HTP in the UK. There's a lot of great stuff all over the UK. My bias is the southwest because it's so well connected to multiple great riding spots that can run quite different from one another. It's got easy coastal paths, Endor like forests, jagged open gorges, and bike parks.
My wife has a Bird Zero, and on days where I want to rip down some descents, I'll steal it. It's definitely not a climber, but I've never felt overmatched on my local descents, whether flowy or techy. We also switched out the bars for higher rise.
I'm a ragley rider, just swapped from the XL Big Al to the new Marley 290 in L. I prefer the shorter reach even at 6"1 with the slack HA plus the slightly steeper seat angle is also nice. I've commuted loads to work but haven't had a chance to go on the trails due to heavy rain. This bike will be a contender if ragley aren't able to make a full comeback after the sale of CRC. Hope all is well with you
A lot of the things you're saying you like of this bike are true of and similar to the current generation of the Commencal Meta HT. It's a slack-ish head tube angle with a shorter reach. Slightly higher stack. Seat tube is a little more vertical. The bottom bracket is higher. ...which is definitely not the same geometry as the previous generation that you rode. I think you'd love that current gen. Commencal Meta HT whenever you can get to it! I'm looking forward to seeing your health continue to improve and seeing you doing the things you love doin'!
Great detailed review on the geo, frame compliance and how it rides. Always fun seeing these hardtails from across the pond!! Looking forward to the next one 👍!!! Great job Steve!!! ,
Great Video Steve, as always. It's great to see you enjoying yourself out there too Brother, I hope and pray that you continue to get healthy again for yourself and Family. Happy Holidays to you and yours Brother........🙏🏾🤝🏾🇺🇸💪🏾🫡
Been looking forward to this Steve. As a owner of a couple of Bird bikes, I was very interested in hearing what your thoughts would be. It's a shame you didn't get your hands on the Bird Forge, as this is their 853 steel hardtail. Has similar geo but steeper seat angle and 64 head angle, again a low bottom bracket drop. Try and reach out to them over in the UK to see if they could fix you up with one. I'm sure they will be delighted with your views of this product. It's a real kudos, as you are the goto Guru for anything hardtail. Great to see you out and about hitting these trails hard again. Trust you are getting yourself back to full health. All the very best again pal. Shane in Auld Blighty. Merry Christmas and a Great New Year 🎉
Nice video, sad to read, you're feelin not this strong right now. The Bird seems playful, not extrem. To build up a custom hardtail it's a good base at a good price. Best wishes to you and your family for christmas.🙏 Stay strong 🙏
8:55 that's a misconseption. If anything, you have to weight the front even more and expect to drift in turns, otherwise you just wash out instantly. (Based on many years of riding Fort William steeps & filth)
Not related to this bike, I'm particularly looking forward to your review of the TransAm. As a Transition loyalist, and someone who really values your thorough reviews, can't wait to see what you have to say about it.
Love that color! Nice review STeve. Are you still designing a fat bike? I've almost pulled the trigger on a RSD Mayor, but wanted to wait until I heard what you had coming down the pipe. Would love to support you! I just noticed Binary has the Maniak on sale! Very tempted - would need to sell my Middle Child though and I love that bike!!!
Have you considered the Poseidon Norton frame? I heard the complete build is a little iffy for the price but both the complete build and frame have dropped a fair bit. I'd love to see how it competes to other higher end frames!
No, chromag doesn't send bikes out to review. The rootdown is my favorite chromag, but it still feels overbuilt. Im not really crazy about any of the chromags ive tried.
I was wondering if you'd try one of the Nicolai Hardtails in the future? They have 4 different frames catered to different types of riding and I'd be thrilled to get an indepth review about one of them especially the Argon GAM since it's the Trail/All Mountain/Enduro HT.
they are having a blowout sale right now, I believe you could get quite a good deal on it. They also have wheelsets on sale as well I believe@@hardtailparty
Looked like a strong ride… hope you’re feeling better than you were, from a UK and Ragley rider 🤘😎
Thanks. This was filmed 6 months ago. Unfortunately im not this strong right now
@@hardtailparty you’ll get back there! 💪
Still ride the original Bird Zero ...10 years old and still going strong
Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the TransAm. Hope all is well and you're saving the best for last in 2023!
It'll be the next review vid i drop
@@hardtailparty you have no idea how excited I am! Lol
Rides like a stapler......genius analogy! Love what you do!
HTP in the UK. There's a lot of great stuff all over the UK. My bias is the southwest because it's so well connected to multiple great riding spots that can run quite different from one another. It's got easy coastal paths, Endor like forests, jagged open gorges, and bike parks.
Nice review mate keep up the UK hard tail stuff!
I’d love to see the orange P7 being reviewed??
My wife has a Bird Zero, and on days where I want to rip down some descents, I'll steal it. It's definitely not a climber, but I've never felt overmatched on my local descents, whether flowy or techy.
We also switched out the bars for higher rise.
I'm a ragley rider, just swapped from the XL Big Al to the new Marley 290 in L. I prefer the shorter reach even at 6"1 with the slack HA plus the slightly steeper seat angle is also nice. I've commuted loads to work but haven't had a chance to go on the trails due to heavy rain. This bike will be a contender if ragley aren't able to make a full comeback after the sale of CRC. Hope all is well with you
Hopefully they're able to survive.
A lot of the things you're saying you like of this bike are true of and similar to the current generation of the Commencal Meta HT. It's a slack-ish head tube angle with a shorter reach. Slightly higher stack. Seat tube is a little more vertical. The bottom bracket is higher.
