Niner Jet9 X.7 Complete Bike 2011: The Jet 9 is our fast, light, race-ready full suspension bike. Designed around the same award winning CVA? suspension system found on our other suspension frames, the Jet 9 features 80mm of plush, fully active travel.
Submitted by
demontrey21
a Weekend Warrior
from Alexandria, LA USA
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2011
Strengths: Very smooth ride right from the start! It has a ton of power during acceleration even with the full suspension. It's my first full suspension bike and I was blown away by how well it handled through tight turns and over downhills covered in roots. It weighed just over 27lbs, but I was riding a Trek 29er hardtail and it fells much lighter than it. I do not have as much experienec riding as most of the others on this website, but I do put in about 30-40 miles/week and I can't imagine needing or wanting anothe bike for a long time. This bike has lived up to all of my expectations and more, Niner is an AWESOME company and makes an even better product!!!!
Weaknesses: Can't find any yet!
Bottom Line:
I am a novice rider that is quickly becoming familiar with this sport. I can't imagine that I could find a bike better suited for me and the type of riding I'm doing, especilly for the money I spent. The big name companies will probably always dominate the market especially for beginner riders, but this comapny and this bike should be considered right up there with all the big names! NINER KICKS ASS!!!!
Bike Setup: I went with the factory set up for the Jet9 and the X7 component package. I also just started using crank brothers candy 3, which make the ride even smoother!
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Submitted by
jaysnapp
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2011
Strengths: Descending, Ascending, comfort (fit - I'm 5'11 with a 32-33 inseam and the Large feels custom), and style - Niner's are slick as hell! A perfect XC rig.
Weaknesses: Slightly heavy, but I don't notice it on the trail - I could simply loose 2-3 lbs to ride a bit faster
Bottom Line:
100% ecstatic with my purchase. Rode/demo'd Specialized Epic Comp, several light hard tail 29ers and Yeti ASR 26er. Best bang for your buck and worth every penny.
The Niner is the real deal and I am excited for the 2012 xterra season. My fitness level will be my only excuse come Spring! With full X9 and the Stans tubless set-up, I could not be happier.
Submitted by
Daniel
a Cross Country Rider
from Greensboro
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2011
Strengths: Fun to ride, Good handling, Kermit green is an eye catcher. Silky smooth over rocks and roots
Weaknesses: The low pivot point under the bottom bracket. This is a home built bike, don't know if i did something wrong but the chainstay is low near the bottom bracket and after the second ride I noticed chain slap close to the bottom bracket, scarring the frame. Lizard skin did not cover this so i had to put Gorrilla tape wrap to prevent frame damage
Bottom Line:
I saved money by buying closeout items, snipe biding, and building it myself. took three months to build but if bought complete this bike would be north of $4k. The frame and all components were bought new.
Quick review:
I love this bike and have tremendous pride when riding it. I was getting tired of Mountain biking and started road riding. This bike has renewed my fondness of mountain biking. Definitely recommend considering this bike if your in the market for a FS 29.
Long review:
It is a great bike to ride. Cornering and going down hill is predictable and tight. very little flex in the front head tube. Little pedal bounce when going up hill. I road a hard tail 26inch for 15years and this bike handles the sharp turns and switchbacks just as confidant. the hard tail climbs better on flat hills but if your climbing a hill with rocks and roots a FS has the advantage because the wheel stays on the ground with no bounce. I like to bomb the down hills and flat sections and this bike tracks well. I have gotten used to the FS, meaning that I used to raise off the seat when hitting roots but with a FS you can stay seated and it asorbs the bumps keeping the wheels on the ground. I have had no problems with tight corning on a 29.
the only weekness is in the design of the pivot points. as mentioned above the Pivot point is below the bottom bracket. This causes the the chainstay to be a little lower. There was bad chain slap on the chain stay close to the bottom braket. my lizard skin would not fit between the tire and chainstay to stop this so i put Gorilla tape to protect the frame. This is a homebuilt bike so maybe i did something wrong. but the shifting is precise and the chain stays on. If anybody has any suggestions shoot me a message.
