even the target market for this anyway 😆

Any chance of getting back to designing bikes without the pre-crashed look (bent) downtubes?