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Niner's Air 9 Carbon hardtail available in new year

3876 Views 34 Replies 23 Participants Last post by Boyonabyke, Dec 16, 2009

HAL 9000

Discussion Starter · Dec 15, 2009

Niner Bikes' new Air 9 Carbon hardtail was the star big wheeler of this year's Interbike trade show. The 29er is due to hit shop shelves in the new year, and the California-based company have given details of pricing and released these new images to whet your appetite.

Billed as "the ultimate, lightweight race frame", the carbon monocoque chassis can be run geared or singlespeed. Unusual features include moulded carbon dropouts, built-in carbon brake hose guides and a magnesium head badge with internal gear cable routing.

There's a tapered head tube up front to increase strength and improve steering precision. Down below, there's Niner's 73mm CYA eccentric bottom bracket with titanium protector plates. This can be adapted to take different BB types (eg. BB30, X-Type) using a range of inserts.

The carbon frame will cost US$1,899 (UK price TBC), and prospective customers can reserve one with a $500 deposit. Frames are expected to be delivered to dealers in "late winter 2010". The Air 9 Carbon will be available in four sizes (S/M/L/XL) and two colours - 'Tang' or 'Vana White'. Weight has yet to be confirmed.

https://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/news/article/niners-air-9-carbon-hardtail-available-in-new-year-24353

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1 - 20 of 35 Posts

The decals are getting bigger and more Gary Fisheresque.

Kinda freaked pacman and myself out when we bumped into Dave Zabriskie / Team Garmin on a dirt ride a month ago, and he asked us if we were getting Carbon AIR Niners. You can bet he has his eye on one, and will probably be an Early Adopter.

I'm just wondering how they will handle the flex and build of the frame in an XL, and will it be OK under my Clydeness, or will there be weight restrictions. Have to say, I'm totally digging my Scandium AIR 9 though in Kermit Green.

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PaintPeelinPbody

· #3 · Dec 15, 2009

they're so light they're floating away in the pictures

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xcracer87

· #4 · Dec 15, 2009

Does that mean the tapered headtube carbon fork will be out soon too?

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jkinder

· #5 · Dec 15, 2009

Does "late winter 2010" mean early in 2010 or the end of 2010? Season vs. calendar overlap is too much for me to comprehend.

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twaniewski

· #6 · Dec 15, 2009

+1 on timing - seemed pretty vague

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bonesetter2004

· #7 · Dec 15, 2009

Apparently that means Mar/Apr 2010

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Boyonabyke

· #8 · Dec 15, 2009

To me, late winter would mean sometime just before Spring, 2010, which would be sometime before March 21st, 2010. At least, that's is how I would interpret it.

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Niner Bikes

· #9 · Dec 15, 2009

xcracer87 said:
Does that mean the tapered headtube carbon fork will be out soon too?

Hello xcracer87,

The matching 1.5" tapered carbon fork will cost $399 MSRP and will be available at the same time as the frames, and the frame comes with an FSA internal headset.

Thanks,
Niner Bikes

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cariqunyil

· #10 · Dec 15, 2009

:thumbsup:

I have been staring at them both for awhile now. I think I would have to go with the carbon fork because there's no advantage to carbon with a FS setup.

I would imagine that if you were a real weight weenie like me the carbon fork has the dual advantages of weight and shock absorption, correct?

I wonder if this bad boy is the frame for the ultimate single speed niner?

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LyNx

· #11 · Dec 15, 2009

New Year, Hal, if you call a "promised from Niner" end of 2010 the new year (normal people talk, that's Jan 2011 earliest), then you got a funky callendar. I'll trow down for a nice Ti for that cash thanks

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Vortechcoupe

· #12 · Dec 15, 2009

So they respond about the tapered fork, which is a minor detail, but they don't clear up the date?!?! Fail.

lynx, please do go buy a ti frame....

