Did a frame swap from my Banshee Phantom v3 to a Bird Aether 9

I really liked how the Banshee rode but with my weight and riding style, I wanted something a little smoother over rough/fast stuff.

These seemed to fit the bill and after a sitting on the fence for a bit, I ordered a frameset with a Cane Creek coil.

Just a quick built up photo amongst the wife’s work stuff! Straight-forward parts swap really with an air shaft change and a rear brake bleed.

Gotta love Bird for their customer service and keeping you up to date etc!

Might be a week or so before I can give it a test ride/set up as I’m being dragged for a walk up and around Snowdon next weekend 🙁

Is that really a Judy fork or just a different one styled retro?

You could take your bike with you to Snowdon – get up really early and go up Llanberis and down Rangers. Then drop the bike back to wherever you’re staying and then walk up / down it. Bet the bike is more fun 😝

Did Snowdon a few years ago on my Bird Aeris 145LT and the Rangers path was quite enjoyable on the way down.

It’s a 160mm Yari, but with a 140mm air shaft, new wiper seals and a Charger 2.1 RC2 damper 🙂
With a Bignosecustoms spray job to finish it off!

It crossed my mind to be honest, but I’m going with a mate who isn’t a biker and he’s driving lol. We’re up at 4am, driving down to walk a route he’s plotted.

One day me and the missus will get to do it, it’s on the list!

Just can’t help yourself can you haha.
Must admit these are lovely looking bikes and was eyeing them up myself after my rear wheel ended up seizing last week

Very nice, I like that red.

I’m on an am160 which is far, far more capable than me!
I’m off to the Bird site to look at the carbon ather again..

What happened to the phantom?

Very nice.

Spider plant? Takes me back to the nineties student houses.

Good work. That looks lovely.

That’s one odd looking elephant.

That red colour is ace.

RockShox should definitely bring back some older colours like that yellow or Psylo gold. Looks good. 👌

What size is it? It looks long, but squashed in the middle.

Like that Red 👍

Looks real nice. Love the custom painted fork, it’s very effective.

He got the last cc inline coil it seems too. Damn.

haha @keefezza I wondered if you’d see it before I saw you again 🙂

I’ll probably be listing the Banshee frame soon @thestabiliser

@sharkattack it’s a large, which is slightly bigger than the XL Phantom it’s replaced. I think it’s just the angle of the photo. I’m hoping to get some better ones when I can get out on it.

I’d have had the carbon, but it was a bit out of budget, and I really wanted red haha.

It was the last Cane Creek coil shock, sorry 🙁

Looks ace – enjoy! Lovely clean build with the AXS.

Quick (random) Q… can you mount the fidlock without that extra cage/wedge? Guessing not and the base of the bottle wouldn’t clear the frame?

Cheers,

Rich

I’ll probably be listing the Banshee frame soon

Ooooh

XL

Curse my little stumps!😭

Cracking colour by the way, red stem has got to go though

@RichBowman I think the little step thing is just to mount the cage on top of the cable management. I haven’t tried it without.

Haha, I may swap the stem for a silver one in a shorter length yet 🙂

In case it helps if you can find a 200×57 ccdb inline coil then it can be lengthen to fit a aether 7 or 9. I had that done for my new aether 7.

Ron’s Burgundy?

Quick (random) Q… can you mount the fidlock without that extra cage/wedge? Guessing not and the base of the bottle wouldn’t clear the frame?

The adapter offsets downwards slightly, so maybe, on that size frame with that shock. https://www.bird.bike/product/aeris-aether-bottle-cage-adaptor/

I think the little step thing is just to mount the cage on top of the cable management. I haven’t tried it without.

You can mount a cage without it, the bolts would go through the cage and the cable guides. The purpose is to angle the bottle so its top clears the shock, particularly for piggybacks.

That looks ace with the coil shock.

That’s a really nice looking bike! I procrastinated long and hard over one of these before finding my Sonder cheap. Having buyers remorse now 🤣

RockShox should definitely bring back some older colours like that yellow or Psylo gold. Looks good. 👌

Hmmm, my Pikes are a little tired looking, a repaint in Psylo gold could be on the cards now! I’ve still got a pair of the original ones in the shed.

I am awaiting on my AM9 to arrive. Can’t wait.
Stealth ad, my Aeris 145 with 160 linkage is for sale in the classifieds…….

Reactor chainstay and downtube protection fit nicely on my 7 so I imagine they’d fit your 9 too.

Nixie – I wish I’d read that before I bought a new coil for mine! How much did cost to lengthen yours?

Can you get yourself a yellow ohlins spring to complete the ketchup and mustard look?
Love the clean axs look

How much did cost to lengthen yours?

Without finding the bill I think the parts where about £25 and the rest was workshop time (£40 maybe). But if it was being serviced i don’t think there would be a workshop charge. My shock had only done 50 miles so did not need a service.

@ayjaydoubleyou you read my mind 😉

I might have to get a heavier spring yet, but I’m going to see how this goes first. The first ride will probably be suspension fettling mostly.

@Mugboo thanks for the suggestions, I’ll have a look at them.

I don’t get the forks, it’s like putting a polo badge on a golf gti, although that along with the colour scheme did temporarily distract me from that shock mount tig welding.
Please change the stem and headset spacers 😀.

Thanks for the compliments haha.

More of a tribute than down-badging, but I get what you mean.

No love for my lovely red stem 😂 I’ll get it changed eventually (along with the spacers).

Is nobody going to address the elephant in the room.

Looks great.

Funny how they make such a handsome aluminium frame alongside the – ahem – more challenging-looking carbon version.

I think the carbon one looks better in the flesh to be fair, some of the pics aren’t flattering 🙂

I don’t get the forks, it’s like putting a polo badge on a golf gti

Depends how old you are, anyone over about 35 probably remembers when yellow Judy’s were THE downhill fork.

I’m over 35 and I remember the yellow Judy SL was an XC fork. The Judy DH was red.

That one would go nice with the OP’s frame, eh?

I remember original dh judys and those plastic adjusters at the top of the stanchions flying in the air after I’d replaced the elastomers with aftermarket coil springs, I nearly died, put me off rockshox for about 10 years.
Come on Bird sort out some moulded stays protection, that chainstay protector is more retro than those forks, you can add it to your nothing included selection section of optional extras 😃, no offence but the yellow pedals and grips cheapen it imo, cracking build with some lovely bits of kit otherwise.

Come on Bird sort out some moulded stays protection, that chainstay protector is more retro than those forks

Definitely this. Those neoprene things are whack. I’d also protect the back of the seatstay. That’s where my Geometron got hammered, much more than the chainstay.

I have put some of that AMS frame protection on the seat stays too. I generally don’t put a lot of protection on my bikes, usually just a bit of heli tape in high rub areas.

I know it won’t be to everyone’s taste with the colours, but I got a bit sick of “Black” everything. I just like a bit of colour 🙂

I’ll consider the Nukeproof stuff though as it’s not that expensive.

I’m not averse to a bit of colour myself and a big fan of nukeproof stuff, the blue anodising is my current weakness and my chainring, pedals and stem are never bought in black, so its whatever floats your boat, but bright coloured grips will always get a no from me.

That’s lovely, I really like the red and the coil looks ace too.

Not a fan of the coloured stuff but I am a boring old fart so I wouldn’t pay attention to me.