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Niner R.I.P. 9 RDO Carbon Mountain Bike Frame - 2014
When Niner releases a new model, competitors and consumers alike take notice. This is because of Niner's persistent research and design that squeezes every ounce of performance from the popular 29er platform. With 125mm of travel, the carbon fiber R.I.P. 9 RDO Mountain Bike Frame - 2014 continues Niner's tradition of shaking up the market by pushing its bikes to the next level.
As big wheels are becoming more prevalent, they're proving themselves on more and more technical terrain, and the demand for longer-travel options is growing. Where Niner's WFO 9 is a 140mm travel bruiser, and the JET 9 is a 100mm travel featherweight, the R.I.P. 9 smartly strikes a perfect balance between the two. And now with Niner's RDO treatment, it's destined to become the top choice for weight-focused endurance racers and backcountry adventurers.
Niner's Race Day Optimized (RDO) designs have been steadily proving their merit, and that's due to the level of refinement that goes into each product. Niner engineers use the latest computer modeling to explore every conceivable option before moving onto physical prototype testing. Then, using both in-house and independent testing facilities, Niner accumulates hours and hours of fatigue testing before placing the protos under its highly skilled, enthusiastic, and abusive riders.
The results are clear -- a carbon monocoque structure has a massive and menacing bottom bracket area with a removable ISCG05 chain-guide mount, a direct-mount front derailleur interface, 142mm rear spacing, titanium frame guards, and carbon linkages to boot. To say the R.I.P. 9 RDO checks all of the boxes is an understatement. But, those attributes are worthless without a proven geometry, and luckily, Niner's already sorted its mid-travel geometry with the alloy R.I.P. 9.
While the R.I.P. 9 RDO's angles are based on its alloy stable mate, it's no carbon copy. The RDO treatment included a redesigned rear triangle and suspension links, where the use of carbon allowed engineers to add 10mm of travel without compromising tire clearance (2.4in max depending on manufacturer). More impressive, however, is that Niner was able to knock 5mm off of the chainstay length.
While the head tube and seat tube angles are the same as the alloy R.I.P. 9 (70.5/73.5 degrees respectively with a 120mm fork), the no-compromise RDO approach resulted in an overall chassis that's not only significantly lighter than its alloy counterpart, but it also feels sprightlier and pulls up easier due to a shorter wheelbase. And with the added travel that's been squeezed out of the CVA suspension design, the RDO will hold its composure over rougher terrain.
If you're not familiar with Niner's Constantly Varying Arc (CVA) suspension system, it's not an existing 26 inch-wheeled platform that's been adapted to 29ers. Instead, Niner started with a clean sheet which meant it could tweak the links and pivots to enhance the ride of big wheels. Niner placed extra stiff links in positions that isolated pedaling forces while remaining fully active under all conditions. Notice that the lower link sits below the bottom bracket. This places the CVA's instant center in a virtual position located ahead of the drivetrain, causing chain tension at the rear axle to pull the two linkages in opposite directions to effectively isolate the drivetrain from the rear triangle. When you press on the pedals, nothing's lost to compressing the suspension, and you won't suffer kickback from chainstay growth when pedaling through rock gardens.
Another key feature of CVA is its low ratio of shock stroke to suspension movement. This decreases the amount of preload needed, which translates into smooth, effective damping and less drag on the seals of the FOX FLOAT CTD with Kashima coating. To complement the CVA's smooth nature is a full set of sealed angular contact cartridge bearings for minimal maintenance and incredibly high tolerances.
The Niner R.I.P. 9 RDO Mountain Bike Frame - 2014 is available in five sizes from X-Small to X-Large and in the color Rally Blue. Please note that Niner recommends forks ranging from 120 to 140mm for the R.I.P. 9 RDO, and it uses a 30.9mm seat post, direct-mount front derailleur, 12x142mm thru-axle, and a post mount disc brake. For those of you who intend on running a one-by drivetrain, such as SRAM's XX1, the RIP 9 RDO will clear up to a 36t ring, with a 168mm Q Factor crankset.
Price: $1699.99 (41% Off!)
