Got my new bird zero 1 with sweep forks on Saturday, after testing one a few weeks earlier. I was going to get just a frame, but the full builds are insane value for money.

I had been looking for a new hardtail for a while, having had a cove stiffee for about 7 years (now my 13 yo sons). Tried a cotic soul, stanton slackline, on one and ragley. Tbh, my problem was also getting a good fit (5’5″ female with 31″ inside leg). I also have a FS bike, nukeproof mega 2012, and previously a cove hustler.

I really like the zero, rolls well, nice and planted, but very much fun when you want it to be and push it a little. More forgiving and flattering to my lack of skills than the cove stiffee was.

Must be something a bit special as it’s the first complete new mtb I have ever bought!

My husband also tested one, and really liked it. He has only just got a stanton so may have to wait a little while to change. My 13 year old son also really likes it.

I’d say try one….

Mine is still in the dining room, I suppose I eventually will have to put it in the shed.

To OP

I understand how you feel, we were involved in a fatal (for the other party) crash (other party at fault and could not be avoided by us). Just around the corner from our own home, in a 30mph zone (doing 25mph) in the city we got hit nearly head on by a car coming the other way (from around a blind corner) at between 60-80mph. Other driver (drunk, no licence) lost control when they clipped the curb and died at the scene. Husband in a wheel chair for 3 months, but myself and 18mth and 3 YO sons walked away. The large car (Vauxhall omega) and the kids correctly fitted car seats saved our lives. My previous car was a 1986 Renault 5!! We would have been toast in that.

Can’t stress the importance of correctly fitted, good quality car seats enough, your current seats may not be a good fit in a new car.

If children are under 4, check this out:

http://www.rearfacing.co.uk

Rear facing car seats for kids up to 4 YO, 5 x safer! You only get one chance to get it right…..

Simone

Officerfriendly – sounds to me it’s not the stiffness of the frame that’s the problem, probably the size? I am 5’5″ and 58kg and only ever ride a small. Had a 16″ orange 5 for a while that was too big and I just did not like (really wanted to though). At 5’4″ and 45kg I presume a medium must be too big?

My son is also 5’4″ and 48kg and rides my old small cove stiffee. It’s definitely stiff, but does not feel sluggish or hard work…..

Try a small?

I think the right bike can feel very wrong in the wrong size.

So yes, my bike mistakes: orange 5 and old style cove g spot.

Simone

I try and ride mtb when I can, but life gets in the way (work, kids etc).

Gym 5 x per week (whatever I fancy, spinning/body pump/weight session etc), gym is down the road.

Seems to do the trick, but there are women who go to the same gym (who are in their 40’s) that do a lot more than that and look like athletes (like the ones on TV). I suppose I must try harder….

Simone

I try to make sure my bikes are always nicer than my husbands, does not always work though.

As far as maintainance is concerned, I can do quite a bit of it. Managed to do a lowers service on my sons domains, only call the husband when I need a bit of brute force…

I get told off for putting bike parts on the dining room table ‘at least use a place mat’ I was told 😀

Simone

My husband has a wool rug. I have used all sorts of things for stains, but best by far is dissolving some washing powder/liquid in a bowl of warm water and use that to scrub. I don’t use a brush, but a terry flannel that has gone rough over time from not using a tumble drier/softner.

Good luck

I’ll ask my 13 year old, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on an informative answer…

Simone

deanfbm – I did not find the bird harsh at all (but then I do ride a cove stiffee at the moment). I rode it back to back with my current cove (my oldest son brought the cove to swinley, so we could swap).

The cove is like a puppy that wants to play…..all the time! The bird was happy to play when I wanted to. It liked to jump and seemed to flatter my (lack of) skill.

My son is going to have the cove, but then he is also like a puppy that always wants to play when he rides his bike.

Thanks mamadirt, but I am getting the bird. Love the ride and love the colour! ….and it’s called a bird which appeals to my sense of humor (I currently ride a 15.5″ purple stiffee 😀 ).

I have been riding a cove stiffee with 140 forks for about 6 years now, and I have been trying to find a replacement for a while, but nothing ever seemed to tempt me.

Had a go on a BIRD 650b hardtail last Saturday around swinley and really loved it. I was going to get a frame only, but the builds seem so good I am gonna go for a complete bike as soon as I can.

I am 5’5″ with 31″ inside leg and I take a 15.5″ cove. The small bird was spot on (I think it comes up small), a medium should be good for you.

