[TheWooginator]

After poking around on here for a while, I found the speedgoat site with the RIP9 deal. Right now, I'm torn between this and a Trek Fuel EX 9.9 with a full XX group. I think that I'd like to go 29er, but to get my hands on a sub 26lb all mountain bomber might be a killer deal too, even if it is still rollin' on 26's. Price wise, they will probably work out the same, but as of right now, the Trek is 600 bucks cheaper than the RIP9. It's used, but I don't care about that. Thought's and opinions?

 

[Frozenspokes]

Have your ridden big hoops before? I ask because I have a very nice SC Blur sitting in my basement that gets very little love due to the 26" wheels. On the other hand, I have two much less nice 29ers that seem to be getting all of the attention. This isn't just the "new" factor for me either as I have owned one for a few years and got the other last spring.

You may jump on a great deal for the Trek, but if you never ride it in favor of your29er, or you find yourself constantly thinking about 29ers. You will find that the short term gain is a long term loss.

IF you have never tasted the 29er cool-aid, then by all means get the Trek. But be warned, your dreams will be haunted by visions of that Niner.

 

[p nut]

Niner. Newer, Bigger, Better.

The End.

 

[TheWooginator]

I haven't drank the kool aid yet, and both of my buddies that I ride with are still sticking to their guns with 26's. 3500$ is a firm, hard kick in the wallet though, that's for damn sure lol. If I can snag the Trek for a deal though and upgrade to 29 a bit later on, I may consider doing that. One thing is absolutely certain, ANYTHING I get will be a giant leap forward from what I've been hitting the trails with for the past 5 years. So, in theory, even if I don't get big hoops, the Fuel would still be light years ahead of my old Giant VT Two.

What would open up my Niner options though would be whether or not I could get away with a medium (18") frame. My current Giant is a 19.5" frame. Niner's are like unicorns in North Carolina apparently, otherwise I'd throw a leg over and find out myself.

 

[meltingfeather]

Niner's are like unicorns in North Carolina apparently, otherwise I'd throw a leg over and find out myself.

found here:

The Cycle Path
20900 N Main St
Cornelius, North Carolina 28031
(704) 896-3331
http://thecyclepath.net
[email protected]

In-stock demo bikes, call for availability:

Frame Sizes
R.I.P. 9 L
JET 9 M
AIR 9 SM
E.M.D. 9 XL

 

[TheWooginator]

Thanks for the link! I'm not sure why I didn't even bother looking on Niner's demo locater lol. I'm calling these guys in the morning and checking availability. If all goes well, I will have made up my mind by the end of the day.

 

[MTSHANK]

go for it!!

 

[TheWooginator]

So.... I demo'ed the 2010 Rip 9 yesterday and all I can say is wow. I was sold in the first 2 mins of the trail. It gobbled up everything in front of me and begged to go faster. I felt absolutely NO difference in the way it handled vs 26" bikes. If anything, I felt like the extra stability from the larger wheels and larger contact patch allowed me to push a little harder than usual in the corners. I weighed it on my bathroom scale at 30.8 lbs. That's 1.2lbs lighter than my old Giant, which was really surprising considering how burly the frame is and how imposing the bike just LOOKS. I took it up Goat Hill at the Whitewater center and it had no problems at all on the first part of the accent through the rock garden, which is where I usually falter on my Giant. Bottom line: I'm in love.

 

[p nut]

'nother convert. Spread the word.

 

[meltingfeather]

Bottom line: I'm in love.

ba da BING!!
nice! :thumbsup:

 

[hoolie]

Niner has best service

Broke my EBB last week on SIR 9 ( use torque wrench every time ). Niner replaced instantly. Never hesitated, I will continue to buy Niner stuff - Chainrings, cogs, frames.

 

[BruceBrown]

So.... I demo'ed the 2010 Rip 9 yesterday and all I can say is wow. I was sold in the first 2 mins of the trail. It gobbled up everything in front of me and begged to go faster. I felt absolutely NO difference in the way it handled vs 26" bikes. If anything, I felt like the extra stability from the larger wheels and larger contact patch allowed me to push a little harder than usual in the corners. I weighed it on my bathroom scale at 30.8 lbs. That's 1.2lbs lighter than my old Giant, which was really surprising considering how burly the frame is and how imposing the bike just LOOKS. I took it up Goat Hill at the Whitewater center and it had no problems at all on the first part of the accent through the rock garden, which is where I usually falter on my Giant. Bottom line: I'm in love.

Glad you got a demo. The RIP is a fun machine well worth the initial investment.

 

[TheWooginator]

Well, I waited on pulling the trigger to gather up the necessary fundage and now it seems that Speedgoat is out of Large frame RIP 9's?? Does anyone know where I can get my hands on a large 2010 frame??? I'm doing an Xterra Tri in July and I'm not subjecting myself to that again on my old bike