3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 1 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

Learn More

Niner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/)Posted on March 11, 2016 (http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/) by (http://www.singletracks.com/blog/author/aaronchamberlain/)

Now that I’ve had a few months to give the Niner JET 9 Carbon a proper flogging, it’s time to come back to you andreport on my experience. For those that want a more in-depth look at the specs and geometry, be sure to check outmy On Review article (http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/on-review-niner-jet-9-carbon/) from December.

1SHARES

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 2 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

(http://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/DSC01085.jpg)

A quick synopsis to get everyone up to speed:

Frame: Carbon front triangle, aluminum rear (size Large)Shock: RockShox Monarch (100mm)Fork: RockShox Pike (120mm)Drivetrain: Shimano XT M8000 (1×11)Brakes: Shimano XT M8000Dropper: KS DropzoneWheels: NinerWeight: 29 lbs / 13.1 kg (without pedals)Price: $4,500

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 3 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

(http://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/DSC_0866.jpg)

The geometry runs counter to the current long, low, and slack trend, skewing short, high, and steep. But as Imentioned in my On Review article, Niner seems to have found a formula that works for them. Key numbers include:

Head tube angle: 70.5 degrees (steep)Chain stay length: 454mm (long)Wheelbase: 1,141mm (short)Reach: 444mm (short)

Component CheckAll of the Niner-branded components were excellent. The saddle was comfortable, the bars were properly wide at780mm, and the wheels proved to be fairly stout. The rear wheel did require some truing partway through the test. Ialso swapped out the 70mm Niner stem for a 50mm Thomson stem, but that was a personal choice. Overall, the buildkit is solid.

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 4 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

(http://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/XT-Group-Collage.jpg)

Shimano’s new XT group performed well overall, but was not without flaws

Niner went with Shimano’s new 11-speed XT group for their 3-Star build. XT has always been the workhorse in theShimano line, and you can find it on a wide variety of bikes from XC to all-mountain. It’s a solid choice, but my timeon the Niner revealed a few quirks.

Shifts were quick, but the lever feel was overly firm. I tried adjusting the spring tension on the derailleur, which helpedsome, but didn’t alleviate the firmness entirely–even at the lowest tension. I’ve ridden the new XT group on otherbikes with much lighter lever feel, so some of it may be due to the cable routing on the Niner. Lever ergonomics,however, are excellent.

If I backpedaled with the chain on the largest 42T cog on the cassette, the chain would drop down the cassette. Thiswas the most annoying quirk of the group. Friends and other reviewers (http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/chumba-stella-ti-review/) have reported the same issue, so it wasn’t just an isolated incident with the Niner.Can’t think of a scenario where this would happen? I’ve got one. You’re climbing something really steep and thenhave to get off and hike. You hop back on, clip one foot in, and backpedal to get your foot in the right spot inpreparation to ride. The chain drops down the cassette, and now you have to get back off your bike to fix the chain.

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 5 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

And finally on the topic of XT, I experienced inconsistent lever feel with the brakes. They never lacked for sheer power,but the bite point could vary greatly day-to-day or throughout the ride. Sometimes it took very little lever pull for thepads to engage–which is my personal preference–and at other times, the lever would get awfully close to the barbefore braking commenced.

(http://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/KS-Dropper.jpg)

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 6 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

The KS Dropzone R was smooth with minimal play, but dirt and moisture negatively impacted performance

The only other component I had an issue with was the KS Dropzone R post. It was easy enough to get setup thanksto the clear instructions, and operation was silky smooth. While it was operating, that is. In my experience with theDropzone, it hated getting the least bit dirty or wet–not ideal for mountain biking. The smallest bit of moisture or grimewould wreak havoc on the post, causing it to either not drop, or at other times, drop nonstop. A full-length lineof housing runs from the remote to the top of the post, so I’m not sure what else could be done to keep it clean. Ifound that having a dropper that doesn’t work properly is more frustrating than not having one at all.

SuspensionIf you saw my review of the alloy version (http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/final-review-niner-jet-9-alloy/) of this bike, you know how impressed I was with Niner’s CVA rear suspension design. As before, I foundrunning sag around 30% worked best for my trails and riding style. Maybe the long chain stays help out in this regard,but it’s hard to overwhelm the rear of this bike. It pedals well, it climbs well, and can mow through chunky descentsbetter than other 100mm-travel bikes.

