The all-mountain hardtail category is one comprised of uniquely simple beasts. They’re designed to provide the descending confidence of a slack bike with burly components, but without the maintenance and complexities of a full-suspension design. Often the only bike in the quiver that always seems ready to go, the all-mountain hardtail is the bike that can be grabbed without necessarily knowing what trail you’ll end up on—no need to worry if linkages need maintenance or making sure proper shock sag is providing optimal performance. Niner’s ROS 9 is designed to deliver all the above in a rip-roaring package that’ll be at home on any trail.
WHO IS IT MADE FOR?
Certain riders appreciate a complex machine with all the properly dialed bells and whistles that allow them to reach peak speeds and send drops so aggressively that they might occasionally be landing in the flat. Other riders are looking for a bike they’ll feel confident hitting trailside doubles on, but are willing to take it a little easier in the rock gardens that fill the gaps. They’ll pass up on leading the pack in exchange for a simple machine. The Niner is a good-to-go bike for the good-to-go rider.
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Anywhere and everywhere: Sure it’s sporting beefy 2.35-inch Schwalbe tires both front and rear, but the Niner ROS 9 still put us on rides involving hours of climbing. We found ourselves powering up tame sections of trail and hopping through the technical bits.
Anywhere and everywhere: Sure it’s sporting beefy 2.35-inch Schwalbe tires both front and rear, but the Niner ROS 9 still put us on rides involving hours of climbing. We found ourselves powering up tame sections of trail and hopping through the technical bits.WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
All-mountain hardtails seem to be the largest category of bikes built using steel tubing. Steel provides durability and delivers more forgiving compliance through rough terrain. The standard-width, 73-millimeter shell is designed to house a BioCentric II bottom bracket for ultimate adjustment of bottom bracket height and drop, as well as chainstay length. While a bash guard is not included, the frame does provide tabs for a custom MRP XCG bash guard that can be purchased separately. While neither of these options are utilized on the stock build, we appreciate Niner including stealth routing options for a seatpost, as well as a front-derailleur direct mount.
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All snugged up: While it’s certainly becoming more common across manufacturers, we’re happy to see the brake caliper tucked in between the rear stays and out of harm’s way.
All snugged up: While it’s certainly becoming more common across manufacturers, we’re happy to see the brake caliper tucked in between the rear stays and out of harm’s way.WHAT CAUGHT OUR EYE?
Style isn’t everything, but we’re suckers for the purple/green color scheme of the frame we received. The ROS 9 is also available in Forge Grey, but we like our all-mountain ripper to show a little pizzazz. At first glance, it’s hard to determine if the bike would be more comfortable climbing a technical out-of-the-saddle ascent or being thrown sideways over a trail feature. While dropper posts aren’t as common on hardtails, the slack geometry makes it apparent this bike can be hurled down descents that would require the seat being out of harm’s way.
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Anywhere you want it: Most of the time we find ourselves either slamming the seat down or using it in its highest position, but the infinite adjustability of the RockShox Reverb is always welcome.
Anywhere you want it: Most of the time we find ourselves either slamming the seat down or using it in its highest position, but the infinite adjustability of the RockShox Reverb is always welcome.HOW DOES IT PERFORM?
Eccentric personality: When we open a box with an eccentric bottom bracket, we have a natural tendency to reenact the potential creaks and post-ride adjustments that dot the path to a perfect riding geometry. Fortunately, with Niner’s BioCentric II bottom bracket, the creaks were nonexistent and the adjustments were simple to perform. All that’s required is loosening up two bolts and rotating the bottom bracket to the desired position. While we didn’t utilize the bike as a single-speed, the BioCentric II system also enables riders to reach the proper tension with a larger variety of gearing combinations. We tried the bottom bracket in numerous positions and found the stock all-the-way-forward position to be the most desirable. That being said, there were advantages and disadvantages to each position. The best setup will be specific to each rider’s style and needs.
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Out of the ordinary: With many diehard lovers of single-speed bikes now finding a keen inter- est in all-mountain hardtails, the BioCentric II bottom bracket can be quite the selling point. Did we think it was useful or just a bunch of hype?
