What happened to AM bikes?

Privateer 141 too heavy.

Too heavy for what?

The new airdrop does look fun to be fair.

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/airdrop-filter-is-a-27-5-lip-boosting-backside-pumper/

For me I’d prefer the seat tube to be a little shorter / steeper but it’s still fairly short, relatively slack HA, sensible length chainstays.

I like the price of the frame with db coil il for £1399.

It’s 27.5” though – bet it’s fun but perhaps not as fast over big rocky terrain as a similar 29er. Depends what you’re after though. It would probably be a riot on the flow trails at somewhere like Bike Park Wales – similar ish to the Aether 7.

I’ve had *quite* a few bikes in the ‘trail’ category. For my riding ability and most of the stuff we ride there (FoD – there is loads of harder stuff of course), I reckon a modrnl Geo, reasonably light FS is perfect. I tried a few 😉 I used my RipMo often but it felt a bit too much bike a lot of the time. So I kept looking for the perfect ‘trail’ bike between that and my Hardtail.

That included 27.5 Bird 120, 27.5 Occam, 27. Mojo4. 29 Ripley, Original MK1 ‘chubby’ FlareMax and a Smuggler. I think it might have been me but not the bikes, even so.

Eventually I’ve ended up with my Revel Rascal. 140/130. 65ish HA, slightly too slack seat angle, Pike Ultimate on the front, New Fox Float on the back. 2.5/2.4 tyres comes in at about 30lb. Light enough to do the ‘one more big hill before we finish’, way capable enough to ride anything I want to try, fab suspension design for everyday riding, not great mud clearance.

I’m happy with those compromises. As it was I just wasn’t riding my RipMo anymore. So I bought a Giga to give me lots of points of differentiation!

It’s just marketing bollocks though isn’t it.

Ssssshhhhhh, no one wants to hear that

my default response is Cube Stereo.

Not silly slack, good suspension, tidy prices.

I’m happy with those compromises. As it was I just wasn’t riding my RipMo anymore. So I bought a Giga to give me lots of points of differentiation!

You are a man after my own heart Alex.

Change one bike and it inevitably sets off a domino effect because the other points on the spectrum have moved.

😀

It’s just marketing bollocks

All-mountain was marketing bollocks from 10 years ago, and was actually reasonably useful in that you could ride them up and down a mountain or round your local woods and they were pretty good everywhere.

‘All Mountain’ at least reasonably descriptive as the to the aim of a bike in this category.

‘Down Country’ utter marketing buloxshizzle. What is Down Country? Do they mean Southerners? Just a bike they’ve added different stickers and a grand to the price?

I await ‘Mullet Country’ bikes.

If it’s secondhand and AM and Orange you’re after then I reckon you need the Five frame I’m about to list for sale 😉

Or an Aether 9, which is the reason the Five is for sale

Lots of Alu bikes in this list.
I want carbon this time round.

What is Down Country?

Bikes for folk in the South Downs. Or maybe the north ones. It’s a little ambiguous.

If I ever get a trail dog I’m going to call it Country.
Just so I can shout Down Country when it jumps up at people on XC bikes with a longer fork.

I think it’s just called playing on a bike, perhaps “mountain biking” if you are in adult company. Anything else is marketing BS 😎

I tested a Reactor 290 & a (Bird) AM9 before settling on the AM9. I felt it pedaled much better than the reactor despite the extra travel.
I was tempted to wait for the Aether 9A (it wasn’t out at the time), but after a couple of fun days at Dunkeld I went for the AM9. Also glad I didn’t wait as I think the reach has gone too-long for my riding.

As has been mentioned though, tyre choice will make a bigger difference than a bit more/less travel.

Also, Bird customer service, rightly IMO, has a reputation for being 2nd to none.

my default response is Cube Stereo

A Stereo 140 is not to be found in the UK as far as I can see (having checked 4 websites haha). Bike 24 have them but don’t ship them to UK 🙁 they look lush

It’s just marketing bollocks

Well, yes and no. It’s helpful to categorise bikes so you know what to buy or look for, but where does useful categorisation end and marketing bollocks begin? There has to be some marketing bollocks otherwise every bike conversation would be:

“I’d like a bike, please, to ride where I ride”
“How much travel would sir like?”
“Travel?”
“Oh, do you mean the ‘bikes with squirly handlebars’ bikes? For use on tarmac.”
“No, I need something that’s a 24″ frame because I’m over-estimating my height, and I ride in the woods, so I need something like Steve Peat rode, in his competitions.”
“Ah yes, his riding down the hill competitions…. have a look at this…..”

Carbon wasn’t something mentioned in the initial brief I don’t think.

Reactor 290 can be bought in carbon as can the Bird Aether 9C. Same for the spectral and Jeffsy and Fuel Ex.

If you’re slightly budget limited (you mentioned possibly having to buy secondhand) then wanting carbon doesn’t necessarily help you cause.

I always worry about internal damage to carbon on secondhand bikes that can’t be seen as it’s not obviously crash damage. Some companies provide a manufacturers warranty that can be passed onto a second owner of the bike is sold.

Nukeproof definitely don’t have this as I looked at a secondhand reactor frame so I ruled it out unless really cheap.

Bird do have this on their alloy bikes – I assume they do the same on their carbon ones…..as long as it’s less than 2 years old. Doesn’t cover crash damage obviously. Not sure about trek / canyon / yt with their warranty offering.

Some brands carbon isn’t much lighter than alloy, but others are very different. I know my Sentinel alloy is a chunk heavier than the sentinel carbon – but with the Bird Aerher I think there’s only about a 300-400g difference in the carbon vs alloy.

Privateer 141 too heavy.

Too heavy for what?

Its a great bike to ride. Not heavy at all and long trips and on the way down you can huck some pretty big stuff.

Short travel 29er? All the bike you’ll ever need if coming from a HT for the terrain you describe riding. (Whispers it) I reckon a short travel 29er is the ideal bike for the vast majority of UK trail riding.

Just had an email from Vitus introducing their 2022 range!! The Escarpe deffo mentions the words All Mountain in both 29 & 27.5 flavours!!! This AM mularkey is making a comeback I tell you. (No idea whatsoever what AMP stands for in their model names though.)

Privateer 141 too heavy.

Too heavy for what?

Normally wouldn’t care about weight much, but for riding actual mountains there’s a fair chance it’s going to be carried at times, the 1kg over many other options might matter. Similarly for my comment about low BBs.

I know for a barely used Orange Alpine in Large that a mate needs to move due to his back giving out. An Alpine must be All Mountain by definition, shirley?