Niner W.F.O. 9 aims at making big wheels go big
With 5.5″ of travel, the now-in-stores Niner W.F.O. 9 aims at being a big hit, big wheeler with the looks to match!
A long-legged big wheeler
One of the things I’ve always wondered as a potential convert to 29″ wheels is how they would handle the big hits, and no bike on the broad market seemed set up to really put that question to the test. With travel in the 3-4″ range at tops, most 29er bikes seemed like leggy cross-country runners best left out of the the really rough stuff (e.g. low-speed drops and aggro rock gardens).
Enter the Niner W.F.O. 9, with 5.5″ of rear travel. Trivia: W.F.O. stands for Wide, Full Open. Sounds like an ideal big mountain riding rig in the making. Depending on how it is set up, the rig should ride like a long travel trail rider or short-legged DH rig – can anyone say all-mountain? I highlight it here because I think it indicates a new horizon in big wheel bikes: long-travel! The next few years should bring some exciting new entries that will be prime candidates for big mountain riding.
The W.F.O. 9 is in stores now! “There will be two different versions of the frame. One will be a 135mm rear triangle and come with a FOX RP23 shock and retail for $1899. The other will feature a 150mm rear triangle (with a maxle thru axle system) and come with a FOX DHX Air 5.0 and retail for $2099. [This second option makes for a beefier ride]” – Niner Bikes. Learn more.
Looking forward to the first rides on real trails by real people.
Photos here are from two different set-ups from Niner folks. It looks like they put together a DH-market version. Before you envy that Manitou Dorado fork too much, be aware it will set you back more than $2k by its lonesome … sure is pretty, though.
©Big Mountain Riding
Bigger is better? WFO 9 customized for big hits
Rear set-up for tamer, production model
