The Rocky Mountain Altitude is Rocky Mountain Bikes first full Suspension 29er.  I have been really looking forward to this bike. I have had dealings with Rocky Mountain Bikes for many years and hold the company in high regard.

The Rocky Mountain Altitude's one attribute that stands out  the most is the seat tube angle Rocky Mountain Bikes(RMB) uses. It is steeper then most which should put the riders weight bias towards the front of the bike. This should allow the rider a more pedal friendly seating position.  This position is dubbed "Straight Up Geometry".

Without going to much into bicycle fit, "The Straight Up Geometry" should enable fit technicians the ability to more easily line the knee to the ball of the foot in reference to the pedal spindle. I was actually taught to line up the bony protrusion just below the knee with the pedal spindle with the pedals at the 3 o'clock position. This allows the best power out put. I am not an expert on bio mechanics but this method has served me well.  Proper bike fit in addition to allowing for more weight over the front end of the bike is the purpose of  "Strait Up Geometry". Scroll down this page to get a little more info.Click on the technology tab.

How did the build go. Fine. The BB could have been a little cleaner. It took a bit of effort to get the bottom bracket to thread in. Threading in the BB is a little difficult. The Non drive chain stay is very close to the BB when it is threaded in. This is a design compromise and as 29er designers start pushing designs we will see tolerances get tighter before they get looser.  Also the seat tube could have been reamed better. The disc tabs were faced and looked great.

Tight Fit. If you find yourself switching you bottom bracket proceed slowly

The  black paint job is sharp looking.  The frame weight is respectable especially for how stout the frame is. It weighed 7lbs 3 oz for our large test frame.

We stripped the Altitude 29 down to rebuild it with the 29eronline  tests kit. This is not because the build needed any changes. I will do a "value post" on the OEM parts a bit later. The stock parts are  very nice, well thought out and needs no upgrade. One thing I noticed while taking apart the bike is that it comes with a 1 1/8 inch fork even though the frame has  a tapered head tube . I actually called the company when I found out. Peter and Alex spent time explaining why . This leads to the tapered steer tube.

The silver piece inside the frame is a headset reducer. If you want to run a 1.5 tapered fork remove this and install a 1.5 press in style headset

There are evidently a couple of styles of tapered steer tubes. The one Rocky uses is designed to use a bearing that installs directly in the top built in cup.  The bottom is a press in 1.5 style bearing or the stock built in reducer/bearing cup. The RMB uses an internal reducer in the head tube with a 1 1/8 lower bearing. Rocky Mountain Bikes decided they wanted to keep the head tube as short as possible. this allows for the lowest front end that they could spec. It also saved weight going with this set up as opposed to the set up Niner uses which causes Niner and other brands that choose to use this style head tube to use a heavier head tube. The low front end along side the "Straight Up" geometry,115mm rear and 120mm front suspension travel should clue you in for what the bike is made to do. All day in the saddle! This was made to be ridden for long periods of time over rugged terrain in comfort.

Top tube view. You can see the insert from above. Use a headset removal tool to remove the reducer.

I will repeat my thoughts. I believe that this is the style most mountain bikers will get the most out of. I believe this style of bike is comfortable and well mannered. Run light tires and and rims and ride your favorite epic.  Put on beefy tires a dropper post and wider rims and you can ride rooty, rocky  terrain with a few drops in between. You want to do a marathon race? No problem. Trail ride with your friends, again no   problem. Versatility!

I also want to comment on the cable routing. I like it. It works. No need to go under the bottom bracket. Simple and easy to understand. They left areas where there is no housing under the top tube and full housing where it will gunk up the cables if they didn't.

Enjoy the photo's. We will do a spec report shortly.

cable routing. Click the picture for a larger view. Nice paint and tasteful graphics.

If you read part one of my tire test you know I am very partial to my Racing Ralf’s especially my front one but Sponge Bob / I mean Fat Bob twisted my arm and said I had to try this Specialized Eskar or else.  The Ralf’s are king on the dry hard pack but the Eskar rules the wet, and boy we have had a wet winter so far.

I’ve been a little puckered up with having the Ralf up front lately especially in the newly fallen leaves and winter mud. The small block pattern does not inspire confidence this time of year and clogs up as bad as the Captain.

