First Look: Niner RKT 9 RDO
XC race bikes are the thoroughbreds of the bike world. They’re nearly invariably light and fast. After all, that’s the point when your goal is to get to the finish line first. Like a derby darling, however, they have a reputation for being nervous. Yes, they’ll go where you want them to go, but it can take more than a little coaxing and there will be those “Whoa girl!” moments when a steep, twitchy bike hits rowdy terrain. Not so with the newly launched, XC race-ready Niner RKT 9 RDO, which turned all my usual “whoa" moments into “wow!" moments during the first 100 miles I put on the bike in early testing.
The marriage of speed and stability is courtesy of some smart geometry decisions Niner employed while designing this dedicated XC bike. While the company’s Jet 9 RDO and Jet 9 Carbon are plenty fast, they lean toward "trail bike" in their overall characteristics. To build a racier frame, Niner shortened the head tube to allow a lower, more aggressive handlebar position. Even more pronounced, however, is Niner’s first time inclusion of Boost 148mm-by-12mm rear spacing, which allowed Niner to shorten the chainstays (439 mm/17.3 inches) while maintaining wide—up to 2.4 inches—tire clearance, and to make room for wider spoke triangulation to stiffen up the wheel and swingarm area. The result is a snappy, agile, and playful (especially for a 29er) feel. I also really appreciated how the relatively long front center (646mm/25.4 inches) combined with the shorter rear and lower bottom bracket served up stability and confidence at high speed even in sketchy conditions.
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Other features of note include a 73mm PF30 BB, which is compatible with the latest 1x—my bike is dressed with SRAM XO1 11-speed—and more conventional multi-ring configurations, and can work with a threaded bottom bracket via adaptors. The RKT also has the lowest standover height of any Niner, which makes it easier to lean into corners and take tight turns at speed. It’s also dropper seatpost-compatible. The bike comes in six models, from the flagship five-star XTR 1X ($9,500) to the entry-level, two-star GX1 ($4,500).
On the downside, this tight geometry doesn’t leave a whole lot of room in the main triangle, so water bottle space is limited. The M, L, and XL frames have one bottle mount inside the triangle and a second under the down tube (never the greatest spot, but better than nothing). The small, which is the size of my tester, is equipped with only the inside cage mount.
I’ll be racing this bike in HOT Epic Israel, a three-day mountain bike stage race from October 8 through 10 for a full test. I’ve solved the hydration issue with a seatpost-mounted bottle, but that means more tubes and tools in my pockets. Look for a full review after the race (and watch for updates on our Instagram account!).
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