Try one!

Simone

Looks lovely…..

Although my youngest one said it looks nothing like his old stinky 24 (called konner). He loved that bike.

What size are you after? We are about to put my sons ragley up for sale. It has 150 magura thors up front and is running 1×9 on sram x9 and has roval wheels. This may be a bit closer to your budget.

Great hardcore and slack hardtail. It’s a 16″.

I am getting a new 650b hardtail (a bird) and my son has decided he wants my current hardtail, so this one is going (I think he should keep the ragley, but you can’t reason with a teenager).

Email in profile if you want to know more.

Simone

I have always known mine, everyone in the Netherlands does. Probably gets tested at birth I presume. And yes, a boring O+

Simone

Tested the bird on Saturday at swinley forest and love it! I was just going to get the frame and build it up, but the full builds are such good value I will probably go for one of those instead.

Just picking the spec at the minute and I will have to sell one of our 26″ hardtails.

My boys both want one too (they aren’t getting one) and my husband is temped to test ride one next time we go eventhough his stanton is not very old.

Great bikes, lovely ride, very playful when pushed. The small is short, and a perfect fit for me.

Thanks to Ben for all his help so far.

Simone

As far as I know the demo is a dh frame.

Voltage only comes in short or long, my son has a short. Lots of spares about too. Bought our frame a year ago for £350 (2012 frame and shock). Try pink bike.

Sometimes these frames have been well used, but when we built ours up we were impressed with the quality. I think it’ll take some abuse!

New voltage out now, so just get a used voltage frame, that’s what we did. Plenty about!

Don’t think £500 is enough for a new fr frame.

Scott voltage, my son has one and it’s great!

Linky

These look ok, not wood though. However, we have a few wooden windows left (including our bottom bay with 48 little windows), and they are a pain. Noisy, cold and need constant maintainance. We really like our painter, and he is very good, but I still think we see too much of him.

Top bay window replaced 15 years ago with upvc, it’s quiet, warm and I have so far just had to dust the frames.

The alu-wood thing sounds interesting though…

Simone

For how many people? And what do you call cheap?

When riding with the husband and kids in morzine this summer it seemed to take ….

Forever!

Been there only once before, years ago, but it was great. There is also a xc route. I think your wife will be fine….

Is she on a full Susser? I think it will be hard work for her on a hardtail.

My husband and I are thinking of going next weekend and bringing our 11 and 13 year old, email in profile if you want to meet up.

Simone

Will have a look at the meta, I think perhaps I should try to get a test ride on the bird. Will email them. Worked out that I’ve had the cove about 6 year and bought the frame used! It’s done well….

Simone

Will check out the kona and Saracen, not too sure on the on one, as in my experience the top tubes are too long.

Thanks!

Anyone has the bird?

Also cotic too long if their 26″ frames are anything to go by, unless the do a xs (but I may have a lot of seatpost showing).

Simone

We did the same as Bol, get a frame and build your own. This was my sons second 26″ hardtail, (old) ladies 15″ spesh rockhopper frame and all used bits (including light roval wheels and decent forks). Did not cost much, about £300?

Ladies frames are good as they have short top tubes, so more adjustable. His first 26″ frame was a 13.5″ spesh rockhopper frame. My oldest son started on 26″ with an on one scandal, he did not like this as much because of the long top tube.

My boys are now 11 and 13 and on a 15.5″ cove handjob and a 16″ ragley mmmmmmbob (both 26″).

They have been on 26″ bikes since about age 9/10 ish.

Old picky:

[/URL]

Tbh I take a xs helmet and choice is very limited. The spesh deviant 2 my son gas is lovely and well vented and looks like it gives more protection than the urge. I did find the xs 661 comp nice and light, but still a little loose on me and did not cover my head as well as I’d liked.

If you take a xs you could try the spesh, but it will probably be too big. I found the 661 xs helmets a little big and I ended up with a bluegrass full face helmet in xs.

I tried loads, had a go at some tld in morzine, but all too big.

If you take a xs and you found one that fits, I’d say don’t worry about the venting.

Simone

My son has a specialized deviant 2, lovely light and very well vented. Small comes up like a regular small (too big for me, I normally take a xs, and too small for my husband who has the s/m urge).

Discontinued now, may be able to get one cheap.

Simone

I seem to remember sun singletrack rims came in 24″ and are not too bad weight wise. Used them on my sons old stinky 24. Lighter than all the dj rims out there, but not xc light. Good for a bit of dh in the alps though.

