Niner Bikes WFO 9 29er Full Suspension
4.8
/5
REVIEWS
4.8
QIKRATE
5.0
WEB
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DESCRIPTION
Wide, Full Open. That’s what the name means. Let ‘er go, full throttle, don’t slow down for anything, that’s what the name implies. With 5.5” of plush CVA™ suspension technology underfoot, there’s nothing stopping those 29” wheels except the human instinct to live another day.
The W.F.O. 9 went through exhaustive testing and refining, including a first for a 29er frame: a tapered headtube for increased front end stiffness and strength. We thought about all of the ways people might take advantage of having 5.5” of travel coupled with a 29” wheel, and we designed the W.F.O. 9 to handle them all. A custom S-bend hydroformed downtube allows the use of both coil and piggyback shocks, offset bottom linkage makes room for an ISCG mount, making this frame the first 29er to be compatible with the all new SRAM Hammerschmidt system and other chain guide systems and an optional 150mm rear spacing increases rear wheel strength and stiffness. Best of all, build it how you want. Order the W.F.O. 9 with 135 or 150 rear spacing and then choose from our shock options or order without a shock.USER REVIEWS
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
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Pike fork monarch rear shock slx 11speed reverb dropper post
Slx brakes handles felt great but brakes did not grab as well as my old juicy 5 on ex8 maybe not bedded in well
I'm coming off of a ex8 that I've had for six years, was set right after all them years. I ordered off of jenson for 2499. I took to my local trail idlewild(neshaminy high school) I put it together in parking lot was packed great, but derailleur hanger was bent so called jenson immediately, and spoke to Ian and told him and he said he was going to overnight it no questions asked. The bike is a medium and is like other reviews saying cockpit is short but can't believe it climbs better than ex did not as much wander a little but just slide forward and pedal not much pedal bob at all. Handles great I'm so happy I hit a home run, the slx seems good but couldn't get big gear with tweak. This is my first review so bear with me. The tires are conti kings plus they grab pretty good it was dry and rocky. I'm a hair over 5.9 and bike fits great. Will add more info if anything changes
Similar Products Used:
My ex8 although not that similar
OVERALL RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Descending.
Climbing. Heavy.
Bought my WFO in spring 2015. Pretty "normal" AM build - 160mm Pike, Hope/Flow wheelset, 1x10 XT drivetrain, XT brakes, KS LEV post, blah, blah blah. It's not my only bike, but I've probably logged 50 or so rides on it in the last year. It's definitely the best descending 29'er I've owned. Which, of course, is not surprising since it has 150mm of travel. It is also one of the slowest climbing 29'ers I've owned too. Which, of course, is not surprising since it's a 29'er with 150mm of travel and not light. I suppose this frame would work best for lift-served riding or somebody whose usual terrain does not have a lot of sustained climbs but has a lot of technical DH sections. It's not something you want to ride all day - but, for shorter rides where you just want to fly downhill, it's great. I enjoy it, it will stay as part of my stable, but it's not my "go to" bike.
Similar Products Used:
Transition Bandit 29 (first generation); Transition Covert 29; Niner RIP 9
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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This review is for the 2014 WFO, although I did own the older bike before this. I really like this bike-it corners really well, has nice suspension performance and is very confidence inspiring pretty much everywhere-especially pointed downhill. It also climbs pretty well for a 30 pound 150/160 mm travel bike, though this is probably because the suspension design-lots of traction with very little bob. This is good for getting drive out of corners as well. It's one of those bikes that felt right pretty much from the start-it makes you want to find trail features to pop off, see how fast you can go around the corners etc.
One of the guys I ride with sometimes tried my bike and decided he had to have one. I know it's not supposed to be about the bike, or something like that, but he is now riding faster and having much more fun than he used to because of how good this bike is. (Not that his old bike was bad, it was a carbon fibre 26" trailbike from a well respected brand, but geometry has moved on since it was made) He says riding the WFO is like a powder day for skiing every ride.
