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Hello all
I am looking at possibly building up a niner air 9 carbon rdo
My question to all is should I stick with the rigid fork or opt for a suspension fork up front
The temptation is to buy a canyon Grand Canyon al at 1400 as a donor bike and utilise parts on that
Love the look of the rigid fork and the way it integrates with the frame and most of my riding is xc nothing too knarly
What are people's thoughts?
Thankyou
Niner fork ftw, I've got one on my one9 and with the bigger wheels it's surprisingly comfy. I'm happy to use mine for big lakes routes even if i can't hit stuff as hard as on my butcher.
Plus they look awesome which is the main thing!
Based on my steel Niner with steel Niner fork...the rigid option.
And they look bloody ace. 🙂
Big tyres, comfy grips, carbon bars.
Your talking 29er if XCs your thing , right ?
Rigid carbon forks combined with bigger wheels are all you need !
I'm riding in my local Gorrick tomorrow & expect to see a few rigid riders on the podium !
Both my 29ers run the Rigid Carbon Niner fork... love em
Rigid, and enjoy a really light bike.
Save the bouncy fork for big days in big mountains.
Rigid here too, take a few psi out and carbon bars, light, strong and looking svelt.
Chaps what flexi/wide/carbon bars are you running? (One place I hear the Niner bars are flexi and the Enve's stiff, then elsewhere the opposite).
@op I'm currently on a steel Swift that I'm running rigid for southern XC/ST, it's great fun. I 'spent' a bit of the no sus-forks dividend on bigger tyres - 2.35 Hans Dampfs.
I have friends who say they are quicker with sus forks. I don't think I would be, but perhaps I'm just slower anyway.
I'd try your RDO rigid first. Could you buy the frame and borrow some rigid forks for a try out perhaps?
FWIW I'd also buyt the A9C over the RDO to have the option of running SS.
Good vid of A9C vs RDO here:
PS I think the colour matched SIDs in that review are hideous - a step too far! Black or white. Mostly, black.
Pictures you (didn't) say?
Oh go on then...
Here's my One9 with Niner carbon fork and Niner aluminium bar, stem, post.
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I found the Niner alloy bar harsh, & have heard the carbon one is also harsh compared to other carbon bars. I settled on a non O/S low rise carbon monkey bar with some Lizard Skinz North Shore grips. This set up seems to soak up some trail buzz. Fork wise, I found steel rigids better than the seperate crown On-One / Exotic type forks, but the Niner "unicrown" types are thought to be better.
2.4 (now 2.35) Racing Ralphs at about 24psi here, give a lovely ride, but the SIR.9 is a comfy frame anyway.
I ride more miles on my rigid 26" bike than my hardtail. I tried a 29" wheel on it over the summer and was very impressed. I went back to the 26" wheel for the winter as it has a dynamo hub and the grounds a lot softer. It has persuaded me that I'd like a rigid 29er and the Niner carbon with it's ebb and available in small sizes is top of the list, well equally top with an Enigma custom steel build.