For 2019 Niner has released a new design for the all-mountain RIP 9 RDO, or should we say two designs? For the first time Niner has chosen to offer 29" and 27.5" wheel versions of the same frame concept. While the previous generation was considered acceptable for both wheel sizes, the engineers and Niner simply felt the compromises made to allow both wheel sizes were detrimental to an otherwise well-designed 150mm travel frameset. That realization was ultimately the start of this complete redesign and the process and changes have paid off for trail and Enduro riders, no matter what wheel size they prefer. Sold here as a complete 29" version Niner RIP 9 RDO 4-Star complete bike build, riders can practice one-stop shopping on the road to trail ripping domination and sheer excitement, a duality acceptable to the team at Niner.

Ultimately the key to any Niner full suspension bike is the Constantlu Varying Arc, or CVA linkage and pivot suspension. While the specific design and application of CVA for each frame model is engineered the travel required and intended usage, the principles of CVA remain: stable yet supple while climbing and pedaling; sensitive and supportive going downhill; consistent and controlled in every situation. For the 2019 RIP 9 RDO, which now features 140mm of frameset travel, the key is the new, slightly higher overall leverage ratio. Starting off at about 3.0 and ending right around 2.3 for an average of 2.55, the new, higher leverage ratio off the top makes it easier to set the shock in motion and overcome static friction. At mid-stroke, as the leverage ratio decreases toward the sag point, less rear wheel force is transmitted to the shock. So, the shock holds the rider up in the travel, giving solid mid-stroke support. And at the end stroke, the leverage ratio increases just slightly to overcome the natural progressivity of air springs and give bottomless, smooth response under the biggest hits. This system, when dictated and managed by the Kashima coat FOX Float DPX2 Factory EVOL 3-POSITION Rear Shock with Adjust, makes the 140mm range available and tunable to every rider's requirements.

As a full carbon frameset, the RIP 9 RDO can handle massive loads and distributed energy. Niner worked to make the new frame better able to manage torsion. By adding new Rib Cage struts across the front triangle, flattening the top and down tubes, widening the main rocker link pivot, and beefing up the rear triangle, the entire bike is stiffer from front to back. The struts reduce bottom bracket deflection while keeping the upper portion of the front triangle supple and compliant. And the wide, flat surfaces found on Niner’s top and downtube help to absorb frontal impacts and vibrations while resisting deflection (twisting) under torsional load. The efficacy of the frameset is Niner's RDO Carbon Compaction System. The process employs rigid internal molds in addition to external molds during the curing process. This results in tighter, more consistent compaction of the carbon layers, and correspondingly greater precision in wall thickness with significantly reduced resin pooling in the finished product. This tighter construction tolerance allows more refined ride tuning, strength and durability, plus overall weight reduction with improved impact protection.... Read More