As the other reviewer below said, the paint chips pretty easily although it does look cool. I'd prefer an anodised frame like the old bike had, but this is a minor point.
Not really a weakness, but something to be aware of is that the top tube is a bit shorter than the old bike and other similar bikes. I don't find this to be a problem-I am 5'11" and find that a 50mm stem works well on a large frame-it doesnt feel too short or too high, but if you are tall it might be something to consider.
I bought my bike as a frame only, so I can't comment on how the Niner build kit works in the real world. That said, the riding this bike encourages is better with a dropper post (which I don't think is included as standard) but it's no big deal to put your favourite post on. The same goes for tyres-it's easy to put your own favourite tyres on-for me that would be a set of Minions.
As you may be able to tell, I like this bike a lot. I'd say it's a great 150mm travel bike that happens to have 29" wheels. Riding it shows the myths that keep getting repeated about 29ers i.e. they don't go around corners, they aren't good in technical terrain etc up for the nonsense they are. It rides like a bike, a really good one-it's confidence inspiring and good fun to ride on interesting trails. I'd definitely recommend it to someone who wanted such a bike-not pure DH/FR, not a superlight XC dirt road bike, but a good all round mountain bike that puts a smile on your face every time you go for a ride.
Other general comments-while the stock Monarch Plus works well, I put a CC Inline on my bike which I think is a upgrade worth having. It improves the midstroke behaviour of the bike and also improves small bump compliance. I haven't used the climb switch because the bike pedals so well as it is. Also this bike definitely benefits from a nice set of wide carbon rims (e.g. Derbys) as the stiffness helps with steering precision and ability to hold a line.
Similar Products Used:
Pivot Mach 6, Santa Cruz Tallboy LT, Scott Genius 720, Giant Reign, Trance 29, Niner WFO9 (2012), Specialized Stumpjumper 29, Specialized Enduro SL (with Fox suspension)
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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The new 2014 WFO is light and super fun to ride for a 29er. With so much travel it totally eats up the trail and loves technical stuff. I ride it in fast and slow technical areas with lots of roots and rocks. it loves to jump and tear around corners. Fast and smooth XC trails become rather boring on this bike. the ZTR wheels have been great, the rear hub spins forever. The fork is pretty awesome once you have it dialed. 1x11 is great and works absolutely flawlessly.
the black paint is actually a wrap layer with decals over the color paint (blue or red). If you scratch it, the color shows through and makes it more noticeable. The Sram cassette driver has had issues and was finally warranteed. The stock stem and bars are meh. No stock dropper post. Cable routing design is unresolved as it rubs on rear shock. The chain sometimes jumps off the rollamajig in the derailleur when you power through really rough sections. but you don't lose your traction and can keep pedaling.
This review is for the new 2014 WFO Niner. The photo here is the old WFO. This bike is the first 29er that I've ridden with plenty of travel while being light enough. I love how playful the bike is in all situations. I installed an internal dropper post and nice spank bars with a decent stem. That bike now is hard to fail for fun factor, plus it's light enough to keep up on a hammer ride. But it's made to push your limits on burly trails where your abilities will suddenly seem to increase tenfold... XC trails will become boring pretty fast, you will be looking for challenging stuff.
Great value for the price point.
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
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the frame is stiff as a 20-pound solid-steel tube frame, but without weighing 20 pounds.
a 29er with a 150mm rear spacing option. pfffft, how awesome is that?
slack front end.
certified beefcake suspension linkage.
this bike should have wolves painted on it.
totally weird that it didn't come that way.
i bought the WFO in late 2011, no major breakages yet. i'm 6'4" 215 pounds -- this is the first bike in 20 years of riding mountain bikes that i haven't bought the largest frame size available. i got a large and i love the way it fits. big bike still, but feels pretty quick for such a big rid. to be sure, it's still a lot of bike to push around in tight trails, but that's the same for any 29er -- and at least this one is slack, and stiff.
