Details of the new Bird Aeris 9

544 reach on the XL, proper numbers! 😁

457 is shorter than my current bike, 486 is longer. Will certainly be after a shot at Tweedlove, would really like to see how it compares for my old Whyte G-160 (that I've mulleted)

I'm trying to use the configurator on the Bird website and it's dead. Are there too many people sitting at work speccing up imaginary bikes like me?

@Sharkattack - I was on earlier and it kept crashing so I assume that's the case. Liking the look of it though and the timing is good as I'm starting to think about replacing my 4 year old AM9. Wonder if the Aeris 9 would feel too similar though ??

No cables through the headset or bars, because we don’t hate you

That's proper sizing, and I say that as a Geometron owner! 544mm reach on an XL might even mean I'd be looking at the L on this @ 188cm.

I’m trying to use the configurator on the Bird website and it’s dead. Are there too many people sitting at work speccing up imaginary bikes like me?

[IMG] [/IMG]

😆

definitely not speccing up a frameset here either . . .

That black one looks mint. I'll have to wait until the site is working to see how much a sensible build will cost.

I'll certainly hold fire on the Propain build for now.

That’s proper sizing, and I say that as a Geometron owner! 544mm reach on an XL might even mean I’d be looking at the L on this @ 188cm.

Same here. I say that as an ex-Geometron owner who can't afford to get back in the gang.

Kudos to Bird for getting so much right with this.

It would be at the top of my list for my next big bike if it weren't for the big jump between M and ML frame sizes. Might be able to cope with the ML but might be a bit too stretched out.

Shame they don't offer the choice of linkages, rather than a £90 upcharge to get the 180mm linkage as well. I'd want to go straight for that.

@Chakaping - we will once everything is in stock and normalised, but TBH we don't want the stock 160s we have already got coming if everyone wants a UK made 180! So this is one way we can subsidise the UK made 180s a bit by charging them on - once the frame has been in for a while we can start to balance up getting 160 v 180 linkages and they'll be just in the price - the same was the case for the 145 vs 160 AM.

Thanks for the swift reply Ben.

Sorry I don't understand the UK-made bit, do you mean the 180mm linkages are being CNCed here at the mo?

While you're about, I don't suppose it's got any mullet capability as well, has it?

Thats correct (or generally is anyway) Extra linkage options are normally made standalone in the UK while the stock linkage that the frame comes with is a bit different being 'OE' and so made in bigger batches. The Linkages that come on the frames therefore are kind of spare, as we'd rarely sell a shorter one to anyone.

Mullet options are in the pipeline.

Very interested to hear about the mullet option (speaking as someone who has owned 2 x Aeris 145LTs (M & ML) an ML AM9 and a mullet Geometron G1 (M) - mullet option would mean all my boxes are ticked...

Mullet options are in the pipeline.

Righto cheers, same chassis or different rear end?

This could be the clincher, especially if it happens to shorten the reach.

Same chassis. Just an extra tweak on some stuff we already have in the works as options.

This looks good and great timing. Nearly bought a nukeproof giga but this looks great. Wonder how it pedals. Would want the 180/180 build.

@Ben when can we expect some first ride reviews? I need to have my preconceptions confirmed 😉

Well we've got one mag that asked for a tester, so that will take around 3 months I guess. But why wait? If you're in Scotland anyway then we have demo days 1st three weekend in Sept at Pitfichie, Laggan and then Tweedlove, and ones to test in the south at our main office in Eversley, Hampshire.

All demos right up north or right down south 🙁 nothing near the Midlands?

Where would you say it sits on the spectrum of pedaling efficiency Ben?

The only reason I'm interested in a new big bike is that my current one pedals like a sack of spuds.

How does it peddle and ride compared to the am9?

Its plusher than the AM9, and doesn't pedal quite so well but... almost ever shock we do now has LSC adjustment which means we're able to back off the anti-squat a little and rely more on shock adjustments. So all in all, it pedals almost as well as an AM9 if you set it up right. Its good uphill for a monster bike.

