Niner R.I.P. 9 RDO

Believe the hype. This bike is bad-ass. Gil, Brian, and I saddled up and drove out to Ringwood to meet Tom, the Niner Rep. Tom got a size run of RIP RDO's and we rode them all....S, M, and L. Is the rear end stiff? Hell yes. Does the bike rail turns and destroy rock gardens? Yes. Does the CVA suspension pedal great and inspire confidence? Yes. I am no yes man, but this bike performs. It was also my first real trail ride on the new SRAM XX1 drivetrain. Pretty impressive. Full carbon frame. Light and stiff. Look here for more info: http://www.ninerbikes.com/rip9rdo The R.I.P. 9 RDO does not disappoint. Go Niner. Rip it up.

Tom's shop littered with Niners :) 

Setting up and getting ready

We shuttled to Skyline in Tom's truck. Brian and Tom

 Post ride evaluation

Rally Round - 650b - Ride Between The Lines :)

 Press Play

The in-between. There's lots of talk about it recently. Size does matter. Choose your camp. 26, 27.5 (650b), or 29. Which one is for you? I've gone to 29......and there's no turning back for me. I did watch the transformation as Gil converted his Intense Tracer from 26 to 27.5. Intense sells a rear dropout kit that converts the bike to 650b. Pretty cool, and convenient. One week we rode the Jungle and Gil was on 26, as usual. The next week we went back and he was on 650b. He climbed better. He rode the rock gardens better. He was faster all around. Amazing. Which one is for you? Are you over 5' 4"? If so, you're prolly suited for the 29er camp. Are you a jumper or downhill rider? You like to flick the bike around and ride stunts etc? 27.5/650b could be your jam. It's all good. As long as you're out on the trail ripping....who cares. 26" mountain bikes may be history sooner than you think. Some bike companies don't even make 26 any more. Pick your choice and rip it. Rally Round.

Gil and Ari at Jungle Habitat getting ready to ride

The 650b debut!

NYC is turning blue with bikes