Niner’s RLT 9 (AKA Road Less Traveled) is an absolute rocket of a gravel grinder. If you are looking for a training bike, dedicated gravel race bike, or simply a fun bikepacking rig, this bike could be the perfect option for you.
Niner designed the “Road Less Traveled” with the intention of making a great adventure bike capable of handling a lot of different terrain. Take this thing out for some MTB endurance training on the gravel roads, a bikepacking trip through the mountains, or even on a bit of singletrack. This bike is perfectly capable of handling light singletrack, but anything rough or technical will really start to rattle your bones. The WTB All Terrain tires are perfect for cruising gravel and handle great in a bit of slop.
The RLT 9 is made of Niner’s hydroformed aluminum (there is a steel model available) and comes with Niner’s carbon fork. The aluminum is stiff yet light, which means you can put down some major power and really get this thing moving quick. The carbon fork is a very nice touch, which provides a much more comfortable ride.
This bike is outfitted with a 2×10 Tiagra drivetrain (with Ultegra upgrades available), comes with 160mm Avid mechanical disc brakes, and can handle up to 1.75″ tires. The Tiagra components are nice, but I personally would switch them out depending on the discipline I was using this bike for. For example, for bikepacking I’d prefer to set this up 1×11 (or 12 now!) to reduce weight and eliminate some moving parts prone to causing issues far from home. The bike is setup with two water bottle bosses and has eyelets on the fork and rear triangle to setup for bikepacking with fenders or racks.
Song: Annabel Jones – Happy (k?d Remix)
