For this edition of Readers’ Rides, Aaron B shares his Bird Aether 7 which we just found down the back of our cyber sofa (this submission is from 2021!)
Bike brand and model
Bird Aether 7.
Why this bike?
This bike is really a frame switch from a 2017 Cotic Rocket. With the current difficulty of sourcing parts I wanted to keep as much of the old setup as I could while getting the new bike feeling. I had come to the conclusion that the height of the Rocket was getting in the way (it was an XL) but that the length was really nice. I also realised there is little point dragging an enduro frame around when your not really good enough to do it justice.
I was looking for a frame that has a steeper seat angle and moderate reac increase over the outgoing Rocket, but with lower standover. I started off looking for a newer second hand large Rocket. Second hand prices were crazy and often asking prices were not much less than new frames. Other contenders came and went, I looked at Airdrop Edits (too much bike again), Geomentron/Nicolai (don’t ride enough presently to justify cost), various Cotics, Stanton Switchback 140 and a good few others. In the end the Bird had all the geo tweeks I wanted, was in stock, at a good price and I could get my nearly brand new shock lengthened to fit.
Frame
Bird Aether 7.
Fork
Marzocchi 350NCR.
Shock
CCDB Inline Coil.
Suspension Set-up
Forks set at 150mm, 450lb spring on the coil shock. Currently set as TF suggested for both but intending to play with the rear. Considering buying a SusMyBike to see how what I feel/think matches with data.
Wheels
Hope Pro4 in orange, Halo Vapour 35 rims, Black Sapim spokes and silver brass nipples.
Tyres
Specialized Butcher Grid front and Eliminator Grid Trail rear.
Tyre Inserts
Rimpact.
Chainset
RaceFace Turbine, 30t ring on OneUp Switch carrier. Colour matched Cane Creek preload adjuster and RaceFace bolts.
Drivetrain
XT/XTR 1×11 speed with Sunrace MX8 11-46.
Brakes
Hope Tech3 E4 front 200mm rotor, Tech3 X2 rear 180mm rotor.
Bars & Stem
Nukeproof Horizon Carbon V2, DMR Defy 35.
Grips
Troy Lee Designs.
Seatpost
OneUp dropper 210mm.
Saddle
Fabric scoop.
Accessories
Invisiframe, a Portland Design Works Sparrow bottle cage and front mudguard.
Size and Weight
Sized large. I don’t tend to weigh bikes. Its built to last not float.
Additional Comments
There is a thread on my musings here; https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/new-frame-musing/ . Looking back at it I did not buy any of the initial 3 contenders in that thread.
In the end the only swaps required to change frames were rebuilding the rear wheel onto a boost hub. I could have used a boost kit but the cost of the only decent kit was not dissimilar to the difference between buying/selling the hub. I build my own wheels so that ‘cost’ gets hand waved :D. Although not needed I swapped to the 210mm dropper because I could.
Nothing else needs changing at moment. The bike has just felt right from the first time I sat on it. There are a number of local trail features I have either never tried or never felt that comfortable on. I was surprised to find the Aether felt better over these than the Rocket and I have subsequently cleared several of the features that had eluded me.
The colour tart keeps looking for ways to remove the red spider of the MX8 cassette. However the shimano offerings don’t have such nice steps so for now it stays.
Want to share you bike with the group?
Whether you’ve got a special new bike or just a bike that’s special to you, this is where you get to tell us about it! You send us your submissions, and then we cast our judgemental expert lustful eyes over them and bring them to the world to ooh and ahh over. We’re picking the prettiest, the most curious, and the ones with a good story for you to appraise, praise, and maybe look wistfully at.
State of that pointing