{"id":70661,"date":"2024-10-23T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-23T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/0126771f-e026-4c69-becf-09645f3dd6e3"},"modified":"2024-10-23T17:25:32","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T15:25:32","slug":"bikeradar-builds-oscars-niner-rlt-9-rdo-is-a-go-fast-versatile-gravel-racer","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/bikeradar-builds-oscars-niner-rlt-9-rdo-is-a-go-fast-versatile-gravel-racer\/","title":{"rendered":"BikeRadar Builds | Oscar\u2019s Niner RLT 9 RDO is a go-fast, versatile gravel racer\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

America meets Italy in this one-off custom build\u00a0 <\/p>

By Oscar Huckle\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 23 October 2024 at 15:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n

This is my Niner RLT 9 RDO \u2013 a multi-faceted gravel bike that’s at home on both the race course and for fully loaded bikepacking.<\/p>

Like most of my bikes, it\u2019s a full custom build, so you\u2019re unlikely to see one in this spec anywhere else.\u00a0<\/p>

It\u2019s my main testbed for anything gravel and it\u2019s seen everything from everyday thrashings testing the latest kit through to bikepacking trips<\/a> and a sadistically tough ultra-endurance race<\/a>.<\/p>

The RLT 9 RDO (short for \u2018Road Less Travelled\u2019) is Niner\u2019s top carbon gravel bike. It is far more conventional than the MCR 9 RDO full-suspension gravel bike<\/a> \u2013 who remembers that bike?\u00a0<\/p>

