Niner R.I.P. 9 Long Term Test: By Donn O
Posted by FatBob on October 21, 2009
Niner R.I.P. 9 Long Term Test: By Donn OIf you read my 29er full suspension shootout test you know I picked the R.I.P. as the overall test winner – I was so impressed by this bike I put my money where my mouth was and bought one. Did I make the right choice? Time will tell right? Well time has passed and I have piled up nearly 400 miles in scorching North Carolina summer heat.
The Verdict - is in I couldn’t be happier with my choice, every time I ride it I think wow this bike is pure joy to ride. Not only is it the most comfortable ride ever it’s exceedingly fast to.
The Build – We started with a Milk Dud R.I.P.9 small frame, it came with the new 2010 Fox F29 120 mm FIT RL front fork with the 15 QR thru axle and 1 ½” tapered steerer. The wheel set - custom built by Charlie at Storm Endurance Sports - DT Swiss 240 hubs with Stan’s NoTubes ZTR355 rims combined with Schwalbe Racing Ralf tires. The rest on the bike is a mix of XT / XTR components and Magura Marta brakes. The bike came in at 27.5 pounds not bad considering we are starting the build with the heavy duty R.I.P.9 frame.
Build notes – the oversized 15 QR axel requires a special DT Swiss front hub and this required a special adapter so you could install and tighten the Magura rotor. After riding the bike awhile I found the big bike was so fast I opted to upsize the front rotor to keep all the speed under control this required another special adapter to space the front caliper out further to fit the bigger rotor. Be sure to order a seat post clamp the frame does not come with one. The FSA headset for the 1 ½” tapered steerer requires special attention during assembly – it was a source of frame creaking until we moved some spacers around. We wrapped the chain stay with a road bike tube to quite down chain slap and to protect the chain stay.
Handling – the heart of this bike is its good handling. It steers very fast no flex in the fork or frame its perfect for threading thru the pine trees on some fast twisty single-track like the Whitewater trail near Charlotte. One thing unexpected about this bike is the ease which I am able to lift the rear tire up over obstacles like logs – something I never felt comfortable doing with my other full suspension bikes.
Climbing – I thought the weight would kill the climbing oh so wrong. I have amazed some of my sixer friends by making impossible climbs. The 29er momentum takes you further up the hill / the bigger footprint of the tires gives you extra traction / the rear suspension glues your tire to the ground. Just stay seated and if you can crank it you will go.
Speed – trail bike yah right – the ultra light wheel setup spins up so fast / the ease at which this bike rolls adds more speed / the added momentum of the big wheels and I find that I am coasting when others are pedaling. My lap times and average speeds are definitely better on this bike.
Suspension- the rear suspension is spot on smooth as silk, you can use all of its travel no problem. It has great ground clearance it keeps pedals and chain rings up out of harms way. I do use ProPedal in racing situations but I leave it off if I just want to play. On rare occasions I have had the rear of the bike kick up on me – I’m not sure why it happens but it might be riding technique or shock adjustment.
Front fork – I love the 15QR front tubular axle – so simple but a much stronger and stiffer design. The only flex possible in the front end will come from your wheel set and tire not the fork. The FIT RL fork is not as plush as other Fox forks that I have used, it has a stiffer race like feel to it. I run it with 1” of sag dialed in but I have never been able to bottom it to full travel. I am running the dampening at full fast. The lockout lever on top is incredibly smooth it is so easy control the stiffness all to way to full lockout.
Gripes – one big one / the lack of a usable water bottle mount (small frame). They placed the water bottle cage mount on the down tube right in front of the cranks on the front tire side of the down tube. This location showers the water bottle with trail dirt off the front tire and exposes the water bottle & cage to damage from crossing obstacles like tree limbs. I broke a very expensive carbon fiber water bottle cage this way. CamelBacks or bottles in your jersey pocket are your only good option with this frame.
Niner RIP9 glamour shot by Donn O
Conclusion – The state of the art technology in this bike allows for an amazing ride that combines trail bike fun with race bike performance. Not only is it a blast to ride but when your ride is over your not all beat up, you feel great. A word of warning, riding this bike is like giving a teenager a high power sports car, this bikes capability easily allows you to go faster than ever. I have taken a few nasty spills on it; in fact I’m just getting off of crutches and back on it. What did the officer say “to fast for conditions” yah that’s right but fast is good just invest in some powerful brakes and build your skill level before you go full blast.
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Niner R.I.P. 9 Long Term Test: By Donn O
Comments
13 Responses to “Niner R.I.P. 9 Long Term Test: By Donn O”Leave a comment, and if you'd like your own picture to show up next to your comments, go get a gravatar!
Thanks for putting the great reviews – I’ve got you RSS’d intoo MyYahoo! You don’t sound like a schill for the bike cos – and I love the full focus on 29ers. Keep it coming. I’m in the market for a 29er next year – and will spread the word on your site.
I’m looking for your full/long term review of the WFO. I rode the Stumpjumper Full Sus 29er recently and loved it. A buddy just bought the Hei Hei and loves that – cleaning all sorts of stuff he couldn’t dream of prior.
Glad you still think its #1 I have one sitting in box waiting on wheels..I am curious on fork choice of the fox compared to the Reba you were testing on prior can you elaborate on why you choose the fox.
Thanks for your support. The WFO9 report is coming. Testing is a slow process for us. I made the mistake on a bike recently on not being thorough enough and I regret it. So I don’t want to make the same mistake twice. Add to it terrible weather and a couple of injuries and it feels like forever! The WFO9 is super fun and depending on where you ride it is suprisingly versatile.
