Niner

RLT 9 3-Star Rival Hydro Complete Bike - 2016

The 2016 Niner RLT 9 3-Star Rival Hydro Complete Bike makes choosing a bike for a week of adventuring just plain easier. Boasting what Niner dubs "fire road geometry," the RLT is a little bit slacker, longer, and has a lower bottom bracket than its cyclocross race-bred sibling, the BSB 9, for increased stability and comfort no matter the terrain. While it's still agile enough to throw down on a 'cross course, it's just as happy to explore epic singletrack, gravel roads, and almost any other place you take it. The 3-star build comes kitted out with SRAM's smooth-shifting Rival drivetrain, powerful hydraulic brakes, and Schwalbe wrapped Niner CX Alloy hoops.

If you’re looking at the RLT and getting déjà vu, don’t worry, it may be because the tube set borrows heavily from the one used on Niner’s aluminum AIR 9 frame. The tapered head tube accommodates a matching tapered fork, which is unsurprisingly similar to Niner’s beloved RDO mountain fork. The dropouts have integrated rack and fender mounts, which only add to your setup options, and the burly replaceable hanger means that even if a catastrophic derailleur-related incident ends your ride, your RLT will live to roll another day.

The hydroformed tubes are designed to neutralize chatter, helping the RLT to maintain a smooth ride. Additionally, it makes the frame much stronger than it would be had round tubes been employed. And to enhance the smooth ride, the RLT has a 27.2mm diameter seat tube. The combination of the smaller diameter and Niner's vibration dampening carbon seatpost means that you won’t be getting beat up as much as you’d expect, especially on washboard roads.