Niner Jet 9 RDO Long Term Review

This is my long-term review of the 2020 Niner Jet 9 RDO 4-star build.
Here are other videos I've made with this bike:
Jet 9 RDO first look:
• Niner Jet 9 RDO First ...
Jet 9 RDO mid-term update:
• Niner Jet 9 RDO Review...
Jet 9 RDO mid-term review:
• Niner Jet 9 RDO Mid-Te...
Jet 9 RDO vs RIP 27.5 on rocky trails:
• Niner Jet 9 vs RIP 9 2...
27.5 vs 29 Trail Bike Time Trial (RIP9 27.5 vs JET 9)
• 27.5 vs 29 Trail Bike ...
Transition Spur vs Niner Jet 9 RDO - Round 1
• Transition Spur vs Nin...
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[@chriskelley2075]

Thanks Clint, your reviews are so detailed and thorough. Based on your reviews of the Jet 9 RDO and comparison rides with the Transition, I ordered this bike! You have such credibility. You were the deciding factor in my choosing the Jet 9 RDO. Really appreciate your channel and insights on all things Mountain biking.

[@ClintGibbs]

Excellent! You're going to really enjoy that bike.

[@stevencole7331]

My son has the Rip 9 29er and it amazes me some of the steep punchy climbs he can pop over and even long duration climbs on such a big bike . We live in the high desert of Socal so its loose and rocky and finding grip can be a challenge but his aggressors on the rear and DHF on the front seem to work . The Ibis ripley may have the edge over the jet 9 and it would be an interesting comparison . Ibis in general may still be the apple of mountain bikes but with anything technology catches up and companies fall behind on innovation . Its a battle in the mountain bike world to be on top with lots of competition out there . My son enjoys his rip 9 . He has thought of getting a lower travel bike like the ripley which seems to be a bit of a trend lately but he cant afford to have 2 bikes so he is sticking with his rip 9 which allows him to ride just about everything he would want to . He has even road some xc races and did fairly well . I am cheap and ride a budget hardtail . I just cant justify buying a bike that was the cost of my sons first brand new car . Its fun and I can keep up for now as the old man but more comfort maybe required in the future that may require to loose some grip on the cash . Nice review Clint

[@vinasr123]

great review. I am my second Jet 9. I bought a 2019. it was stolen in January. with living in access to demo bikes. just bought the same bike again cuz I enjoyed it. I know it's not the latest specs. but it's a fun bike. I love it. thanks for the review

[@monkeyisland6969]

as always-great content, thx

[@ashevillescarborough]

Great review as always.

[@jinavl]

I've got the same dropper and the same thing happened to me ..my bikes a 2018 and happened a year ago and I took it apart n cleaned it and it's been great

[@TheNationalTrails]

Interesting to hear about the Recon. Seems to be a hit-or-miss for some bikes for me. Kind of tells me the Jet 9 and the CVA rear suspension is doing a great job keeping traction in check. I really like the Recon tire, and is my go-to tire of choice based on weight and riding style. Have a 2.6" front and rear in order to help raise a low bottom bracket on a 27.5 pound Stumpjumper EVO 29er.

[@dj_ath]

I agree I've put 2500 miles on mine. Ive taken this up some of the rockiest hills. I did bend my seat lol. That was the only issue. I love this bike. If your looking for a trail bike that does it all look no futher.

[@motorboy1966]

Yup. I have over a 1000 hard AZ trail miles on mine and it still rides as good as the day I got it 10 months ago. No creaks no rattles, everything just works. Just a solid all around bike.

[@michaelsteven1090]

I just ordered one..coming in January ‘21!

[@zxtenn]

Seems that fly loves it- Even though those wheels are heavy and entry level they are strong and durable, My 2018 Spectral 6.0 came with them so i got a set of Mavic XA carbon but kept the DT wheels, the only drawback is my M-1900 came with the 18 tooth hub but it was upgradeable to 36/54. When i sold the bike i sold w stock wheels and later sold the Mavic wheels

[@ClintGibbs]

Those, my friend, are love bugs. Nothing to love about them.

[@zxtenn]

@@ClintGibbs Better than mosquitos though, i hate mosquito bites. I usually carry 1 can in each vehicle and spray myself before i ride helmet included --Just messaged the RM dealer i got my Instinct BC from about a 2021 Element carbon 90

[@TheMBunk]

I have the same issue with my dt swiss valves.

[@danielkarpel3853]

Clint, I really appreciate your insight and your value system. Here’s a question: I am a one bike guy, no quiver for me. I love my Rip9 RDO 27.5 - was a game changer for me. But I miss the roll and ability to cover ground on cross country and climbs. I realize I’ll be sacrificing the playfulness, nimbleness and comfort on the descents, but I think the trade off with the Jet 29 will be worth it and this review helped solidify for me that I’ll have plenty of fun rolling down the chunder on the Jet. If you could only have ONE mountain bike for your XC days, your trail days and your big downhill days...you only get ONE...I’m going with Jet. What do you think?

[@ClintGibbs]

Yes, I think you're correct. And if you really want to make it versatile have a second wheel set for cross-country.

[@danielkarpel3853]

Clint Gibbs - thanks!

[@arnaudgauthey2194]

Great thanks a lot for the review. Would it be possible to do a video or comment of Jet 9 vs Giant Trance. The Geometry of the Trance looks more modern, but you seem to prefer the Jet. What is the Jet doing better and what is the Giant doing better? Thanks!

[@ClintGibbs]

Niner has done a great job of optimizing the stiffness of the frame in locations where it matters. The trance was a great ride but the Niner just feels more playful and more fun to ride.

[@screggybojanklin3567]

Great review. How do you think it would handle on rocky technical trails like Captain Ahab in Moab?

