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RLT 9 4 Star Ultegra - good deal?

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Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational) This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course or riding the off pavement rides on gravel like : "Unbound Gravel". We also have a dedicated Racing forum for the Cyclocross Hard Core Racers.

RLT 9 4 Star Ultegra - good deal?

Old 04-28-18, 10:26 AM
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RLT 9 4 Star Ultegra - good deal?

Hi guys, sorry if this should go in another thread, please let me know. I've been looking at different gravel bikes for awhile now and noticed this sale from Jenson. Was curious if this was a good deal or if that's simply marked down appropriately as it is "old tech" being the previous Ultegra model? The year isn't listed anywhere but I assume this could be as old as a 2016?

Jenson USA: (sorry, not allowed to hyperlink yet)
NINER RLT 9 4 STAR ULTEGRA BIKE
$2,699.99 SAVE 31 % off MSRP $3,900.00



Can get another 8% cashback from Active Junky as well. I did find a review out there for the aluminum frame saying it's too stiff but I think I can deal with that for the cost savings. I'm not a hardcore rider but would definitely like to get a lot of 40+ mile rides in this summer. I have been doing 40+ mile rides on an older 2008 Giant Rincon with knobby tires and I'm greatly looking forward to a faster pace.

Other bikes I've been looking at are the Specialized Diverge Sport and Giant Anyroad Advanced but it seems that for an extra $600 or so the Niner is the better deal.

I appreciate any thoughts on this (or any other bikes that might be better to check out in this $1500-$3k range). Think I'm sticking with 2x11 (or similar) only for the wider range vs the 1x11 on the Salsas that originally caught my eye.

Thanks in advance.



FULL SPECS:
FRAME Niner RLT 9 Aluminum
FORK Niner Full Carbon Fork with rack mounts, 15MM
HEADSET NINER INTEGRATED SHIS DESCRIPTION IS42/28.6 IS52/40
SHIFTERS SHIMANO R685 2x11 speed
FRONT DERAILLEUR SHIMANO ULTEGRA
REAR DERAILLEUR SHIMANO ULTEGRA GS 11SP
CRANKSET SHIMANO ULTEGRA 46X36T
BOTTOM BRACKET WHEELS MFG PF30>24MM
CHAIN SHIMANO HG 701 11SP
CASSETTE SHIMANO ULTEGRA 11SP 11-32T
BRAKES SHIMANO RS785 HYDRAULIC
WHEELSET NINER CX CARBON W/ DT350 CL 24/28H HUBS, 100X15MM FRONT, NINER CX CARBON W/ DT350 CL 24/28H HUBS, 142 X 12MM REAR
TIRES SCHWALBE G-ONE EVO SS, FOLDING, 700 X 35
HANDLEBAR Niner Drop Top Alloy
STEM Niner Alloy Stem
BAR TAPE Niner
SEATPOST NINER CARBON SEAT POST, 400MM, NINER GRAPHIC
SEATCLAMP Niner
SADDLE Niner Custom With Cr-Mo Rails
INTENDED USE Cyclocross, Gravel, Adventure
WEIGHT 23.9 lbs (56cm)

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Old 04-28-18, 09:30 PM
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At that price. I'd consider snapping it up, to get an Ultegra bike these days you'll spend a ton more. Or will you?:

Niner RLT 9 Steel 4 Star Ultegra Bike | Jenson USA

Another option is the current steel RLT9...which is actually a pound lighter in weight, and comes with R8000 ultegra so you get shadowtech RD as well as a bigger official cassette capacity. $2699 versus $2999. Granted your 8% off may not apply so the 10% difference in cost is probably greater.

Either rig would be nice. Especially for a bigger tire and pannier-rack capable bike.
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Old 04-28-18, 10:27 PM
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Thanks for the reply! I was admiring that build as well but it looks like it’s limited to 50cm only so they must have blown through most of their stock. So many choices out there, can be really overwhelming for a casual rider. I’m going to keep reading for another day or so before ordering.

thanks again
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Old 04-29-18, 01:22 AM
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I'd prefer the ride of a steel frame over alu, at those prices.

