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I really like the looks, agree the downtube is challenging but because teh whole thing's got that blocky, geometric feel to it, it works for me. It'd have been pretty tempting to have made individual parts curvy or swoopy for their own sake but lose a bit of the cohesion of it.
It's not for me, just not really a type of bike I want just now but it looks pretty ace.
Are there many people left who want a 430mm rear combined with a long front end on a 29er?
Not throwing shade, genuine question to you all.
Personally, I prefer shorter stays, having ridden a few different bikes, 440mm is the maximum I like, anything above that becomes very sluggish to me in the corners & loses some elements of fun.
430 however, is really short. But then it also has the looks only a mother could love, so wouldn't be in my world for a short travel trail bike.
frame pivot lactation
Dodgy grease nipple?
Geometry looks perfect for me, but I can't stand the blocky aesthetics of the carbon. It looks like a homebrew 'I made my first mtb from carbon in the shed' vibe. Overbuilt and agricultural. Looks like I'm in the minority though.
I think I'll have to wait until the alloy version comes out and hope it matches the AM9 for looks, which I think looks superb.
I'm also disappointed by such long lead times.. November for medium! I assume Covid is to blame.
It's also impossible to price it up as everything is out of stock.
I've been waiting for a couple years for this, so just venting :D. I'm sure I'll love it by tomorrow.
Grumble, grumble, grumble.. etc.
the00
I think Santa Cruz do it by slightly varying the main frame pivot lactation. This means they get different effective chainstay lengths whilst using the same component across the sizes.
They really milk every last bit of value out of that mould.
Will anyone tell us how much the thing weighs? I presume given that they haven’t given a weight it’s on the portly side for a carbon frame which then begs the question of why bother with carbon. I would love my suspicions to be wrong
They do look nicer in the flesh, it seems that dead square side on really exagerates the kinks that mean it all fits together. When do you ever see a bike from that angle in real life? The black one with the silver linkage and finishing kit reminds me of the HB130.
I think the short stays are deliberate, and match the well recieved Aether7, which I have ridden breifly, and find it playful and poppy so assuming that this is similar in its intentions. I doubt anybody is buying it specifically to race, so playful makes sense.
Unrelated - that Spur is the most beautiful full suss bike I have ever seen; and I am not fan of the other trannies aesthetically.
Another fantastic bike from bird, selfishly gutted it’s more I’m the trail category than the shorter travel rear I was hoping for.
I think with the am9 now getting longer legs (or wings) this will sit nicely in the slightly less travel but great for everything category.
key points
lifetime guarantee on carbon!!!
reasonably priced (although more than I expected tbh)
all that good stuff geometry bird get praised all the time for.
it fits a 750ml water bottle minimum!!!! I’ve lost count of how many people have bitched about not being able to fit one.
ill certainly have a looky at one, for me its really nice looking but I think I’d be looking for it to fit my need too far away from the design brief and it would sit too close to my v2 am9.
Now a carbon am9 could be interesting!
“Will anyone tell us how much the thing weighs?”
Geometry looks perfect for me, but I can’t stand the blocky aesthetics of the carbon. It looks like a homebrew ‘I made my first mtb from carbon in the shed’ vibe. Overbuilt and agricultural. Looks like I’m in the minority though.
I agree and I had similar thoughts when I first saw it.
The confusing thing is I quite like the functional simplicity of Bird bikes, external cables, threaded BB, basic paint jobs etc and this kind of fits into that ethos. So I should like it, but I don't. Its a bit minecraft
Its a bit minecraft
Lol, I hate to be mean because Bird as a company seem to have a fantastic ethos but that isnt a pretty bike.
Love the fact that the 541mm reach size is only 20mm more ETT than my Size XXL 510mm reach jeffsy.
Size L is equivalent to a XXL Jeffsy 😀
Size L is equivalent to a XXL Jeffsy
Its looooonnnnnnnnngggggggggggggg for sure.
Surprised that the whole range share the same standover though? Do people not get longer legs as their need for longer reach increases? Or do tall people just get a broom handle for a seatpost? Not just a Bird question but a general observation on new bikes.
Is that heavy or average for a carbon frame?
IIRC the last frame I weighed was a metal Nukeproof Mega at a touch under 3.8kg with piggyback shock, hardware, axle and headset cups.