NEW BIKE DAY! Niner Jet9 RDO with SRAM X.0

We're at it again, this is another one of those dream bikes you see highlighted on the cover of a magazine or people drooling over in bike forums.

To build the best, you have to start with the best, so the Niner Jet9 RDO was a clear choice.  Being a long-time rider of hard tails, I'm pretty picky when it comes to rear suspension designs.  I like a bike that's light and efficient and trade off the little bit of cushion and comfort for efficiency and speed.  But, after riding a few of these Jet9 RDO's, I'm realizing that an efficient rear suspension will make you faster in the bumps and on the descents, possibly keep your tire hooked up on the climbs, and have the potential to lead you to faster laps.

Enough with the theory, let's just cover this incredible ride:

The frame is an XL Niner Jet9 RDO in licorice.  Licorice has proven to be the most popular color at the shop and probably the best seller from Niner, and for good reason.  When you get up close you'll see there is actually black paint on the bare carbon making for a very stealth look.

The profile shot shows the dimensions of the frame nicely.  I normally ride a large frame from Niner, but with the seat lowered a little and a slightly shorter stem the XL didn't feel too bad!  Hmmm...

Wheels are Crank brothers Cobalt 29 3 wheels.  While I can't say these would be my first choice personally, they set up tubeless flawlessly, the weight is pretty respectable, and they match this build perfectly.  Maybe with more time on them we'll have a better sense of them.

Formula R1 brakes and SRAM X.0 shifters make for a nicely assembled cockpit.  You'll notice the Formula MixMaster clamps are missing, they hadn't arrived in time for the shoot but will be instaled shortly.

A special Formula R1 caliper laser etched for Niner is hard to beat.  At the shop we tend to stick mostly to Avid or Shimano brakes, but the lever feel and power from these R1's was really incredible.  Good enough actually that I very well may have them on my next build...

Another shot of the caliper, this is the rear one.  Post mount rear leaves you with a very stiff perch for the brake and great power with no flex.

The Fox RP23 with Kashima coat is the standard by which all other rear shocks should be measured.  This frame was produced before the CTD version, which may actually be a good thing for some.  This version of RP23 has more adjustment for the rider who likes to fiddle with his bike versus the CTD which has fewer settings.

Yup, Kashima found here.  I'll be honest, I thought it was a gimmick at first, but after some riding it's pretty clear Fox did their homework on this one.

The Jet9 RDO has the ability to easily adapt from trail bike to XC racer depending on how you set it up, this one is spec'd with a TALAS 29 fork which allows for travel adjustment on the fly.  Want 120mm to go downhill?  No problem.  Want 80mm to go uphill?  It can handle that too.

Simple CTD (Climb, Trail, Descend) adjustments on the fork crown to handle how the fork behaves.

The TALAS adjustment knob that allows for travel adjustment on the fly is easily reached.  Personally I'd run this thing in the 120mm mode most of the time as the fork is just so smooth.

Kashima makes an appearance at the front of the bike as well.  You just can't go wrong here.

Glamour shots are needed from every angle, but I had to get one from the front as most of the time you'll only see the rear of this one.

X.0 rear derailleur is consistent and light.  We've been running a lot of SRAM bits for years, and SRAM's 10-speed groups are awesome off-road.

X.0 cranks set up with a 38t big ring for all-mountain use.  A racer may favor a 39t big ring, but this 38t is more than enough if not racing.

With the advent of 10-speed also came super-wide-range cassettes, this one is an 11-36 X.0 model.

A Cane Creek 110 headset handles the steering duty on this bike.  A US-made headset is always a nice touch, and Cane Creek makes some amazing products.

There you have it.  A killer Niner Jet9 RDO that was a pleasure to build.  While these frames are next to impossible to get, you know where to go when you need someone to hunt one down.  Every time I build one and get to ride it I realize why people are willing to pay so much for these frames!

New Build: ENVE XC 29er Carbon Clincher to American Classic Disc Hubs

Everything from basic 26" mountain wheels, bomber touring wheels, and even the occasional carbon mountain race wheelset, we build our fair share of wheels.  There are pros and cons to building wheels on a regular basis.  On the pro side I get to practice and improve my skills routinely.  On the cos side when it comes to building wheels for myself I usually rush through it to get it done.  I have an attitude when building my own wheels akin to stopping when they are "good enough" rather than done right.