@Endorium MTB Meetup used to be our main midlands demo day, but thats now gone and we don't have a replacement as yet. Unfortunately having to deal with paperwork for FE sites is more than I can bear generally. At the moment nearest site to you we have anything at is Hamsterley in Durham or Swinley depending on your location.

@Ben happy for you to send me a van load of bikes and I can act as your East Midlands based demo location, I won't even charge for my time 🤣

Hmmm, daydreaming about running a Bird demo fleet out of my well equipped garage in central Sheffield.

Well after looking some more at this bike, I have bought on 🙂 couldn't of times it better as nearly got a nukeproof giga. Got the 180 link as well. Cannot wait for it

Not in the market for one of these, but it’s amazing to see the options, prices, background and first hand response from Ben here. More need to be like Ben and Bird. Have we ever mentioned we need a like button on here?!

Tell you what, if I wasn't already 98.5% sold on a Geometron G1, I'd be onto one of these like a rat up a drainpipe...

£1800 squids for a frame with the formula coil, headset, seat clamp and the 180mm linkage. Billy bargain!

Same chassis. Just an extra tweak on some stuff we already have in the works as options.

@benpinnick so presumably if someone were to order an Aeris 9 frame now, the parts to mullet it could be purchased and retro fitted at a later date?

Yes thats correct - it will be a linkage adaption to correct the geo.

Is this going to a replacement for the AM9. Or they more different than I’m thinking.

as someone thinking of getting a durable big rig for certain trips and whatnot, these have defo entered my radar. I look forward to seeing and hearing more about them.

Those interested might want to keep an eye on Street Pigeon MTB's videos, he's just got one. In the blurple colour too...

https://youtube.com/channel/UCdlqFfODQX_moEh9V5oOv2g

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a durable big rig for certain trips and whatnot

I think Bird should use this as the tagline for marketing purposes.

Is this going to a replacement for the AM9. Or they more different than I’m thinking.

More different and surprisingly similar in other ways. Not a direct replacement for an AM9, but you'd not need both unless you're a fanboi. A light built Aeris 9 picks up where a burly AM9 ends.

ta11pau1
Full Member

Those interested might want to keep an eye on Street Pigeon MTB’s videos, he’s just got one. In the blurple colour too…

As much as I like Street Pigeon, I can’t imagine a less impartial view of the bike

Got an e-mail yesterday saying that the ship taking the frames to the UK has been delayed so im guessing itll be very late October early November before they are shipped out to customers. Bit gutted as the weather will no doubt be worse but itll give me some extra time to get over Covid.

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Well I got a nice phone call today from Bike Bothy Pitfichie saying my bike had arrived.

Need to take it out for a wee shot tomorrow but as I'm still not right after having covid 7 weeks ago it'll just be a spin around town to make sure everything's working. Pedals not arrived yet so pinched a pair off of another bike to get at least the sag set up. See how the cycle goes tomorrow before I get more adventurous:)

Its having to stay in the house for now as I'm trying to gut the garage of years of accumulated crap.

Mmmmm going against the grain here... but it looks well... Not very nice really. It may be exceptionally functional, effective, whatever you want... but.. It's very Skoda Fabia in terms of looks/aesthetics. There's nothing that jumps out and says "buy me"... Sure it may have the reach for Orangutans that many now seem to want... But meh, i'm just not jumping up and down.

Looks great daviek.
Seeing a few Birds up here in The Tweed Valley recently.
Seem well thought out and great geo.
Killer value too.

I love it and i want one.

I cant see any dates for them being available again...

I am jealous!

Mmmmm going against the grain here… but it looks well… Not very nice really. It may be exceptionally functional, effective, whatever you want… but.. It’s very Skoda Fabia in terms of looks/aesthetics. There’s nothing that jumps out and says “buy me”… Sure it may have the reach for Orangutans that many now seem to want… But meh, i’m just not jumping up and down.

Quite an outstanding lack of empathy there - well done!

I think it looks like a cracking bike and I hope you thoroughly enjoying getting back up to speed after covid daviek.

Quite an outstanding lack of empathy there – well done!

Because i don't like a particular bike ? Who am i showing a lack of empathy to ?