...which is definitely not the same geometry as the previous generation that you rode.
I think you'd love that current gen. Commencal Meta HT whenever you can get to it! I'm looking forward to seeing your health continue to improve and seeing you doing the things you love doin'!
Great detailed review on the geo, frame compliance and how it rides. Always fun seeing these hardtails from across the pond!! Looking forward to the next one 👍!!! Great job Steve!!!
,
Great Video Steve, as always. It's great to see you enjoying yourself out there too Brother, I hope and pray that you continue to get healthy again for yourself and Family. Happy Holidays to you and yours Brother........🙏🏾🤝🏾🇺🇸💪🏾🫡
Gotta love those UK hardtails
Been looking forward to this Steve. As a owner of a couple of Bird bikes, I was very interested in hearing what your thoughts would be.
It's a shame you didn't get your hands on the Bird Forge, as this is their 853 steel hardtail. Has similar geo but steeper seat angle and 64 head angle, again a low bottom bracket drop.
Try and reach out to them over in the UK to see if they could fix you up with one.
I'm sure they will be delighted with your views of this product. It's a real kudos, as you are the goto Guru for anything hardtail.
Great to see you out and about hitting these trails hard again. Trust you are getting yourself back to full health.
All the very best again pal.
Shane in Auld Blighty.
Merry Christmas and a Great New Year 🎉
Nice video, sad to read, you're feelin not this strong right now. The Bird seems playful, not extrem. To build up a custom hardtail it's a good base at a good price. Best wishes to you and your family for christmas.🙏 Stay strong 🙏
So it's pretty much perfect for what it will be used on, British trail centres.
Great review and great riding! Hope it didn’t take too much out of the tank.
Thanks. This one was filmed 6 months ago, before the worst of my illness hit.
8:55 that's a misconseption. If anything, you have to weight the front even more and expect to drift in turns, otherwise you just wash out instantly.
(Based on many years of riding Fort William steeps & filth)
I just picked up a Bird Forge Fork directly from Bird. There customer service was more than excellent.
Is this a fork they currently make, or is it discontinued?
Now discontinued unfortunately ad it's a rigid fork with great geo.
Not related to this bike, I'm particularly looking forward to your review of the TransAm. As a Transition loyalist, and someone who really values your thorough reviews, can't wait to see what you have to say about it.
Thanks. Ive filmed the review, I'm just waiting to feel well enough to edit it
Not the right bike for me....but do love the yellow frame and the purple accents!
Awesome review! The lugs are there for those of us that still run cables on derailleurs and droppers. Did you already forget?😂🤙
Or actually, there are a lot going on with the lugs now that I looked again
You're running a front derailleur?
That’s an interesting looking bike! I’d like to try it on the new black diamonds on the east side of Hawes 🤙 sounds like a good one for those?
Love that color! Nice review STeve. Are you still designing a fat bike? I've almost pulled the trigger on a RSD Mayor, but wanted to wait until I heard what you had coming down the pipe. Would love to support you! I just noticed Binary has the Maniak on sale! Very tempted - would need to sell my Middle Child though and I love that bike!!!
Yes, I'm still planning on designing the fat bike but its a long way out.
Have you considered the Poseidon Norton frame? I heard the complete build is a little iffy for the price but both the complete build and frame have dropped a fair bit. I'd love to see how it competes to other higher end frames!
Speaking about UK hardtails, ever thought about getting a Kingdom Bikes Vendetta X3 or similar?
Yeah, ive tried to review one for years. Same with nordest and nicolai. No luck.
@@hardtailparty Currently building my X3 LE with UDH, but I don't see how that might help you, as I'm in germany and it's a size L frame 😅
The 27.5 geo looks sick. Sweet lookin bike, bro
Hi Mate - would you be able to review a chromag rootdown ?
No, chromag doesn't send bikes out to review. The rootdown is my favorite chromag, but it still feels overbuilt. Im not really crazy about any of the chromags ive tried.
@@hardtailparty so you have rode the current rootdown ?
Wondering if a 55mm stem would help? That has been a bit of a revelation for me personally with slack HTAs.
I was wondering if you'd try one of the Nicolai Hardtails in the future? They have 4 different frames catered to different types of riding and I'd be thrilled to get an indepth review about one of them especially the Argon GAM since it's the Trail/All Mountain/Enduro HT.
I've tried to get a nicolai in for a while, but no luck.
How's the long chain stay? Does it lift the front wheel easily ?
Can you review the grand canyon? It’s made to be a trail bike but I have the feeling it’s more a xc bike
I only review bikes with thru axles. Sadly, in the US there isn't a grand Canyon model with thru axles.
Could you compare it to the Ragley Marley? At least the same color...
Are you going to review a Knolly Tyaughton anutime soon? 👀👀
No. I was hoping to, but they weren't able to get one to me. Plus, I don't have any super boost wheels to build the frame up with.
they are having a blowout sale right now, I believe you could get quite a good deal on it. They also have wheelsets on sale as well I believe@@hardtailparty
Steve - did you mention what size frame you have here?
I did in the first look. Its a med
@@hardtailparty Thank you Steve - have a great Thursday.
Great review, you're the best at this. 👍
Would have been curious to see the Forge instead
Well, this is what i was sent.
What a weird comment. Here's some free content and old mate here still complains.
That rule of same reach same chainstay lenght is imposible to apply to Large frame
Its possible on a different bike, but it's not necessarily desirable. I almost never like bikes with an equal reach and cs.
@@hardtailparty 490 reach with 430 chain stays for me :)