This wheelset, after thinking about the components of it for quite some time, needed to be done right.  I don't build a ton of ENVE rims, but so far every one of them has been a pleasure.  They handle very high spoke tension, are perfectly finished inside and out, and are perfectly straight right out of the box.  To be honest, it's almost like cheating they build so nicely.

The rims came in at 379g and 381g, both under the claimed weight of 385g.  I love when manufacturers can actually be honest with their claimed weights.

Internal nipples aren't my favorite in any wheel, but I've grown to like building with them recently.  They offer a very secure connection between themselves and the nipple wrench which all but eliminates any opportunity for rounding a nipple.

Spokes are Sapim CX-Ray, an industry standard.  They are outrageously expensive, but in my opinion well worth it.  A bladed spoke won't offer any aerodynamic benefit on my XC wheelset, but it does allow me to easily hold the spoke straight while building to prevent any spoke wind-up.

Hubs are American Classic Disc.  This is a controversial choice, but not one made without much deliberation.  I would have preferred DT Swiss hubs, but the 240s front 15QR hub doesn't convert to a standard 9mm QR, and I hope to use these wheels for cyclocross, so I needed a hub that's convertible.  In strong contention were Chris King hubs, which are easily converted, but I had a strong ambition to build these wheels at or below 1400g and the King hubs wouldn't allow that.  Here is where the American Classic hubs shine: they are light, really light, and can be converted from 9mm QR to 15QR Maxle in the front, and many different rear axle configurations.  We have a winner.

Front hub came in at 118g, rear at 234g.  Claimed weights were 116g and 225g, front and rear respectively.

Here's the completed wheelset.  So close to managing the 1400g goal, I finished up at 1410g.  There are lighter wheelsets out there, many even cost less, but what those wheelsets really give up are stiffness.  Super-light alloy wheelsets are great to save weight, but those light rims are flexy and prone to denting (so I have found).

NEW BIKE DAY! Niner Jet9 RDO

Out she goes.  Our final in-stock Niner Jet9 RDO.  She's been with us for too long, we've grown attached, but it's time for us to part ways.  Maybe one day I'll find something to take her place, but nothing will ever make me forget her.

She'll enjoy ling rides in the mountains around Fort Collins.  In her true element.

Adieu.

(Soon to be) NEW BIKE DAY! Niner Jet9 RDO

I'd guess there will come a day when I tire of building these bikes, but I have no idea when that will be.  The Jet9 RDO has been a huge hit since the day it was introduced, which has led to incredibly long wait times.  Frames like this one, in licorice, are in such high demand that some people are left waiting an entire season to get one.

Come to us, we'll not only help you get your grubby mitts on one, we'll build it for you.  Trust me, you don't want to build it yourself.  The frame is beautifully designed, but the internal cable routing leaves much to be desired during the build.  Once the bike is built though, look out.  She screams.

Keep an eye out for this one once we build it.  I'm guessing sub-24lbs for a full-suspension XL 29er, but it depends heavily on tire choice....

Coming soon: Niner Jet9 RDO Spy Shots!

In Stock: Niner Air9 Alloy!

These things are starting to roll in, and out, of the shop on a pretty regular basis.  Medium is still extremely hard to come by, but we're starting to get some large frames in stock, just waiting to be built for you!

We'll include a new Shimano XT or SRAM X.9 rear derailleur with each frame purchase on in-stock models.

Current stock:

AIR9 Alloy - Tang/Black - Large
AIR9 Alloy - White/Raw - Large
JET9 RDO - Black - Large
AIR9 RDO - Black - Large

Need a large frame?  We can help!  Medium and small frames coming soon.....hopefully.....

Niner Jet9 RDO Carbon IN STOCK!

Yes, we have one.  And only one.  It's a large, licorice, Jet9 RDO Carbon.  Don't want to wait months for your own?  Give us a shout.  Orders for other colors or sizes placed now aren't expected to arrive until well into spring.

Best of luck finding another one!

Contact us for pricing....