Air Lyrics, inline shock and Exos, whats the weight of that thing Daviek?

Weeksy has said before he doesnt like bird bikes and that's fine everyone is different. As for the weight I dont know but can find out, I do know is that its heavier than my 26" Bfe though 🙂

Don't get me wrong, it's not that i don't like what Bird are doing, their pricing, their UK infrastructure, but surely it's not mandatory to 'like' them.

The frames, well, they look a bit 'early 2000s' to me. Bikes now are curving, moulding and shaping in different ways, with a bit more innovation in the looks. Sure the Birds may be cutting edge in terms of geometry, external cabling which i like and external BBs, again which i like.... But many things are sold in the first 7 seconds (according to a recent TV advert) and to me, the Bird fails in that department.

I find it slightly bizarre that a new Trek gets relased and slated on here, or a new Speciaized/Santa Cruz get ripped apart for being ugly... but somehow it's wrong for someone not to like the looks of the Bird. Is that just because Ben from Bird posts here ?

I find it slightly bizarre that a new Trek gets relased and slated on here,

If you can't see the difference between that and posting something as negative as you did about a bike someone has just bought and is excited about i can see why you'd be accused of lacking empathy.
I'm sure all Bird owners will now be selling their bikes after such an in depth review and evaluation as yours though.

It's a thing he does.

Congrats on the new bike, btw. Looks very nice.

or a new Speciaized/Santa Cruz get ripped apart for being ugly…

To be completely impartial here, specialized and SC have been making the same ugly bike for years which I think is (partly*) why they get slated so much. Don't like the 2015 Enduro, turns out you won't like the 2025 stumpy either because it looks exactly the same (I quite like the specialized aesthetic mind). Don't like the 2004 nomad, hmm you might not be keen on the 2022 one then but... We can fix that, look we changed the colour to one that makes the bike 10% more expensive this year.

FWIW I do like the utilitarian look, and I am a sucker for an ugly bike in a good colour.

@daviek on the subject of which**, what colour is that?**

*mainly they get slated for being ugly because they're expensive but clearly not paying for a design department

**good colours, not the ugly bit. I should put the spade down shouldn't I?

@ayjaydoubleyou

if our bathroom scales are to be believed its 15.9Kg for a medium frame with some old superstar pedals on it

@dangeourbrain

its black, they only had the purple left when I ordered it but unlike some i like a black bike so they found one down the back of yhe sofa. didnt know what colour I was getting until I picked it up but I asked for that.

Sweet ride.

I reckon that weight is a bit over, considering the spec you've got.

If you can’t see the difference between that and posting something as negative as you did about a bike someone has just bought and is excited about i can see why you’d be accused of lacking empathy.
I’m sure all Bird owners will now be selling their bikes after such an in depth review and evaluation as yours though.

does anyone think the guy gives a monkey what i think ? This wasn't a thread about "i bought a new bike" this is a thread discussing the Bird... If someone buys a bike and i don't like it i don't post negatiely in their thread, i don't post at all in it... I leave them to be happy.
But this isn't that thread... this is a thread about discussing the Bird.

they only had the purple left when I ordered it but unlike some i like a black bike

But but but, that purple is bloody lovely!

Yep.
Definitely a lack of empath there.

If someone buys a bike and i don’t like it i don’t post negatiely in their thread

Patently not true. You've done it on about 3 threads on the GT fury alone, that poor bloke is so upset he sold it then bought another of the same about 8 times now 😉

Quite an outstanding lack of empathy there – well done!

Dude, it's a bike. If someone posted saying their grandad had died and weeksy had replied saying " meh, elderly male relatives are much overrated" then yes that would be a major lack of empathy.

But saying he doesn't particularly like someone's pushbike* isn't exactly the height of evilness. 🙂

* I promise this is the first and last time I will ever use this vile word

Bird owner here (aether9). So I guess positively predisposed to the brand hence I opened the thread.
I thought about an am9 when I bought my frame last June, but decided to go for the smaller bike. If this was available at the time I might have gone for it over the aether. But probably not as was looking to fit 140mm forks I already had.
Regards aesthetics, maybe I’m less bothered or tuned in to the look of a bike but it’s about the last thing I consider… those initial 7 seconds referred to above are usually spent looking at geometry numbers and price. Brand image must play a part- is it something I’ve heard of, what’s their reputation? Etc. bird have an excellent rep. As do other brands.
I only look at my bike when I’m riding it and then I can’t see if it’s ugly or not… currently got mudhugger fitted and covered in crap from yesterday’s ride so not going to win any beauty contests!

