A carbon fiber recipe with style and sou. Rather than designing a no-fun, no-frills, uber-light and too-stiff carbon chassis for our newest RLT 9 RDO, we built you a bike that you’ll want to ride all the time, to any place. With extra tire clearance, multiple fitments for accessories and cargo, plus slick frame features and a smooth ride, you can pedal it and be happy - anywhere and everywhere, not just on your Strava segments.
You want to not just go the distance but do go there fast? The RLT 9 RDO is a gravel bike made to make the miles sail past. Do you want to explore? This bike encourages it. How about undertaking long and adventurous rides? Please do. Need a change of pace, a break from the routine? Go ahead. Give it a chance. If you can think it on two wheels, the RLT, a multi-tool of a bike, might just be the bike for you. From dirt trails to gravel to asphalt, this bike takes everything in stride, with you along for the ride.
Carbon fiber gets all the credit these days. It’s light, it’s stiff, and it’s infinitely variable in terms of size, shape, material properties, and strength. Ask any bike freak about the world’s best bikes, and 9 times out of 10, they’ll foam over like a simmering saucepan, raving about exotic Italian carbon fiber dream machines. But carbon fiber is like tomato sauce ndash; there’s more to it than the tomatoes and where they were grown. It matters more how you make it and what you put it on. As lifelong gravel (and pasta) addicts, we’re experts at finding the ingredients to make carbon fiber ideal for every adventure we can envision. As such, we add a healthy dose of soul to our in-house RDO carbon fiber recipe.
To be clear, Niner’s RDO carbon fiber is light enough and stiff enough to satisfy the most selective gravel racers. We’re not afraid to brag that Niner riders have won a fair share of Dirty Kanzas. But these days, “light, fast, strong, and stiff” is easy. What takes more thought and care is maintaining a healthy dose of bump-absorbing compliance. RLT 9 RDO riders roll in comfort with tube shaping and carbon fibre layups made for a forgiving ride.
The RLT 9 RDO includes an all-new RDO carbon fiber fork. A Niner original, this exceptional component is made from Race Day Optimized carbon fiber, which is built with a unique process that optimizes complete compaction of the carbon layers under heat and pressure. By maximizing the carbon-to-resin ratio in the finished product, we keep this fork light and stiff while improving compliance over rough surfaces.
We paid mind to aesthetics and functionality in this fork. The brake hose is routed internally through a fully sleeved guide tube. Multiple rack, fender, and cargo mounts make light work of heavy loads, so go ahead, add another day of bike packing on to your trip. The 12x100mm thru-axle and flat mount disc brake attachments are compatible with contemporary components. If you find yourself wanting to push the limits on a long-haul self-supported ride, we’ve got you covered. The new fork features internal wire routing and fitment for a hub dynamo powered light, so the only thing keeping you from riding into the night is your bedtime.