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News on the Niner paint front - we had such a strong response to our first order of Tang Reba forks painted to match our Jet 9 and Air 9 Carbon frames that we had to make another batch to meet demand. For those of you who missed that first round, there are some additional forks that haven't yet been spoken for, available as a part of any Niner build kit. See your Niner dealer for details on our great build kit and frame combos!
We are constantly evaluating these special projects and deciding what the next one should be. Got any ideas? Weigh in on our Facebook page! We definitely pay attention to the voices in the Niner Community.
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Niner Bikes has moved the California office. Same great service, shorter commutes for the staff.
Most of our contact info has stayed the same, you can get the details here.
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Hydroformed tubes are an important contributor to stiffness, strength, and ride quality and part of the technological advancement in all Niner full suspension frames (see the Jet 9 , R.I.P. 9 and W.F.O. 9). For a Niner rider, the benefits are easy to see - the increased strength, stiffness and power transfer benefits mean that your bike accelerates faster, climbs more efficiently and descends with precision.*
WHAT IS HYDROFORMING?
Hydroforming is a process that enables us to create complex bends and shapes in alloy tubing. When combined with computer analysis and engineering experience, it can be an incredible way to get exactly the ride characteristics you want in a frame.
HYDROFORMING, STEP-BY-STEP:
1. Hydroforming starts with material selection. For Niner's hydroformed tubes, we look for alloys that gain strength and stiffness in the process. Not all aluminum alloys can be shaped - scandium for example, is better left round - shaping only weakens it.
2. After material selection, we move to the computer, beginning our process with exhaustive FEA analysis on tube shape and construction. Many factors are at play here, including material properties, the amount of taper or stretch needed in the tube from front to back, and of course wall thickness for the tube in any given area. Our engineering staff takes all of these properties into account and tests them in the computer - well before we move to physical production. Done correctly, this engineering produces truly advanced tube shapes that significantly increase ride quality, power transfer, stiffness and strength.
3. One of the key benefits of hydroforming is the increased strength of the tube based on SHAPE (again, shape is a critical factor that needs to be explored for EACH tube and its location and duties on the frame. The wrong shape can be detrimental). This can allow for increased weld sections at the head tube, better fitment at junctions with tube miters, increased surface area of tubes in critical planes, and decreased tube wall thickness to decrease weight.
4. Once a shape has been determined, the next step is to cut the molds. Much like a carbon frame, the molds for a hydroformed tube are comprised of two solid steel halves clamped together to form the shape of the full 3D tube shape. The number of molds required to take the tube from start to finish depends upon the complexity of the final shape.
5. The tube itself starts out with a custom round tube extrusion. This 'mother tube' is mathematically calculated for length, diameter and wall thickness based on the needs of the final tube shape. The tube is drawn, internally butted, and if needed, externally swaged or butted. In some cases, mechanical bending is incorporated as a second step to get the mother tube prepared for clamping in the final mold. If there's a jog or bend in the final tube shape, this jog or bend can be started with a mechanical process to insure that the mother tube will fit within the mold itself.
6. Once the mother tube has been properly prepped for the mold(s), it's time to start hydroforming. The tube is clamped between the mold halves, in a press that's two stories tall! Then hydraulic tubes are attached to the mold to insure flow of fluid into and out of the tube itself. The pressure of the fluid pushes the alloy into the mold cavity, creating a tube shape that mirrors the mold.
7. We then switch to the next mold and the next, each step pushing the alloy further, until we reach the final shape. Once out of the final mold, only a trim on each end of the tube is necessary for cleanup and it is ready to be mitered and welded.
*See our Jet 9 redesign comparisons to see even more examples of how hydroforming can improve bike design. |
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Keep your eyes on the prizes, Niner community! Niner has produced a very, very, limited edition Air 9 Carbon framesets as a benefit to IMBA. (only 9, at least one in every size)
- Watch our Facebook page for sneak peak photos of the limited edition paint job by Spectrum! We will reveal the complete frame between now and Sea Otter.
- Two ways to win: anyone who joins IMBA or renews their IMBA membership at IMBA's Sea Otter booth will automatically be entered to win a complete Special Edition Niner Air 9 Carbon bike with Niner Carbon Bar, Stan's Wheels, Ergon Grips, Fizik saddle, Thomson seatpost and stem, SRAM components and Continental Tires. Join Chris & Steve and your fellow IMBA members at the big Clif / IMBA party at Sea Otter to find out which lucky new member has won a dream bike!
- Not going to Sea Otter? Don't despair! If you don't win the Sea Otter complete bike, you still have a chance to bid on the 8 remaining frame/forks, with 100% of the proceeds going to IMBA. This is your chance to have the rarest Air 9 Carbon out there! Details about the auction will be announced on our Facebook page and auctions begin April 18th!
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As those of you following our Facebook page have seen, demo season is ramping up!
Not only do we have a bunch of Niner bikes for you to try, including our Jet 9 and Air 9 Carbon, you can also try the Stan's No Tubes wheel system, Ergon grips, Continental tires and Thomson bars and stems.
We have stops planned almost every weekend for the next 8 months, and our East, Central and West Coast folks are stoked about getting the chance to meet Niner fans all over the USA. See our demo schedule here - we add new dates every week. European folks needn't despair, either. We have demos planned in Germany, France, Italy and Spain - including at Lake Garda. Contact your distributor for more details.
