When it comes to gravel riding, the market has come a long way in the last few years. As with road bikes, there is not really a one-size-fits-all solution, so it’s important to consider what you want to use your gravel bike for when looking to invest in one. Fortunately, Niner Bikes offers two specific performance models to match your gravel riding needs.
Be they epic adventures on arduous terrain, or flat-out racing where speed is of the essence, Niner has the models to cover you.
The RLT 9 RDO
Road Less Travelled, and Race Day Optimised. That summarises what the RLT 9 RDO is all about.
"The RLT is the weapon of choice for gravel racing and high-performance gravel riding," explained Niner Regional Sales Manager, Mondo Aguilera.
It has been built for speed and efficiency; a lightweight missile, and many riders’ choice for gravel races when speed is the priority. A special ‘Fireroad geometry’ uses a longer chainstay, dropped bottom bracket, and a slacker headtube to keep things comfortable and stable, yet still agile enough for racing.
The RDO carbon is a special construction designed specifically for the demands of gravel riding. Yes, it’s the usual combination of “light, fast, strong, and stiff,” but it’s the addition of specific bump-absorbing compliance that makes the biggest difference to a gravel riding and racing machine.
RDO carbon fibre is built with a unique process that optimises complete compaction of the carbon layers under heat and pressure. By maximising the carbon-to-resin ratio in the finished product, Niner is able to keep the frame and fork light and stiff while improving compliance over rough surfaces.
But it’s not just speed and racing where the RLT excels. There are 26 integrated, fixed mounting points on the frame for bottles, bags, lights, fenders, racks, and even internal hub dynamo light routing in the fork. Add to that tyre clearances for 700x50c tyres, and the RLT can be used as a capable adventure bike. This is further aided by a geometry that has been refined to provide both a stable and agile ride. It has also gone through ISO mountain bike testing to certify its strength.
A PF30 bottom bracket shell provides a stiff platform for laying down the watts, while also accommodating both geared and single-speed options. Being compatible with wired or wireless, geared or single speed, 1x and 2x drivetrains. This is the perfect bike to tackle fast-paced gravel races one day, then long off-road multi-day adventures the next.
The RLT 9 RDO comes in sizes of 47cm, 50cm, 53cm, 56cm, 59cm and 62cm. A frame-only price is €2,699 (£2,500 / $1,999), with full bikes available from €3,999 (£3,899 / $3,529).
The ORE 9 RDO
Meaning Off Road Explorer, Niner’s ORE 9 RDO has been designed to be the adventure bike to beat all adventure bikes.
“The more we tested this bike, the more it became apparent it was different from the RLT," says Niner Gravel Category Manager, Linda Travis. "From the varying terrain in Colorado to the mining roads across the US, we decided to call it the Off Road Explorer.”
A slacker geometry for a more reliable and consistent handling ride is paired with an innovative suspension-corrected fork, allowing the switch to a suspension fork setup with up to 40mm of travel.
Internal dropper cable routing and a huge two-inch tyre clearance enhances the ORE’s off-road capabilities. It is also tested to the MTB ISO standard to give you confidence on those rowdy off-road rides.
“RLT is designed for smoother gravel riding, whereas the ORE evolved into something much more adverse," begins Niner Design Engineer, Patrick Bonifas. "A slacker headtube angle with a longer front-centre has optimised weight distribution to make sure off-road riding over technical terrain is much easier for the rider. That allows for a performance that is tailored to a different style of gravel riding, one that is much more progressive in nature. ”
This bike is built for go-anywhere adventures, testing the limits of gravel terrain and pushing the rider to their limit. A 69-degree headtube angle, 50mm fork rake, and 435mm chainstay length give a slack and stable singletrack-friendly geometry.
The RDO refers to the carbon layup, which has been carefully layered and optimised for both stiffness and compliance exactly where each is most needed.
Moving to a T47 threaded bottom bracket also opens up serviceability while allowing for a wider bottom bracket shell and greater drivetrain compatibility and clearances. Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) compatibility enhances this even further.
Full sleeve internal routing also ensures crisp and clean shifting even after long periods of use on dusty and muddy trails.
To ensure that the bike can keep hold of all the essentials needed for epic singletrack explorations into the unknown, the frame features an array of fitment points. There are bolt mounting points for the top-tube, frame bags, and three water bottles on the main triangle of the frame.
The ORE 9 RDO comes in sizes of 47cm, 50cm, 53cm, 56cm, 59cm and 62cm. A frame only price is €2,500 (£2,500 / $2,499), and full bikes are available between €3,999-€4,499 (£3,199-£3,499 / $3,799-$4,499)
To add to this, all of Niner’s bikes come with a lifetime warranty and crash replacement services so that whatever may happen in the future, the brand will help get you back on the bike as soon as possible and back exploring.