The Eskar is a killer front tire with our present tail conditions.  Between the freeze thaw cycle and rain every few days coupled with new virgin trails the Eskar is king, I love this tire.

The Eskar sheds mud very well, One of the best we have ridden

I have built several miles of new trail this winter and I am the king of building very skinny steep side hill stuff – Niners kill this type of trail woe the poor sixer rider.  My plan is to ride this side hill stuff enough especially when it is wet so that the bike tires will cut into the side of the hill and do the bench cutting for us – except for one thing they don’t remove the roots they just bring them to the surface. Here is where Fat Bob comes into play he is my bikes-scape person he takes my design and turns it into sustainable trail sections by digging and imbedding tons of rock to armor the riding surface.  He does all this all by hand / no Ditch Witch in our budget.  The thing is I can design and build trail way faster than he can turn it into a sustainable trail that’s why right now we have some of the most challenging riding ever.

Snow imprint of the Specialized center knobs. This is the Tires foot print

The last few times out I could see where my fellow riders were literally sliding right off the trail.  The cool thing with the Eskar was I could ride right across their skid marks and go straight as an arrow no sliding at all.  Talk about a confidence builder I was completing laps with no slippage in these extreme conditions – I wish I had my camera with me because seeing is believing the tire tracks photos would have told the whole story the Eskar tracks traversing the other riders slide to death tracks .

Oh I forgot to tell you about all these new wicked tight radius switchbacks I added to the trail.  They will be tuff whenever it dry’s out but right now they are incredibly hard.  The Eskar navigates those turns in similar fashion to the side hill stuff.

Take a look at the snow impression photos that I made with this tire.  This tread just looks like it will dig in good but has enough continuous knobs to spin without much drag.  The second impression was made with the tire in a turn and it clearly shows how the side knobs dig in to provide all this extra holding power in the turns and side slopes.

Cornering knobs. These tires bite.... I mean that in a good way

My one concern I have with Specialized brand tires is longevity – look at the tire photos – see the last photo – a lot of cracking is visible around the side knobs – not a good sign plus some side wall deterioration is visible as well.  These tires are not that old folks no reason to be cracking already.

Side wall wear. Take a look at how tall the side knobs are. Nice!

Conclusion:  One of the best winter front tires I’ve used – I give it high marks on our Jonesboro Fault test track trail here in central NC.  We served it all the major food groups – soft soil / wet clay / crunchy frozen stuff / gravel beds / freezing a__ creek crossings and an assortment of rocks & boulders for a balanced test diet.  Finding a good front tire makes tuff winter riding conditions safer and more pleasurable. I hate that sliding / skidding / impacting feeling and this tire helps to prevent that.

Pro: high traction front tire - tracks and turns well in tuff conditions / rolls good / braking – good / dry hard pack – don’t have a clue – waiting for the “Bob” to send me to a warm dry place to test.

Con: photos show questionable durability Fat Bob might not be getting this tire back because I am thinking I might have to do a long term tire test at least till spring.  This tire inspires a lot of confidence in tuff conditions – I find myself going a lot faster - pushing the limits in tuff conditions – all components have there limits - it is going to really hurt if I loose it going this fast. If you don't have a Specialized dealer you can buy these online here. We do not receive any financial kick backs if you buy through the link.

Editor's Note: Donn has not had the opportunity to test this tire in dry conditions. Other riders have. It is excellent in all conditions as a front tire.

29eronline feels that it is the best front tire we have tested to date as an all around trail front tire. We feel it is an average performing rear tire and prefer others as a rear tire over the Eskar.

The other thing we have noticed is that it converts very well to tubeless using the Stans No Tubes tubeless kit. Of course proceed at your own risk whenever converting to any after market product.

Donn O

Fat Bob said Donn you got to test tires –but dang I love my Racing Ralf’s please don’t make me switch tires.

I looked at the tires he gave me and I decided that maybe a little more aggressive tread on the back would help me claw up thru the big rocks on our local Jonesboro Fault Trail and stir up the sand better for an upcoming Florida trip so I put the Specialized “The Captain” on the back of my Niner RIP 9 and left my favored Racing Ralf on the front.