[@ClintGibbs]

Extremely well. The pedaling platform on this bike really firms up when you pedal hard but opens up when you hit a bump to give you good traction on rocky climbs.

[@Gezushe77]

I’m on the fence between a Jet 9 and Rip 9 29. I want good do it all bike. I REALLY like how the Rip 9 looks. But, I want something that pedals well. What do you recommend??

[@johnvmtb5440]

thanks for another review. on my jet 9 rdo if i do steep climbing it kinda wobble a bit in the front. how about you whats your thoughts???

[@ClintGibbs]

I haven't noticed that

[@trailblazeratv6306]

Those are cool 😎

[@thim8009]

Curious- when you went to 800 wide bars did it feel much different? I noticed the feel of my 800's when I went back to 780's and they felt wrong. I always tell people unless you want to change all your bars dont try bigger ones.

[@ClintGibbs]

Didn't feel much different after 30 minutes on the bike. Same as going back to 780 or 760. It definitely feels different but you get used to it pretty quickly. I use 760 on my cross country bike.

[@icthus13]

If you had to pick this or the Transition, which would it be? For yourself-not for someone who lives in Asheville or wherever.

[@ClintGibbs]

It's a difficult choice. Both have pros and cons which come out in a video comparing the two that I'll publish next Sunday.

[@kylemyles2965]

Would you recommend this bike for long marathon xc races with a 120mm fox sc fork with some light wheels?

[@ClintGibbs]

Yes, with the light weight setup that you mentioned I think it would be totally fine. You're not as concerned about razor-sharp handling in those types of races.

[@derektaylor2845]

So basically get a transition spur until they get the dated stuff ironed out?

[@ClintGibbs]

Not necessarily. I have my comparison video coming out next Sunday that compares the jet and the spur riding in the mountains.

[@TheBIKEDEALZ]

Tore my ACL a month ago and thought about selling my Hightower 2018. Started looking at few bikes etc. and it's amazing how much the Niner Jet 9 RDO is almost exact same geometry. It's been around 8 month since you've shared the video about it. what's the latest updates from your end?

[@ClintGibbs]

I actually no longer have the Jet 9 in my fleet. It's a phenomenal bike that's one of the best all-arounders I've ridden. I just wanted to spend more time on the transition spur for a while and didn't need two trail bikes. I cycle a lot of bikes through my fleet to do reviews.

[@TheBIKEDEALZ]

@@ClintGibbs Gotcha! I wanted to get the Spur (rode it for couple of minutes), however, the ACL injury forced me to ditch it. Do you feel like the spur might be a bit short travel? I mean, won't guard you in case you'll make mistakes?

[@ClintGibbs]

@@TheBIKEDEALZ Spur and Jet 9 feel about the same in terms of travel. I have a feeling we're going to see a new Jet 9 this year with slacker geometry.

[@tylerfinses4762]

@@ClintGibbs are you getting the new Jet 9 to ride and review?

[@ClintGibbs]

@@tylerfinses4762 most likely I will be getting a demo from Niner when they are available.

[@Alaakso]

Switching from 2,5 DHF 3C/EXO/TR to 2,3 version saves a whopping 80g weight. Not worth it in my opinion. Maybe greater savings to go with some ultralight XC tyre but I don't think this kind of bike is built to that kind of use. On the Recon it's maybe worth to go narrower to save weight. 2,25" is 170g ligher than the 2,4" (3C/EXO/TR)

[@icewallowcum856]

main difference is the thread pattern and with that comes rolling resistance

[@jeromenavarro9757]

why so many fly?

[@johnmausteller]

BURGTEC , makes new colored stems

[@skyerains2754]

I dropped the Lev for Transfer, and went to the Dpx2, it’s no enduro bike, but it holds its own in the chunk and when it’s time to pedal up a tech section you pass all the big bike Friends you are riding with, making you first to the cooler for beer selection

[@JJ_MTB_15]

Clint I love that bike and the rip9 but the geo is so “outdated”. I’m hesitant to buy anything without a 77 degree STA as that seems the direction everything is going.

[@HOllyBOni]

77° is way too outdated, 95° is where it's at.

[@trailblazeratv6306]

J J just get a Trance X 29

[@JJ_MTB_15]

Trail Blazer ATV or an evil following or an izzo, or a ripley

[@GHinWI]

Boni Hollóssy : next year, anything less than 180 deg STA will be utterly unridable

[@HOllyBOni]

@@GHinWI Probably. "I love this bike but that 170 degree seat tube angle is so outdated. I'm hesitant to buy anything without a 180 degree STA, as that seems the direction everything is going." 😁

[@samad_sd4status825]

Nice video super like you video 🔥🔥🔥🙂 like you 😍

[@mtb7018]

Yes DT Swiss valve stems are trash, so frustrating

[@jimjigga]

I'm surprised you called it best trail bike to date and spur coming close. I thought you were going to further compare with spur up in the mountains. But somehow i get the feeling this is the bike that's going in December?

[@ClintGibbs]

Already did that. Video will be posted next Sunday!

[@jimjigga]

@@ClintGibbs awesome

[@michaelglidewell1524]

4 star JET for ~$6k at 29.5 lbs ... I'm just not getting this. 4 star build of an RKT is ~6k at 24-25lbs makes sense for XC ... Transition Spur $6k build at 25 lbs blows my mind for a trail bike. If the ~6k version of the JET were 27 lbs it would make sense but at 29+ lbs it does not.

[@Bicyclesidewalk]

New subscriber here, where are you? NC??

[@ClintGibbs]

North Florida, but I frequent north GA and NC regularly.

[@samad_sd4status825]

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