Exclusive First Look: Bird Goes To 29in Wheels With New AM9

Now I just need things to kick off in the middle east* and the oil price to go back to normal so I can afford to buy anything!

*yea yea millions of civilians will die, human rights will be abused and Trump will be on TV a lot, but I’m getting bored of Tesco Value Baked Beans on toast.

Top tip, if you by the own brand beans in a 4 pack they’re the same price as the value ones but nicer – thank me later. Maybe with a new bike?

Raw looks good

Why would anyone eat value beans? Own brand maybe, but value? Bleugh.

Got to like it… Arguably excessive for my riding, but nice though.

Built in the UK is a stretch, you could pretty much say that about any bike that comes halfway round the world in a box. 😆

We’re super stoked to open pre-orders

Really… 🙄

Bird aren’t so cheap anymore..
If you compare the pricing of the Whyte S-150S (Vs.AM9 GX12), they are quite close.. The Whyte also includes a dropper and a better wheelset. No dropper on a £2550 bike 😯
In fact, with the 15% discount my LBS is offering, the Whyte is £50 cheaper with all the perks of buying from an LBS.

Looks like a nice bike though. Interesting that they’ve gone straight for the LT 29er.

Also, its A) hideous, and B) combination of super steep seat angle and slightly set back BB is going to equal exploded knees trying to pedal it anywhere at a higher intensity than a bimble

cokie – Member

Bird aren’t so cheap anymore

I’ve noticed this too and the spec isn’t so great either.

combination of super steep seat angle and slightly set back BB

I assume the seat angle quoted is the effective seat angle i.e. taking into account the set back BB.
Still pretty much the opposite of what I like in a bike though.

The numbers looks good – it’s big old bike, I bet it’s fun on some big hills 🙂

Short travel version with the same numbers coming? Please!

Nearly £1500 for the frame with a decent shock though, yikes 🙂

I wouldn’t say it’s hideous, but it is a bit Nukeproof of 5 years ago looking.

Same old, same old- I buy a new bike, two months later they bring out a new one.
Glad it’s a bit much for my riding though, if it was shorter travel I’d be a bit rueful.

The Whyte also includes a dropper and a better wheelset.

Are you sure about the wheels, those DT’s are around £500 at retail?

Looks like the price has gone up because a)there’s no budget wheel set and b) there’s no £300 Yaris. Everything else looks the same price.

Looks like the price has gone up because a)there’s no budget wheel set and b) there’s no £300 Yaris. Everything else looks the same price.

..yet Whyte manage to pop on a ’18 Rev and a Reverb whilst being able to supply the bike for less through an LBS with Demo bikes.
Whyte wheelset is wider and uses a Pro4 rear hub. I know what I’d prefer..

..yet Whyte manage to pop on a ’18 Rev and a Reverb whilst being able to supply the bike for less through an LBS with Demo bikes.
Whyte wheelset is wider and uses a Pro4 rear hub. I know what I’d prefer..

Swings and roundabouts, I doubt many people would turn their noses up a the DT wheelset though (and I’m a Hope fanboi), and the Bird gets 4-pot brakes. The bird’s are custom builds so you could equally go for RCT3 Pikes/shock for only a relatively small increase without having to buy the blingest build elsewhere.

Bird also have a shop and demo fleet (I may be biassed here as I drive past their shop several times a week).

Bird aren’t so cheap anymore

The frames (no shock, no rear axle) went up from £950 to £1,100 sometime in July.

This means that with shock (Deluxe RT3) £170 and rear axle £32, they’re about £1,300. Which is still inexpensive but not the mega bargain that they were.

I don’t like how they list the frame without shock, by the time you’ve added a shock and axle, something everyone else supplies then it’s just a normalish frame at a normalish price.

There’s been decent 29er forks and wheels for **** years now so I’m not believing that that’s a valid reason. More likely that the market for this type of bike has suddenly exploded and they need to be on the gravy train.

It’s a great time to be looking for a new LT 29er frame though….I’m spoiled for choice.

I don’t like how they list the frame without shock

I guess it’s just because there are so many options. Same with absence of droppers – whilst it ends up meaning the price you see is never the price you pay (which is a shame), it does give you different length options.

Whyte prices are amazing considering they go through shops. I don’t know how they do it assuming that the shops have enough margin.

I don’t like how they list the frame without shock, by the time you’ve added a shock and axle, something everyone else supplies then it’s just a normalish frame at a normalish price.

‘Normalish’, it’s still (IMO) stonking value, same price as a Nukeproof, and there aren’t many (any?) other brands producing £1400 29er frames with decent shocks? Cotic (with CCDB) start at about £1800, orange (with the basic monarch RCT3) the same, Pole framesets with the same shock are £2200.

