BIRD FORGE STAINLESS SLX CUSTOM BUILD
£3,876.60 (inc shipping) Traditional tubing meets modern geometry
The Forge was launched in 2021, with this stainless steel version landing this autumn. Bird have always designed their bikes towards the forefront of modern geometry, with longer reaches, steeper seat tube angles and slackish head angles, and this is no exception.
THE FRAME
Swinley-based Bird have gone to Californian manufacturers KVA for their stainless steel MS3 tubes. They say the frame should feel pretty much the same on the trail as the Reynolds 853 Forge, but be more impact- and corrosion-resistant, especially with the clearcoat they apply. The downside is that this steel is expensive and hard to work with, reflected in the price.
The reach on our large frame is very long at 496mm, while the BB is almost scraping the ground at 302mm. Frame details include ISCG-05 mounts, external cable routing, a nicely forged yoke to give impressive tyre clearance plus two bottle cage bosses.
THE KIT
Bird allow you to customise the spec of your bike at the point of purchase. Our build may not be cheap, but that’s because the frame is dripping with components that leave little to complain about.
The Shimano SLX drivetrain on our bike is improved with an XT shifter, the Hope-hubbed wheels come with torque caps pre-installed, and the 200mm dropper gets the saddle right out of the way – all neat touches that show Bird really consider their builds. RockShox’s new Pike Ultimate is one of the leading trail forks, and we love Formula’s Cura brakes. The only element of the spec that we weren’t sold on was the thin EXO-casing Maxxis tyres – we’d spec something burlier to make the most of the geometry. Builds on this frame start at around £2,300.
THE RIDE
No frame with zero rear suspension and 2.4in rubber at the back (rather than a currently-out-of-favour ‘plus-size’ tyre) is ever going to feel ‘smooth’, but the Forge S’s classicallyskinny steel tubes give a slight respite compared to a stiff carbon or alloy frame. Add in a long 1,200mm wheelbase, and the Bird pitches forward and back less over bumps than a shorter bike would, calming the ride in rough terrain. These two elements allow the Forge S to hold good speed off-road, without feeling
like it’s rattling your fillings.
In turns, the moderately slack 65.5-degree head angle (with a 140mm fork) combines well with the slammed BB. Your weight is dropped low below the wheel axles, encouraging you to lean the bike to carve corners. The long front centre, mid-length chainstays (435mm) and low BB make the Forge S sound like it could be a handful in tighter terrain, but we never found it held us back. It’s easy to pivot from side to side, and even encourages the odd cheeky Scandi flick.
Its biggest nemesis are thick, moderately-spaced roots, which rob speed more than closely-packed equivalents. Here, and over similarlyspaced rocks, we felt the EXO-casing tyres were at risk. Given the speed the Forge S inspires, we’d want to run an EXO+ casing as a minimum, or perhaps a tyre insert. Bird’s spec options change with availability; at the time of going to press, an EXO+ Assegai would be a (slower rolling) option. At least DT Swiss’s broad EX 511 rims offer decent
HIGHS
LOWS support to the tyres.
Down steep descents, the new Pike’s spring and damping give great support as your weight is pitched forwards, and while the front wheel doesn’t look miles ahead of the bar, the Bird never felt nervous as we tipped it into more precipitous terrain. The firm bite and ample power of the dual-piston Cura brakes boosts confidence further.
On paper, the 75.2-degree seat tube angle, measured at our pedalling height, doesn’t sound steep, but with the fork sagged, the seat tube becomes more upright, rather than slackening as it would tend to on a fullsuspension rig. As such, it puts you in a good position over the BB. Along with the lack of suspension bob, this helps the bike ascend decently. Tom
A hugely capable trail hardtail, but stainless steel tubes hike the price considerably