NINER REDEFINES ALL-MOUNTAIN. Ride On The R.I.P 9
R. CunninghamThere is a buzz among 29er enthusiasts that I don’t like big wheel bikes. Chris Sugai from Niner bikes gave me an R.I.P. 9which stands to Ride in Peace 29er, and it does exactly what it says. The R.I.P. The R.I.P. 9 is a revolutionary design that has 11 cm suspension travel and can take aggressive, 6 cm tires with plenty of room. In short, its a far cry from the decidedly cross-country-oriented 29er mainstream. R.I.P. Niners The R.I.P. 9 is the mark of innovation and engineering at the outer edge. The 23 cms dual-link suspension is designed to be active (operates under acceleration and brake) while providing a firm pedaling performance. This was a line I had heard before so forgive me for being skeptical. The R.I.P. is a great bike. The 9 pedals well and its suspension is smooth on a variety of terrain and speeds. Niner claims that the suspension acts as if it has more travel because of its larger wheels. Except for landing jumps, when the rear-wheel travel of 11 cm feels like 11 cm. The R.I.P. linkage is low-slung. 9 moves the swingarm junction in front. This allows you to use a shorter chainstay while still having room for all-mountain-sized knobby tire. Niner is a step ahead of the 29er in its ability to remove the sluggishness from big-wheel steering geometry and its comprehensive approach to minimising the negative effects that large wheels can have on the frame design. An exaggeratedly sloping top tube increases stand-over clearance to 26er levels. A flat handlebar and stem arrangement keep the bars level with the saddle when fully extended. I’m at 1.5m seven and I am near the end of 29er designs. Yet, the R.I.P. The 9 is a good fit and offers almost no creature comforts, compared to a 26er. Although the Joplin seatpost was helpful, most drops can be handled at cross-country riding height. The R.I.P. was to be run. 9 through its paces, it was ridden in a freeride-ish, rocky area. It dropped and hopped as well as the other 15 cm-travel 26ers that I have ridden there. Impressive. These big wheels keep the bike stable and steady in the air. Although I’m not known for being a world-class pilot, I managed to accidentally do a 30-footer to a rolling transfer aboard the R.I.P. It was easy to do, and it was 9 It was a very capable mount when I raced it at 24 Hours in Old Pueblo. It was 14 kg and wasn’t as light as some might have hoped, but it was fast enough to keep me in the race, as long as I only used three to four smooth pedal strokes to get it up to speed. The R.I.P. finished the 14-mile route in a comfortable pace. 9 simply glided along the 14-mile course, railing around corners and making the sand traps feel effortless. This made the rocky climbs feel smoother. The bottom line: I love the Niner R.I.P. 9. It’s a good thing Chris doesn’t remember that I had it for a while.
