Ha, no worries. Seller said he demoed the Large and he’s 6’3 which is a fair bit taller than me at 5’11

FWIW my mate has a large Aether 9.  I’m 5,10 and ridden it, it was too big for me.

Too long?
I haven’t checked properly but assume they’re comparable size.

Large Aether is a 505mm reach which is a pretty long thing.

I’m 5’9 with short ish arms and struggled with an ML Aeris 145 with a 481mm reach. Most normal proportioned people around my height would be on an ML I’d think.

Unless you are like an ape with short legs and massively long arms I’d think the Large would be too big at 5’10 / 5’11

Have you seen the Revel Rail frame on eBay? It’s 165/170 but it rides like a trail bike.

Unless you are like an ape with short legs and massively long arms I’d think the Large would be too big at 5’10 / 5’11

Cheers, yes definitely not the one to buy on impulse without a ride.

I’ll get myself up to Laggan for a demo when I’m allowed to ride again 👍

My bike’s away at my friendly mechanic, it’s going to come back with serviced suspension, +10mm travel, a damper upgrade, slacker headset and a nice new stem – it will nearly feel like NBD anyway 😎

Have you seen the Revel Rail frame on eBay? It’s 165/170 but it rides like a trail bike.

Nope but I’ll take a look ta.
I’m not actively looking for anything imminently, it was only because that Bird frame popped up on my fb & I’d been browsing them.

We all know that an entire 1.5in difference in wheel diameter is what separates the pros from the proles.

Too long?

Yep, at 5,10 I ride a 472 reach bike (large Megatower v2) and found the L Aether too long (his low rise bar doesn’t help either).

Have been on 29er’s for about the last 7 years (I know, I was late to the party) but recently tried a longer travel 29er full sus for the first time. The thing I found was when landing jumps, my shorts would rub on the back tyre, even to the point to nearly wear through them. I’m 5’11” so not particularly short but this made me think that a mullet bike makes the most sense for longer travel full sussers.

There’s the Trek Remedy if you fancy something a bit more mainstream
https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/bikes/mountain-bikes/trail-mountain-bikes/remedy/c/B331/

The problem with video reviews is that they’re all made by professional Choobers who need to keep the constant supply of free bikes coming. They’re never going to heavily criticise anything.

best bet is to only look at comparison or shootout reviews. everything is still brilliant, but you can read between the lines to find where one bike is better than another.

I had the predecessor to the Aether 7 (the 120LT), really rate it and I beleive they fixed most of my (minor) gripes with the new model.

A little longer travel and a little heavier than you’re perhaps looking for but the Geometron G1 allows you to try all set ups – 650b, mullet or full 29er. I’ve been running mine as a mullet but changed to full 29er just because I want to try it out. Very adaptable bike. Also depending on set-up its a playful machine and not just a plougher. Geometron are apparently releasing a kit which will allow you to shorten the travel as well, don’t have any details yet though.

I had the predecessor to the Aether 7 (the 120LT), really rate it and I beleive they fixed most of my (minor) gripes with the new model.

Good to hear. I do like the idea of something from a smaller British co.

But

There’s the Trek Remedy if you fancy something a bit more mainstream

I’m not against mainstream at all 👍

I’ll look at the Geomotron but I’ve always thought they’re too much bike for me.

I loved my Geometron but it was a beast. I was always honest when people asked about it as it’s not for everyone. If you want a nippy little agile trail bike it’s not the one.

I’ve been looking at the Airdrop sale. It’s so tempting to get sucked into a project but I don’t get time to ride the bikes I have.

Stanton SwitchFS (second hand XL custom geometry one maybe 😉)

Stanton SwitchFS (second hand XL custom geometry one maybe 😉)

Probably also a bit big!

If you want a nippy little agile trail bike it’s not the one.

I’ve been looking at the Airdrop sale.

Probably somewhere in between nippy and a Geomotron I think?

Yeah Airdrop have been added to my list too 🙂

Different model of Bird but I’m 5’9″ on a tall day with ~31″ legs and regular reach and my M/L AM9 fits a treat.

Very flattering when pointing downwards and climbs well for a 170/150 coil bike.

Seeing as there’s a few Bird riders in here now, anyone know / ridden the 27.5 Aeris AM 160?

Propain… still rocking 29 or 27.5 in the Tyee, Alu or Carbon.

I know nothing about Propain apart from having vaguely heard of them.

Has anyone actually got one? Are they any good and will I be in for a world of pain if anything goes wrong wrong with it?

I love my Stanton fs160 doubt I’ll ever change it tbh, when they bring the carbon rear end out it will be perfect

@eddie the Stantons do look lovely but probably not going to happen unless I find a cheap frame somewhere.

