Niner

Air 9 RDO 4-Star X01 Complete Mountain Bike - 2014

Niner built the Air 9 RDO 4-Star X01 Complete Mountain Bike for those who dream of wiping the floor with their buddies on race day. Furthering this, the stiff, lightweight Air 9 RDO frame received a FOX Racing Shox fork, Stan's NoTubes wheels, and the all-new SRAM X01 11-speed drivetrain. Not only is the build kit race-worthy, but it's trust-worthy as well. So, you have no excuses on race day, but you won't be needing them anyway.

Niner has extensive experience building in carbon fiber, and the Air 9 RDO puts the best of its construction on display. Starting with the Air 9 Carbon platform, the shape of each tube was designed to achieve the lightest possible weight. And this came in both the form of decreased tube diameters, a smaller bottom bracket shell, and slimmed brake mounts. The resulting changes cut over 200 grams over the already lightweight Air 9 Carbon. Furthermore, every aspect of the RDO's carbon layup was optimized in orderto remove every gram of unnecessary material. And despite its feathery weight, Niner is so confident in the strength of the Air 9 RDO that it backs it with a full five year warranty.

At 1125 grams for the size medium frame, saying that the Air 9 RDO is light is like saying that a blue whale is just 'a pretty big animal.' It wasn't long ago that elite-level road racing frames were in that weight range, yet Niner hits this mark with a bike that's stiff at the pedals, and inspires confidence when you're pushing your limits. The 9x135mm QR rear means that finding replacements or upgrades is a piece of cake -- not that you'll need to upgrade, but it's always nice to have options. The PF30 bottom bracket shell enables the use of oversized cranksets for added stiffness. Better yet, it's backwards compatible with almost any style of crankset that you'd want to ride. You'll find a 31.6mm seatpost, which means you'll also have your pick of dropper posts, if you're so inclined. Mounting a front derailleur is a simplified affair using a standard 34.9mm clamp. And for the headset, the IS42 top cup and IS52 bottom cup ensure compatibility with the latest generation of tapered forks.

With the competitive focus of the Air 9 RDO, it only makes sense to build it with components that perform at the highest level. And with the new SRAM X01 drivetrain, you'll get exactly that. Building on the foundation of the venerable XX1 eleven-speed drivetrain, X01 features the same 10/42t XD cassette for a massive gear range with a single chainring upfront. You'll enjoy flawless shifts and chain retention with the clutch derailleur and alternating narrow-wide tooth profile on the chainring. Stopping duties are handled by SRAM's four piston Elixir 9 Trail brakes, which deliver exceptional of power with equally impressive modulation. Suspension duties are handled by a FOX Racing Shox 32 FLOAT FIT CTD fork with 100mm of travel. The fork's sealed damper provides consistent control on long descents, and the tapered steerer tube and 15mm QR thru-axle keep you on your line. Meanwhile, Niner selected Stan's NoTubes Arch EXs for the wheels. Why? Well, because they're light, strong, and wide enough to support today's larger tires, like the Schwalbe tires that are included. And rounding out the build are Niner's own alloy handlebar, alloy stem, and carbon seatpost.

The Niner AIR 9 4 Star Complete Mountain Bike is available in four sizes, from Small to X-Large, and in the color Arctic White.