PEDAL DAMN IT XC CLOTHING

 

New from Niner - Pedal Damn It clothing! This is our answer to riders who want top level gear that is heavy on great features but light on giant logos and bright colors. At Niner we love our blinding palette, yet daily riding finds us reaching for basic pieces that are extraordinarily comfortable and do everything well.

 

PDI clothing is about the details: Leg grippers that stay put but don't cut off circulation. Contrasting flat-lock seams that are both functional and flattering. Luxurious materials and perforated panels in discreet locations feel better, wick better, vent better. Easy to find zipper pulls don't rattle or bite. A chamois that works for both genders and disappears rather than tries your patience. A cargo pocket holds a music player or house key separate from other items in your payload. We incorporated these features to create a minimalist kit that is anything but plain. In short, quality clothing for the self-sponsored Ninerd.

 




PDI XC JERSEY

 

Wanting something is childish. Needing something is an adult responsibility. =) We all need cycling clothing as good as the PDI XC Jersey. You won't be disappointed with the way you look or feel.

 

Black light-weight fabric with vented side panels. Vented yoke over shoulder blades. Gray collar and gray contrasting flat-lock stitching. 40mm elastic-less grippers with PEDAL DAMN IT on right arm. Three rear pockets with separate zippered Media Pocket on left side. Rubber PEDAL DAMN IT gripper strip inside hem. 

 

Unisex XS-XXL.

 



PDI XC BIB SHORTS 

 

Put some power to the pedals in our contemporary version of classic "Biker Pants." Whether you rock them under baggies or loud and proud at your local XC race, you will be comfortable and stylish in your PDI XC bib shorts.

 

Black mid-weight panels with black mesh bib material. Red piping with gray contrasting flat-lock stitching. 40mm elastic-less grippers with PEDAL DAMN IT on left leg. 

 

Unisex XS-XXL.

 







2013 DEMO SPONSORS AND EVENTS

 

Demo season is upon us! We have several new additions to our program this year:

 

Our 2013 demo fleet is outfitted with components from SRAM, Avid and RockShox. Trail bikes like the R.I.P. 9 RDO will be outfitted with the exciting new XX1 drivetrain, so demo a Niner with this revolutionary system and see what the chatter is about.

 

Demo wheels are supplied by American Classic, crafters of innovative products for over 25 years. The American Classic 2013 wheel lineup is their best yet - our demo fleet will feature the Terrain, Race and All Mountain wheelsets. Strong, light, lively wheels will make any ride better, we are happy to equip our bikes with some of the best available.

 

Continuing from last season, Schwalbe provides incomparable shoes for our demo bikes. You will see Racing Ralph, Nobby Nic and Hans Dampf tires gracing our fleet, give each model a try. On the horizon we have something special planned with Schwalbe, stay tuned for details.

 

Additionally, any model in our demo fleet will be available for sale from our dealers exactly as tested. No guesswork - if you love your demo experience you can order a Niner just like it without the dust.

 

Keep an eye on our demo event calendar - we add dates every week. With five vans crisscrossing the country, the chances that we will be at an event with your local dealer are pretty good!

 



R.I.P. 9 RDO PRODUCTION - PREORDERS SHIPPING IN MARCH!

  

Since first sharing the R.I.P. 9 RDO prototype at Interbike, we have been busy finalizing details: putting in (a lot) of miles on test frames, conducting in-house and third-party safety testing and getting the production run ready to go. Our engineering and product guys have been working like crazy to make sure that this bike truly is worthy of its name. As you may have seen on our Facebook page (we post almost every day), R.I.P. 9 RDO production is proceeding as planned and on target for delivery in March to riders around the world.

 

Carbon frames are almost entirely hand made - a labor intensive process requiring skill and care. 

 

Construction of a carbon frame starts with raw materials. Carbon fibers are combined with a matrix, such as epoxy, to form large sheets referred to as "pre-preg" (pre-impregnated). These pre-preg sheets are cut to match specific patterns to form the required part layup. The part layup consists of multiple layers of these cut patterns applied in a specific order, position, and carbon fiber orientation. The design of the carbon layup allows customization of each part of the frame according to the forces it must withstand. Every part of the frame design requires a unique pre-preg layup. The final composition is determined by a combination of FEA modeling and years of carbon construction experience. To observers, carbon layup can look like wizardry. For our engineers, achieving the best combination of strength, weight and stiffness is the application of years of acquired knowledge - the magic Niner Ride Quality you feel on your favorite trail is their artistic signature.