So far I have a vague list, mostly for my benefit so I can find it again:

27.5 available as Frame only:
Bird Aether 7
Airdrop Filter (not convinced)
Vitus Escarpe
Propain Tyee (seem great value until you add shipping & customs charges)
Yeti SB140 (probably a bit £££ for a frame)
Cotic Rocket (an outlier, I love the look of them, not sure if I want a steel enduro bike…)

29er complete bikes
Orbea Occam
Bird AM9
Canyon Spectral 160 (also available in 27.5 still)
(any other current “Trail” which will probably completely meet my needs).

I probably need to start by deciding how much bike I want.

My T130 has killed it’s shock & the frame looks out of alignment (I have another thread for that) but I’m hopeful I can get that useable again to see me in to the summer.

Consider a Norco Optic or Sight if you can find one. My Sight A1 is the bike that convinced me 29ers can be fun to ride. I’d have to take up slopestyle or something to justify smaller wheels now.

Might have already been mentioned as I’ve not read the first page but Starling have the Swoop for a full 650b enduro bike.

@phil5556

I had a Bird Aeris 145LT which is essentially the same as an AM160. I think the 160 perhaps had more rear mud clearance but not too much else.

With an air shock it was reasonably lively for a longer travel bike, but on more roller / berm style flat terrain it was a bit harder work. I had the M/L though which I’d say was always a touch long reach for me. A few of my pbs are still on that bike – although mostly they’re straight / fast rocky sections where the 170 fork / 160mm rear travel and long reach monster trucked over the lot. I prefer my 29er sentinel in pretty much every way.

I had the Aether 7 in M size straight after the 145 and loved it. At places like Antur you got more of a battering on the aether than on the Aeris – but it was more fun more of the time for me. I ran the aether with a 150mm Lyrik and a coil shock on the back and it was ace.

Consider a Norco Optic or Sight if you can find one. My Sight A1 is the bike that convinced me 29ers can be fun to ride. I’d have to take up slopestyle or something to justify smaller wheels now.

same, my Optic was my first 29er and i wouldnt dream of riding anything else now. The Optic absolutely rips. I love it. I have put the short travel ripper through all sorts (Megavalanche, Ard Rock, Southern Enduro Champs) and it just keeps on ticking.

I can sell you a Trek Fuel ex9.8, full carbon frame, carbon wheels, bars. Fox 36s. 150mm air shaft in it

Re Occams – See my recent NBD posts but – whether you consider it a plus or minus – even in LT it’s quite a supportive ride in general – it’s not a sofa level jumps and berms bike, it’s a trail bike. Having said that it’s exciting, has a sublime balance and when it does open up through compressions and off jumps it’s very comfortable and balanced, and turns in at speed with such a confidence and calmness it actually shocked me.

The reviews use the word “efficient” and “engaging” on the trials and for me it sums it up perfectly.

At the weekend I need to ride my race bike for specificity prior to an upcoming race, and I’m actually worried that a few weeks absorbing Occam based habits will mean I’m having a lie down in a forest floor at some point, before I adjust.

Buy Weeksy’s bike.

@Kryton57 nice little review cheers, I was watching your thread 🙂

Buy Weeksy’s bike.

I probably should but I’ve said no. It is on my eBay watch list though… 🤔

Well there’s a Bird Aether 7 ML frame winging (🙄) its way to me 🙂

If I don’t get on with it I’ll try something else, but I like the sound & look of it.

I’ll get my fork up to 150mm for it (and get some new stickers 😎)

I can see 27.5 forks being obsolete in a few years, or sliding into a new mullet bikes for kids market, bikes still available in 27.5 today will probably be mullet in their next incarnation.
There could be a market for more headtube extending lower headsets to make 27.5 forks usable on mullet frames, I can only find wolftooth doing zs56 extenders at the moment.

🙂

Can’t fully build it yet until Whyte send me my frame back with some important bits still attached 🙁

I can see 27.5 forks being obsolete in a few years, or sliding into a new mullet bikes for kids market, bikes still available in 27.5 today will probably be mullet in their next incarnation.

Yeah it’s definitely going that way, as I’ve found on from my recent search for bikes. Although if manufacturers really wanted to make 27 bikes they could presumably design them around a 29″ fork with a 27.5 wheel, it’s only about 15mm difference A2C isn’t it?

The only times I’ve ridden 29ers properly have been e-bikes, so not a fair comparison.

The issue there is obviously they are ebikes which weigh a ton and built like brick sh..houses. The wheel size is lost in a handling comparison.

Well it’s Pretty much ready to go 🙂

Whyte still have my frame so I’ve borrowed my wife’s cranks & pedals (they’re sending me mine back while waiting to get the shock in stock) and it’s got mismatched brake levers.

I’ve ridden it up the street and it feels good 😁

The fork is now 150mm but it looks surprisingly long compared to when it was 130mm, I wonder if it’s just because the new damper and airshaft sit right at the top of the travel with no weight on the bike? My other thought was that Tredz sent me a 160mm air shaft – hopefully not!

Some quick pics 😎