Captain control retains mud.

In my opinion there is nothing better that my Racing Ralf’s on dry hard pack clay soils.

When I switched to the Captain the first thing I noticed was the taller tread would skid easier under heavy braking when on the same dry hard pack trail.

The Captain side view photo by Donn O

On the plus side it did have more climbing traction in the loose stuff and would claw slightly better over the big rocks.

In the wet neither tire are great - both are prone to load up which I found out the hard way in Florida. I thought our North Carolina red clay was bad but I got into some sticky white clay down there and it totally clogged both tires to the point I had to stop and use a stick to scrape off the white crud so the tires would spin again.

We have built several miles of new trail this winter and this tire does a reasonable job on the soft wet new trail surface except for the occasional loading up problem.

We had a rare winter snow storm so I took this opportunity to do a tread impression in the new snow so you could visualize how the rubber actually connects to the trail.

I might have to get Fat Bob to spring for some extra thick frozen Margaritas so I can do this test in the summer. You can see a fairly continuous center block pattern with widely spaced side paddles – the side tread did not come into play even though I weighted the tire to make this impression. Overall I like this tire only wish it did not clog as bad.

Snow imprint. Photo:Donn O

Here it is!  Straight from Rocky Mountain Bikes. I'll let some pictures do the talking. Weigh in will be tomorrow. First as a complete bike. Then as a frame. It will be built up after that with our 29eronline test kit and beaten mercilessly!

Side view Rocky Mountain Altitude stock build (minus end caps)

We are working on a component over view. The Rocky mountain has a competitive spec. There is a lot of value. All the parts were well thought out. Over all the Rocky mountain crew put together a smart build.

Florida:

You got to be kidding right?  Mountain biking in the flattest state no way – yes, way cool! Thanks to a club called SWAMP and man made terrain left over from strip-mining. SWAMP has built a series of very technical trails in various parks built on reclaimed land.  These trails are built on hard white soil plied up from phosphate mining around the edge of flooded pits loaded with local wildlife – alligators / armadillos’ / wild pigs (very destructive) & lush tropical vegetation draped with Spanish moss.  These trails are all about abrupt transitions / super steep drops / tight single track / and innovated armoring and bridging – very tight and sketchy expert sections.

My favorite trails – Carter Road – Lakeland FL – the Fingers are 5 narrow steep piles of dirt jutting well out into an old flooded quarry – very steep technical single track with gators waiting for you to fall in.

Jamin in Florida.

Alafia State park – Great trail system with some very cool expert sections – probably the most popular local trail – it’s located east of I75 not far from Tampa and Balm Boyette a little closer in – they have some cool new stuff under construction.

Enough about the trails now what about Niners – don’t tell the locals I need all the advantages I can get - but niners kick butt in Florida.  I made a direct comparison between a Garry Fisher Sugar 429 and an Iron Horse 26er full suspension back in June – talk about hot and humid – come in the winter its much nicer.  Besides the hard phosphate rock there is plenty of soft sand and the niners have a huge advantage on the soft stuff - significantly lower pedal effort is required to power the bike – I found this out the hard way after a fast several mile run down a sandy road fighting the drag from the sixer nearly blew me up before I even got to the trail.  While riding back out on the niner this same road was a piece of cake.

With all the short steep stuff on these trails the niner’s big momentum advantage will carry you back up the other side of the big drops.  The niners also give you more traction for climbing the vertical stuff.  And lastly the trails here snake thru all these Palmetto bushes which cover the trails with big roots that the bigger tires just roll over.  I am planning a return trip this fall with my new Niner RIP – I can’t wait.

Alabama:

I stayed in the Montgomery area – not many trails but I did find one – The Swayback Bridge trail – I ran into a local and guess what he was riding a hard tail Niner and even better he had been to our web site to read reviews – amazing! The trail was pretty wet and somewhat a maze – It started down a sandy dirt road full of puddles and flat as flat, I was thinking what a bore. After awhile the trail started to follow some ditches which turned into ravines which converged onto a neat trail along the edge of a picturesque lake Jordan.  This trail ended up with a surprising amount of climbing including one super steep wet clay climb.  There is a lot of land here I believe that they could induce more flow into this trail but the climbs do give you a good workout – heck I might have been riding it in the wrong direction.  The big thing I noticed while riding this trail is how well my Niner handled the wet roots & rocks with hardly any sliding or spinning.  The big tires offer way more traction under slick conditions another big niner plus.