Bike looks really capable and well setup for that area. Which will see hard use.

Mmmmm going against the grain here… but it looks well… Not very nice really. It may be exceptionally functional, effective, whatever you want… but.. It’s very Skoda Fabia in terms of looks/aesthetics. There’s nothing that jumps out and says “buy me”… Sure it may have the reach for Orangutans that many now seem to want… But meh, i’m just not jumping up and down.

Guys posts his bike and you just jump his ass? We need to jump that POS celery trek (actually skoda weiner of a bike!) that will not go away.

Personally I thought the bikes industry had mainly moved on from swoopy tubing and was more into straight tubes again nowadays.

You look at the Atherton, or most Santa Cruz, Hope HB916, or most Nukeproofs, all have pretty straight top tubes and just a bend at the BB.

I like the brid up there, I'd have the purple one though.

Guys posts his bike and you just jump his ass?

That really wasn't my intention, i wasn't actually aware of his post as it was at the top of Page2 and i replied when viewing page 1... But that doesn't change the fact it isn't a thread about his bike, it's a thread about discussing the new Bird... Not HIS bird, or someone elses Bird... but just the Bird Aeris 9... Jeepers.

FFs perleese can we just get to the elephant in the room here rather than beating up @weeksy (he is wrong by the way but that is fine) It is BLURPLE not purple!

10-4. Just banter. I would buy his bike if I could.

i havent like any previous Birds... something a bit agricultural about them that just didnt float my boat.... but i do very much like this new one. I am considering a burly long travel bike for trips abroad, bike parks etc (rather than beating up my carbon trail bike) and one of these is definitely on the list.

ticks so many boxes... LLS, great value, awesome customer service from what i hear and the best bit.... squint slightly and it looks like a Rocky Mountain Altitude.

It is BLURPLE not purple!

Apoligies, but I just couldn't bring myself to type that.

Looks a cracking ride @daviek, love the black frame/red forks combo 👌

Well I wasnt expecting it to turn out like this but being STW maybe I should have?

ticks so many boxes… LLS, great value, awesome customer service from what i hear

This sums it up for me and I can confirm the customer service was very good when getting the spec right for me and a couple of changes as parts came back into stock.

Things have conspired against me today so dont think I'll even get it out for a quick lap around town but will see if I can squeeze one in as the rain has stopped and the suns made an appearance!

Things have conspired against me today so dont think I’ll even get it out for a quick lap around town but will see if I can squeeze one in as the rain has stopped and the suns made an appearance!

If you're really stuck and it needs a shakedown over the weekend...

thanks @dangeourbrain I'll keep that in mind 🙂

Always happy to help 😉

If you do get out on it, please come back here and make sure you moan about it being horrible to pedal and things.

I'm pretty much sold on an aether but I can't stop looking at the aeris in blurple even though I'm pretty sure a 160 travel bike is not what I want, at all, and it'd be very dull and make me miserable and always want to do things I don't enjoy and go places I don't like, and I'd be very happy with the shorter travel much more fun and interesting aether that would like the places I like and things I like such as going up to the top of a hill.

But the blurple one, its so pretty. How could it not make me happy?!? Even though I know that colour won't age well...

I think that looks badass. (And weeksy's opinion on aesthetics is not to be trusted because he's owned plenty of Whytes! 😉 )

He doesn't like it this week, but given the volume of bike changes, he'll own one next week... 😉

Looks good to me, but I'm Function over Form...and I can't recall the last bike I thought looked bad (although there have been more ebikes I've had to look twice at as the down tube has appeared out of place being so much larger than the others), my thinking is pretty simple though - got wheels, forks, bars and saddle strapped to a frame then it is good.