The rear suspension is awesome. i had 2 vpp bikes before this one, and this suspension feels distinctly better. i've never felt pedal feedback in climbs and the progressiveness of the rear is great (i run a dhx air 5.0). i could say it climbs well (and i believe it may), but I always find that odd to say about a bike. Bikes don't climb, people do.
The WFO kicks ass. it's a bit spendy, but that just means you'll need to ride it more to get your money's worth.
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
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Geometry, Can go anywhere and can do anything!.....From uphill to extreme downhill.
None
Had the WFO9 for 2 months now. Amazing bike. It is my first 29er and from ride one the feeling was like riding it for months. Rear suspension Monarch Plus is amazing and CVA does the job. Be careful on downhill...it's too fast!!! If you are thinking of it...go for it!
Unbelievable Bike!!!
OVERALL RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
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Burly and plush with the standard shock. Got mine (the old model frame+shock) from a discount for 1100$, so really worth the cash.
-Steep head angle and can't fit an angleset (the old model).
-Lower linkage is really vulnerable to rocks. Not sure how many hits the linkage can take before there's any real damage.
-Routing is a bit weird for the der cables.
-Heavy.(not a big deal for me)
Awesome frame for the price I paid... Only real flaw for me is the steep head angle.
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Strong and burly. Great suspension design. Nearly zero pedal bob. Climbs well. Rolls over everything. Really fast going down. Depending on setup can be a great bike for different types of riding.
If you're a weight weenie, not the bike for you. I don't care about weight though.
I'm a super clyde at 6'5" and 330lbs. This bike is amazing for a number of reasons. First, you can build it up to be a really rock solid bike so it's a great bike for larger riders. The XL frame is big and it feels like I'm in the bike, not on it. I built it to be a burly trail bike and it is a great bike for a lot of different styles of riding. Climbs well for how big it is. It's really fast going down the mountain and handles really well. I upgraded to the Fox DHX air and I although some people hate it, after I dialed it in I really like it. I can't bottom it out. Feels really buttery going down. And most importantly, there's almost no pedal bob whatsoever. It's pretty amazing as that was my biggest gripe with my old 29" GF and my 26" Stumpy fsr. The suspension design is so good for larger riders once you get the right shock and get that shock dialed in. If you want a really solid 29er trail bike that works for a lot of different conditions this bike is it.
Similar Products Used:
'10 GF HiFi Deluxe
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Travel, climbing, feels solid under my 250 lb clydeness Just all around fun bike.
Definetly hit the crank arms more than a 26 but more a function of getting used to a new bike. Chain suck if you miss a shift, but more my fault than anything.
I got this bike as a replacement for my stolen Prophet and my first 29er, I was looking for a RIP 9 but found the WFO on CL for a very nice price, poor guy was buying a house and needed extra $ for closing (gotta love the banks last minute add ons).
Rode this bike for the first time on Kenosha Pass to Breckenridge for its real trail trial run and my first ride of the season ~30 miles. This bike climbed over wet off-camber roots like it was hard pack and flew down the rocky trail like it was on rails. The bike came with X.0 grip shifters, and that was the hardest thing for me to adjust to; I liked how fast you could shift, but it wasn't 2nd nature to me so I had some issues shifting the wrong way. Thus causing the chain suck. I changed over to triggers this winter but have yet to ride it far to see if it solved the problem, but I believe it will. I doubt I would have gotten the WFO if I hadn't gotten such a sweet deal, as it is more bike than I will use, but the weight is good for a clyde like me and the frame felt solid on the long downhills over Georgia pass into Breckenridge.
Similar Products Used:
Nothing like it
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Great climber, even better decender, very stiff frame, super plush, great in the rough technical terrain. This frame lasted a whole season and is still fine, a first for me.
It is heavy but so am I
If you ride very technical terrain, up and down, and would rather go straight through than around stuff this bike is for you. It is also good if you are a larger rider looking for a AM 29er that won't flex.
Similar Products Used:
Turner Sultan
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