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 7 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

(http://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/RockShox-Collage.jpg)

The simple but effective RockShox Monarch and a Boost-spaced Pike

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 8 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

I did have to tinker more with the RockShox Pike to get it feeling how I wanted. It comes from the factory with four“Bottomless Tokens” (volume spacers) installed. The more tokens installed, the more progressive the spring rate, i.e.,the harder it will be to bottom out the fork. Generally speaking, bigger or more aggressive riders will run more tokenscompared to their lighter counterparts. With four tokens installed, I could not get full travel without dropping the airpressure to silly-low levels. I tried three tokens as well before deciding two worked best for me. There was still plentyof ramp up at the end of the fork’s stroke with just two installed, and small bump compliance was greatly improved.

As it usually does, the tinkering paid off and the bike felt much more balanced with supple suspension at each end.

Ride Feel

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 9 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

(http://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/DSC_2041.jpg)

A look at the beefy front triangle in action (photo: C. Jones)

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 10 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

In a word: stout. With the huge carbon tubes of the front triangle and pivot-less aluminum swing arm, the bike goeswhere you point it. The Pike is already known as a solid fork, and the Boost-spaced model spec’d on this bikeprobably adds to the sure-footedness of this package. Niner spec’d its own wheels on this bike with 23.5mm(internal) rims–narrow by today’s standards. Even so, I never felt the wheels were holding me back.

On a side note, the 29er Pike does double duty as the 27.5+ model. If you so desired, you could run 27.5+ wheelsand tires on this bike. To check this, I threw a 27.5×2.80 wheel and tire combo on the rear, and it cleared the stayswith room to spare.

After I swapped out the stock Ikons for more capable tires, the bike stepped it up another notch in the handlingdepartment. With some Minion DHFs mounted up front and rear, I was left wondering if I actually needed more bikethan this. The drawback to those tires was the weight: climbing was noticeably slower with the Minions. I ended upsplitting the difference and went with Maxxis’s Beaver tire (http://www.maxxis.com/catalog/tire-277-121-beaver)2.25″ width. Pro tip: don’t bother with the Beaver in the 2.00″ width; it’s too narrow and has very little volume for realtrail riding. But the 2.25″ Beaver is a sleeper! It’s great for winter riding in mixed conditions.

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 11 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

(http://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/DSC_2237.jpg)

photo: C. Jones

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 12 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

As stated above, Niner is far from the bleeding edge of bike geometry, with them taking a more traditional,conservative approach. But, as we all know, geometry charts don’t paint a complete picture–if they did, we wouldn’tneed to test bikes. At times, the JET 9 did feel tall, a trait which required more body english to stay on line whilepedaling through rock gardens. However, once the seat is dropped, that feeling disappears. With its longish chainstays, the JET 9 does take more effort to bunny hop, but they also give the bike a planted feel at speed. It may nothave the lowest bottom bracket, the longest top tube, or the slackest head tube angle, but the damn thing works as itis.

Final ThoughtsWith the latest updates to the Niner JET 9, namely the 120mm fork, it has taken a full step towards trail bike territoryand away from its XC roots. If XC is your thing, check out Niner’s new race bike, the RKT 9(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/first-look-niners-brand-new-rkt-9-rdo-mountain-bike/). Even with just100mm of suspension out back, the JET is confident in 90% of trail riding situations. It can tackle steep and technicalterrain all day, you just can’t go as fast as you could on a 160mm bike. The trade offs being the Niner is going toclimb better, pedal more efficiently, and be less of a handful in tight trails.

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 13 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

(http://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/DSC_2036.jpg)

photo: C. Jones

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 14 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

This is a bike for most mountain bikers and most trails. There are lighter bikes that will be faster on smooth trails andburlier bikes that can take on chunky descents better, but with the right pilot, the JET 9 can hang in either scenario.While my current personal ride is a 160mm 27.5″ trail bike–which I love–I’ve been thinking more and more aboutdownsizing. When the time comes to replace that bike, the JET 9 will be on my short list.

About Aaron Chamberlain(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/author/aaronchamberlain/)While trails are Aaron's favorite thing to ride on two wheels, he doesn't discriminate when it comes

to bikes. Read more...

