[dblspeed]

Hi all, has anybody owned both bikes and could care to comment, especially regarding long term durability of the frame for intensive cross country use over rocky terrain? Comfort is not a deciding factor since I would be using a WB magic fork. 170 lbs rider btw.

Thanks in advance

 

[dblspeed]

anybody?

 

[fleanutz]

I've had/have an Air9 and had a One9. Raced them both, no problems. Not super rocky here in central NC, but no durability problems. I'm 170 ready to ride too.

 

[Loudpawlz]

Niner's scandium frames have been out long enough that if there were a chronic problem you'd have heard about it. I rode my rigid One 9 hard for a solid year and didn't have any problems.

 

[arkadi]

I own a 20" 07 Mary and an XL 06 One9. I can't really tell the difference as far as comfort goes, but I think overall I prefer the Mary for the tighter cockpit. It just feels to me that the Mary has more carvability and flickability than the One9. Like an overgrown BMX. Of course the handling is also affected by the fact that the One9 has a reba and the mary a bontrager switchblade, making the mary feel more accurate and, um, sharper, I guess, for lack of a better word.

As far as durability, I can't comment, other than to say no structural problems with either, but the Niner's paint flakes off fairly easily and the Ti eccentric set-screws strip really easily. I guess I'd say the Mary feels much more solid in the rocks.

 

[Soupboy]

Sorta comparing a VW Passat to an Audi S6.

 

[Ryder1]

The Mary is an overbuilt chromoly frame and the SIR9 is top quality steel from a top company, so either bike will probably last longer than your interest in either. The One9 seems to have a good track record, too, but its alum/scandium so it probably won't last as long as a sir9 or Mary would. Nevertheless, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it based on durabilty - the other two just happen to be extremely durable frames. The One9 can only be run as a SS so the main reason to get it over the Sir9 is its lightness/speed/racabililty. Being alum/scandum, you'll probably find it a little less forgiving comfort wise, even if running a suspension fork, b/c of the rear triangle's material (steel vs alum/scandium). The quintesential sir9/one9 comparison is here: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=189336

I haven't been off road with either Niner, but I've put about 2000 miles on my Mary SS and have been very happy with it. You can buy it with ok-parts for only a bit more than either Niner frame - I'm not sure if you're shopping for a frame or a complete bike. If just a frame, the SIR9 is as well-reviewed as any 29er hardtail out there. I'd ride one if I wasn't between sizes...

 

[shade13]

hi own a mary xc

i am 235 lb 6f1" ride egresive cross country with a rigid fork love the bike can handle alot of beating and agreat winter bike as well alot of mud clearance. by the way biggest tire that this bike can handle is rampage 2.35" . :thumbsup: still waitin on a niner test bike to arrive to my lbs
p.s terrain here rocky & loose in summer

 

[dblspeed]

Hi all and thanks for replying. :thumbsup:

One of the bikes in my stable broke and I'm looking for a replacement frame. The frame that broke is a 2006 Rig, used intensively for one year. The other bike is a rigid Jabberwocky.

I would have liked to keep the Jabber as a rigid, and replace the Rig frame with something similar in size and feel, alu frame stiffness, "carvability" and "flickability", shorter chainstays, opposed to the Jabber smoothness and higher top speed.
I set my eyes on the One9, but as you pointed out with a few bucks more than the one9 frame I could get a complete Mary SS 2008.
Now Arkadi has got me thinking, the rigid fork plays a big part in the bike feel for sure, but my rigid jabber has never felt more carvable or flickable than the rig, even though it's faster and smoother.

 

[Ryder1]

I would have liked to keep the Jabber as a rigid, and replace the Rig frame with something similar in size and feel, alu frame stiffness, "carvability" and "flickability", shorter chainstays, opposed to the Jabber smoothness and higher top speed.

While Mary and Vassago [Devil] complement each other well as far as their names are concerned, I'd think the One9 would make a better complement to the Vassago as far as geometry and frame material. You could build the One9 into a high-strung superlight flickable bike (and what SS rider doesn't crave one of those?), while the Vassago could serve as your comfy beastly long-distance cruiser/adventure bike - maybe even add gears and a bell.

 

[arkadi]

That's interesting, I thought the (2007) rig was a noodle that plowed rather than carved. The One9 was better than the rig for BB/Rear triangle stiffness when standing and hammering, but I think the Mary beats them both as far as lateral movement goes. I'm not sure I'd call it over-built, but then I'm 210lbs, so maybe I need over-built? To each their own.

 

[dblspeed]

Ryder1, that was my line of thought, until I compared the complete Mary and the One9 frame price tags.

arkadi, my Rig felt noodly when hammering as well, (some of it might have been due to the homemade tubeless system and the low psi). when carving though it felt stiff. But I might be wrong.