Polygamy - How I came to have Two Birds

LPG

likes thicc birds
I was happy with one bird in my life. She was raw and a lot of fun; even after getting dirty together for a few years. Then I saw another bird and and for the first time in a while I felt that feeling. I wasn't sure if I could get this new bird to fly from the UK to me but I did what I had to do and today she appeared. Things got exciting when the new bird ended up on top of the old bird and I was able to admire their figures.

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They are getting along well but I haven't told the old bird that I am stripping her of her bits to put on the new bird and dressing her back up in her old clothes which are currently on the hardass that lives in the shed.

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Frame - Bird Aeris 9 Blurple colour in Large (wtf am I thinking 515 reach!). I will initially set up at 160 travel but have a linkage for 180 travel for when I feel brave.
Rear shock - Marzocci Bomber Coil 450 or 500 lb coil
Front shock/fork - Manitou Mezzer44mm offset. Will set at 170 most of the time, will change to 180 when I run the rear at 180
Handlebars - Nukeproof Horizon Aluminium 31.8 - 25mm rise
Stem - Funn Equaliser 35mm
Headset - Bird
Grips - DMR Deathgrip
Saddle - WTB Volt 135mm or similar
Seatpost - One Up 210mm
Front brake - Magura MT5 - 203mm Magura storm rotor
Rear brake - Magura MT5 - 203mm Magura storm rotor
Cranks - Raceface Turbine 175mm
Chainguide - Absent for now
Chain - 11Spd
Pedals - Crank Bros Stamp 1 or one-up plastic something or other
Rear derailleur - Shimano XT 11 Spd
Rear shifter - Shimano XT 11 SPD
Cassette - Shimano XT 11-46
Front hub - Hope Pro 4 Boost
Rear hub - Hope Pro 4 Boost
Front rim - Ryde Edge 30 - 3mm offset
Rear rim - Ryde Edge 30 - 3mm offset
Spokes - Sapim 2.0-1.8-2.0 butted except for rear drive side 2.3 - 1.8 - 2.0 butted - all the same length thanks to the offset rims
Nipples - Sapim Brass - 14mm
Front Tyre - TBC
Rear Tyre - TBC
Total weight - frame is only 400g heavier than the current so might be pretty manageable all things considered?

The existing bird that is donating her bits.



Part of the appeal is every part from the Aeris AM9 moves across seamlessly. The Mezzer can be changed internally up to the 180 mm travel without much effort. The rear shock will likely use the same spring rate but if not I bought a slightly heavier 500lbs spring which may suit the standard 160 travel linkage and likely be perfect on the 180 linkage when I swap that on.

If it wasn't clear from the above I'll most likely move all the parts that suit a trail bike from my hardtail over to the AM9 and the more enduro parts to the new Aeris 9. I like riding the hardtail but it doesn't get much riding; the local trails are a bit of a handful without rear suspension. The AM9 is a pretty good all round bike that will suit trail bike duties with some light tyres and putting the airshock back on.

I probably won't have it properly built for a couple weeks or so but I'm pretty happy with how it looks. The colour looks awesome and will work well with the silver forks and the silver small parts that came with it. I'm not sure which bird will end up with the silver hub/spoked wheels and which will get the black. Both wheels are the same spec.
The frame suits internal or external routed cables. I'll do external as everything should work perfectly from the AM9 as the cables are already a touch long on that. The longer new frame should pull them to where they should be.
 
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PJO

in me vL comy
Normally it's not a good idea to let the two birds meet!
Also, most men normally trade up for a younger and lighter bird...
 

shiny

Go-go-gadget-wrist-thingy
Nice. Do they have names or just old Bird new Bird?

You must have a way with words as Bird flat out said no shipping for me. Interested to see how you go on the large. It’s a big reach!
 

LPG

likes thicc birds
Nice. Do they have names or just old Bird new Bird?

You must have a way with words as Bird flat out said no shipping for me. Interested to see how you go on the large. It’s a big reach!
I did a bit of gushing about how happy I've been with the AM9 (all true) and talked about how I pushed some other convicts towards Bird and then asked if there was anything I could do to get the frame shipped. I think the fact that I was a return customer made a difference.

I vote “the old duck” and Stacy.
Haven't settled on names yet. I like the old duck, not sure on Stacey but it does have a ring to it...

Was also thinking of big bird and big fucking bird.
 

LPG

likes thicc birds
Anyone after an identical frame? From a notification I saw I think there may have been a stuff up and a second frame shipped :eek: . I've emailed bird to see what's up, someone might be able to save some expensive shipping!
 

Lucaw

Next in line
Anyone after an identical frame? From a notification I saw I think there may have been a stuff up and a second frame shipped :eek: . I've emailed bird to see what's up, someone might be able to save some expensive shipping!
Just when I buy a frame....
 

LPG

likes thicc birds
So the plan was to wait until I get a 203 rotor for the rear before I build up the bike but on Friday night I was looking at the frame and existing bike and thought "how long could it take to move things over". All my cables and brake lines keep the same length. The only real work is changing the travel on the fork which is pretty quick and I've done before. Let's sacrifice some sleep and get this bike going. it was 10pm and I started.

Everything went pretty smoothly and I decided that the aim before bed was to get the bike to a point where I could roll around on it and get an idea of how the long frame felt. I was still a bit scared that the Large was too big, the lengths on it dwarf some XLs and I'm right at the bottom of the recommended height for a L.

By the early hours of the morning the dog that is normally sound asleep was sitting watching with a look on her face "why are we not in bed". I had the fork travel upped to 170 and all the parts on the bike except the chain. Adjusting the derailleur can happen tomorrow. I pushed the bike up a hill on my street and rolled down. The sizing felt good and from what I could tell the bike felt like it should, I was happy.

