New gravel bike from Bird Cycleworks

Do you know length of chain stay on Aerelon frame?

Looks good, keen price…but gravel covers a large spectrum and I want something on the new Camino / fustle causeway side of things ie more geared towards the off road, rather than this which appears to be more road end of the spectrum. Wish Bird well though and sure it will sell well.

All models feature Ergon carbon flex posts for enhanced rider comfort

Does this allude to the frame being stiff as hell?

Please can you do a build without electric gears…

Pricing looks to be for committed gravellers. I was half expecting it to tempt gravel curious MTBers getting their first drop bar bike.

Not a Bird specific matter, but the mid build is £4k and with a few clicks to complete an Aeris AM that’s the same price. The latter has a suspension linkage, suspension fork, and shock. Where’s the money going in gravel and road bikes?

Does this allude to the frame being stiff as hell?

No it’s pretty comfy with a regular post, but I think the ergon is worth it as it’s not only comfier, but it helps smooth the pedal action on rougher ground too. We’re only the second company to offer it as standard spec I believe.

Where’s the money going in gravel and road bikes?

Drive and wheels mainly. The mid range has the equivalent of very high end carbon wheels and x0 transmission drive… But with a power meter in the crank too. In equivalent terms the aeris am would need to have our top end carbon wheels and x0 transmission, with everything else maxxed out. That would be high 5s, so £1750 maybe for a more complex frame, shock and fork, seems about right. Don’t underestimate how high spec that mid price model is. You’d not struggle to find big name bikes with lesser specs for many thousands more. Then you’d be right to question where does the money go…

Fair, absolved. The question remains for big name brands.

There’s my bit of customer insight for you – MTB customer doesn’t know what the heck is the Deore and XTR/X0 of the road/gravel world.

At some point I want a winter road / light gravel bike to replace my trusty Genesis CDA. I’ll be after something on the more road oriented end of the gravel spectrum that won’t be too much of a slouch on the tarmac, that I can fit guards too rather than a rigid Mtb with flared drops, this looks ideal.

The price to spec ratio is indisputably phenomenal.

If this has a reasonably generous Stack in XL then all boxes ticked and I’d buy it now.

Looks absolutely top notch. And as for headset cable routing it’s a complete non-issue, I really can’t understand the fuss. It’s no more of a faff than setting up tubless compared to using tubes – i.e. what was once a 10 minute job is now a 30 minute job, except you only need to change your headset bearings once in a blue moon.

It’s no more of a faff than setting up tubless compared to using tubes –

You make an interesting point. I would argue tubeless with the right tools is easier than tubed (no pinching the tube, struggling to keep it in the rim bed etc.) and likewise headset routing is very easy compared to ported – just shove the hose in the back of the bike and push it up until it pops out the headset, slip on the bearings spacers and pop the stem on to hold it all together stem and viola; your hoses are routed and held into exactly the place that you want them to be for taping to the bars. No worrying about is the hose long enough/too long, you just put on a single holding wrap of electrical tape, cut to the correct length and fit the brakes before taping.

Headset bearing changes are more of a faff of course. Hence why every bike/frame comes with headset bearings costing £50 each with a lifetime corrosion warranty. We don’t expect many bearing changes.

No plans for an Apex Axs or an a la carte option like the mtbs?

No plans for an Apex Axs or an a la carte option like the mtbs?

No – Apex AXS won’t drop enough from the price to warrant it on its own, and we didn’t want to compromise on the other parts, so it would mean more stock but actually very little differentiation.

We’re not offering a lot of customisation on this model because we’re not planning on bringing in too much stock to keep the price right down. Sized things (bars/stem/cranks/saddle/grip) and tyres will be options as we feel those are the things that must be right on a bike for it to be just right for you, the rest is fixed.

