That kid on the podium does not look like the guy riding the bike, riding beyond his years!

I wouldn’t bet too hung up on which riders did or didn’t ride a Fury, it didn’t have as much success as it should have given the calibre of riders that were on it and it was in a state of constant change. GT were just trying to keep their identity that they had built up with the I-Drive.

I’d consider the way the bike rides when judging how well he’s done, which is to say he’s done a brilliant job with it!

Obviously don’t want to detract from the thread too much, I’m loving following the story. Well done to him, and to you for supporting him.

Good to see him doing so well on the Fury, I rode one a few years back and it was one of the oddest feeling DH bikes I’ve ridden (and I’ve ridden them since the 90’s)
Just imagine how fast he’d be if you put him on a Session or a Tues!

*awaits new bike thread

Fin at Full Factory Suspension has built a steel box frame he uses with threaded bar to crank seatpost out. If you’ve nothing of the post to latch onto he can use the seat clamp collar. Shouldn’t do much in the way of damage because it’s not an impact thing.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CbSjtovONVV/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I loved my Hightower LT but it was too small (I mean properly too small, not that the geometry was wrong) because I bought the wrong size. The Aether 7 that replaced it a few years later is every bit as fun, active and poppy – presume the A9 is similar so I could totally recommend one of those.

The Hightower was a lot lighter mind, or at least it felt it, and I don’t think the Aether carbon is particularly light even so if you’re going like for like then it might not suit.

In the true spirit of Internet forum advice I’m going to give you some that you didn’t ask for.
Sell the Stiffee on retrobike for more than it’s worth and then buy something suitable for riding on roads with. It will come with the right size handlebars, boom, job done.

It’s a proper climb though innit, FOD is just a good crack for sessioning the same sections over and over to get used to the bike.

That’s well nice

And I suppose if you then vary the year of frame and go newer you have different geometry to deal with as well as sizing?

I think by even mentioning travel you’re looking at it from the wrong viewpoint. You need to look at a style of bike.

He got on with the Enduro, I don’t know why you sold it (was it to fund the DH bike) but just buy him another one. Take your opinion out of it, if I’m honest your style of bike (for wont of a better word) from your Bird thread shows you to like shorter, more traditional bikes, much like the X frame Enduro’s and if he’s going balls out he needs a bike for him not you.

Just find an enduro in a size that suits, I couldn’t advise you strongly enough to stay away from the 29ers because I had one and whilst it was a bike I had desires for a long time I thought it was the most upright ungainly piece of shit I’d ever ridden. But clearly some people like them.

Which takes us back to the bike he used to have, just get him another one until he understands more about geometry and set up to make decisions for himself.
Or a hardtail, hardtails are great for smashing trails and hitting jumps – I’d still have one but I’m nearly 40 and my back is approximately 78 so I can’t enjoy them like I used to.

Buy him an Enduro.
Ps, might be lots of spelling mistakes up there, but buy him an enduro.

I’d echo Tracey’s comment and get him a larger Enduro.
Only trouble then is getting the same spec he has previously, you don’t want to pay out for one with Ohlins if he can’t make them feel like his old RS forks.

Once he’s a bit older and he understand kinematics and feel a bit more he can move o to something more modern if needed

Interesting take.
Failure is an option, it always is. You can’t always win or always succeed. The kid came across a track that was bigger and harder than he is and it beat him. Happens to the best.

He didn’t fail though did he, didn’t just give up. He’s nackered his body! Kids are stupid, he’s have gone again if Weeksy wasn’t being a good dad and don’t further damage which could potentially have nagged him for a very long time.

On another weekend, maybe a dryer one, he’d have been fine.
I grew up in South Wales, raced a dragon track in about 2000/2001 at Rheola, hated it and never went back. I was a pretty good rider back then but sod that for a game of soldiers. I just didn’t enjoy it. I was riding at the time with some ludicrous riders (one came 2nd in the MBUK scholarship) and it was much more a “them” track than a me track.

I hope his shoulder isn’t better tomorrow, he needs the rest – he might not feel it but I’ll do him good. He’ll be back on the horse next week and all will be grand.

You’ll be absolutely fine on a pump track with rigid forks, maybe it’s not going to handle the sort of 20 ft tombstone trails it’s intended riders may do but smooth smooth trails will be fine.

I’m afraid you need a new frame. When I built a new bike up with all brand new 12spd components I could never stop the little annoying click and skip in 1-3, then I bought a new frame and put all the same components on and boom, smooth and silent operation.

Enjoy your new bike

I don’t ride particularly regularly so I’m recent years I’ve dropped down spec to Deore because whilst I can afford more, I can’t justify it.

The only thing I’m still snobby about is suspension, so I’ve got some 36 Rhythm forks and a DHX2 coil on a bike that gets ridden sometimes as rarely as once every 2 months. I only have the 36’s because my Yari’s were just out of their depth and it was cheaper to get these than a charger damper.

If I had to sell up and start again (current bike is a Bird Aether 7) I’d probably end up with a Vitus Mythique and just upgrade the forks. I think they’re still a bargain.

I’d sell them, nothing you’re installing now will be any use in 8 years, so once you’ve put the OEM back on to sell the bike you’ll be left with your current upgrades to sell separately.

I run a 2.6 Barzo in 27.5 on the rear of my Aether 7, it was superb in the slop and also the hard stone & roots of the Forest of Dean today.

This is just bloody ridiculous (in a good way), I’m in awe!
Also massive props on the colour coding, my Aether 7 has purple accents so I’m a huge fan of your daughters bike.