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2melow

· #13 · Dec 15, 2009

Vortechcoupe said:
So they respond about the tapered fork, which is a minor detail, but they don't clear up the date?!?! Fail.

Vortechcoupe,

March for size Medium (first production run pre sold already though)

Late March/April size Large (first production run pre sold already though)

S and XL will come in April/May.

Brett
Niner Bikes

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Vortechcoupe

· #14 · Dec 15, 2009

dang that was fast, for pre-sale and post reply!!

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xcracer87

· #15 · Dec 15, 2009

Niner Bikes said:
Hello xcracer87,

The matching 1.5" tapered carbon fork will cost $399 MSRP and will be available at the same time as the frames, and the frame comes with an FSA internal headset.

Thanks,
Niner Bikes

Thanks Niner!
Also will this fork work with any other existing taper headtube IS frames in the industry.

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Ike Turner

· #16 · Dec 16, 2009

RandyBoy said:
The decals are getting bigger and more Gary Fisheresque.

Kinda freaked pacman and myself out when we bumped into Dave Zabriskie / Team Garmin on a dirt ride a month ago, and he asked us if we were getting Carbon AIR Niners. You can bet he has his eye on one, and will probably be an Early Adopter.

I'm just wondering how they will handle the flex and build of the frame in an XL, and will it be OK under my Clydeness, or will there be weight restrictions. Have to say, I'm totally digging my Scandium AIR 9 though in Kermit Green.

I have the same questions. 6'4" 225 lbs here

as stiff as they say the carbon BB and rear stays will be what about all the stress on the EBB shell and bb itself?

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Ike Turner

· #17 · Dec 16, 2009

RandyBoy said:
The decals are getting bigger and more Gary Fisheresque.

Kinda freaked pacman and myself out when we bumped into Dave Zabriskie / Team Garmin on a dirt ride a month ago, and he asked us if we were getting Carbon AIR Niners. You can bet he has his eye on one, and will probably be an Early Adopter.

I'm just wondering how they will handle the flex and build of the frame in an XL, and will it be OK under my Clydeness, or will there be weight restrictions. Have to say, I'm totally digging my Scandium AIR 9 though in Kermit Green.

I actually thought about running drop bars on one of these which Dave Z will likely do

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FoShizzle

· #18 · Dec 16, 2009

RandyBoy said:
The decals are getting bigger and more Gary Fisheresque.

Looks good Niner and the price seems very fair! I doubt I will ever get a carbon as I would much rather have a Ti frame as my XC bike but nevertheless cool.

As for the sticker comment, wouldnt bother me. I am sure Niner has hopes that folks will be racing this bad boy and hey, why shouldnt it be obvious to onlookers what type of bike said racer is on? I remember when I got my Cane Creek Double Barrel coil shock for the big bike and was bummed that it was now gold instead of all black - Cane Creek changed it to include Gold so that during races people would actually know it was a CCDB shock being raced

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OldHouseMan

· #19 · Dec 16, 2009

I'm not at all a carbon junky, but this one looks pretty good, and finally something the carbon Niner fork looks good on.

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Ike Turner

· #20 · Dec 16, 2009

FoShizzle said:
Looks good Niner and the price seems very fair! I doubt I will ever get a carbon as I would much rather have a Ti frame as my XC bike but nevertheless cool.

As for the sticker comment, wouldn't bother me. I am sure Niner has hopes that folks will be racing this bad boy and hey, why shouldnt it be obvious to onlookers what type of bike said racer is on? I remember when I got my Cane Creek Double Barrel coil shock for the big bike and was bummed that it was now gold instead of all black - Cane Creek changed it to include Gold so that during races people would actually know it was a CCDB shock being raced

I like the progressive take on the graphics and decals. looks like a carbon roadie in the peloton, the vana white looks like my look 595. but I like to look at bikes as much as I ride them so ....

I am all about this bike and havn't spent a cent on a new mtb part or bike since this I heard about it long ago waiting for the net product result on the trail for all y'all

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