Potentially a very expensive bike for me, the bike price is fine it’s the divorce it might trigger that would really push the price up.

way too expensive for my tastes. nice to offer different stem/bar widths though

really like the look of it, it doesn’t look like there’s an option for a dropper post* though which for me is essential if exploring new trails when you don’t know what’s over the next rise. I know many don’t think a dropper is a gravel bike thing but I’m so used to it for riding off road lack of dropper provision would be a decision maker for me

*please don’t let me be right

Looks a very nice bike. Seems a reasonable price for a carbon gravel bike. Unfortunately I can’t afford one.

But I would be more than willing to test ride one for a year, and put it through its paces at various gravel and CX events, if Bird has a spare available in large.

I think it looks great and for the spec it sounds like a good deal.

Given the lack of cable-y things going through the downtube, will there be any downtube storage in place? Seems like an opportunity to make use of the substantial cavity if possible.

There’s at least one hose through the down tube. However thats not the reason for not doing storage. I’m still not a fan of the leaky-creaky-lunchbox thats become so popular these days. We’d expect people to want to use the TT mounts for a bag which should be enough for emergencies + snacks. We also have eyes on a design of bag to go under the TT and butt up to the seat tube as a more permanently onboard solution.

But I would be more than willing to test ride one for a year, and put it through its paces at various gravel and CX events, if Bird has a spare available in large.

… Me too (in Medium)

@benpinnick … I’d be more than happy to ride the bike indefinitely as an unpaid ambassador, so let me know when it’s convenient to come up to Consett & collect!

@benpinnick what colours will be available? Specifically, the gorgeous colour scheme in the pictures – if I can have that without spending another £700 it will make my wife less unhappy when I order one.

Also curious about gears, I’d be looking at this for mostly road so would prefer 2x gearing with either a compact chain set or 53/36 – will that be an option? Presume I couldn’t buy frame only and shove everything from my (non wireless) giant on to it..

@bassmandan Blood Red, Pearl White and Gulf blue will be the stock colours. They may have fades, won’t have chequers and marble effect though Im afraid.

You can run it 2x wired or wireless, but we won’t be offering either complete so you’d have to build it up…

I’m still not a fan of the leaky-creaky-lunchbox thats become so popular these days.

@Benpinnick Are they really that bad? Can remember seeing that many people complain about them on here, and people(myself included) love a winge on here. As someone who hates riding with a pack or stuff in my pockets I can’t see any downside in them; I mean if I was on the fence about two bikes I’d probs sway to the one with it than without.

Are they really that bad? Can remember seeing that many people complain about them on here, and people(myself included) love a winge on here.

I’ve got a bike with a lunchbox (Druid V2). It doesn’t creak but it absolutely leaks. Anything I put in there gets soaked so I’ve had to think about what goes in there and what I pack it in. To be fair though it’s been wetter than Atlantis on all my recent rides. It’ll be fine in normalish weather.

Are they really that bad? Can remember seeing that many people complain about them on here, and people(myself included) love a winge on here.

Most people I speak with have either a leak or a creak. Some both. Thats not to say they’re not willing to put up with it, but I wouldn’t be, and so I hold that standard for our bikes. It would of course be possible to make a creak free, well sealed one, but thats a big mould cost to enter into with not just the box, but a solid locking mechanism, gaskets etc., hence why I think a lot are neither. My Aeris AM is a paragon of silence, and thats the way I like it. Bags like our QR pack for the Aeris AM holds your stuff nice and silently, and can be transferred from bike to bike.

Got a downtube hole in my trek.. never used it, tried to stuff a packable jacket in there once, didn’t fit.. all my tools are in bar ends, crank, fork steerer… it does nothing for me.. If i were to do a long xc ride i guess id stuff a tube and pump in there

my gravel bike has the same tools, and a top tube bag which takes most things. east to fit a frame bag for a jacket and sandwiches…so i can kind of see where the yare cooming from

Bags like our QR pack for the Aeris AM holds your stuff nice and silently

Is this QR pack out yet?  I cant see anything online.