I try every week to get my son riding his bike and he’s got no desire at all, daughter can ride but doesn’t fancy it often. You’re a lucky man!

If you’re going to use Ted (and I would if I was going custom) I suggest going through his website if you can, his Instagram seems to have been taken over by a Crypto guru scammer.

What weight springs do you have Joe? I’m interested at C.£400 as it work out similar to a lesser shock plus spring if bought new.
Can meet you in bristol to save posting.

I have a pair of brand nee Spank 60mm rise 800mm wide bars in the garage that I never got around to sending back to CRC (they were supposed to be 35mm rise) for a refund.
You can have those for cost if you want?

@batfink if you zoom in on the chainset you can see the pivot. Just a simple system.

Aether 9 is a 130mm frame (same as my 7) and is warranted for 150mm max forks I believe.

But, but… where are the photos?
Love those original Mega’s.

If I were him I’d be updating my race CV to say “out performed Greg Minaar in his world championship winning year at the snowshoe WC”

How very disrespectful, those trails have been a staple of south west Downhill racing since the 90’s!!
Enduro indeed… :)

I’ll be there Saturday, will give you a shout if I see you and your son (I’ll recognise the bikes) but I’m not racing Sunday.

I’ve used them for years, and currently have their rotors on my bike too. Never any issues

You’ve made the right decision, the forks and shock aren’t worth the swap, the frame was nice back in the day but isn’t worthy of your interest now. It’s genuinely a generation behind.

I’m at FOD on 18th September, come and have a go on my ML Aether 7 and I’ll have a go on your L. Then see if someone wants to swap on the Bird Facebook group. If it wasn’t pink I’d be interested in swapping myself, but my sexy new purple Pro 4’s wouldn’t be right with that frame.

He’d have to come down loads to make that worthwhile for me – it’s a 6-7 year older bike with our dates geometry and sizing. I know you didn’t get on with the Aether but Christ this is a whole other ball game!
I had a 2019 Hightower and even that felt a few years behind the game in sizing.

I hope it fits you, I hope you like it, but most importantly o hope to god you don’t give him any money on top of your bird for it. Really he needs to be paying you!

It will likely be candy over chrome, you paint the bike black, then a dry chrome paint (unless they’ve changed that process, it’s a very dry spray which you might not “get” unless you’ve painted), then candy and then clear. http://Www.specialistpaints.co.Uk have all that you need,

I purposely chose that area to take the photo in because I know what you lot are like, we only moved in 4 months ago and we’ve got enough to do with the house – the front is nice though.

The first two photos are next to our stream, the third is on the site of a greenhouse we removed 2 days ago. Next time I’ll take one down by the apple trees where I’ve cut the grass!

Had a superb morning up at pedalabikeaway today, met a mate and a mate of a mate up at the top of GBU, spent a few hours sessioning and getting used to the bike, all jumps cleared on the second go once I was used to it – it goes well!

Also had the privilege of seeing Katy Curd breezing through the jumps at the bottom whilst filming on a chest cam and commentating what she was going over – it was an eye opener to see just how easy some people find this sport!

Hurt my back casing the first step down at the bottom of GBU which still hurts like hell, but we carried on and did the little drops in the skills area where I finally cleared the drop/gap over the fire road.

But now I’m home, and I feel about 15 years older with my lower back pain! Sucks to be old (38!)

I bought the ML because I like a fun bike (frame arrived yesterday!) and I think it’ll be just about ok.

For what’s it’s worth, I had a 2015/16 Enduro and hated the thing, so short and high – like you’re perched on top of it, so outdated. I’d ride your boys one for a bit to see how you get on, a large one won’t be much better.

From what I’ve read about you (that you’ve written, not what your detractors have said) I don’t think you’re an LLS rider, so something a bit more traditional might suit you really well. I look forward to seeing what replaces the Aether, and I look forward to seeing what you do with it – I love a fettle on my bikes but my budget doesn’t seem to go as far as yours!

I normally just email them with a few days to spare, you could always mention you’ve been trying for the past week on the phone – they’re pretty good eggs so even if you go past the deadline I suspect you’ll be ok

I’m glad you’re not selling it because this thread is one of the reasons I’ve ordered one, and mine hasn’t arrived yet. That said the Aether is shorter, taller and steeper than my last frame so I reckon I’ll get on with it just fine.

I’m sure they used to do 2k canz (that’s what they call them, I’m not “street”) but they do this.

https://specialistpaints.com/collections/kustom-canz-custom-aerosol-cans/products/1k-primer-aerosol-can

And then
https://specialistpaints.com/collections/kustom-canz-custom-aerosol-cans/products/base-canz

And then 2k clear to top it off.

https://specialistpaints.com/collections/kustom-canz-custom-aerosol-cans/products/clear-coat-kustom-canz

No messing around with drying or oven baking. You should be able to get some decent etch primer elsewhere if they don’t do it, but I suspect if you message them they’ll have what you need.

I’d recommend mend getting onto specialistpaints.Com. And buying they’re 2k rattle an kits, you’ll have them done in a day and you won’t sand anything other then the primer and then the lacquer (after a day or two of hardening)
I think you’re onto a hiding to nothing using anything else.

Now you’ve got it in your head though you’ll not lose it, so well done.
The only thing I’ve ever been better at than my riding buddies is jump, but they’ve worked out how to do it now so I’m having to buy a short travel Aether to get me a bit closer to the on the climbs!