Not sure if others have seen this:

Zero 29

Looks their normal vfm and purely from the numbers looks like it ticks all boxes I’d be after. Frame only not up on the website but available from december by all accounts.

Ohhh, I like the look of that.

What are the RC charger forks like, are they the same as the RC3 or is it a different damper entirely?

The RC damper is a self bleeding Spring IFP style cartridge a bit like a Grip in a fox. Its totally different to the standard MoCo and much more like the Charger RC that comes on OE pikes…. Its also quite possibly better than a Pike RC! :O

That looks tidy! Wife wants me to cut the spending a bit though, uh oh!

Finally!

I’m not sure if I should just buy a frame and fit my old parts (cheap) or opt for a full build… Won’t be doing it before the new year though…

Looks good. What’s it competing against? Certainly looks better vfm than the Chameleon.

will it take 27.5″ though…

The 27.5 TR Zero is a very capable bike and goes like a rocket, I don’t see why the 29er shouldn’t be any different😊

I have a 650b hardtail crying out for a frame upgrade but this would mean new wheels and forks as well ahhhhhhh

I have a 650b hardtail crying out for a frame upgrade but this would mean new wheels and forks as well ahhhhhhh

Not sure if I’m missing some irony here, they already do two 650b hardtail frames?

Love it! Might’ve bought one but they didn’t exist back in July so bought at Clockwork 129 instead. Mint green is nice too but shame there’s not (at least for now) the same range of colours as the original Zero.

TINAS – I appreciate that they do indeed have two great 650b hardtail, but keener on a rowdy 29r as something a bit different to my other bike

Slack so competing against the Orange Crush 29er – https://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/crush-29-pro/2019

The BB drop is huge -80mm.

Ben is that correct or is that a typo?

Woah, forget trying to run B-plus on that badboy then.

The BB drop is huge -80mm.

Optimised for clearing Swinleys gnarly rock garden.

-80 is not a typo. Its designed to run 2.5s or bigger on nothing smaller than a 30mm ID rim – no compromises. That gives you a BB of 295>300 which is not really any lower than most comparable bikes running plus tyres. 27.5 Plus tyres however need not apply (although the sadistic can run them if they want, they will fit).

What would be the standard crank length to be used with these new skool long low slack badgers? It used to be 175mm. Should we be switching to 165 to avoid pedal strikes?

Were running 170 as standard right now, but 165 would be good too – I cant say I can tell the difference, but 165mm cranks are slightly thin on the ground right at the moment but more are coming.

I really want to buy that as a play bike!

That looks bloody brilliant tbh

This has made me consider selling my race hardtail, going full time race full susl and buying that for playing. 😃

help!

What would be the standard crank length to be used with these new skool long low slack badgers? It used to be 175mm. Should we be switching to 165 to avoid pedal strikes?

To be fair I was being a bit flippant with my remark about Swinley, -80 isnt that low when wheels are now a good 40mm bigger radius compared to 26×2″ and no one batted an eyelid at 11.5″ BB’s back then.

It’s a compromise between climbing and descending, I’d take a bit of ratchety climbing (I’m a singlespeeder at heart) in return for quick descending on that sort of bike any day.

Exactly. You only need to go back 15 years and you’ll find, much like all the best ideas, ~295 BB heights are not radical or indeed new! In reality ours runs a touch lower than that but nominally that would be where we’re at. I think we might be up there in a very small group of bikes running a -80 drop (I don’t actually know another 29er – answers on a postcard please), but the net result, assuming that you run it as intended is tried and tested.

OK bikes tended to run maybe 80-100mm of travel so sagged height is a little higher, but its not huge, and we’re running 32T rings rather than 44 toothed triples we had back then, and bash guards on chain devices… so we probably need care a little less about the BB clearance than we used to as well.

Chopper!

I’ve got half a 29’er in the garage – wheels, fork, drivetrain, bars so this looks interesting

Any guesses what frame price may be?

Oh hang on it’s in their web site now – £475

Over £550 with a rear axle and seatclamp, that’s only £100 short of a Solaris, although not really a surprise as it’s the same as their 650b hardtail.

I would much rather have the Bird over a Solaris, it being £100 cheaper is just a bonus.