I did extensive research and test rode the Trek HiFI and the jet 9. The Hifi was a nicely built bike but I did not feel right on it. I then demoed the jet 9 and it felt like I been riding it all my life. I chose the Fox fork because of prior issues with rock shock but I heard that since Sram purchased Rock shock the quality control is better. The easton xc 1 wheels was not my first choice but I got a good deal on a set of closeouts. I wanted chris king with stans arch. I could cut weight in this area.
Similar Products Used: Rode TI hardtail for 10 years. Tested a Trek HIFI prior to purchasing jet 9
Bike Setup: XTR cranks,sram X.0 rear der & shifters. XT front der. Fox 100RLC front fork w/tapered 9mm qr, easton xc1 wheelset, with bontrager xdx ghetto tubeless, bb7 brakes, gore ride-on cables, time A.T.A.C pedals. weight is 28.9lbs/ 13.1/kg.
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Submitted by
rainmanx
a Weekend Warrior
from Howard County, MD
Date Reviewed: September 4, 2011
Strengths: All-around solid bike with many attributes (FS, relatively light, fast, good climber). Stan's Arch Wheelset. CVA with no pedal bop. Pro Pedal not used.
Weaknesses: Downshifting (not very smooth), No other color choice (complete build X-7)
Bottom Line:
Good overall bike. I'm still getting accustomed to the larger tires (coming from a 26 HT). Nothing special about components but price was right and does everything well. I do seem to climb better than my prior biek. Started running tubeless to reduce air pressure on tires. Wasn't getting a lot of traction on roots and rocks at 40 psi. Now running at 25 psi now and having much more control. Going tubeless on the Arch rims with X-King was a snap. Just used 1.5 scoups of Stan's sealant and a hand pump. This is from a person with no prior experience. I was kinda bummed about getting the X-King and ordered Race King to run with X-King up front and Race King in back. The bike was 28.5 lbs our of the box with eggbeater pedals. I'm guessing I'm running at 28 lbs now without tubes.
Similar Products Used: None, first FS 29er. coming from 26 HT.
Bike Setup: Stock Complete X-7 Build but running Tubeless. Bike came with X-King tires.
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Submitted by
evacek
a Cross Country Rider
from Lincoln, NE USA
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2011
Strengths: Quality built, lack of suspension bob, handling, tough paint job, acceptable weight for 29er full-sus race bike.
Weaknesses: Not much water bottle room (but not too many full-sus do). Not a sofa, descending takes thought.
Bottom Line:
I've put this bike through a full racing season before I decided to review it. That includes 8 local XC races and the Laramie Enduro, among many fun training rides. The bike is great and has lived up to my expectations after all the research. I was really reluctant to go full suspension and took a long look before purchasing and putting together this bike. Turns out it was just what I needed. I wouldn't change anything on the build I did either. Just enough suspension to cushion, yet not so much to bog you down. Lock out the the front shock and put the pro-pedal on the most firm setting and your close to a hard tail. Perfect for almost any XC application. Not enough travel for large drops, but I don't do that and Niner has other bikes made for that. The black anodized paint has been as tough as I'd hoped, even with multiple hard crashes. If your interested, the bike weighs a hair over 26 lbs as decorated in the set-up section. The Sram small chainring 2x10 X-9 is a great match and looks good on the bike. Perfect gearing for almost all XC applications once again. The bikes handling was a little shaky a first, but then I flipped the stem and dropped a couple spacers. Felt just as nimble as a 26er through the tight stuff after that, with the added ability to roll through/over stuff better. Climbs very well and with good traction/balance. Descending does take some thought though. It's not a sofa. Found this out the hard way a couple times. Now I hang my butt way back on the steep descents. There's been no issues mechanically with the bike or cable routing. Played around with the shock pressures a lot but came back to what Niner recommends on the rear.