Georgia:

I found out that Georgia is a hot bed of mountain biking with a large number of cool trails.  I did not get to check out the mountainous part of the state but I did check out two trails one north and one east of Atlanta.

From Donn's trip to Geogia. If you can't read the sign it is the sign for the Olympic race course in Conyers GA

Chicopee Woods to the north was sweet – a hilly trail situated next to a golf course.  This SORBA trail is heavily used – all the bikes have packed the Georgia red clay down to a hard & fast surface.  My Niner just screamed on a section called Flying Squirrel (good name) – this fast high flow section is just what my Niner craves what a blast.  This swoopy go fast trail is the prefect combination for niners high momentum and traction advantages.  You got to check it out a really fun trail.

The Olympic trail in Conyers GA – east of Atlanta.  You can tell this trail was built for Olympic competition because they designed in plenty of steep kick butt climbs.  Unfortunately this trail got hit hard from all the recent flooding – a lot of it was washed but still very ride able.  The thing I really liked about this trail was the huge granite section across the road from the parking area – I love riding on granite it has such great traction except for the wet slime areas.  The big Niner tires are at home on the undulating granite surface smoothing it out and gripping it.  I played on the granite surface for quite some time playing on the many the ledges and drops what great fun.  I was also glad I was on a Niner while negotiating some of the rough and washed sections of the main trail where the bigger tires give you more control and confidence.  It was hot and this trail wore me out with all the climbing – not a great trail for flow but this trail is all about the Olympic experience and pushing the riders physical limits.

South Carolina:

The FATS trail system is located just over the state line from Augusta Georgia in South Carolinas Sumter National Forest.  I read a lot about this IMBA trail – the state of SC paid big bucks to have this trail system designed and built so I wanted to check it out.  Boy I’m glad I did and luckily I hooked up with a fast local rider that took me on a guided tour of this trail system.  This trail system has the most flow of any trail I ever ridden – I’m sure this is based on direction of travel but my local guide hooked me up on that.  My Niner RIP 9 had a big ring crank fest here.  The first trail we hit was called the Skinny – we averaged 14 mph on this screaming fast trail.  The Niners big Racing Ralf’s did a good job gripping thru the corners though I did experience some drifting on some of the corners that had a slight bit of sand on them – the big niner tires allow you to do that and maintain control.  Besides the cornering this trail becomes pretty technical when ridden at high speed – then the many bumps and ditches turn into jumps and G out’s that either want to fling you into the air or crush you.  The second trail we rode was called the Great Wall, this trail was more of the same it started with an extended down hill run that really pushed the limits - it had more climbing than the Skinny but I never shifted out of the big ring in fact that’s the secret of this trails system design, there is a lot of hill here but the trail builder follow the terrains contour line with extended low angle down hills & climbs – all fast big ring stuff – what fun!  The Niner really put me in the zone on this section which is where I passed my guide and cruised on at my own speed. I only got to ride about half of the trail here and I can’t wait to make a return trip to check out the rest.

F.A.T.S. Great Wall Loop from Donn Otte on Vimeo.

North Carolina:

Home base for 29eronline.com – we are located near the middle of the State.  North Carolina has plenty of great trails of all types from the mountains to the coast.  North Carolina is mainly known for the mountain trails – Nantahala / Pisgah / DuPont State Forest - all of these places are great but a long haul for us – NC is a big state.  Because mountain biking here has its roots in the metro areas where the riders live a number of sweet trails have been built near population centers.

My favorite mountain trail is DuPont State Forest – awesome waterfall views Bridal Veil Falls for one and some sweet single track - airport area with a big slick rock granite section – Cedar Rock & Big Rock - break out the granny gear.

