Anyone have one? What do you think?
Niner RIP 9
- Thread starter aktallguy
- Start date
This might be a good read for you:
http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/29er/
Hopefully the 29er forum will get more and more active and we can find what we need right here on the Monkey.
Cheers,
Mark
http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/29er/
Hopefully the 29er forum will get more and more active and we can find what we need right here on the Monkey.
Cheers,
Mark
I've done a bit of research into the various 29er fs options out there now and the RIP9 sounds like one of the best, but with a few issues.
The biggest issue for me is the bottom bracket height. It sounds like the bb height is around 13" (without sag) which is too darn low for a bike with 4.5" of travel here in the land of the jumping rocks, Montana. One of my biggest pet peeves when riding is clipping my pedals off rocks and other trail junk so that's the deal breaker for me. Of course, that bb height is with a 100mm travel fork so if you build one with a 120mm, 130mm or 135mm fork the bb height will come up a bit.
The other issue seems to be the bearings at the pivots. There are 8 bearings at the pivots on the bike and they need regular attention just like any pivots. The hot ticket seems to be to replace them with full contact Maxx bearings (Enduro offers a set cheap) sooner or later and just incorporating them into your maintenance program. Niner is going with journal bearings (bushings) on the JET9 so we may see a change to journal bearings on the RIP at some point too.
My final issue is the fact that I didn't win that damn contest to name the bike so I didn't get one for free
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The biggest issue for me is the bottom bracket height. It sounds like the bb height is around 13" (without sag) which is too darn low for a bike with 4.5" of travel here in the land of the jumping rocks, Montana. One of my biggest pet peeves when riding is clipping my pedals off rocks and other trail junk so that's the deal breaker for me. Of course, that bb height is with a 100mm travel fork so if you build one with a 120mm, 130mm or 135mm fork the bb height will come up a bit.
The other issue seems to be the bearings at the pivots. There are 8 bearings at the pivots on the bike and they need regular attention just like any pivots. The hot ticket seems to be to replace them with full contact Maxx bearings (Enduro offers a set cheap) sooner or later and just incorporating them into your maintenance program. Niner is going with journal bearings (bushings) on the JET9 so we may see a change to journal bearings on the RIP at some point too.
My final issue is the fact that I didn't win that damn contest to name the bike so I didn't get one for free
.haha, I remember that contest. I e-mailed them to see what they say about putting a 135mm fork on the bike. Seems like a neat setup. Now if only I can find one to try out.... :^)
I rode a local's Rip9 with a WB 135 earlier this summer- really fun bike. REALLY fun bike. Light and easy to throw around but super confident through all the tech stuff. The only thing I didn't love about it was the chainstay length which made the bike harder to wheelie drop.
About six weeks ago, same guy sold his Rip9 frame and replaced it with a Lenz Behemoth (serial upgrader) which he let me ride for about a half hour on sweet tech singletrack. While I didn't think the rear suspension in the Lenz was quite as spirited as that in the Rip, the shorter chainstays were a revelation.
If you don't mind re-training your timing on wheelie drops, you can't go wrong with a Rip9. Just do yourself a favor and grab a thru-axle WB 135 or Manitou 120mm Minute fork. The 100mm Reba just doesn't cut it...
About six weeks ago, same guy sold his Rip9 frame and replaced it with a Lenz Behemoth (serial upgrader) which he let me ride for about a half hour on sweet tech singletrack. While I didn't think the rear suspension in the Lenz was quite as spirited as that in the Rip, the shorter chainstays were a revelation.
If you don't mind re-training your timing on wheelie drops, you can't go wrong with a Rip9. Just do yourself a favor and grab a thru-axle WB 135 or Manitou 120mm Minute fork. The 100mm Reba just doesn't cut it...
I'd throw a call to Devin Lenz and ask about the Behemoth and Lunchbox. Can't hurt.
Niner has a longer travel FS bike in the works - but that probably won't see production for a year or so. The WFO 9 I think they are calling it.
Niner has a longer travel FS bike in the works - but that probably won't see production for a year or so. The WFO 9 I think they are calling it.
Just for the record now, I think a 165mm travel 29er is complete overkill for normal trail riding and would be a big detriment at the local freeride spots as the circumference of the wheel would make jumps with tight lips that much more difficult. I think they ought to focus on a DH race bike (where wheel size really could help) and a solid 5.5 inch travel trailbike that's a little more all-mountain than the Rip9. If I could get the Rip9's suspension with the short chainstays and deeper travel of the Lenz, I'd be on it in a heartbeat.
I got a RIP9 for a full weekend of test from a shop. The bike was with Maverick Duc fork and aggressive WTB Exiwolf 2.3 tires.
What impressed me is a very great handling due to the step head angle but maybe a little bit too much straight on extreme downhill.
I confirm BB is 330 mm high and this mean you must pay attention over big rocks.
The RIP9 is a GREAT trailbike you can use all around, climbs very well with great traction and give a great feeling on downhill, even on wet conditions I found. Rear suspension is amazing, no pedal bobs or reactions under brake, it seems you have more travel than the 115 mm because is very progressive.
A nice bike for me but can't compare with others cause is the first 29er full I ride.
What impressed me is a very great handling due to the step head angle but maybe a little bit too much straight on extreme downhill.
I confirm BB is 330 mm high and this mean you must pay attention over big rocks.
The RIP9 is a GREAT trailbike you can use all around, climbs very well with great traction and give a great feeling on downhill, even on wet conditions I found. Rear suspension is amazing, no pedal bobs or reactions under brake, it seems you have more travel than the 115 mm because is very progressive.
A nice bike for me but can't compare with others cause is the first 29er full I ride.
I'm really leaning to a Ventana El Rey. They're stiffening the frame and offering it in a 25" size (26.1" top tube) for 2008. Also has a 5" rocker option without having to play shock games like the Sultan. So back to saving my pennies until the build starts in the spring. :^)
Keep us posted on the El Rey plans as time goes by. Sounds like it will almost be "custom made" for your size/height.
Yeah the specs work out really well. I'll probably still have a longish stem, but it's bound to fit better than anything I've ridden up to now. :^) Now to work on what fork.... :^)
I happen to have had a fantastic deal come my way on some Race Face cranks and a MonkeyLite bar. The build has officially begun! 
Awesome! Did you decide 100 percent on the frame?
Yep, Ventana 25" El Rey with the 5" rocker and quad bearing kit. I'm really unsure of the fork at the moment. I don't really want to mess with modifiying a Fox fork (thanks to bcd for the info though); I don't care for the DUC 32; my current Manitou Minute hasn't impressed me, and there seems to be a pretty mixed bag of White Brothers fork reviews. I'm thinking I'll get a used WB Fluid 135 if I can and stick it out until 2009 to see what companies come up with in the longer travel 29er class. *cross my fingers* Marzzochi will come in with something.
As for the rest a SRAM X-9 Drive Train, Avid Juicy 7 Dics, and I'm thinking Salsa Delgado Rims with Hope or Hadley hubs. (Still up in the air on the wheels though and a bit on the brakes.)
As for the rest a SRAM X-9 Drive Train, Avid Juicy 7 Dics, and I'm thinking Salsa Delgado Rims with Hope or Hadley hubs. (Still up in the air on the wheels though and a bit on the brakes.)
That's fantastic! (as long as BB heights and leverage ratios/ curves are unimportant to you!)
Actually the 5" rockers raise the BB by aprox .75 in (nice in the rooty tree fallen PNW), but the 135mm fork keeps the head tube angle almost the same. So it should work out quite well.