Niner

BSB 9 RDO 5-Star Ultegra Di2 Hydro Cyclocross Bike - 2015

The Niner name has built an especially loyal following since the company's founding and its relentless innovations in the world of 29-inch mountain bikes. Its first drop-bar bike, the all-purpose, alloy RLT 9, was met with heavy demand by the time it hit the market last year, and yet it was only a harbinger of even greater things to come. Introducing the BSB 9 RDO, a full-carbon, competition-focused cyclocross frameset from the big-wheel masters, seen here in its supreme form as the 2015 BSB 9 RDO 5-Star Ultegra Di2 Hydro Complete Cyclocross Bike.

The BSB initialism speaks directly to the frame's intended audience: Blood, Sweat, and Beers — a practical mantra of 'crossers around the world. That none-too-serious moniker doesn't translate to a less-than-serious design and engineering process, though. Niner spent many hours doing computer analysis, lab testing, and beating the crud out of its prototypes until it arrived at this disc-brake-only product, complete with aggressive geometry (steep head tube and seat tube angles, short seatstays, and high bottom brackets to avoid pedal impacts) and a thru-axle-equipped fork modeled after its award-winning rigid carbon mountain forks.

For the BSB's main frame, however, engineers even further refined their Carbon Compaction System molding process — employed on all of their RDO frames — to extract the absolute most strength from every carbon fiber while eliminating those that weren't contributing to the frame's sharp handling or lateral stiffness. The process uses rigid internal molds for a more consistent and compact internal tube layering than the usual bladder molds, not only saving weight and boosting strength but ensuring that the interior of the frame is as beautifully seamless as the outside. The generously sized down tube, head tube design, and chainstay and seatstay shaping were all influenced by Niner's supreme mountain hardtail, the Air 9 RDO, to bestow the BSB not only with race-worthy stiffness but also a relatively smooth ride.

If the BSB's technical superiority doesn't win you over, then scope the spec sheet of this complete build. A full Shimano Ultegra Di2 electronic drivetrain laughs off the mud that impairs the function of many mechanical systems, and Niner's RDO parts round out a solid, light cockpit. Niner's own CX Carbon wheels are especially tough with low inert mass for fast acceleration, aided by Schwalbe Rocket Ron EVO tires, and for the kicker, get pumped, because Shimano's RS785 hydraulic disc brakes offer superior control to virtually any braking system available to drop-bar bikes.

The 2015 BSB 9 RDO 5-Star Ultegra Di2 Hydro Complete Cyclocross Bike comes in six sizes, from 47 to 62cm, and each size accommodates two water bottle mounts. The only color available is Black/Red, and pedals are not included.

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