https://www.bikerumor.com/2017/01/10/first-look-new-niner-rlt-9-rdo-adventure-ready-carbon-gravel-race-bike/
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\nLooks like they finally go this guy in carbon. In the process they seem to have squished it inward, making the top-tube sloped down more, dropping the BB down, and making the rear a little bit tighter.
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\nIts nice that the ditched that traditional frame geometry, the 47 now actually makes some sense now.
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\nDownsides it seems that we lost wheel clearance in the back, down to a 40mm now, however front fork is the same, so still good clearance there still.
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\nNiner explicitly state that the bike can run 650B tires, but we lost one of the best 650B wheels (WTB Horizon), and only seem to be holding now 650b g-one and gravelkings, which is less than exciting.
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\nGiven how inner rim diameter can effect wheel width is 650b even worth running? Best carbon option I have found is ENVE at 21mm internal. Most other rims are running 23mm
It seems to me the future of gravel bikes (or whatever you want to call them) is bikes that can fit 650b x 2.1 and 700 x 40 (or larger) tires. I don't know why anyone would come out with a new frame that cannot do that.
I think at some point, we will see just as much variation in the gravel bike market that we do in Mountain or road. The more options the better. Many people will never run 40+ and might prefer a shorter or stiffer build.
My bike can take 40 and I was just contemplating 650b for my second wheelset, feeling that 2 different wheelsets would make even more sense. Then I realized that I don't really want to run fatter tires than that and went with another 700 wheelset. I set of wheels with 28 smooth tread and one with 35-38 treaded just make more sense for me and my riding.
Maybe its just me, but I see the "all road" or "adventure" categories as being more road-like with smaller <38c tires. To me a gravel bike needs to be able to run a lot of variety of tires because gravel routes can be vastly different. I suppose bike companies would ideally like you to have 10 gravel bikes each one with a dedicated tire size. But for bikes that would all have similar geometry, no suspension and just different tires sizes, it seems to make more sense to have 1 bike that can take different tire/wheel sizes. The various types of mountain bikes differ by suspension travel, geometry and tire size, so even though companies have tried, its really difficult to make a do everything mountain bike. Just my 2 cents.
Following with interest as I'm struggling with the custom Ti versus Niner carbon both with high spec. Any opinions welcome!!!!!!!!!! Both are expensive but the Ti more so as here in NZ there are no builders so it's the US probably and import it.
Himself wrote:Following with interest as I'm struggling with the custom Ti versus Niner carbon both with high spec. Any opinions welcome!!!!!!!!!! Both are expensive but the Ti more so as here in NZ there are no builders so it's the US probably and import it.
It all depends on how you are going to ride it. I have ridden many carbon bikes and while they are fun to ride they are always stiff as hell. Companies always say their carbon frames are "stiff yet compliant", but they really ought to say "stiff and a little bit more compliant than aluminum". I currently have a Niner BSB and a Lynskey Cooper CX. The Niner is fast and a lot of fun to ride for about an hour. After that it just starts to beat you up. For all day rides I use the Lynskey. Of all the different frame materials I have ridden nothing is quite like titanium. Its smooth but not flexy (like the steel frames I have ridden). To sum it up, I personally think carbon is great for a race bike, or for shorter rides. But for an all day ride I'd take titanium over carbon any day.
I saw the Five Star build owned by the Niner rep in Athens, Georgia. The shop weighed it at just under 20lb. It was a large frame had accessories on it.
I am also building this bike the same color, sized 47...rapidly spinning out of control priced build... so temporarily on hold till mid spring. Just need rims and cables still.
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\nI had the same vanity, I just HAD to get the red seat post, waited an extra 2 weeks to get it. For like a week I even considered getting red shifters to be more red. I swapped my chain ring bolts to red colored ones to match my rotor crank, I think it will look real nice there.
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\nI'm running a 44/34 wickwerks chain ring, just because I thought I might run some cross on it.
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