I already have a Zero and and Aeris, would love to swap them for this and the AM9, not going to happen though.

Hi all,

I have been riding for about 25 years – and in that time have had four bikes: ’94 Specialized Hardrock, ’98 Proflex 1000, ’04 Specialized Stumpjumper Pro and now ’13 Cotic Soul, (the most fun and capable of the four by far).

I am looking at new bikes for next year and have decided on 29 over 27.5.  With that in mind and with my relative lack of exposure to modern geometry can someone give a brief comparison on where the major differences are likely to be in riding the Zero versus the Solaris Max please?  I understand the steel\alu arguments and am more interested in climbing versus descending confidence and general ability to ride natural trails and bridleways.  I have ridden lots of different terrain all over the world in the past, but with three small kids, I mainly ride 2-3 hours in the Surrey Hills if that helps relate it to anything!

Anyway, thanks for anything that would help – both bikes look great to me but it feels from this thread that they are for different types of riding?

They’re for very similar kinds of riding.

Cotic has longer seatstays, will probably feel more “planted” and less playful – combined with the “soft” ride feel of steel it’s a bike that you can go very fast on. Or ride rough stuff and stay comfy for people like me with back issues to consider.

Not ridden the Bird, so I won’t speculate as to how it’ll feel. Have ordered a Solaris Max though.

The old Solaris and Soul were more conventional (90mm stems, etc) geometry. The new ones (“longshot geometry”) are a similar principal to the Bird’s geometry.

The New Cotics are still very long/low/slack compared to most bikes, Bird just turn everything upto 11, to get anymore extreme you’d have to look at stuff like Geometrons and Sick.

Now depending on your POV the Bird is either the best geometry and future proofed against where the industry will inevitably end up. Or it’s an extreme bike that mere mortals won’t appreciate (and potentially still where the all bikes will end up).

Both brands have test bikes, give them a go.You might like the new style geometry of both but prefer some nuance of either.

IME the difference between a bike 5 years ago (like your soul) is that you can go faster on a longer bike and it remains stable. But it’s only better if your riding involves going fast for the sake of it of you ride somewhere where stability is a virtue (Lake district, Peak, Wales, etc). You can pedal them all day around bridleways too, but they kinda feel underpowered, like your legs are never going to match the frame. Unlike a more old-skool XC bike which can make even riding round a field feel involving! Even in the Surrey Hills you’ll find trails and rides that could suit either style of bike.

Thanks both for the replies.  That’s exactly the sort of feedback I was looking for. I’ll take the advice and try and get out on both before I decide anything.

Anybody committed to one of these yet?

Anyone bought or built one of these up yet and can provide some feedback?

I had a go on the 29 and Zero AM yesterday thanks to Ben. I’m pretty much sold on the 29. I need a bike that will cover rides at the Golfie and hopefully long days in the mountains and much as you can tell anything on a short test ride it feels like it’ll tick all those boxes. Felt very stable and confidence inspiring but also a lot of fun and so fast. Didn’t have any issues with the bottom bracket although you might do if you ran tyres smaller than the 2.6 that were on it. I won’t have the funds til later in the year unless I buy a frame now and build it myself but the full builds seem very good value so I may just do that.

Mmm, not totally sure the world’s ready for a 2.5 only frame? Bit of a lack of rear tyres I reckon, still holding out for a 2.5 slaughter (which exists I think but you can’t buy it), minion semi or rockrazor. Unless I’m missing something there?

it’s definitely made my list though

Pretty sure the one I tried had a Maxxis Aggressor on the back. Looks like it would suit my lack of tyre changing attitude. I’m just about to hit the buy button, just need to work out where to get it delivered to. Once I’ve got it I’m happy to plunder your tyre stockpile to do some testing for you. I’m sure a large 2.3 would be fine.

Stephenmenmuir, How’d you find it round cathkin? I’m seriously looking at one but have never ridden a 29er. Was always put off but the geometry looks great on this. I’m after that one bike to do a bit of everything. Also did you go 140 or 130 up front.

I’ve only ridden it at Innerleithen, hopefully getting it on Sunday. I clipped a pedal going up some rock steps but that was as much to do with my ineptitude. Otherwise it was super fast and a load of fun. I wasn’t keen on a 29er but I’m all in now.