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here's a photo of my new rip 9 i just had built up. it's pretty much my dream bike and was my 40th birthday present to myself. my former bike is a large santa cruz superlight.
i took this photo right when i got it home, cause i proceeded to take it for a ride that night, and then this weekend, rode the $h!t out of it in crested butte, including reno/flag/bear/deadman's and then star pass/taylor pass back to aspen....all told about 60 miles of rugged terrain. i bought it to ride it, and i couldn't think of a better way to break it in.
here it is:
niner rip 9 medium raw
reba team sl dual air 120mm w/ 20mm thruaxle - not sure if i've really dialed it in yet, and also not sure if i'm getting air leaking between the 2 chambers.
sram xx 26/39 front, 11/36 rear
shimano xt br-775 disc brakes :thumbsup: 180mm rotor front/160mm rotor rear
stans flow wheels :thumbsup: (they took a beating this weekend no issues)
hope pro ii hubs (based on mtbr reviews)
specialized captain control 2bliss 2.20
wtb rocket v team sl saddle
race face deus seatpost
race face next sl riser bar
ergon gp1L grips:thumbsup:
crank brothers eggbeater 3 pedals couldn't release twice on my right pedal and went down pretty hard.
110mm stem (pretty dialed)
28.75lbs.
i gotta say, the ergon grips are a must. 5.5miles of descent down super rocky, loose, rugged terrain from 12,000 feet, combined with the xt brakes, my forearms and hands never once tired and i had supreme control.
can't say enough about the stans flow rims. i can't believe the beating they took this weekend and are as true as they were when i left the shop. some really deep water crossings too, i will probably service my hubs sooner than normal.
xx shifts like a dream. i found the 26/36 plenty low gear for my riding style...and without a doubt, this bike climbs beautifully. i never could ride the 22/34 granny gear on a 3x9 cause i felt it was too low. i found myself shifting more in the front derailleur than ever. whether it's xx, or in the future xo,x9 or x7, i highly recommend 2x10, especially if you can push a 22/30 as your lowest gear.
my setup is a little more upright than most, but it suits me fine, even climbing steep terrain. i've since added a longer stem (110mm) and a small spacer which seems to have lengthened my effective stem length, and makes climbing out of the saddle a little better.
i cannot say enough good things about the rip9 and the big wheel setup. i will never ride a 26" bike again and remember thinking that to myself while popping off of every rock that could on the descent into aspen. i feel this bike is the perfect combination of big wheels, nimble handling, damp suspension, smooth climber, and wicked fast descender.
after a couple days off, i cannot wait to get on that bike again!!
i took this photo right when i got it home, cause i proceeded to take it for a ride that night, and then this weekend, rode the $h!t out of it in crested butte, including reno/flag/bear/deadman's and then star pass/taylor pass back to aspen....all told about 60 miles of rugged terrain. i bought it to ride it, and i couldn't think of a better way to break it in.
here it is:
niner rip 9 medium raw
reba team sl dual air 120mm w/ 20mm thruaxle - not sure if i've really dialed it in yet, and also not sure if i'm getting air leaking between the 2 chambers.
sram xx 26/39 front, 11/36 rear
shimano xt br-775 disc brakes :thumbsup: 180mm rotor front/160mm rotor rear
stans flow wheels :thumbsup: (they took a beating this weekend no issues)
hope pro ii hubs (based on mtbr reviews)
specialized captain control 2bliss 2.20
wtb rocket v team sl saddle
race face deus seatpost
race face next sl riser bar
ergon gp1L grips:thumbsup:
crank brothers eggbeater 3 pedals
couldn't release twice on my right pedal and went down pretty hard.110mm stem (pretty dialed)
28.75lbs.
i gotta say, the ergon grips are a must. 5.5miles of descent down super rocky, loose, rugged terrain from 12,000 feet, combined with the xt brakes, my forearms and hands never once tired and i had supreme control.
can't say enough about the stans flow rims. i can't believe the beating they took this weekend and are as true as they were when i left the shop. some really deep water crossings too, i will probably service my hubs sooner than normal.
xx shifts like a dream. i found the 26/36 plenty low gear for my riding style...and without a doubt, this bike climbs beautifully. i never could ride the 22/34 granny gear on a 3x9 cause i felt it was too low. i found myself shifting more in the front derailleur than ever. whether it's xx, or in the future xo,x9 or x7, i highly recommend 2x10, especially if you can push a 22/30 as your lowest gear.
my setup is a little more upright than most, but it suits me fine, even climbing steep terrain. i've since added a longer stem (110mm) and a small spacer which seems to have lengthened my effective stem length, and makes climbing out of the saddle a little better.
i cannot say enough good things about the rip9 and the big wheel setup. i will never ride a 26" bike again and remember thinking that to myself while popping off of every rock that could on the descent into aspen. i feel this bike is the perfect combination of big wheels, nimble handling, damp suspension, smooth climber, and wicked fast descender.
after a couple days off, i cannot wait to get on that bike again!!