Regularly: $2899.00
Buy Now
When Niner releases a new model, competitors and consumers alike take notice. This is because of Niner's persistent research and design that squeezes every ounce of performance from the popular 29er platform. With 125mm of travel, the carbon fiber R.I.P. 9 RDO Mountain Bike Frame - 2014 continues Niner's tradition of shaking up the market by pushing its bikes to the next level.
As big wheels are becoming more prevalent, they're proving themselves on more and more technical terrain, and the demand for longer-travel options is growing. Where Niner's WFO 9 is a 140mm travel bruiser, and the JET 9 is a 100mm travel featherweight, the R.I.P. 9 smartly strikes a perfect balance between the two. And now with Niner's RDO treatment, it's destined to become the top choice for weight-focused endurance racers and backcountry adventurers.
Niner's Race Day Optimized (RDO) designs have been steadily proving their merit, and that's due to the level of refinement that goes into each product. Niner engineers use the latest computer modeling to explore every conceivable option before moving onto physical prototype testing. Then, using both in-house and independent testing facilities, Niner accumulates hours and hours of fatigue testing before placing the protos under its highly skilled, enthusiastic, and abusive riders.
The results are clear -- a carbon monocoque structure has a massive and menacing bottom bracket area with a removable ISCG05 chain-guide mount, a direct-mount front derailleur interface, 142mm rear spacing, titanium frame guards, and carbon linkages to boot. To say the R.I.P. 9 RDO checks all of the boxes is an understatement. But, those attributes are worthless without a proven geometry, and luckily, Niner's already sorted its mid-travel geometry with the alloy R.I.P. 9.
While the R.I.P. 9 RDO's angles are based on its alloy stable mate, it's no carbon copy. The RDO treatment included a redesigned rear triangle and suspension links, where the use of carbon allowed engineers to add 10mm of travel without compromising tire clearance (2.4in max depending on manufacturer). More impressive, however, is that Niner was able to knock 5mm off of the chainstay length.
While the head tube and seat tube angles are the same as the alloy R.I.P. 9 (70.5/73.5 degrees respectively with a 120mm fork), the no-compromise RDO approach resulted in an overall chassis that's not only significantly lighter than its alloy counterpart, but it also feels sprightlier and pulls up easier due to a shorter wheelbase. And with the added travel that's been squeezed out of the CVA suspension design, the RDO will hold its composure over rougher terrain.
If you're not familiar with Niner's Constantly Varying Arc (CVA) suspension system, it's not an existing 26 inch-wheeled platform that's been adapted to 29ers. Instead, Niner started with a clean sheet which meant it could tweak the links and pivots to enhance the ride of big wheels. Niner placed extra stiff links in positions that isolated pedaling forces while remaining fully active under all conditions. Notice that the lower link sits below the bottom bracket. This places the CVA's instant center in a virtual position located ahead of the drivetrain, causing chain tension at the rear axle to pull the two linkages in opposite directions to effectively isolate the drivetrain from the rear triangle. When you press on the pedals, nothing's lost to compressing the suspension, and you won't suffer kickback from chainstay growth when pedaling through rock gardens.
Another key feature of CVA is its low ratio of shock stroke to suspension movement. This decreases the amount of preload needed, which translates into smooth, effective damping and less drag on the seals of the FOX FLOAT CTD with Kashima coating. To complement the CVA's smooth nature is a full set of sealed angular contact cartridge bearings for minimal maintenance and incredibly high tolerances.
The Niner R.I.P. 9 RDO Mountain Bike Frame - 2014 is available in five sizes from X-Small to X-Large and in the color Rally Blue. Please note that Niner recommends forks ranging from 120 to 140mm for the R.I.P. 9 RDO, and it uses a 30.9mm seat post, direct-mount front derailleur, 12x142mm thru-axle, and a post mount disc brake. For those of you who intend on running a one-by drivetrain, such as SRAM's XX1, the RIP 9 RDO will clear up to a 36t ring, with a 168mm Q Factor crankset.
Price: $1699.99 (41% Off!)
Regularly: $2899.00
Buy Now