Maybe compare the steel Niner to the Breezer Team ?
https://www.performancebike.com/shop...e-2018-31-8605
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Old 04-29-18, 07:42 AM
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That looks pretty slick, thank you. And 20% back on bike purchases through the end of the day with their membership points system to spend on some other gear. I saw the Breezer name a few times when researching but didn’t take it seriously enough. I’ll look into it now.
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Old 04-29-18, 08:59 AM
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Ouch, Performance Bike sure does have a lot of bad reviews online. Have you used them before?
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Old 04-29-18, 09:49 AM
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Colorado Cyclist has the Breezer Team at an even better price...

Click Here to see...
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Old 04-29-18, 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by kk7x
That looks pretty slick, thank you. And 20% back on bike purchases through the end of the day with their membership points system to spend on some other gear. I saw the Breezer name a few times when researching but didn’t take it seriously enough. I’ll look into it now.
I like the Breezer at first glance too...but can't find tire clearance numbers online. IIRC the Niner RLT9 can fit 40mm-45mm for reference.
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Old 04-29-18, 10:31 AM
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Originally Posted by RideMyLeMond
Colorado Cyclist has the Breezer Team at an even better price...

Click Here to see...
Thanks, the nice thing about performance bike is their 20% back in points today which would give almost $500 for gear or whatever else you want to buy with it. That’s if they are worth dealing with...big IF I guess
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Old 04-29-18, 10:34 AM
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Originally Posted by Marcus_Ti
I like the Breezer at first glance too...but can't find tire clearance numbers online. IIRC the Niner RLT9 can fit 40mm-45mm for reference.
yeah, according to one review it says it can handle up to 38mm but this guy couldn’t even use 36 bc of the Shimano derailleur. Switching to Ultegra 8000 might fix it:

“Only complaints (1) the interference between the front derailleur lever arm and my 36 Clement MSO tires. Website says it will take 38mm tires, but not with the Ultegra FD-6800 derailleur. I've ordered a new FD-8000 derailleur which is more compact and should solve the issue, but neither Performance nor Breezer would offer any compensation. This is a design flaw.”
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Old 04-29-18, 05:37 PM
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This bike, right - Niner RLT 9 4 Star Ultegra Bike | Jenson USA

Personally I'd spend the extra $300.00 and get the 4-Star Steel

Niner RLT 9 Steel 4-Star Bike 2018 from BikeBling.com your source for all things Niner

The one from Bike Bling has the full R8000 Ultegra build kit (including the new shifters, calipers, as well as their ice tech rotors). Plus the Stan's Grail wheels instead of the in-house Niner wheels. I had read several poor reviews of the durability of the Niner in-house wheels prior to purchase across various forums.

I just recently picked up the same bike for the same price (somewhere else) and I love it, extremely happy with it.
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Old 04-30-18, 02:28 AM
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Originally Posted by softreset
This bike, right - Niner RLT 9 4 Star Ultegra Bike Jenson USA

Personally I'd spend the extra $300.00 and get the 4-Star Steel

Niner RLT 9 Steel 4-Star Bike 2018 from BikeBling.com your source for all things Niner

The one from Bike Bling has the full R8000 Ultegra build kit (including the new shifters, calipers, as well as their ice tech rotors). Plus the Stan's Grail wheels instead of the in-house Niner wheels. I had read several poor reviews of the durability of the Niner in-house wheels prior to purchase across various forums.

I just recently picked up the same bike for the same price (somewhere else) and I love it, extremely happy with it.
The technical specs at the Bike Bling link talk about hydroformed aluminum.

I would call to make sure this is actually the steel version.


-Tim-
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Old 05-01-18, 12:05 PM
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I had called them a few weeks ago to confirm it was in fact the steel version and they said yes.

I called again this morning and re-confirmed. Sounds like the bike is not stocked, it's being drop shipped from Niner. Which means that supplies will be limited as this is considered a discontinued model. They've updated the colorway for 2018/2019. The specs however, appear to be identical.
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Old 05-04-18, 07:46 PM
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Hey guys, thanks again for the replies. Just wanted to follow up. I ended up going a little cheaper with the DB Haanjo Trail since it seems like it has some nice components for the price after the corp discount. I figure I’ll move up to the $3k+ level at some point if I really feel the need to.

The aluminum ride on the Haanjo was pretty stiff compared to my old MTB w/ front suspension so I added a ShockStock suspension stem and Thudbuster ST. I’m pleasantly surprised how much better the ride is now. I’m really liking the increased speed too with this bike vs my old mtb. Now time for me to read more in the “what did you buy today” thread for some accessory ideas! Thanks again.
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