Niner JET RDO 2-star bike, Magnetic Gray, medium

UPDATED JET 9 RDO: FLIGHT-FRIENDLY

Completely redesigned for 2021, our classic JET 9 RDO reaffirms its position as our most popular, versatile, and agile bike. With a super-friendly frame geometry and 120mm of suspension travel, you'll sail up technical climbs, hurtle down descents, and glide effortlessly through everything in between.

Our first JET 9 rolled off the runway in 2007. With that early start, we're now the category leader. Niner's expertise in 29er full-suspension mountain bikes has been honed to a razor-sharp edge. Over that 14-year span, the JET has always maintained a place in our lineup. The latest iteration confirms that the JET 9 RDO is one of the best short-travel bikes available today, with the heritage and lifetime warranty to back it up.

It would be enough to just travel any path

Our classic JET 9 RDO ups the fun factor when it's time to fly, but it doesn't bite when climbing to cruising altitude. It's our most popular mountain bike and consistently earns awards from media reviewers, everyday riders, and Niner athletes.

By mixing the pedals of a mountain bike with the suspension and geometry of a road bike, we've made our JET 9 RDO the most versatile bike imaginable.

Pedaling uphill is limited only by your legs and lungs. Our signature CVA suspension doesn't waste an ounce of effort or a watt of energy. Every pedal stroke earns you altitude without sacrificing efficiency.

Flipping it over and floating back down, the low bump sensitivity means you don't land without turbulence. Combined with solid mid-stroke support to save all the travel when you really need it, the JET 9 RDO is a smooth flyer in any situation.

Adjusted and ready for takeoff

Modern frame geometry means modern trail manners when you need them most. The spacious cockpit is easy to reach with a short stem length, so you can quickly control and maneuver in any airspace. And of course, the loose, 66.5-degree front end and long, 1179mm (medium) wheelbase provide stability and confidence when tackling steep descents.

Keeping the powertrain well above the pedals, the 76-degree seat angle makes it easy to climb uphill. Perfectly paired with short 430mm chainstays, the JET 9 RDO will effortlessly climb the crux of your favorite test trail.

If your daily dose of dirt includes less pedaling, faster corners, and some heel-down, flat drop lines, you might want a lower bottom bracket and slacker head tube angle. Don't worry—with integrated drop-through seatstays, riders can lower the bottom bracket a full 8mm and loosen the geometry by half a degree.

JET engine: continuously variable arc

The beating heart of our updated JET 9 RDO is our Continuously Variable Arbor (CVA) suspension system. CVA debuted in 2008 as the first suspension layout designed specifically for 29ers. The kinematic update, tailored to the specific needs of each bike, remains our patented suspension system.

Our CVA's fundamentals are solid: it's stable yet flexible when climbing and pedaling; it's responsive and supportive when descending; it's consistent and controlled at every stage of the journey.

On the JET 9 RDO, the new shock absorber on the spring adds frame and link width (and therefore stiffness). More importantly, the upper shock mount bearings allow for an extremely smooth connection across the entire swingarm at a 40-degree angle throughout the suspension travel. This improves small bump compliance. In addition, spring shock absorbers take up less physical space, resulting in a compact design.

Nine full-suspension bikes feature Enduro MAX Black Oxide pivot bearings. The industry standard for this application, the Enduro bearing brand created the MAX designation to indicate more ball bearings per race. This provides better load distribution and is ideal for suspension axles. And the Black Oxide grade refers to a magnetite surface coating for increased corrosion resistance. Overall, these are the best pivot bearings out there.

Fuselage suitable for flight

Lean yet strong, the JET 9 RDO features Niner's signature full-suspension form factor. A combination of weight-saving trimming where possible and strength-boosting construction where needed gives this bike the ideal balance of XC lightness and road-going rigidity.

Wide, smooth surfaces on the top and bottom help absorb frontal shocks and vibrations while resisting deformation and rotation under torsional loads. The swingarm and swingarm arms ensure that the rear of the bike is locked down in turns and under heavy efforts.

To ensure the best possible shifting performance, we designed the cable routing to be as smooth and straight as possible. The cable housing slides easily through the full-sleeved guide tubes in gentle arcs from front to rear.