Test: With their Graveller, the off-road specialists from Colorado appeal to drivers who are aiming for long tours with luggage. But the Niner RLT9 RDO is not averse to sporting use either.
The US forge Niner has dedicated itself to off-road driving. It all started in 2004 with 29-inch single-speed MTBs, but bikes with drop handlebars were soon added to the range – cyclocross bikes as well as gravel bikes, although the former have since been said goodbye. With Niner, the latter are clearly tailored to touring and traveling over nature trails, which applies to steel and aluminum models as well as to the RLT9 RDO carbon bike.
Add-on options enough
This can already be seen on the test bike from the numerous threaded holes. Various bottle holders can be attached to the green and black frame, as well as a top tube bag and a larger bag under the top tube, which Niner has in its range especially for its gravel bikes. Mudguards can of course also be fitted, and a light cable can be pulled through the fork if you install a front wheel with a hub dynamo. And of course fork holders can be mounted to which sleeping bags and sleeping pads can be attached. The wide handlebars, which measure 53 cm at the bottom, are typical of a gravel touring bike: This means that a wide handlebar bag can be optimally accommodated.
With a whopping 50 mm tire width on 28-inch wheels and up to two inches on 650B, the tire clearance is extremely large; Niner manages this feat without Gravel's typical "hanging" right chainstay. This may be partly due to the chainstays, which are quite long at 430 mm; the wheelbase of the 59 test bike is also quite large at 1,04 m. This means that the Niner is tailored for smooth straight-line stability, while the 72-degree steering angle makes it feel manageable and also makes riding fun on the trail. The top tube of the large frame is long, as is the head tube - this creates a balanced, slightly stretched sitting position. Due to the steeply sloping top tube, the carbon seat post is extended far, which ensures pleasant vibration damping at the rear.
Functional road bike group
The equipment of the Graveller, which is available in different versions, is unusual. Niner uses the inexpensive, precisely shifting and strongly decelerating Sram Rival, here with 2×11 gears and more oriented towards the racing bike: With a 50/34 crank and 11-32 cassette, the gear ratio is rather long, especially since the 40 tires increase the development. The Schwalbe G-One Allround is more of a road tire with its fine tread nubs, which of course offers good grip on loose ground; Fortunately, it is mounted tubeless on the 32-spoke wheel set. At just under 3,7 kilos, the wheel set is not exactly super light, but it is extremely solid; the complete bike is by no means heavy either. If you pedal hard, you will quickly reach your travel speed and can set the direction with a light hand even at high speeds. This means that the Niner is definitely tailored to sporty use, even if its basic orientation also appeals to long-distance riders who want to clock up kilometers on classic gravel terrain.
If you want something negative about the RLT9 RDO, the only thing left is the handlebar tape - it feels pretty thin, especially on the classic, round top link.