Simone

Just dug out the pics of our 24″ bikes. Both built on a budget, really nice bikes and served us well in morzine.

Kona stinky 24

Norco b line 24

We did weigh them at the time (for the bike rack) and I think the kona was 13kg and the norco 14.5kg in the pics.

Kona was actually ok to pedal too, norco not so much, but it looked cool and went well on the way down (much like an old 2006 ish enduro).

Enjoy! Our kids are now on a xs knolly and scott voltage in 26″….

Simone

No new 2015 version on the site get, but I am seriously tempted by the torque dhx dropzone. The silver 2014 one looks gorgeous!

Yep, far too much bike for my mincing around with the kids in morzine, but this weapon may just see me keep up with the oldest! …..maybe….ok, maybe not.

Simone

Does not sound expensive. I think you pay for the car, how many people travel doesn’t actually matter (so you pay the same for a mini and 1 person as you pay for a zafira with 5 people). I don’t think the duration of your stay makes a difference either, only the time and date/day of the crossing matters.

So you paid an extra £20 for the bigger vehicle.

Check out myferrylink

I ride a cove stiffee, I think it’s from 2006, still love it! Full suss is newer, 2012 mega.

Simone

Ferry?

I travel to Europe a lot (family in holland) and never use the tunnel. Ferry is also a nice break. Returns seem to vary between £70 and £120 for a car full of people, depending on when I book/travel. They will let you on a earlier/later ferry for free normally…. I think my husband uses myferrylink.

As for using the cheap returns and only using one leg of the journey, I think they have cottoned onto that a long time ago and it won’t work (but I’d say ring them to check).

Simone

Good point, just feels like the mega is a bit of a compromise in morzine, which was more or less the only place I used it.

I work a lot now and when we do ride it is with our boys that are 11 and 13. Any xc and I ride my hardtail, other stuff the kids want to do is uplifts and Aston hill etc. They are not into long epic rides with climbs and descents (we live in Norfolk) that would benefit from a bike like the mega.

To hire bikes in morzine is too expensive, so we bring our own. Our kids now have 26″ bikes, but the 24″ ones they used for a few holidays ended up not costing us anything at all as we bought used, upgraded and sold well. Kids now also have bikes that will sell on when outgrown at not much loss, if any. Hence I want to buy more of a gravity bike so it will be spot on for the hols, and I prefer to buy used so I won’t loose too much money.

You may well be right and I’ll regret it, but then I can always swap again. Kids have a ht and an alps bike, and it works well for them.

I suppose we ski and snowboard, so having stuff that does not get used much is not alien to us.

Simone

The propains look lovely! My kids have now outgrown 24″ bikes, sadly. We had a norco b line 24 and a kona stinky 24 for alps duties for our boys. Both heavily upgraded/custom built, kona was the lightest and easiest to pedal.

There is a commencal 24″ bike for sale on pinkbike, looks fine to upgrade. Seen quite a few in morzine this year, look nice. Bergamount also do a 24″ freeride bike, big air tyro. Also looks nice, sometimes come up on German eBay used.

Link to pinkbike one (not mine):

Linky[/url]

Simone

“A denser country would not be able to fit more roads in, generally speaking, I’d have thought.”

Just been to morzine fir a week (driving) and we are now in the Netherlands. Much denser country, they don’t seem to have any problems fitting in more roads. Every time I go there are new roads and new cycle paths. I have yet to find a pothole. And it’s not the weather keeping the roads in better nic, it’s maintainance and money. My sister does pay 100 euro road tax PER MONTH for her 2005 c4.

I do think the Dutch are terrible drivers, especially on the motor ways. Only the Belgians are worse.

Driving in France is lovely, well worth the toll twice a year. We decided on driving to Amsterdam from morzine via France/Luxembourg/Belgium and not via Germany (route preferred by the Dutch), and paying the 45 ish Euro toll.

Simone

@ cowley33 –

we have been a few times before, but always as a family holiday so we did not ride everyday and we also ride with the kids. More than happy to meet up, we also have my mum and sister staying who don’t ride and can look after our boys (age 11 and 13).

Feel free to email me, email is in my profile.

Simone

No one?

Great map (not the free one !) and book with routes available from the tourist office.

We will be there 2-7 august. Myself, husband and 2 boys (11 and 13).

Simone

We’ll be there 2-9 august …

Older coves were short, 15.5″ stiffee shorter than 14″ scandal.