Tags: MTB Reviews (http://www.singletracks.com/blog/category/mtb-reviews/) | carbon(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/tag/carbon/), i:2:12801 (http://www.singletracks.com/blog/tag/i212801/), jet 9(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/tag/jet-9/), niner (http://www.singletracks.com/blog/tag/niner/), review(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/tag/review/), reviews (http://www.singletracks.com/blog/tag/reviews/)

RELATED ARTICLES

1SHARES

Previous postFinal Review: Norco Torrent 7.1, 27.5+(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/final-review-norco-torrent-7-1-27-5/)

Next post

(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/on-review-niner-jet-9-carbon/)On Review: Niner JET 9Carbon

(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-events/review-niner-jet-9/)Review: Niner Jet 9(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-events/review-niner-jet-9/)

(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-gear/cheap-chinese-carbon-rims-long-term-tested-light-bicycle-wide-38mm-29er-rim-review/)Cheap Chinese Carbon Rims,

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 15 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

JET 9 CarbonAVERAGE MEMBER RATING0 reviews [add yours (http://www.singletracks.com/add.php?i=12801&type=r&c=2)]

$4,500 MSRP

Read Reviews >(http://www.singletracks.com/bike-

reviews/29er-bikes/JET-9-

Carbon_12801)

(http://www.singletracks.com/bike-reviews/29er-bikes/JET-9-Carbon_12801)

(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/on-review-niner-jet-9-carbon/)

Long Term Tested: LightBicycle Wide 38mm 29er RimReview(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-gear/cheap-chinese-carbon-rims-long-term-tested-light-bicycle-wide-38mm-29er-rim-review/)

(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/on-review-niner-jet-9-alloy/)On Review: Niner JET 9 Alloy(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/on-review-niner-jet-9-alloy/)

(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/final-review-niner-jet-9-alloy/)Final Review: Niner JET 9Alloy(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/final-review-niner-jet-9-alloy/)

(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/test-ride-review-niner-rlt-9-gravel-bike/)Test Ride Review: Niner RLT9 Gravel Bike(http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/test-ride-review-niner-rlt-9-gravel-bike/)

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 16 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

0 COMMENTS

Leave a ReplyYou must be logged in (http://www.singletracks.com/blog/wp-login.php?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.singletracks.com%2Fblog%2Fmtb-reviews%2Fniner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review%2F) to post a comment.

Mobile Apps

(http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/singletracks-

mountain-

bike/id385100119?

ExploreBest BikeTrails(http://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/best_trails.php)IMBA Epics(http://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/imba-epics.php)Trail Maps

CompanySupport(http://help.singletracks.com/)The Team(http://www.singletracks.com/etc/team/)Contact Us(http://www.singletracks.com/etc/contact/)Advertise(http://www.singletracks.com/etc/advertise/)Mobile

Connect

(https://www.facebook.com/singletracksmtb)

(https://twitter.com/singletrackscom)

(http://instagram.com/singletracks)

0 Comments Sort by

Facebook Comments Plugin

OldestOldest

Add a comment...

3/11/16, 10:41 AMNiner JET 9 Carbon Long Term Review | Singletracks Mountain Bike News

Page 17 of 17http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-reviews/niner-jet-9-carbon-long-term-review/

mt=8)

(https://market.android.com/details?

id=com.bluespruce.Singletracks&feature=search_result)

(http://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/maps.php)Best MTBGear(http://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/reviews/best.php)MountainBike Deals(http://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/deals.php)Site Map(http://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/siteMap.php)

(http://www.singletracks.com/mobile.php)Trail API(http://www.trailapi.com/)Widgets(http://www.singletracks.com/widget.php?v=all)

(https://plus.google.com/+Singletracksmtb/posts)

(https://www.youtube.com/user/singletracks)

(https://www.pinterest.com/singletracks/?

z=1)

(https://flipboard.com/profile/Singletracks)

Get OutdoorsCamping(http://www.tripleblaze.com/campground-reviews.php)Hiking(http://www.tripleblaze.com/hiking-trails.php)Mountain Biking

Copyright 2016 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC (https://www.bluespruceventures.com/) | Terms(http://www.singletracks.com/etc/terms/) | Privacy (http://www.singletracks.com/etc/terms/#privacy)