I’ve had my current hardtail for five years now, which is a record for me! It was meant to be a test bed for a custom frame but I’ve kept on messing about with fork lengths and anglesets and am rather attached to it now. A 29er would be faster and better on the rough but 27.5 is fine and suits a pump track or riding with my kids better - it currently has a toddler seat on about half the time!
It’s a Bird Zero AM ~64/74.5 static angles, 150mm fork, moderate reach (long when I got it but I’m on the top end of the height range for a medium), short stays, low BB (almost 50mm drop on 27.5x2.3 tyre). Super light because it’s alloy!
Love the rise of these gnarly hardtails that are properly slack - hopefully they might make the seat angles a bit less steep on future models (my Zero is plenty steep enough, sags to about 76 deg) but I’m sure they winch and plummet well.
I swap between the hardtail and a Levo, the latter often ridden with the motor off on group rides. Amazes me how easily I can switch bike, says a lot about this hardtail that it can be treated rather like a 6” travel 29” ebike downhill!
Only ever ridden flats - heels down and relax!
March 5, 2021, 2:51 p.m. - a.funks
I’ve had my current hardtail for five years now, which is a record for me! It was meant to be a test bed for a custom frame but I’ve kept on messing about with fork lengths and anglesets and am rather attached to it now. A 29er would be faster and better on the rough but 27.5 is fine and suits a pump track or riding with my kids better - it currently has a toddler seat on about half the time! It’s a Bird Zero AM ~64/74.5 static angles, 150mm fork, moderate reach (long when I got it but I’m on the top end of the height range for a medium), short stays, low BB (almost 50mm drop on 27.5x2.3 tyre). Super light because it’s alloy! Love the rise of these gnarly hardtails that are properly slack - hopefully they might make the seat angles a bit less steep on future models (my Zero is plenty steep enough, sags to about 76 deg) but I’m sure they winch and plummet well. I swap between the hardtail and a Levo, the latter often ridden with the motor off on group rides. Amazes me how easily I can switch bike, says a lot about this hardtail that it can be treated rather like a 6” travel 29” ebike downhill! Only ever ridden flats - heels down and relax!