Favorite Piedmont trails:  I had a lot to say about the FATS trail in SC – well we have one that tops that – Over the Mountain Victory Trail & Warriors Creek – right on the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Wilkesboro NC.  These super high flow trails were cut with a mini Ditch Witch bulldozer and designed and built by the local Brushy Mountain bike club on Corp of Engineers land surrounding Kerr Scott Lake – what makes these two trails so good, try imagining a bobsled run thru the mountains – huge banked turns and wall rides make this trail a blast to ride – Warriors Creek is the best but OTMVT is a close second. I love this trail – it’s so fun and fast and all of those great downhills have matching climbs!  I will say there is a learning curve to figure out how to ride the banking but my Niner RIP 9 nails it perfectly.  This is the ultimate niner trail the big momentum really kicks in here carrying speed way past where the sixers run out of steam.  My ultra stiff Fox fork with the QR15 axel threads the banked turns like a crotch rocket handling a curvy mountain road.

The National White Water Center trail – located not far from the airport in Charlotte NC, This is the ultimate multi million dollar adult playground.  Two man made rivers and one natural one supports kayaking and rafting / multiple climbing walls / a ropes course / a 1000’ zip line / restaurant & store. On top of that is the sweet 13 mile bike trail – this one gets heavily used because Charlotte is so big.  The red clay soil becomes brick like – hard and fast my Niner eats it up – tight and turny thru the Pine trees.  My favorite is the North trails along with the carpet loop and the toilet bowl loop.  An excellent trail so close to a major metro area – it cost $5 to park.

Other metro trails and eastern trails

Hobby Park – Winston Salem

Owls Roost & Wild Turkey – Greensboro

Harris Lake – Apex

Blue Clay – Wilmington

Bicycle Post trail – Greenville

Check Trianglemtb.com for Raleigh area trails

Uwharie near Troy

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention two Sanford area trails that I designed and built.

Governors Creek – a fast 6.5 course mile built for racing fun! Ride it both ways to get a good ride in.

San Lee Park – Jonesboro Fault Trail – unique geology brings mountain riding to the center of the state.  This trail is why I ride a full suspension 29er.  Nothing smooth here so don’t whine to me that it is to rough to ride - I ride a Niner RIP 9 so rough is good.  There are two technical black diamond sections the Gauntlet - single black diamond & Free Fall our 29er double black diamond torture track – Free Fall is a ¾ mile boulder garden for your pleasure.  Ride Free Fall at your own risk, - its not free ride stuff just throw you over the handlebars onto pointy rocks stuff for experienced cross country riders looking to hone there technical skills - body armor is not a bad idea.  Trail is a mix of white quartz rock & granite boulders.  29er tires smooth out the roots & rocks and there added traction eat up the loose quartz gravel climbs.

San Lee Park

Park has limited hours – get there 1.5 hours before closing – park is closed for some winter holidays – call first - 919-776-6221

I feel like comparing the full suspension bikes to other full suspension bikes we have tested would be a good idea.  I see alot of questions about this on forums popping up all of the time. Even some industry guy's have asked so here goes...

Pivot 429-: The Pivot is built for speed. It handles sharp and pedals like a race bike. This bike is really in a class of it's own. Until bikes like the Niner Jett9 becomes available or the Gary Fisher Superfly, Santa Cruz Tall Boy, or Specialized Epic 29er are available the Pivot really is not a great comparison.

Who should buy it. Racers especially the endurance types. Trail riders that keep track of average speed/ heart rate and MPH. If you like twisty trails ride moderately technical trails but want to still feel the terrain that is under you the Pivot is a great choice. If you are a 200 lbs rider that wants to race you will not find a better bike.

There is no shortage of love for the Pivot at 29eronline.  It is a fantastic bike. What ultimately caused most of us to buy different brands is that the Pivot is not plush enough for our taste. The large volume shock helped for heavier riders but still was not as comfortable as the RIP9 . A couple of local riders have bought Pivot's for themselves but these riders are racers and are interested in speed. Compared to their hardtails the Pivot is super comfortable. The other bikes are too plush for their taste. In addition the front end is lower then the other bikes we tested allowing them to easily get in their butt over head body positioning.

Turner Sultan: Compared to the WFO9: The sultan was close in its ability to absorb trail obstacles. This bike is super plush. It pedals as good as the WFO9 and the RIP9(although Donn, Jamin and Joel would disagree). It handles faster. In tight corners and berms I would take the Turner.

