I just shipped back the Niner RIP 9 RDO that I had in for review. If you read my review, (didn’t see it? Catch up here) you’ll know that I raved about this bike! It rode supremely well in a wide variety of situations. And while Niner could easily rest on their laurels and give this bike a few more years before a refresh, they’re not content to just sit around and let the money flow in. Au contraire, my friends! Niner is constantly innovating and pushing the envelope, and their flagship RIP 9 RDO is no exception.
New Carbon and New Color
While the Carbon in the RIP 9 RDO was already fantastic, Niner has tweaked the way they do the carbon layup with their new RDO Carbon Compaction. Here are the details straight from Niner:
Niner RDO level products take our commitment to quality one step further via Niner’s RDO Carbon Compaction System. Now used throughout the Niner RDO lineup, this CCS utilizes rigid internal molds and results in tighter, more consistent compaction of the carbon layers, yielding increased precision in wall thickness and significantly reduced resin pooling in the final product, allowing us to aim for better ride tuning, increased strength and durability along with the weight reduction that results from a more efficient process.
As you’ll note, they’ve also added carbon linkage pieces on the RDO, which replace some previous alloy pieces, thus making for an even lighter frame! Add in the brand-new color option, and this is a refresh that could put the Niner RIP 9 RDO back at the top of your wishlist.
New Build Options
Niner has released a wide variety of new build options across all of their frames and models. The good news? Many of these new options are perfect for budget-minded mountain bikers! Niner has heard your pleas, and is now offering their fantastic frames in an affordable component package.
While this is most definitely a good call for their alloy frames, interestingly Niner is also offering budget-basement builds for their top-end RDO carbon frames as well. For example, here are the builds for the new RIP 9 RDO:
According to Niner’s website, the 2-star RIP 9 RDO build, for instance, sports an MSRP of $4,199. Just over four grand for a fully-built bike with a top-end frame from a company that boasts a cult-like following? I’d say that’s not bad… not bad at all!
Considering other example costs, such as the 1-star Deore build on the alloy RIP 9 at $2,599 and the 2-star SLX build on the Air 9 at $2,199, Niner has vastly expanded the range and market that they’re competing in. While yes, Niner still isn’t in the entry-level mountain bike game, buying a complete Niner has become way more attainable for the average joe mountain biker–and I think that’s a good thing for everyone!
Check out NinerBikes.com for complete build kit and pricing options across Niner’s entire catalogue.
Pics
Check out more detail pics of the new Niner RIP 9 RDO here:
All photos courtesy of Niner.