Final word: Get the thing dialed in and hang on! This is a fast and comfortable bike that loves XC.
Bike Setup: Anodized black medium, Sram X-9 with X/0 rear der, Easton EA 90 XC wheelset, Maxxis Ignitors set-up tubless, Niner flat top bar, Salsa grips, Easton EA 70 stem & seatpost, Formula RX brakes, Rock Shox XX w/hydraulic lockout fork.
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Submitted by
tngabs
a Cross Country Rider
from NC, USA
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2011
Strengths: Very well built. I like the 1.5 tapered HT
Weaknesses: Not a lot of room for a water bottle (med)
Bottom Line:
My first ride was about an hour long where I played with the setup; air in the shock and fork, seat height, etc. I have to be honest the steering felt very twitchy and the front wheel would not stay on the ground. I took a few lbs out of the fork and moved the seat forward. 2nd ride was completely different and I was able to put the bike through it's paces for a full 2 hrs. this time the front wheel stayed planted and the bike railed turns. used all of the front and rear suspension, the x7 is fine. If you are a cross country rider that like to push the pace this is your bike. Forget it if you are into drops or jumps, not made for that.I was able to demo this bike as well as the RIP9 and other 29ers prior to purchase- reccommended. I really enjoy this bike. 4 chilis for each one- it is great
Similar Products Used: Ventana El Rey, RIP 9 (demoed),
Bike Setup: I bought the X7 build kit. riser bars, new tubeless wheels and DT Swiss ratchet in QR's
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Submitted by
hammermtb
a Cross Country Rider
from Clarksville, TN, USA
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2011
Strengths: light, strong, manueverable, comfortable, and fast.
Weaknesses: I havent found one yet with 100 miles on the odometer with 7 different trails under its belt ranging from technical Raccoon Mountain, to fast singletracks of Tanasi, to flowing banked turns of Loch 4 and roots of Montgomery Bell. It handled it all!
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. The smoothness and agility is super surprising and its ability to be stable under high speeds is remarkable.
Bike Setup: Jet 9 in the "Tang" color with a color matched Rockshox fork, RP23 Fox shock, Mavic wheels and Maxxis Ignitor tires. SRAM X9 2x10 throughout to include crank with FSA Bottom bracket and BB7...yes mechanical...disc brakes (I like to be able to fix things on the trails...provided something breaks). Thompson carbon seat tube, Cane creek head set, FSA neck and carbon Niner custom handle bars.
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Submitted by
J. DeMoss
a Cross Country Rider
from dawsonville ga usa
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2011
Strengths: Great full suspension 9er with rp23 and set up with rock shox reba rl. Pro pedal with right sag doesn't need to be touched.
Weaknesses: Can't get rid of seat noise and can be sluggish on long climbs. This is typical for 29er.
Bottom Line:
I got the bike because I could not ride longer than 2 hours on my last hardtail 29er. This has definately helped my back and rides as well as any bike I've owned. It handles rough terrain as well as rolling trails.
Similar Products Used: GT marathon pro 26" and Jamis d29 carbon
Bike Setup: Full XTR and Avid juicy brakes. DT 450 wheels, Michelin tires, Thomson post and stem, EC90 carbon bars.
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Submitted by
Dry Side
a Cross Country Rider
from Bend, OR
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2011
Strengths: Good Value. I purchased the Jet 9 Complete (Medium) with SRAM X7 2X10 components for a price far lower then buying the frame then having LBS put it together. Plush very adjustable suspension with the Fox RP32 and RockShock Reba RL 29. Excellent climbing ability. Overall happy with the SRAM X7 grade components. I find the 2X10 setup fine for steep climbs.
Weaknesses: A bit on the heavy side, tipping the scales ready to ride at 29 pounds. Only available in the "Raw" color. Spec said it would come with Conti Race King tires, but it was delivered with the heavier X-King tires.