The RLT 9 RDO has proven an excellent jack-of-all-trades. Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
Despite being launched in 2020, the RLT 9 RDO still holds its own against the latest gravel bikes<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>
Very few gravel bikes can perform the double duty of gravel racing<\/a> and bikepacking as adeptly as the RLT 9 RDO.\u00a0<\/p>
How did the Niner start life?\u00a0<\/h2>
$\"Norco$
The Niner replaced my Norco Threshold C. Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
Before the Niner, I owned a Norco Threshold C<\/a> \u2013 a cyclocross bike<\/a> that was ahead of its time with its wider-than-average 38mm tyre clearance.\u00a0<\/p>
I quickly outgrew the bike \u2013 I started to ride more adventurous terrain and I got fed up with continuously de-clogging mud in the winter Chiltern slop. I needed something that would future-proof my riding.\u00a0<\/p>
Enter the Niner.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Niner$
There’s even routing for a dynamo light. Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
Mounting points to carry everything but the kitchen sink? Check. 50mm tyre clearance? Check.\u00a0<\/p>
Further sealing the deal were the fully guided internal cable routing (because who has time for fishing?), the sensible headset and the bottom bracket standard<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>
I expect some might raise an eyebrow over whether PF30 is sensible, but it offers good compatibility with all cranksets and I\u2019ve always found it a reliable press-fit standard.\u00a0<\/p>
Finally, just take a moment to admire that classy Baja Blue \/ Sand paintjob.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Niner$
I love the topographical graphics. Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
While red is typically my favourite colour, the blue here is deep and rich, and I particularly love the topographical map graphics \u2013 in keeping with the RLT name.\u00a0<\/p>
But the stock builds Niner offers didn\u2019t quite do it for me \u2013 I wanted to build the bike my way.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Bike$
The original build. Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
I bought the frame in October 2020, in the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and the bike took almost a year to build up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>
Why the long wait? There was a big delay on the gravel groupset<\/a> and wheels I wanted to spec it with.\u00a0<\/p>
I hadn\u2019t found the SRAM Rival 1 groupset particularly durable on my Norco and the gear ratios weren\u2019t very forgiving \u2013 a 42t chainring paired with an 11-36t cassette.\u00a0<\/p>
I didn\u2019t want to go for Shimano GRX<\/a> either. The variants around in 2020 were all 11-speed, which SRAM and Campagnolo had already superseded, and being brutally honest, Shimano brakes don\u2019t do it for me.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Campagnolo$
Campagnolo Ekar was the obvious choice. Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
Campagnolo Ekar<\/a> felt the right option, having launched the same month I ordered the frameset. With 13-speed, wide-ranging gear-ratio options, mechanical shifting, class-leading braking and fabulous lever ergonomics, it met all of my criteria.\u00a0<\/p>
Unfortunately, it took the best part of a year to arrive. I slowly got more excited for the build as components were delivered one-by-one throughout the year \u2013 akin to making progress on an advanced jigsaw puzzle.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Campagnolo$
In my view, the lever ergonomics are second to none. Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
I opted for a matching set of Campagnolo Shamal<\/a> wheels \u2013 their 21mm internal rim width<\/a> (reasonably progressive at the time) meant they could serve double duty on this bike and as a more compliant option on the road.\u00a0<\/p>
Early in 2021, myself and a group of friends decided we\u2019d ride the King Alfred\u2019s Way<\/a> in September, a 350km gravel loop encompassing many of southern England\u2019s best trails.\u00a0<\/p>
I\u2019d done all my training on the Norco and, as September approached, I grew worried about tackling some of the steep climbs fully loaded on the tall gear ratios.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Fulcrum$
The Fulcrum Rapid Red 500s were a last-minute addition, but they’ve been great. Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
With the Shamals nowhere in sight and the delivery date repeatedly delayed, I bit the bullet on a set of Fulcrum Rapid Red 500s in a desperate bid to use the Niner on the bikepacking trip.\u00a0<\/p>
I wasn\u2019t able to borrow the Zipp 30 Course<\/a> wheels from my Norco because Zipp didn\u2019t manufacture a Campagnolo N3W freehub<\/a> at the time.\u00a0<\/p>
Fortunately, the Fulcrums weren\u2019t a heavy, throwaway wheelset and I\u2019ve kept them to this day \u2013 they offer an impressively compliant ride quality and are reliably built.\u00a0<\/p>
As such, I tend to keep these wheels for winter and then bring the Shamals out to play in the summer.\u00a0<\/p>
A meticulously curated build\u00a0<\/h2>
$\"Niner$
The Easton bar has a pleasing amount of flare. Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
With the big-ticket Italian fare out of the way, the rest of the components were fastidiously selected for my lofty demands.\u00a0<\/p>
I\u2019m running an Easton EC70 AX carbon handlebar \u2013\u00a0I opted for carbon for the increased compliance. It’s 40cm wide (I prefer a narrower bar) with a pleasing but not over-the-top 16-degree flare.\u00a0<\/p>
The Easton bar takes the sting out of rocky trail features and the flared drop profile inspires confidence when descending.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Chris$
Chris King for the win. Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
The bar is paired with an own-brand 100mm Niner stem, which sits atop a Chris King Dropset headset \u2013 providing there\u2019s a compatible option, I tend to run a Chris King headset on all my bikes because of its longevity.\u00a0<\/p>
The seatpost is a Roval Terra<\/a>, a very recent addition that replaces a Specialized COBL-GOBLR<\/a> I\u2019ve run for years \u2013 the rubber in the cobra-shaped head had started to fail.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Roval$
The Terra’s carbon layup has been optimised for compliance. Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
One of the oldest components on the bike is the Fabric Scoop saddle<\/a>, a long-standing favourite of mine, alongside the Specialized Power Pro Elaston<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>
The wheels are wearing a set of Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RC-X<\/a> tyres I reviewed recently. A hardier offshoot of the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RC<\/a>, they\u2019ve proven resilient performers, but it\u2019s a shame they top out at 40mm \u2013 I typically like to run wider rubber.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Pirelli$
The Cinturato Gravel RC-X tyres are brilliant. Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
I\u2019ll probably replace them soon with my favourite Vittoria Terreno Wet<\/a> tyres in a 45mm width for winter.\u00a0<\/p>
If you\u2019ve read my BikeRadar Builds articles on my Pinarello GAN K<\/a> and my dearly departed Specialized Allez DSW SL<\/a>, the beady-eyed of you may notice some shared finishing touches.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Jagwire$
Details\u2026 Oscar Huckle \/ Our Media <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>
I\u2019ve used Jagwire Mini Tube Top Frame protectors on the cables and hoses where they contact the frame to avoid any unnecessary rub.<\/p>
I\u2019m also running Silca Nastro Cuscino bar tape, which is luxuriously tacky and hard-wearing, but in a thicker 3.2mm width to cope with the bigger off-road hits. Another Silca product is the Sicuro titanium bottle cage<\/a>, which I have two of \u2013 yes, they\u2019re expensive but they look the business \u2013 and they just last.\u00a0<\/p>