In super steep section with large boulders, I would take the WFO9.

In flatter rock gardens, the Sultan is really close and some may even prefer the Sultans handling.

Drops go to the WFO9 the Turner blew through its travel on pretty much everything.

Stiffness: First the WFO9, the RIP9 and the Pivot 429 tie, the Sultan narrowly gets third. The 2009 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR does not even register and the Ventana gets a close 4th and ties with the Ellsworth Evolve(I have ridden it but no one else here has) The margin between the Sultan, Ventana and Ellsworth are slim.

Over all I loved alot about the Turner Sultan. Why I sold it is the fact that it blew through its travel. I am fine with the frames stiffness. The fit and finish truly are second to none. The all business no frills is very attractive to me(form follows function) It fit me like a glove. Handles exactly how I want a bike to. The suspension is by far the plushest most sensitive of the bunch we have tested. Plus there is a certain feel to the Sultan that I cant explain. I believe it is the Non Hydro Formed aluminium tube set. It just feels different. I want to put the Turner in first place. However every time I tried to jump/pump/ manual/ bunny hop I got the dreaded flat tire sensation. I ended up in the woods to many times because of it. I like the linear feel at the top of the stroke but some where there needs to be a progressive rate . There was no resistance to pre-loading the suspension to the moves described. In the end as much as I wanted to I could not live with this. The other guy's dismissed the bike after the first couple of hours on it. If that issue was solved while I could not give it first because of the other testers preference, it is the bike I would be riding.

Who Should Ride It? This is really hard to talk about. Turner Bikes has a fiercely loyal fan base. Talking to any of these Homers will quickly convince you there is no other bike out there worth considering other then a Turner. I would say the rider who spends all day in the saddle over rough terrain and has a more XC oriented riding style will love the Sultan. This means that you spend most of your time seated climbing and roll over trail obstacles rather then jump/ bunny hop. You like a more classic mountain bike geometry.  If you happen to be a Homer and are a devoted Sultan owner, please don't show me how So and So is hucking himself off 911 drop. There are some riders who are just really good no matter what they ride. For the rest of us 29eronline's verdict remains the same.

Ventana El Rey: This frame is light, stiff and comfortable. It climbs well and is well mannered overall. It is simple, low maintenance and well built. I enjoyed this bike for the most part. Compared to the WFO9... Come on! There are way more differences then similarity. Compared to the Pivot. The Pivot is stiffer and lower. The Pivot handles faster, pedals better and is every bit as stable. Compared to the El Rey the Pivot is not as plush. The RIP9 handles more predictably, pedals more efficiently,  and is less affected by braking.  Overall the Niner RIP9 is more suited to aggressive riding then the EL Rey. The El Rey is much lighter then the Pivot and RIP9. the only full suspension bike that we have tested that was lighter is the Specialized 2009 Stumpjumper FSR.(more on this later.)

It is the overall opinion of the handful of testers that the El Rey Is a nice bike that ultimately none of us want. The suspension works fine but it is out done by its competitors like Pivot, Niner and Turner. One response was that it rode like a camel! Yes we used the rebound dial. The statement did not apply to "bobbing" It was more a reference to how tall the bike sat.

I had problems with flat tight turns and feeling like the bike sat to tall. It wasn't nearly as confident on tight switch backs or our tech rock garden at San Lee. I actually preferred my Kona Exsplosif 2-9 hard tail. I would love to see this frame tweaked as I am a Ventana fan in general and feel that they make a very high quality domestically made frame. In addition they were one of the early adopters of 29ers and full suspension.

The Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29er got completely destroyed in this test. In its favor. Light weight. Comfortable supple suspension. surprisingly good handling even with the slack head angle. Actually I have to give praise to Specialized for introducing me to a 29er with slacker head tube angles. No one who rode it complained about the head angle or handling. It rode excellent in bermed out fairly steep down  hills.

Overall the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR was to low to the ground  squeaky and  creaky for our taste. The new Stumpjumper seams to have addressed these problems but I wont comment until we ride one(If that ever happens).

