Niner RLT 9 2-Star GRX Gravel Bike

The peloton may be where many cyclists aim to spend their time, but we prefer life that's a little less crowded. Somewhere beyond the tarmac you'll find a different kind of adventure, with country roads that lead to ghost towns, and grueling gravel grinds that soar to high elevations, and skirt along the edge of steep, unforgiving canyon walls. While you may encounter the odd road steed off-road, beefier tires more akin to those on mountain bikes are better suited for the road less traveled, offering a bit of pneumatic suspension to keep things comfortable while we push beyond the last cell tower, and into a land of seemingly endless possibilities. Niner's RLT 9 2-Star GRX Gravel Bike offers stretched out geometry, and massive tire clearance that's built to take on lofty hoops, and rough and rowdy trails. It takes queues from Niner's mountain and 'cross bikes to offer all-road capability that's confident, powerful, and capable of diving down long and dusty roads simply to see what's on the other side. And that's quite fitting for the RLT, as its name is short for Road Less Traveled. The hydroformed aluminum tubing does a tremendous job of bringing high-performance to a price point that makes saddling up on this build completely attainable. Niner's construction process allows it to be drawn thinner with walls that don't compromise stiffness or impact resistance in key areas. Proprietary forged dropouts are designed to reduce weight and integrate the low-profile flat mount with the chainstay. One ride on the alloy RLT and the old myth that aluminum rides harshly will soon be dismayed. Niner's experience in building alloy mountain frames shines through on this design, and a surprising amount of responsiveness, quick handling, and bulletproof durability quickly come to surface shortly after clipping in. The decision to spec a 27. 2mm seatpost helps reduce vibration on rough roads causing fatigue that builds up over the hours. This frame blends Niner's mountain geom...