Niner

Jet 9 RDO Mountain Bike Frame - 2016

A bike that lets you go fast is one that mitigates the obstacles before you, smoothing your path to maintain speed. Where cross-country mountain bike racers are concerned, the advantage of fast-rolling 29-inch wheels are undeniable, so when you combine them with a smart and efficient suspension platform, you get a real race weapon like the 2016 Niner Jet 9 RDO frameset. Redesigned this year to be even lighter and stronger, it's one of the fastest platforms on the planet for those who climb and descend in equal measure.

The Jet 9 RDO frameset is the brand's premium dual-suspension XC platform, the RDO (for Race Day Optimized) designation signifying a few key differences over its non-RDO brother, the Jet 9 Carbon — namely a 142x12mm rear axle for greater rear-end stiffness, a lighter, stronger carbon layup to the front triangle, and a full-carbon upper shock link. That link guides Niner's completely proprietary, completely revolutionary CVA suspension system through all 100mm of its travel. Designed specifically around 29-inch wheels — as opposed to being merely a tweaking of an existing 26-inch-wheel suspension design — CVA (Continuously Varying Arc) is both taut and supple. It's low compression ratio means there's less need for suspension preload, so the mechanism can float more freely and react more readily to the terrain without being loose or sloppy. CVA's lower linkage placement beneath the bottom bracket means that pedaling forces are isolated to prevent the chassis from bobbing and bouncing under input, resulting in a smooth but efficient bike that's responsive to both your power and the trail's trickery.

The included Fox Float CTD shock with Kashima coating only further serves up CVA's suspension goodness. The switchable on-the-fly Climb, Trail, and Descend modes toggle the shock's compression settings for either firm, medium, or wide-open suspension movement, respectively, so you can decide what mode would be best for a given situation. The Kashima coating treatment of the shock allows for superb smoothness along with minimal maintenance thanks to excellent sealing mechanisms and a more durable exterior.

The Jet 9 RDO frameset promises to deliver more than just a superb suspension experience, however. Its relatively aggressive XC geometry makes the bike far more nimble than nearly any other dual-suspension 29er on the market, but that's only the beginning. The funky shapes that your eyes find, and the carbon layup schedule that they don't, are the result of thousands of man hours of computerized stress simulations and real-world testing, all to produce race-worthy handling and lateral stiffness. The tapered head tube certainly helps at the front end, ensuring precise front wheel placement, whether in slow, technical situations or through high-speed sweepers. Niner also went went with a BB30 bottom bracket interface, where the oversized diameter but narrow profile provided the highest possible level of torsional stiffness, and thus, power transfer. For 2016, the Jet 9 RDO frameset loses about 130 grams of weight compared to last year's model, thanks to an even further-refined Carbon Compaction System (or CCS) molding process and the new, lightweight paint and more minimal scheme that's used to finish off the package.

The 2016 Niner Jet 9 RDO Frameset comes in five sizes, from X-Small to X-Large, and in the colors Black/Niner red and Slate/blaze.