A Specialized Enduro 29 frameset is £3200! It’s carbon, but like most brands it seems Specialized won’t sell you a cheaper/metal frame only option.

I bought a Bird 120 in April and have seen the price creep up over the last few months so they’re not as competitive but still decent value. Whyte seem to have more own-brand parts, which I’m sure are just as good as the other brands but probably allow them to cut some costs.

29er looks a bit lanky but then they mostly do

Unexpectedly hostile reception. Not the super bargain but that brexit and inflation for you – still great value IMHO.

Prototype has been tested for a while so I’m not sure they’re bandwagon jumping.

I think it looks great, I’d like one, may get a demo next year. If the geometry is similar to the Aeris it will be a blast.

I’m crossing my fingers for a 29er tr hardtail, that would be perfect.

I’m in the market for a new frame too at the moment and finding the wealth of options a bit overwhelming. I started favouring the Rocket Max, but then came this ‘new’ super long, low and slack geometry with the Whyte S150, Transition Sentinel and now this, but initial ride reviews of the Transition Sentinel suggest though it’s great for sending it downhill there are downsides over less extreme bikes everywhere else – sounds too much of a steam-roller to me, so again, just boils down to where you want to make the compromises. I’m not convinced I want or need the new super long low and slack geo. Aaaargh….sometimes too much choice is not helpful.

More likely that the market for this type of bike has suddenly exploded

And why wouldn’t it? Bit too long in the travel for me (maybe, I’d have to try it), but for enduros and the like, gotta be the style to go for.
I think it looks fab. £1100 for a frame isn’t ridiculous these days.

Everything on the bike is made in Asia ( more or less)
The £ had tumbled.
So things are more expensive !

It’s only the ‘frame only’ price which has gone up- if you’re buying a bike then the frame is still only £950 (+shock and hardware).

Aaaargh….sometimes too much choice is not helpful.

Analysis paralysis!

Will it take B+ wheels, I’m assuming if it takes 29 x 2.5 tyres then it might?

Blimey. Have Bird reached peak, with a queue of people lining up to start knocking their pricing and specs and looks and seat angles and ……..not so long ago people would crawl over broken glass to **** on pictures of their offerings.

I like it – I’ve considered them before but I quite like 29ers for what i generally ride, and didn’t want to change again to 27.5’s. I’m not the sort that needs a 150mm bike but if the changed philosophy eventually trickles down to a 29er 120, then I might be interested.

That external cable routing tho…YUK

That external cable routing tho…

In my book, certainly for the brake, external routing is a big win. Not having to bleed the brake if you want to change it (or install it in the first place) is great.

combination of super steep seat angle and slightly set back BB is going to equal exploded knees trying to pedal it anywhere at a higher intensity than a bimble

Given that a) Bird know what they’re doing and b) you haven’t ridden it, don’t you think that might be a bit presumptuous? 😆

i like that, a lot.

but crikey, the reach is a statement isn’t it? i’d need to try a 160mm stem to get a comparative fit on my current bike…

I like that a lot too. I was seriously considering a Sentinel frame, or possibly a full build Kona Process 153, but Bird has just thrown a spanner in the works.
I want to keep my 150mm Avalanche Pike if possible, and the rest of the kit on my Nicolai Helius is decent quality and transferable, so a large AM9 frame in green sounds ace.

but crikey, the reach is a statement isn’t it? i’d need to try a 160mm stem to get a comparative fit on my current bike.

You’d also have to move your saddle forward to mimic the steep seat angle too if you are going to do your comparison seated.

I’d have thought a 120mm version would have sold better for the majority UK riding, a 150mm FS 29er is a lot of bike for 95% of UK riders.

I’d have thought a 120mm version would have sold better for the majority UK riding, a 150mm FS 29er is a lot of bike for 95% of UK riders.

Most people are over biked so it makes sense for sales. More is better right 😀

..yet Whyte manage to pop on a ’18 Rev and a Reverb whilst being able to supply the bike for less through an LBS with Demo bikes.
Whyte wheelset is wider and uses a Pro4 rear hub. I know what I’d prefer..

The Rev was an awful fork on the 140mm stumpjumper and is a worse choice for a 150mm 29er and the reverb isn’t on the base Whytes, its their own brand one, which after using I would rather have a quick release seat clamp. I went to Whyte/LBS demo day, was a shower of pain, the guys from Whyte didnt seem to know the spec, my buddy actually wants to buy a G170 RS (£3800!) and they cant get one for him till November…

I dont see why so much hate on Bird here, I saw the guy on here hooked up a guy from bird with a free part because it was a bird. My LBS cant source parts for any of the bikes they sell quickly or for free. This bike is on the list for my next purchase.