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We have a great crew of people who work to bring Niner Bikes to the world, and as a part of expanding the Niner community, we thought we would start making some introductions:
Introducing Carla, the megaphone of Niner Bikes - she handles our advertising, social media, the race team, and a whole lot more... Won a prize on Facebook lately? You probably got an email from Carla, she loves the Facebook page and the friendly folks found there and at Niner events! Not only does Carla organize the Niner vibe, she also provides the perspective of a woman, a Cat 1 road racer and a former shop mechanic... in an industry with a lot of male voices, it is good to have her perspective. While her pedals were turned in anger on the road bike (favorite race? Redlands!), Carla's MTB love began years ago in the Pacific Northwest. "I loved Seattle mountain biking - anyone remember Novelty Hill? But really, for me, Moab sealed the deal" she says " I had never seen anything like the Utah red rock and knew right away that this was where my heart was." She, her husband, and their unruly herding dog still spend a ton of time in the desert, most recently a month working from a temporary Moab office. When not riding, Carla can be found in the slot canyons of Zion with a wetsuit and a dry bag, or putting the skins on her splitboard and heading out into the Utah backcountry looking for unicorns and epic pow. Carla's bikes are always dialed with the latest gear ("I have a small pretty-bike-parts problem"), and she vacillates constantly between the mellow simplicity of her S.I.R. 9 and the all-mountain fun of the R.I.P. 9, but fortunately, she never has to come to a final conclusion. Her favorite trails are either Lithium in Wilson, Wyoming or Gooseberry Mesa in Southwest, Utah. When asked for her best bike tip she has one for the women out there: "You can learn any skill you want to learn on the bike. Just empower yourself, go out there and ask a ton of questions of riders you respect - and be prepared for some scabs. No worries, dudes dig scars."
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For those of you planning a dream vacation to Utah - this is for you. Uranium Bicycles is our newest Niner Demo Dealer in the desert Southwest and a great place to rent a Niner R.I.P. 9 for your Moab vacation.
Owned by Marshall and Christie, this is the people's bike shop - in fact, this is why you can consider Uranium to be the best source for 29er gear in town - Marshall recognizes the importance of the big revolution and is totally on board.
Not only can you pick up a Niner demo at Uranium Bicycles, the folks there know you want to get out and ride while you are on vacation - if you make a reservation ahead of time, you can arrange to pick up your rental the evening before, at the same rental rate as if you picked it up next day. Reservations are doubly important during the busy spring and fall seasons, as is pre-arranging your shuttle, all things Uranium can help you with (they have a great shuttle program - their vehicle can hold 15 bikes).
Situated right on the main road into town, Uranium Bicycles is not only a great place to get your Niner fix, it is also your source for local beta. For those of you in the planning mode, we did get a bit of extra local knowledge for you, according to Marshall:
Best Least-known Trail: Seven Mile Rim - can you say natural half pipe? Stop by the shop for directions.
Best Guidebook: Rider Mel's Guide to Moab - you can order it from Uranium before your trip.
Best Breakfast: Love Muffin Cafe
Best Lunch: Pantele's
Best Dinner: There are a ton of good ones, but everyone has to hit Zak's at least once - it is fun to be surrounded by so much stoke!
And finally - Uranium Bicycles is a shop donor to IMBA and encourages you to do the same. Moab is an amazing place, and we need to protect our resources!
(435) 259-2928
http://www.uraniumbicycles.com
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New Franken, Wisconsin may be a small town, but the local bike shop has big ideas. Trikes to Bikes wants to be your lifelong bike shop. Whether it is for your first MTB or your 10th, Jacque and Melissa believe that their shop is best source for great service and great products. Together, these adventure racing, epic-MTB-riding women embody what makes Niner's dealers the best:
- Trikes to Bikes embraces new technology and maintains an educated and informed staff. "You can't sell something if you haven't ridden it yourself", says Jacque, "nor can you suggest it to your customers if you don't understand how it works." Your Niner is in good hands at their shop.
- Trikes to Bikes staff are experts at fitting 29ers. They understand how to get the best ride out of both your Jet 9 and your Air 9 Carbon and are happy to share the secrets.
- Trikes to Bikes is a committed Niner shop - they love the big wheel, and loves Niner's 29er only commitment. Jacque is happy to talk about the difference in ride quality between an all-29er company's bikes and the bikes of a company that is dabbling in a new idea every year.
- Trikes to Bikes is a Niner Demo Dealer - they carry a full size run of both the Niner E.M.D. 9 and the Niner Air 9 (perfect for the local trails). You might even end up on the co-owner's bike - she is happy to let you ride her personal Niner!
- Trikes to Bikes are 29er fitting experts. "Riding different sizes of the same frame enables our riders to really get their fit dialed in", says Jacque. They also have significant small rider fitting expertise. A lot of smaller riders are unsure of how setting up a 29er can be different from a 26er - this is a shop that can truly help.
- Trikes to Bikes supports (and participates in) local races. If you prearrange it, you can even set up a Niner Demo for use in a local race!
In addition to the above, the shop is also a great resource for trail maintenance info. As IMBA supporters, they know the importance of building and maintaining the local trail system, and are happy to help others in their community to give back, too. Jacque and Melissa encourage you to join them on their next trail project!
In early April, there will be a second Trikes to Bikes location (also a Niner shop!) in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Get info on either shop location by visiting online or calling:
(920) 866-2453
http://www.trikes2bikes.com
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Coupon code is good for 20% off retail in the Niner store, for a limited time, while supplies last.
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It is a dream come true to spend our days riding, testing and imagining what
new things we can bring to you to enjoy your ride even more. Thanks
for being a part of the Niner community.
Chris & Steve Niner Bikes
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