Bottom Line:
Highly recommend for cross county use. May upgrade to RDO frame down the line after a season of reviews come in.
Similar Products Used: None as this is my first FS and 29".
Bike Setup: As Is from Niner.
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Submitted by
xbrian
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2011
Strengths: Stiff as fawk! Plenty of squish for me. Efficient climber. Short stays. Best fs I've ridden
Weaknesses: 2x10 drivetrain a little finicky.
Bottom Line:
the more i ride it the better it gets. i built it up burly w heavy tires and wider rims but i'm glad i did...comes in just north of 27 lbs. the 2.4 Ardent up front paired w a Reba XX @100 is perfect. digs in in loose over hard, holds your line in loamy soil and sheds mud pretty well. Can't say enough good about the climbing efficiency, traction, quickness. everything. This is the all rounder imho. I hemmed and hawed between this and the RIP. For where i live, the JET is the better option, and wherever else i've ridden so far (Bend, Oakridge, Park City, Sun Valley) it's been a pleasure to ride. Sure, I use all 3.1" on some stuff, but you never feel as if you bottom out the suspension. Was riding Oakridge this weekend and did Alpine...was great on the climb. and downhill...besides the fact that it's in my top 3 trails on this planet, the bike just handled it flawlessly. point it and go. GD i am loving this bike.
Similar Products Used: owned 3 different 29ers all hard tails, moots smoothie, Trek Fuel
Bike Setup: xo/x9 mix, flows with 2.4/2.25 ardent, thomson
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Submitted by
mountaindudespike
a Cross Country Rider
from Carbondale, Co
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2011
Strengths: CVA, wheelset, 2x10, 29er, brakes
Weaknesses: Race King tires slip sometimes
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. I was riding on an old goofy cannondale from '03, and this was a big step up for me. I love CVA. Doesn't bob like other suspension systems. This bike is a good XC bike that can take anything else, and I know that because I was clearing table tops at our local pumptrack last week, shredding snowmass ski resort, throwing Xups off stairs,and riding the slickrock trail.I think this is a good bike for aggresive cross country rider and racers who like to venture into other aspects of biking.
Bike Setup: Sram x7 hubs, truvative components, rock shox reba 29, ztr arch rims, sram drivetrain, race king 2.2, avid elixer 3s.
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Submitted by
niner-rider
a Cross Country Rider
from Kelowna, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2011
Strengths: Climbing, decending, cornering, log hopping, technical trails.
the CVA suspension is outstanding. The bike has a pro-pedal dial but it is not needed. NO brake jack.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I've beenn riding mountain bikes for over 20 years, all over BC Canada. This is the best mountain bike I've ever ridden. Can't fully explain why... just go demo one.
Bike Setup: Full Shimano XT with Stans Crest Wheels (tubeless). Rock Shox Reba XX fork. (26.75 lbs). Shwalble tires, Fizik saddle. Thompson seat post and stem. Niner carbon flat bar.
Strengths: Superb Handling
Fit and Finish
Frame Stiffness
Pedal Efficiency
Weaknesses: Cable routing. I don't like that the rear derailleur cable is on the right side of the down tube.
Black Anodizing looks dull on the welds compared to the rest of the bike.
Bottom Line:
I built this bike myself with a combination of new and used parts. That's why it cost $2700.
Overall, I absolutely love this bike. The first time I test rode the Jet 9 I knew I found my next bike. I've ridden may other FS 29er's and this one handles the best for me. Some people say that the Jet 9 has nervous handling but I think it's fantastic. IMO, most of the older FS 29ers handle like a truck. Not the Jet 9. It's as nimble as a hardtail 29er. In comparison, Specialized Epic handles nicely but not quite as nice as the Jet 9. Santa Cruz's Tall Boy handles just as well as the Jet 9, IMO.
