New Bike day and first ride: Bird Aether 9c

I believe Ben has confirmed previously it’s a shared factory with a few other brands.

I’m not sure any bike brand, no matter how multi national has an exclusive to them composites facility.

No issues with my 9c yet 18 months on, though I have to admit it’s not getting as much use as I envisaged when I ordered it.

No issues with my 9c yet 18 months on, though I have to admit it’s not getting as much use as I envisaged when I ordered it.

Good to hear. Just be careful with the pivot bolts when you check the bearings.

I am happy I have new frame and don’t have to persevere with this anymore.

Thats where I got to, just quicker than you 😜.

I can’t fault the guys, always super helpful and responsive, but it just took too much looking after – I couldn’t rely on it. A shortage of replacement bolts that shouldn’t break anyway just pushed me further down the line.

@Scienceofficer interesting reading your feelings about the suspension. I ended up in a similar place.

Thats at least 3 of use then. It’s the bike, not you. The Ripmo is a joy to climb in comparison.

I’m not a huge fan of how my A9 climbs, the shock doesn’t move much but there’s a sort of tension I can feel? Not sure if that’s anti squat pulling the chain in some way

It kinda squats down and then doesnt move much.

Interesting comments. I’ll pay attention to the suspension’s settled position when climbing next time I’m out. My historical issue was a bump and loss of traction over roots and rocks (the stiff/over-damped feeling already mentioned) which got a lot better after I fitted the MegNeg. It could still be better, but it’s no longer something that matters to me.

But I’m really not a climber, to be honest, being unfit and a bit asthmatic. DW link is meant to be something special when climbing, so I do wonder if it might make me enjoy climbing more :-)

@the00 I have the same concern about the pivot nuts, although fortunately it hasn’t been an issue for me yet. Obviously it’s a good idea to have them separate from the frame in case you strip a thread, but in this case there’s not a lot to brace them. Fingers crossed no broken bolts yet either.

DW is like any other system – it has it’s pros and cons.

It’s not as compliant as some in the rough stuff, but doesnt really squat or stiffen under power and seems to maintain traction even when on the gas.

All generalities of course, because the various iterations found across brands are all a bit different.

Thanks! What you say seems very much in line with other comments I’ve seen about the Ibis and other DW link designs. I really want to try more designs. I’m a fairly rubbish rider and won’t get the best out of anything, and experimenting can be bloody expensive, but it’s so much fun!