 



The photo above shows a R.I.P. 9 RDO swingarm section in the very first stage of layup. This part is partially wrapped with pre-preg sheets and is waiting to have additional material added for structural integrity and shaping.

 



Wrapped sections of frame are placed in molds like the one above. This R.I.P. 9 RDO seat tube mold awaits new material for curing. Every size of a carbon frame needs its own costly set of molds and each mold must be tested for accuracy prior to use in production. Pre-preg material and air bladders are laid in the molds which are then pressed between heated steel plates. The bladders are filled with air to press the carbon material against the inner surface of the mold. Large presses are required to cure carbon frames and smaller presses work well for rockers and other small carbon parts. Time and temperature for this curing process is specific to each part. The finished result then moves onto inspection and cleaning prior to the bonding stage.

 



This image shows a bottom bracket assembly after molding, curing, cleaning and sanding. It will be joined with other frame parts on a jig similar to a traditional frame alignment tool and will undergo a secondary joining and curing process. 

  



These are size large R.I.P. 9 RDO front triangles awaiting their turn in the bonding jig. After bonding, alignment is confirmed and the frame undergoes another round of cleaning  - alloy surfaces are machined, seat tubes reamed, etc. The care taken during assembly is one of the big reasons we can offer our C5 Carbon Warranty. All our carbon products exceed CEN standards for strength and safety.

 

Finally, the frame is prepped for painting by lightly sanding the carbon and applying masking materials. While carbon painting is not significantly more complex than painting other materials, care must be taken in terms of the type of paint used in order to have a proper curing temperature for the already bonded frame.

And below we realize the finished product - Artistry, engineering and advanced frame building skill combined to make what we refer to as the Quiver Killer. We are really excited to get the R.I.P. 9 RDO into the hands of Niner riders around the world!

 





XX1 COMPATIBILITY IN THE NINER ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

The instant popularity of SRAM's new XX1 components has more than a few Ninerds wondering about compatibility. We have updated the Niner Encyclopedia as well as the Tech Info tabs on our bike pages with maximum chainring sizes for every model. 

 

Air 9 RDO - 32T Max
Air 9/One 9/EMD 9 - 34T Max
Jet 9 V2 (current) - 38T Max
S.I.R. 9 (w/BioCentric forward) - 36T Max
R.I.P. 9 RDO - 36T Max
W.F.O. 9 V2 (current) - 36T Max
R.I.P. 9 V2 (current) - 38T Max

Both the 168 and 156 Q-Factor versions are compatible, we will be putting the wide version in our kits (Spring availability) to offer maximum heel clearance.






NINER BIKES IN THE MEDIA

 

It's been a busy month in the media with our Jet 9 Carbon, Jet 9 RDO and R.I.P. 9 RDO appearing in several reviews and receiving some End of Year "Best Of" recognition:

 

BIKE MAGAZINE - JET 9 CARBON
"A drop-dead beauty that can do double duty as a race rocket or an all-around trail bike."   
Review here.
 
OUTSIDE ONLINE - JET 9 RDO - "BEST CYCLING PRODUCTS OF 2012"
"There are lots of great 100mm 29ers on the market these days, but none meld performance and aesthetics like the Jet 9 RDO."   
Review here.

 

SWITCHBACK - JET 9 RDO

"a bike as capable of descending steep terrain as it is climbing it."   

Review here.

 

29ER ONLINE - JET 9 RDO

"Overall, the Niner strikes a perfect balance of comfort and efficiency."   

Review here.

 

MOUNTAIN BIKE - R.I.P. 9 RDO - "13 FOR 2013"

"A carbon frame breathes new life into this trail bike."   

Review here.





 

MURFREESBORO OUTDOOR AND BIKE

 

Not your typical college job... After moving to Tennessee from Colorado in 1994 to finish school, Mark Dement opened what would become Murfreesboro Outdoor and Bike, as a small boutique shop in an upstairs space just across from campus. Focusing mainly on customs builds and quality service, the shop grew quickly and now includes a second location in Franklin.