Niner RIP9: No it was not perfect. But it was pretty close for most recreational,enthusiest' and aggressive trail riders. If you ride aggressively and don't want to be limited anywhere on the mountain then the RIP9 is for you. It climbs excellent handles very well in all but the extremes of terrain. The geometry is fast without being twitchy. The suspension is plush without being vague. The amount of travel is in 29eronline's opinion what most mountain bikers will get the most out of. The perfect combination of comfort, confidence and performance.

We at 29eronline hope this information helps the readers of these articles, thank you for your support.

29er online brought me the WFO with their full on long travel trail bike set up ready to do business on the big hits. Initial aesthetic is not quite a thing of marvel. The Niner suspension can look rather complex. The tubing is not quite artistically inspiring, but yields a more work horse look that makes this bike look tough with it’s squared off shapes and mass. Craftsmanship is unique and is well thought out. Pivots and links are solid looking and the rear end appears ready to be beaten on. I’ll leave the engineering of the bikes to the engineers. All I want to relate is how this bike rides.

WFO9 in burly trail mode.

The bike is tall, but rides lower than it looks, with pretty good turning ability, given the slack frame angles. Sweeping flatter singletrack sections are a breeze, until you start pushing the pace higher and then it can be a bit rough to push around flatter turns. This is not a flat land flowing machine. Point the bike up or down and it comes alive! The rider feels the need to look for bigger hits and drops to find it’s almost limitless abilities. The rear end has amazing lateral stiffness and maneuverability on the descents.

Climb the bike and you will be utterly amazed at its efficiency. It climbs unbelievable for a long travel (or short travel) bike and if you have enough power to push this big bike up hill it hooks up like no other bike I have ridden. It climbs like a tractor with extremely positive hookup.

The shock stroke rate is perfect on descents, gobbling up the big and small hits to keep the bike tracking perfectly.

The Marzocchi fork is where the bike falls apart. No matter how we tuned the fork, it was terrible on small hits leaving the bike’s front-end feeling very sketchy on descents unless there were constant big hits. Small bumps made the front end skitter nervously. The front and rear shock work together in utter harmony as long as the hits are moderate to huge. The Marzocchi fails the bike on fast, small bumps. When this bike is fitted with a better fork it will descend with limitless confidence.

Like I said, the bike climbs like a beast and the rear is the epitome of efficiency. “Bob” is non-existent. I rode it in some heavy clay mud on steep power lines and the mud created no worries relative to the frame design. The Panaracer Rampage tires had as good traction as you can get in the wet stuff and it fared better than my cross-country rig-riding partners in the mud by far.

The WFO is wonderful up and down. On big hits there are no limits allowing the rider endless confidence. The front fork’s abilities can be down right scary over fast, small bumps on descents. Therein lies the bikes problem. The fork limits the WFO from doing what it does best. This bike is the ideal machine for riding all day at a relaxed pace in total comfort. Oh, what a pleasure it is. It can be downright miserable if you try to push it into a race-your-buddy mode on flats and high-speed singletrack. Of course that is not why you would own this machine. Own it for all day comfort at slow to moderate speeds on any terrain. Own it for limitless confidence on descents with moderate to big hits. Own it for it’s limitless traction climbing anything that you have enough power to push it over. Don’t own it if you want to feel stable and in control over the small, high speed hits on the descents. A better fork that will probably be available in the future will make this the perfect long travel trail bike.

If you have been reading up on the WFO9 reviewing that I have been doing, this is  my conclusion. It will be followed by Charlie's review and I am sure I will get feed back coming in from other riders.

I have commented on the climbing ability and the Niners stellar performance in rock gardens. This is my overall impression of the bike, pro's and cons and who should be on it.

The WFO9 is going to appeal to a particular type of rider. I would say most people fit into the category of the RIP9 as it is more versatile.  The WFO9 is a monster of a bike. Its ability to plow over things is one of the best I have ridden. The 29" wheels are one of the big reasons that this is true. Add 5.5 inches of travel and a slack(for a 29er) head angle and you have an explanation for it's ability.