We promote the Niner RIP9 because it is fantastic. If something better comes along we will ride it. Until then it is the most well rounded and fun bike we have ridden.
Are you riding a 29er? I see you tested one but am not sure if you actually own one. If not save those pennies you won’t regret it.
I can not speak for Donn but I personally picked the Fox because of the wide range and ease of tunability. It is easy to set up and fine tuning is so simple. It also feels very plush. I recently took a f29 apart and rebuilt it. I had to get a couple of tools(easy to find). It was very easy to do and the Fox website had all the necessary instructions to make the job easy with no additional outside support.
I am not trying to promote Fox Forks. Actually I have less then great dealings with Fox the company. Not bad but the customer service had been uninspiring.
The Rock Shox Reba is growing on me. I am figuring out the right balance between the positive and negative chambers. It is supple on small hits and very tunable. It bottoms out in a friendly manner. It is a lot harder to set up then the Fox. I can not comment on rebuilding.
The other plus is that the Reba comes in a 20mm axle option and has a U-turn option that allows to adjust the travel. It is not necessary, but the option is nice.
At this point I am torn between the Rock Shox and the Fox F29. Either way make sure you get the 1.5 – 1 1/8 inch steer tube. If you are going with the 9mm drop out option the Fox narrowly edges out the Rock Shox because of how easy it is to set up. Either way you are getting the best the 29er world offers so far.
One thing I can say is that Donn got a package deal that Niner was offering. This may have influenced him to buy the Fox. I will let him comment if he disagrees.
Fatbob, I don’t own a 29er yet. I’m trying to find a Niner dealer up here. I can’t believe the nearest one is 2 hours away – and I live near Boston! I’m tempted to open my own.
I’m really liking the stats on the WFO – but it seems the RIP may be more in line with some of my riding. I REALLY like the technical stuff that’s scattered around this region – tons of big granite features etc. Again, but often find myself on epic/crazy climbs too. keep the info coming!
2 hours away and you live in Boston! What the…..
I understand your swaying between the RIP9 and WFO9.
I lived in CT for a while. The granite rollers and erratic boulder fields define New England riding. If I was still up there, I would be torn also.
The WFO9 climbs really well. At the same time the constant up and down that is New England requires alot of pedaling. When I first moved to CT from Colorado I had a 6″ travel “freeride” bike. I felt like it was to much bike for my style of riding and switched to a Rocky Mountain Slayer when they were still 120mm travel bikes. I rarely missed the bigger bike. The only time I missed it was when I took chair lifts at Plattekill.
The only problem I see with the RIP9 is on some of the really steep rollers the bike will not be as sure footed as the WFO9. The steeper the roller the more you will notice the difference. The WFO9 is awsome when the trail gets really steep. Typically when I hit a steep section of trail I can feel the rear end get light and can’t change lines. At a certain point you have to let go of the brakes. The WFO9 increases this threshold dramatically.
As far as climbing. The WFO9 climbs well for a big bike. It is not a RIP9. Meaning the RIP climbs better. If climbing is a large concern then the RIP9 is the right choice. If you dont mind slowing down on the climbs because you live for big terrain, then get the WFO9.
I hope this helps.
Hey 29 onliners,
Keep the good stuff coming.
Forgive me if the info is somewhere on the site but how big are you guys? I read that FatBob has a small RIP9 frame… knowing your ht./wt. might help contextualize the review a bit more.
thanks, fatguyonalittle
FatBob is 6’2″ tall and weighs 210lbs at present. Donn is 5’6″ and weighs about 145 lbs. Charlie is about 5’10″ and weighs about 155 lbs. The other guy’s are giving me feed back but are not as involved yet. Hope this helps.
I forgot FatBob rides a Large I can also run a medium in most models I prefer a small frame whenever possible. Donn a small- medium depending on the frame and charlie can ride Large or medium.
“I thought the weight would kill the climbing oh so wrong.” – Seriously, I have to agree with that in spades. Very pleasant surprise there!
Can you explain a little more about the headset spacers and the headtube creaking issue? Driving me crazy on my Rip9.
Ditto on the headset creaking. It’s driving me nuts (Arrrrr, that’s what she said)! Anyway, I have tried to alleviate it and can’t. What did you guys do?
I have an XL 2009 RIP9.
Thanks!
Hey Justin. Sorry to hear about the headset. I am starting to really like the press in headsets because of the creaking issues with internal type headsets.
Here are a couple of suggestions. First check the tension of the headset cap. Too tight is bad and too loose is worse. Check your paper work that came with the headset for the proper torque. I am not so precise. I loosen the stem pinch bolts and gradually tighten or loosen until there is just enough tension to not shimmy when the front brake is locked down and the bike is rocked forward and back.
Second is take apart the headset and clean with a dry rag, then use a good quality packing grease like Phil Wood or Park Tools. Reassemble using the process above.
If these dont work, make sure your bearings are not dented. If they are replace them.
Worse case you have ovalized (poor spelling sorry) the headtube(possibly, check with your local dealer). In this case there is really not much you can do. This is why I prefer press in type headsets and I really hope the next update to the RIP9/WFO9 will be a 1.5 head tube or at least a tapered steer tube with external bearings.
Hope this helps.
FatBob
Thanks so much FatBob, this definitely helps. Great tips. Gonna work on it this weekend.
Fingers crossed!
I like Park’s grease, I do not use a torque wrench either, I usually snug it, then give it a good push. Make sure you alternate pressure between the stem bolts as well, do not crank one of them and then the other.