The geometry is unmistakably more relaxed than a road bike, with longer chainstays, eye-catching curved seatstays, a lower bottom bracket and relaxed headtube angle – all designed to offer day-long comfort in the saddle and handling ready to tame the unknown. Essentially, Niner have taken their vast knowledge of mountain bike geometry and tweaked it for the gravel scene.
Versatility is another key aspect of the RLT 9 Steel, with brazed-on detailing incluing bosses for three water bottles (this is a bike made for adventure, remember), mudguard mounts, and eyelets for a lightweight rack. When we say go-anywhere with the Niner RLT 9 Steel, we mean anywhere.
The RLT 9 Steel is offered in three builds, from £2,799 with SRAM Apex to £4,799 with Shimano Ultegra. It’s also available as a frameset only for £1,599, if you want to put together your own build.
Our mid-range build costs £3,499 and comes dressed in a SRAM Rival groupset with hydraulic disc brakes and Stan’s Grail rims, which have a super-wide 21mm internal width, ideal for the superb 35c Schwalbe G-One Speed tyres – which have a spot of their own in the RCUK 100.