Out of the ordinary: With many diehard lovers of single-speed bikes now finding a keen inter- est in all-mountain hardtails, the BioCentric II bottom bracket can be quite the selling point. Did we think it was useful or just a bunch of hype?Climbing:
Let’s face it, the ROS 9 is held together using steel tubing and sports meaty 2.35-inch tires, so it certainly required a bit more effort to get up the hill compared to most of its hardtail counterparts. By no means does that put it in the “tank” category, though. Its 67-degree head tube angle and long wheelbase delivered climbing prowess that struck a middle ground between a 5-inch trailbike and an upright cross-country hardtail. The stout 2.35-inch Schwalbe Nobby Nic tires kept rolling resistance high but provided the traction needed to bite into the rocky climbs an all-mountain hardtail is designed to conquer.
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Eats rocks for breakfast: The RockShox Pike RCT3 ate up every- thing we put in its path. Paired with the slack 67-degree head tube angle, it never hesitated on going back for seconds.
Eats rocks for breakfast: The RockShox Pike RCT3 ate up every- thing we put in its path. Paired with the slack 67-degree head tube angle, it never hesitated on going back for seconds.Cornering:
Lean this bad boy over! The RockShox Pike RCT3 fork kept the front end glued to any corner, whether it was drizzled with loose sand or best ridden by railing through a rut. For further confidence, we found ourselves using an aggressive stance and pushing our weight into the fork rather than hanging off the back. Trailing out 45.7 inches, the wheelbase may not be ideal for tight corners, but the slack head tube angle and 780-millimeter handle- bar created a high-speed cornering experience that left us feeling closer to the ground than Michael Dunlop in a final corner at the Isle of Man time trial.
Descending:
Two words best describe this steel steed barreling down a steep descent: fully capable. It doesn’t hug the ground and eat obstacles like a full-suspension all-mountain bike would and therefore required us to tactfully pilot ourselves down rocky descents at the peppy speeds it allowed us to reach. It created a sense of reckless accountability that kept us on our toes but provided us with a unique riding experience that had us ripping from one obstacle to the next. With the front-center distance of the bike being fairly long, we quickly adopted a point-and-shoot technique where commitment was key and minor line adjustments were secondary. While the BioCentric II bottom bracket allows riders to shorten the chainstay length considerably, the farthest-forward position left us in the most natural position above the pedals. The trade-off was a longer chainstay length that wasn’t as willing to allow the front wheel to pop off the ground, leaving us plowing through bumps rather than manualing them.
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The tree booster: With a well-per- forming fork leading the way, the aggressive geometry allowed us to ride in a way similar to atop many full-suspension bikes. Our test rider accidentally landed flat on the following attempt!
The tree booster: With a well-per- forming fork leading the way, the aggressive geometry allowed us to ride in a way similar to atop many full-suspension bikes. Our test rider accidentally landed flat on the following attempt!Braking:
The post-mount location on the ROS 9, cradled neatly within the rear triangle, provides a sleek look that also keeps the brake caliper out of reach of toothy rocks. Shimano Deore brakes provide plenty of stopping power and are quickly becoming an affordable favorite. With many entry-level brakes performing at the same level as their high-end siblings, we enjoy it when companies reserve additional spec’ing dollars for a more refined drivetrain and wheels.
TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?
Sure, give the stock grips a try and maybe they’ll strike your fancy, but riders who partake in long rides will likely find them a bit hard and unforgiving. We suggest pulling them off and going with your lock-on grip of choice. For riders who tend to run a fine- tooth comb over their bikes, the internal routing option for dropper seatposts would be a sure-fire way of cleaning up the cables and lines of the bike—though we consider this a trivial upgrade for only the most meticulous bike geek, as the external cable routing works just fine.
Our biggest piece of advice is to spend some time fiddling with the different geometries the BioCentric II bottom bracket will allow. While riding, make mental notes of how you wish the bike would perform, and see if altering the bottom bracket location and chainstay length will produce the desired feel.
BUYING ADVICE
It’s hard for us to believe there is a rider out there who wouldn’t put the ROS 9 to good use. As an afternoon rock dodger or all- day adventurer, it will fill out the quiver of any rider. If the ROS 9 doesn’t already stand out enough from the rest of your buddies’ bikes, there’s always the $2899 single-speed version that’ll keep you on the trails for as long as your knees can handle. For those of you who don’t think you could ever enjoy riding a hardtail, this is the hardtail for you.
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