Bird Cycleworks: Now with custom paint and gravel options

Bird Cycleworks, the UK company well known for its responsive and approachable customer service (as well as some very popular mountain bikes), is now offering custom paint options. Plus, next year they’re bringing out a gravel bike. But for those who were expecting it to be a very mountain bikey gravel bike, prepare to be surprised. Read on for the full PR from Bird Cycleworks:

Bird Cycleworks releases custom paint options, previews new Aerelon gravel bike for 2025

For us a bike has always been a very personal affair. Thats why since day 1 we’ve offered custom builds on every model. Almost every Bird sold over the 11 years we’ve been building bikes has been sent out with the parts selected by our customers, not determined by us. In 2025, with a challenging market still prevailing, we’re mixing it up a little, dropping some of our famous bike builder options in favour of the ultimate customisation – paint.

Our flagship models – The Aeris AM and Forge, as well as the new Aerelon Gravel are now available as custom painted right here in the North east. We’ve partnered with East Coast Airbrush to give our customers the chance to get the exact paintwork you’d like, as a price that won’t make you cry. The service, going under the name ‘Steel Town Customs’, reflecting the heritage of our new home in Consett, is live now and available on frames and complete builds.

Complete custom paintwork can be had for as little as £700 – not just a colour choice, but design and style is completely customisable in that budget. We bring the frames in prepped and ready to paint, enabling us to keep the cost realistic for most people’s budgets, while offering the chance to get the look you’ve always wanted.

For custom paint options please contact Bird before you buy so we can start the process and make sure you get a blank frame from our paintable stock.

For more information check out https://www.bird.bike/stc

And did we mention there’s a gravel bike coming too?

New Bird Aerelon Gravel

For 2025 we’re stretching those legs, dusting off the lycra and hitting the (gravel) roads. When considering our first gravel bike, first and foremost, we wanted to deliver one bike that could cut it on the road or off-road equally. Although most people might have expected a dropped bar mountain bike style from us, when we looked at what we actually ride when it comes to our gravel bikes (and we do ride a lot of gravel here at the factory), we found it was a mix of road and off-road in equal measures, and the common thread was always the distance. Gravel rides are generally long, and gravel racing even longer. 60-200km is the norm not the exception.

With that in mind the new Aerelon straddles the all road and gravel categories of bikes when it comes to geometry. We’ve set the trail at a neutral number for handling and a compact wheelbase that’s sharp enough on the road, without feeling dangerous off. Generous stack heights pair with modest reach numbers for a comfy ride thats not too stretched out and a solid weight distribution for descending. Ultra versatile mounts are plentiful, so you can load, or just go, but whichever you choose the Aerelon is dependable, comfy and fast.

With 5 launch sizes for initial launch and 3 more sizes more planned we’re covering all bases right down to a youth focused 650b.

Incredible Value Meets Cutting Edge Tech

For the Aerelon we wanted to ensure that the frame design was future proof from the outset, as well as not excluding people wanting to buy frame and fork only set ups and porting older parts onto that. That’s why the Aerelon features:

• Full monocoque Toray carbon frame and fork
• 6 mounting zones for bags, bottles and cargo
• Detachable mount for mudguard
• UDH For direct mount drivetrain compatibility including Transmission/AXS XPLR 13 Spd.
• Designed for wireless, capable of running wired.
• 1x optimised design, with 2x wide mech option.
• 50mm dry, 45mm wet tyre rating
• All models feature lifetime corrosion warranty on headset bearings
• All models feature Ergon carbon flex posts for enhanced rider comfort
• All models offer multiple choices for critical sized components
• Higher end models also feature lifetime warranty on their bottom brackets

Complete bike weights range from 8-9kg depending on specification

* Option to swap for equivalent 25mm 303 Wheels on Aerelon and Aerelon R for customers looking for expanded road/off-road tyre options.

** Other options/widths available

*** Lizard Skins DSP V2 on Steel Town Customs Paint bikes

All models feature 4 bar widths, 4 stem lengths and 4 crank lengths from 160mm-170mm to suit customer’s needs. Aerelon and Aerelon R offer 2 saddle widths.

Frame/Fork Price is £1345 Including lifetime headset, lifetime bottom bracket, stem, axles and UDH.

The new Aerelon goes on sale q1 2025 for delivery q2. Sign up for updates at https://www.bird.bike/aerelon.