We made our original RKT 9 more versatile with a stout 120mm suspension fork and slightly slacker geometry. Hammer the race course or hit the trails with a pedal friendly bike that’s not afraid to get rowdy going down. With 90mm of efficient CVA rear suspension, you’ll be quickest to the top of the climbs, yet pay no penalty going down.
Niner’s legendary RKT 9 RDO is famous for light weight, efficient pedaling and quick handling. It’s been proven since inception on race courses around the world. Riders rave about lightning-quick responsiveness, instant acceleration, and supple suspension.
Yet for many riders, a race is simply a great reason to get out for a long weekend, ride some trails, and mingle with friends after the event. You could say it’s a party up front and business out back.
With that in mind, we’re building our race-ready RKT 9 RDO bikes with premium 120mm suspension forks. This RKT is fast enough to mix up the lead group in a marathon, yet fun enough for an all-day epic on the day after. Thanks to a stiffer front fork, longer travel, and slacker geometry, you can confidently attack the course both uphill and downhill.
Niner’s Constantly Varying Arc, or CVA™, suspension design is a short dual-link, four-bar system unique to Niner, developed in house and patented. It’s built to be supple yet stable, controlling unwanted suspension movement with calibrated anti-squat, yet remaining active while climbing and descending.
With 90mm of tuned travel in the RKT 9 RDO, it’s sensitive to small bumps in the early stroke yet supportive in the mid-stroke, which gives riders a platform for pumping and popping off terrain. Going down, it’s consistent and controlled. With no need for heavy compression damping to control unwanted movement, CVA shocks are tuned for consistent, confidence-inspiring behavior on descents.
Stiffness, efficiency, light weight, and durability are all critical. That’s why we use Enduro Max Black Oxide pivot bearings, rigid, machined aluminum linkages, and high end fasteners to hold it all together. If you’re going to bother pedaling a full-suspension bike, you’d best make sure it’s made to work right, all the time.
Any race bike worth its weight these days is made from carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is common, but care, quality and attention to detail are not. In our quest to make the best bikes, we’re not cutting any corners. Niner Race Day Optimized carbon fiber is a cut above.
We start with the best grades of raw carbon layered precisely according to the stress points on the frame structure. In construction, our process employs rigid internal molds and results in tighter, more consistent compaction of the carbon fabric.
The result? Increased precision in wall thickness and reduced resin pooling in the final product. Not only are Niner frames stronger, but we can also build more elaborate structures with better ride tuning, increased stiffness, outstanding durability, and less weight.
Read More...
Hide