Climbing and descending on the Jet 9 are great. The Jet 9s suspension really aids in traction. Compared to a hardtail, I can run a less aggressive tire and still get the same grip.
The shock was easy to set up. I just went to the Fox web site and downloaded the manual. The recommended shock pressure/sag setting works perfectly. Figuring out my Pro Pedal setting (1, 2, or 3) took a couple of rides. I ended up choosing Pro Pedal 3. 1 and 2 are too close to the Pro Pedal off setting. I race with the Pro Pedal on, but really enjoy cruising around with the Pro Pedal off. The suspension is active but not squishy. There is some pedal bob when standing up and hammering but that is to be expected.
Decals, hardware, and overall aesthetics of the bike are beautiful. The only negative about the appearance is that the ano on welds looks a little funny.
Value Rating- 4 Chilis b/c the frame retails for nearly $1800. That's a lot of money.
Overall Rating- 5 Chilis. I love this bike and recommend it to anyone looking for a short travel full suspension 29er. It's a great bike to race or enjoy a 3+ hour ride on.
Similar Products Used: GF HiFi Deluxe
Specialized Epic Comp 29er
Specialized Stump Jumper 29er (FS)
Santa Cruz Tall Boy
Bike Setup: 80mm Fox RL fork, 1x9 (36T chainring with 11-34 cassette), XT crank, X9 rear derailleur/shifter, Thomson seat post/stem, Specialized Phenom saddle, Candy pedals, Magura Louise BAT brakes, Arch rims with AC hubs, Racing Ralph
1st 29r i have owned and its way better than i imagined the Jet 9 steers great, stiff frame found my self riding with pro pedal off CVA works very well very comfortable ride for a short travel trail bike best bike I have owned so far.
Bike Setup: Med Black SLX build, Reba w/lockout, time pedals
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Submitted by
Radical Rad
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, Ca
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2011
Strengths: Great geometry, outstanding pedal efficiency, awesome suspension design, very light for a large 29er, cable routing mounts placed nicely and looks clean.
Weaknesses: Paint chipped a little under the frame on first ride. Rock must have hit it. But that's expected when the bike is fast!
Bottom Line:
What a huge difference between my new 2010 Jet 9 and my old 2008 GT Marathon! The first thing I noticed was how fast this bike was on the flat. It rolled and pedaled absolutely effortlessly efficient. The front end felt stiff with tapered fork and 20mm Maxle light. The bike is set up with 120 mm front fork. So far, I'm using most of my suspesion.
When I got to the big climb, pro pedal was a big step up for me. Moreover, the suspension was more compliant and got up the hill. I found myself not on the granny ring and not using the highest gear. I like climbing hills now.
On the single t rack, this bike hooks up in the turns so well. You point and aim and the bike turned. The bike has more turning speed and holds up in the corners better than my old bike.
Downhill was fun. I think 120 mm front fork helped. This is not a downhill bike what so ever. This has a fast final drive. I rode 60 miles over a three day period and I still wanted to ride it more.
This bike set up weighed 27.42 lbs. Not bad for a 29er. I paid a total of $3800 for everything....worth every penny! Thanks for reading!
[B]Just got my Niner Jet9 RDO a few days ago. It's my first "29er" and I LOVE IT!!![/B]
Initially, I was skeptical as I thought it would feel too big being 5' 4", NOT SO! it's t Read More »
Does anyone know of any deals or discounts on a Jet 9 RDO complete?
I'd love to get one for my next bike but would have trouble spending ~$5k at this point. I wouldn't mind g Read More »
I do wonder at times if I have the right sized bike. I am 5'11" 32" inseam. I'm almost between sizes. It is one reason I am less than excited about the Jet 9 RDO with its short Read More »
I have a RIP 9 and love the bike but am thinking about switching to more of a XC bike. My main reason would be to get something a bit quicker and I like out of the saddle pedaling Read More »
