Niner Bikes’ Road Less Travelled was one of the earliest bikes we remember that was specifically marketed as a gravel bike. “From ‘Day 1,’ our mission has been to make riding on dirt better, period. These new gravel bikes incorporate a level of versatility and comfort that will improve anyone’s experience on the Road Less Traveled,” says Chris Sugai, founder and president of the company.
Updates
Times move on though, and Niner has announced updates to its full rage of RLT 9 bikes – which includes a steel, aluminium and carbon framed option. We have the carbon fibre RLT 9 RDO, the RLT 9 Steel welded from Reynolds 853, and the RLT 9 aluminum. All the bikes are available in build kits ranging from high end Shimano GRX 800 and SRAM Force AXS to more affordable options like Shimano GRX 400 and SRAM Rival.
Every bike in the RLT 9 family is compatible with 700x50c and 650b x 2.0 tires. Every bike also features a total of 26 fixed mounting points to accommodate custom, strap-free gear bags, bottle cages, fenders, cargo racks, and more. The PF30 bottom bracket shells (boo!) and cable routing can fit mechanical, electronic, geared, or singlespeed drivetrains. Cable routing is also included for dropper posts.
Every frame is paired with the Niner RLT 9 carbon fork. The new fork includes accessory mounting points, internal routing for brake hose and hub dynamo wire, and 12x100mm thru-axle wheel fitment.
It’s hard to argue with any of that (apart from maybe the press fit bottom bracket) – and we are definitely spotting a trend of throwing all the fixing points and routing options on to a bike. It definitely adds flexibility, and when done well, doesn’t detract from the aesthetics.
Availability
The new RLT 9 bikes are available in September. We are checking any potential UK availability.