In my opinion the WFO9 does not feel like a 6.5 inch travel 26er. It feels like a 5.5 29er. That is to say more capable of smoothing out trail obstacles. The wheel has less of a tendency to hang up on medium size irregularities. It is smoother and holds it speed far better then a 26" wheel bike of any travel range.  It does not cushion as well as longer travel 26" bikes. This is especially true when it comes to drops. This is not a weakness just a difference. Different tools for different jobs. I personally feel that the WFO9 holds a line better then 26" bikes with more travel. It plows over terrain and is less affected by large impacts due to terrain.

I bottom out the WFO9 even on 3-4 foot drops with the shock set at 25% sag.  If you are doing drops on the WFO9 invest in a coil shock with bottom out resistance.  I have not ridden it with a coil so really have nothing more to add. So for courses where there are alot of drops, or you are a drop hack like myself  this may be an issue.

To really appreciate the WFO9 you really need long steep down hills. It was a little hard to get the full impact of this bike on our local trails. It felt the most comfortable on the steepest terrain we have. The steering was precise and the handling got better the faster and braver  I got.

The WFO9 was a bit long for really aggressive handling.  Tighter berms caused me to feel very tall on the bike even with the seat 3" lower due to the crank brothers Joplin seat post I have been using on the WFO9. This feeling combined with the long wheel base and long top tube made the bike a little cumbersome in the turns.

I can't really wrap my head around this feeling. As long as you are able to get low on the bike this should not  be a problem. If I had the smaller size I would have had the saddle set at the same height and the Joplin would have  the same 3" drop. I don't know why but the sensation stayed with me. I would down sized the frame if I had to do it over. For the record I am 6' 1 3/4 inches tall with a 35" inseam with shoes on. That is an actual measurement not a jean size measure. Incidentally I would buy the Large RIP9. The RIP9 we tested was a medium.

Other notables. The rear Maxle axle broke. The lever part, I am not that hard on parts to actually brake the axle! Second and the only flaw with the WFO9 is the front derailleur hits the chain stay at full compression. I did not notice it too much while riding but it does happen.

So who should buy a WFO9? If you are a big person and are hard on equipment, ride demanding trails with lots of immovable obstacles  and want a kick but trail bike that won't hold you back, look no further. The WFO9 pedals so well and is so stiff/strong it's  really hard to beat.

If you are an aggressive rider who looks for the nastiest trails and are more inclined to bash through stuff then poke around the WFO9 would fit your riding style.

If you like to go really fast on rutted out rocky terrain or ride steep root infested trails with some drops This would be an excellent choice.

I see this as a really killer Super D racing bike. It could  handle a DH course also. I would have to caution though it would not be my choice for true DH riding. In the event I was going to go a couple of times a year I would not hesitate to ride the WFO9.

Who should not. If you are timing your local XC loop and are trying to shave time off every time you ride. If climbing is one of the priorities in buying a bike(if it is I imagine that type of rider is not reading this.) If you ride tight XC  trails with lots of twists and turns and if you want to pump berms and really like to get aggressive in corners. If you like to manual and pump every depression in the trail this also would not be my first choice.

In conclusion the WFO9 is a great bike for the right rider. The frame was nearly flawless and clearly over whelmed the Marzocchi fork. It is reliable, predictable and bomber. If that is your definition of "All-Mountain and sounds like the right tool for your trails buy the WFO9.

I just wanted to introduce you to Adam, well I mean Adam's bike. Adam will be testing tires. He is starting off with Hutchinson Toro tires. They are set up tubeless using Stan's sealant and Stans Rims.

I am seeing some guy's around here using the Stans built 29er wheels with Stan's hubs. When they get some mileage on them I'll see if we can get some feed back.

Other tires in the cue are Maxxis Ardent tires, Hutchinson python tubeless ready, Maxxis Ignitor tires, Panaracer Rampage and follow ups on Specialized Capitain control and Eskar tires.  We will be spending some time on tires over the next couple of months. I will try to get the riders to get me articles sooner then later. If you the reader would like to see anything in particular tested please leave a comment with this post, and we will do our best to accommodate.

So here is a picture of Adam's RIP9. Size small Licorice.

Check out those shiny new cranks! Charlie from Storm Endurance just put them on.

Just a note. Adam was not testing tires for us when he purchased his bike.