Niner

RLT 9 RDO 5-Star Ultegra Complete Bike - 2018

You've put in your time on the road and maybe by now, you're a little jaded from the typical weekend circuit race or Tuesday night worlds. Perhaps you're an accomplished MTB racer that likes to get out and hammer the trails, but life and family obligations have caught up and now you don't quite have the free time to make it out to the choice singletrack. If you're ready to take a break from the road set or want to start exploring gravel roads and trails from your front door, meet the RLT lineup from Niner. As someone who appreciates performance oriented bikes, we know you don't want to sacrifice anything when it comes to stiffness, weight, or ride quality so the good news is Niner offers an excellent all-road bike with its 2018 RLT 9 RDO 5-Star Ultegra Complete Bike. It features lightweight carbon construction, Shimano's new R8000 drivetrain and brakes, and carbon wheels. You'll be impressed with how fast this bike is on the road especially when you learn how capable it is off road.

The geometry of RLT bikes vary slightly compared to road and 'cross bikes and this frame is a bit slacker, longer, and lower. It also features a few tweaks compared to its aluminum and steel RLT siblings that boost its snappy profile. Shorter stays tighten up the rear triangle and work in tandem with a lower bottom bracket for a confidently responsive ride experience. This combination lends the RLT 9 more stability and comfort over rough roads while still maintaining the agility to rocket out of turns and kick up punchy climbs. The dropouts have integrated rack and fender mounts that offer a versatile array of setup options, and the replaceable hanger means that even if a catastrophic derailleur-related incident ends your ride, your RLT will live to roll another day.

Niner uses its Race Day Optimized Carbon Compaction System to mold this RLT's frame, fine-tuning the placement of carbon and eliminating any material that doesn't contribute to the frame's structural soundness and ride quality. To further enhance the smooth ride, the RLT has a 27.2mm diameter seatpost, which adds an element of give to absorb bumps and chatter so you won’t be getting beat up as much as you’d expect, especially on washboard roads.

Shimano's new Ultegra R8000 group joins the game adding precise and reliable shifting and an impressive range that levels hills and provides plenty of speed on the flats and downhill. Powerful disc brakes work fantastic in all-weather conditions and give you power and modulation never before felt on a drop bar bike. Lightweight and stiff Niner carbon rims contribute to a snappy ride and the tubeless compatibility is welcome on chunky gravel roads. Up front, Niner uses an RDO stem to further take the edge off of the ride an adds stiffness when you're putting the power down or charging a descent. Finishing off cockpit duties, an Easton EA 50 AX bar has flared drops supplying some much-needed stability while you are on the limit during a fast and rough descent.