I ended up going for an arvo ride yesterday(Saturday) with a mate. All I needed to do by then was put the chainstay protector on, a neoprene and velcro thing that would take all of 1 minute to do so I planned to do that just before I loaded the bike to go. Hmm, the wheel was buzzing the neoprene and out of true. Grab the spoke tool but then I realised I had a broken spoke that couldn't be fixed without removing the cassette. I thought I would be quicker to put a new tyre on another wheel so I messaged the mate to leave a bit late. I changed the tyre to a fresh DHR2 in record time but when attempting to air it up my pump broke, the switch to the blast chamber was getting stuff and completely snapped. Fortunately the mate was able to bring a pump and we seated the bead before starting the ride.

It wasn't a long ride about 12 k and 400 m elevation bit I got to do some decent descents and some climbing. it was a pretty good comparison as only the day before I rode some of the same trails on all the same suspension and parts but on a different frame.

The most impressive things I found was how well it tackled steep stuff with confidence and how it just tracked where you pointed it. There was a drop into a chute that I haven't hit since rain had eroded it and made it a bigger feature. Today I rolled up to it and felt the confidence to hit it and then felt more confidence in the chutes that followed even if I barely had ridden the bike. Going down the rock gardens I could feel how well it tracked and how stiff the frame was. I've heard people describe this but I never really experienced it. Normally I would get bounced off track a bit and correct in these rock gardens. Today the bike felt so laterally stiff and just tracked where I pointed it. I can see why this is aimed for use as an enduro race bike, it will dumb down some trails but it is so capable in the steep and rough. It will only get better once I get the suspension properly set up.

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The wheels will change to having black spokes/hub and DHR2 and Assegai.
 

Lucaw

Next in line
So the plan was to wait until I get a 203 rotor for the rear before I build up the bike but on Friday night I was looking at the frame and existing bike and thought "how long could it take to move things over". All my cables and brake lines keep the same length. The only real work is changing the travel on the fork which is pretty quick and I've done before. Let's sacrifice some sleep and get this bike going. it was 10pm and I started.

Everything went pretty smoothly and I decided that the aim before bed was to get the bike to a point where I could roll around on it and get an idea of how the long frame felt. I was still a bit scared that the Large was too big, the lengths on it dwarf some XLs and I'm right at the bottom of the recommended height for a L.

By the early hours of the morning the dog that is normally sound asleep was sitting watching with a look on her face "why are we not in bed". I had the fork travel upped to 170 and all the parts on the bike except the chain. Adjusting the derailleur can happen tomorrow. I pushed the bike up a hill on my street and rolled down. The sizing felt good and from what I could tell the bike felt like it should, I was happy.

I ended up going for an arvo ride yesterday(Saturday) with a mate. All I needed to do by then was put the chainstay protector on, a neoprene and velcro thing that would take all of 1 minute to do so I planned to do that just before I loaded the bike to go. Hmm, the wheel was buzzing the neoprene and out of true. Grab the spoke tool but then I realised I had a broken spoke that couldn't be fixed without removing the cassette. I thought I would be quicker to put a new tyre on another wheel so I messaged the mate to leave a bit late. I changed the tyre to a fresh DHR2 in record time but when attempting to air it up my pump broke, the switch to the blast chamber was getting stuff and completely snapped. Fortunately the mate was able to bring a pump and we seated the bead before starting the ride.

It wasn't a long ride about 12 k and 400 m elevation bit I got to do some decent descents and some climbing. it was a pretty good comparison as only the day before I rode some of the same trails on all the same suspension and parts but on a different frame.

The most impressive things I found was how well it tackled steep stuff with confidence and how it just tracked where you pointed it. There was a drop into a chute that I haven't hit since rain had eroded it and made it a bigger feature. Today I rolled up to it and felt the confidence to hit it and then felt more confidence in the chutes that followed even if I barely had ridden the bike. Going down the rock gardens I could feel how well it tracked and how stiff the frame was. I've heard people describe this but I never really experienced it. Normally I would get bounced off track a bit and correct in these rock gardens. Today the bike felt so laterally stiff and just tracked where I pointed it. I can see why this is aimed for use as an enduro race bike, it will dumb down some trails but it is so capable in the steep and rough. It will only get better once I get the suspension properly set up.

View attachment 394587View attachment 394588

The wheels will change to having black spokes/hub and DHR2 and Assegai.
That’s the same bike?!o_O
 

LPG

likes thicc birds
That’s the same bike?!o_O
The paint changes colour dramatically depending on the light and the direction you look from, it looks awesome

You animal!
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That bike is sex! looks sooooo good.
Thanks. You need to crack a few eggs to make an omelette but in this case the bunny survived with no long term injuries.

That colour is sensational!
Enjoy it mate. Looks a riot to ride and like how you can adjust travel.
Thanks. I'm not really someone who likes flashy colours but this just looked too good to pass up.
 

LPG

likes thicc birds
Just reminded myself why I love Bird as a company. They have a page that shows all their frames and various linkages with graphs showing coil spring rates in 50lbs increments so you can see what sag you will have with each different spring.


It shows I should have a ~28% sag with the 160 linkage and my current 500lbs coil keeping it fairly efficient. I was able to cross check this against the theoretical sag on the old frame and be confident that I am where I want to be. Using the same spring with the 180 linkage I'll have 31% sag being a bit more supple which will suit the burlier riding that I will likely do with the 180 (probably swap out for uplifts where things get rowdy).
 
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