This is the information for the R.I.P. 9

- all measurements are based off of a 100mm travel fork
- 30.9 seat post required
- 35mm seat clamp size (not included)
- 34.9 front derailleur size, high mount (bottom swing) top pull required
- 68mm BB shell

The all new R.I.P. 9 full suspension bike from Niner has all of the characteristics that make Niners the most agile, most stable, most fun 29ers on the market. From end to end, Niner built this full susser to be able to tackle any terrain at any speed. Whether it's a slow rock garden, a full on Kamikaze loose gravel fire road, rock drops, undulating singletrack, or tight switchbacks, the R.I.P. 9 inspires confidence no matter what the world throws at it.

Once again, Niner's dedication to finding the perfect balance between precise steering and stability is evident on the R.I.P. 9. Having four previous models of successful and popular geometry helped create the angles for the R.I.P., but it wasn't enough to just transfer the numbers from our cross country rigs over to the full suspension bike. Many things change, including BB height to accommodate sag and suspension travel, and of course a moving rear wheel causes its own set of complications.

You can see by the geometry chart above that our head tube is still a steep 71.5 degrees. Once again, this is to account for the larger trail number (see trail chart) of the 29" wheel. The trail chart is showing the difference in trail between a 29" and 26" wheel at 71 degrees and a 29" and 26" wheel at 72 degress. The R.I.P. 9 is right in between at 71.5 degrees which offers a little more stability. In addition, the head tube angle on the full suspension bike is based on a 100mm travel fork, not an 80mm travel fork as on the hardtails. While we experimented with steeper head tube angles and shallower head tube angles, 71.5 degrees seemed to be right on the money. Once the bike is set up correctly, with the proper sag in both the front and rear shocks, the R.I.P. 9's 71.5 degree head tube angle offered more stability at high speeds while not adversely affecting the cornering ability in either high or low speed situations. The R.I.P. 9 still rails the corners and switchbacks with ease.

The head tube on the R.I.P. 9 is a little taller than our hardtails which offers more triangulation between the top tube and downtube for added head tube junction strength. This is a critical area, and since the R.I.P. 9 is designed for the ultimate back country abuse, Niner felt it necessary to increase the strength at the front end to handle the loads from longer forks and/or double-triple clamp forks on the market. The taller head tube in addition to the top tube and downtube gussets, makes for a nearly indestructible head tube junction.

The R.I.P. 9 is the first frame in Niner's line up with a radically sloping top tube and the use of a top tube/seat tube gusset. This is, of course, to offer more stand over clearance. Since the R.I.P. 9 has a taller bottom bracket height, and a longer seat tube (for use with a shorter seat post), it was absolutely necessary to drop the top tube down for added clearance.

In addition, the downtube, like all of our Scandium and 7005 series frames, has a custom butted and proprietary bent downtube which both adds strength while offering clearance for those tall, pesky fork crowns.

Looking back at the geometry chart, the R.I.P. 9 has a noticeably longer seat tube length than the seat tube length on the hard tail geometry. This reason is two fold: since we knew that we were going to be sloping the top tube and using a gusset, it just made sense to extend the seat tube for added strength since the standover height was being taken care of by the top tube/seat tube gusset. In addition, the seat tube is bent to allow room for the four point five inches of rear wheel travel, so Niner wanted there to be as much seat tube above the bend as possible to allow for maximum seat post adjustment. On the small frame, there might be a limited amount of seatpost adjustment, but it's enough to get the seat down and out of the way on those hairy, steep descents. The bent seat tube was absolutely necessary to keep the chainstay short and allow enough room for a front derailleur and clearance for the rear seatstay bridge while maintaining proper tire clearance around the bridge. All of this is extremely tight, and Niner worked tirelessly until the puzzle was solved and the tri-fecta of tire clearance, bridge clearance, and derailleur clearance was met.

By the geometry chart, the seat tube angles appear to be flip flopped, with the small and medium frames getting slightly slacker seat tube angles than the large and extra large frames. This is correct and for a reason. As riders get taller, they typically have more seatpost sticking out. This stands to reason. Since the seat tube angle that is measured on the geometry chart is "effective" and is only measured to the junction of the effective top tube line, taller riders will easily raise their seats above this junction. Because of the bent seat tube, any height of the seat above the effective top tube line will cause the effective seat tube to become slacker.

In keeping with Niner's philosophy of geometry, the R.I.P. 9 has extremely short chainstays for a 29" wheel bike with this much travel. This helps in tight singletrack and switchback situations, keeping the wheelbase tight and manageable while keeping the riders weight over the rear wheel for added grip in climbing situations.

Every size frame comes with two water bottle locations: one in the main triangle and one on the underside of the downtube. On the small frame, some larger water bottles may not fit into the main triangle cage location.