 

With a mixed bag of riding, MOAB has a bit of everything a rider could want. The road scene in the area is quite vibrant with dirt riding on the upswing. Three separate trail systems are slated to open in the near future which will add a nice spark for the dirt lovers. Currently the riding scene requires riders to make a short drive to trails. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the crew at the shop helps to organize group rides at the area trails and a carpooling network leaving from the shop. For those new to cycling, they also offer a series of maintenance classes from general bike cleaning and service to hydraulic and fork overhauls. Launching soon on ther website will be a series of interactive maintenance videos to aid the aspiring home mechanic with general repairs.

 

Mark and the crew at MOAB are set to keep your Niner up and running or are ready get you on the latest and greatest. They offer several demo bikes to ensure that riders find the right bike for their riding style and needs. Head in and check out the shop or find your way to one of the Tuesday or Thursday group rides for some quality local riding with the crew.

 

Find MOAB at: moabbikes.com or like them on Facebook to stay connect

  

Available Demo Bikes:

EMD: M, L

Jet 9 RDO: M, L, XL 

 





 

BACKYARD BIKES AND SKI

 

For Backyard Bikes maintaining their humble roots and mom and pop feel is at the center of their identity. Starting life as general store and stage coach stop, the building itself now gives way to Backyard Bikes and La Grange General Store. Owners, Michael and Annita Bettinger, purchased the space from a group of hippies who had been operating a smoothie shop and art gallery. They quickly converted the building into a sandwich shop and as mountain biking came onto the scene in the early 80's, devoted part of the space to what is now Backyard Bikes. In the beginning the shop had a shared inventory of six rental and demo bikes. Though the space itself remains unchanged, the shop is bursting at the seams with an inventory of 70+ bikes comprised of both rental/demo and new bikes awaiting a home.

 

As the shop has grown, the personal touch has remained a key to Backyard Bikes. Though the temptation for large scale growth has been presented, it has always been shunned in favor of the small, personal touch. With the "local-local" community itself being largely comprised of farmers and a generally non-existent cycling community, the quality of the shop and trails draws riders from the large metropolitan areas of Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison. With a trailhead less than a half mile from the shop, access to the Kettle Morraine National Forest is quick and easy and the area boasts some of the best trails in the region. In the early days of Backyard Bikes many of the trails in the area were in danger of being shut down to keep the rowdy mountain bikers away. However, the cycling community banded together to preserve access and today nearly all of the trails have received a face lift by the "rowdy crowd." Many trails are purpose built by cyclists for cyclists and are maintained by a small but avid local cycling community.

 

After sampling the choice singletrack of the region swing back for a little something to eat or a cold beer at the Bettinger's sandwhich shop, La Grange General Store. While there, head into the shop and check out their full lineup of Niners, hand-selected for the area's trails. As the "fad" of big wheels began to take hold, Backyard Bikes was in front of the curve and looking to stay ahead of the movement. Quickly realizing the advantages that the larger wheels offered on their local trails, son Andy, sought a brand to fill this need and within the first few pedal strokes settled on Niner. Head over to catch a solid day of riding and cold beer or sandwich post ride, while sampling the small town flavor that sets Backyard Bikes apart. 

 

Find Backyard Bikes At: backyardbikes.com or like them on Facebook to stay connected

 

Available demo bikes:

Jet 9: S,M,L,XL

Air 9: S,M,L,XL 

 

 








SPRING SALE ON CLOSEOUT NINER GEAR - PARTS AND CLOTHING

 

Have you always wanted to get some of that red and green Niner racing clothing? Already have a Niner kit, and want to grab an extra set of bibs? Now's the time to stock up - we are clearing out all the 2011 and 2012 gear remaining in our warehouse. Limited sizes and options, but if we have what you need it's a great deal! 

 

In addition to great deals on tees, sweaters and jerseys, we've got markdowns on a selection of parts. These are perfect items just to have on hand for a future project... check it out!

 






Niner Demo Bikes feature top-end equipment from our Demo Tour Partners

Niner Demo Tour Partner - American Classic

Niner Demo Tour Partner - Schwalbe 


Niner Demo Tour Partner - SRAM


Niner employees are passionate riders who believe that time spent on the trails with friends 
is as important as time spent in the office. Scraped knees, riding tales, and camp fire smell 
in our jackets remind us of our primary goal - building beautiful, dependable bikes that you will enjoy as much as we do.
 
Thank you, from the Niner Bikes Crew!

 

Niner Bikes
877-646-3792