Niner RKT 9 RDO Mountain Bike Frame

Balancing Playfulness and Performance: Niner RKT 9 RDO Explained

Some bikes are only made for dorking around with your friends on the trails or in the bike parks, and some bikes are made for racing first and then dorking around with your friends later. The Niner RKT 9 RDO falls into the second category. It is a super fun, confidence-inspiring trail bike that will be nimble and reactive enough to function as your main XC racing machine as well.

The RKT 9 RDO is a carbon full suspension mountain bike designed for 29 inch wheels. That’s not so unusual these days, but since 29 inch wheels are the whole raison d’etre of Niner bikes, you can be certain that they have committed to designing a bike where the geometry, suspension, and wheel size will work together to offer the greatest possible performance. Having added Boost both in the front and rear means that these 29 inch bad boys will be as solid when accelerating as they are supple over rock gardens. The frame can easily fit 2.4 inch tires and even up to 2.6 inch of certain brands as well, so grip will be your constant companion. In mountain biking, the faster you go, the less likely you are to crash. And speed comes with confidence, which is something the RKT 9 RDO will fill you full of from the first ride.

Slacker Front End and Tapered Head Tube Design in the RKT 9 RDO

Using their CVA linkage system means that the pedal forces can operate independently of rear wheel travel, ensuring you are never losing traction or momentum. As custom forged aluminum, the linkage is light and durable without a whiff of flex. With 90mm travel in the back and between 100 and 120mm up front, you will get the supple ride to breeze over trail obstacles but also be able to call on the bike’s responsiveness to keep you comfortably in the lead in your races. Since Niner knows how to emphasize the best geometry for the use in their 29 inch wheels, but also is willing to move with the times, they have shortened the rear while slackening the front and extending the top tube ever so slightly. It means that this is a bike that will be super fun when you are out training on your local trails but still snappy enough for race mode when the tape drops. The slacker front end makes descending tons more stable while avoiding having sluggish handling with too long of a wheel base. And the tapered head tube works to keep the front end feeling solid in the toughest technical courses.

With the internal cable routing the frame allows, you can build this baby up with some super sweet Di2 for the ultimate race machine. Helpfully, you can opt for a 1X, 2X or even 3X setup so that you can get the exact gearing that you will need for your type of riding and racing. Keep in mind the max chainring size for a 1x will be 38, and Niner recommends going with a Boost chainring.

As a perfect race day machine, the Niner RKT 9 RDO has been designed to go fast and be leaned into every tight corner. But you can also be sure it’s tough enough to take a fun day on the trails with your buddies.

Also check Moots Mountain Bikes.