RLT 9 Steel - 3-STAR SRAM RIVAL 1

Overland explorer - Comfort, durability, and confidence from Reynolds 853 steel, with a full suite of gravel-ready features.

Steel is truly real

It’s not about where you’re at, it’s about where you’re headed

The RLT 9 Steel is for the purist, the rider who’s after the classic aesthetics of smooth, supple steel. Whether it’s on pavement or gravel road, this bike craves long adventures. With plenty of room for all your gear, the only thing stopping you from your next ride is your imagination. Go ahead, take the ride of your dreams with the RLT 9 Steel.

Reynolds 853 steel

Our love affair with air-hardened Reynolds 853 steel started early. From early flirting with the ROS 9, to the first SIR 9, to our current RLT 9 steel, we’ve crushed on ferrous frames for over 15 years.

Why does Niner steel still feel so real?

In practical terms, Reynolds 853 is a nearly perfect material for creating bike frames. Rather than being weakened by heat, the frame tube junctions actually strengthen after TIG welding. This allows the use of thinner, lighter frame tubes without any sacrifice in durability or strength.

Additionally, steel-framed bicycles have a well-earned reputation for rugged, dependable reliability. Steel has a way of brushing off the inevitable scratches, dings, and rough treatment that accompanies the best adventures. No matter if you have a cross-continent excursion or a county line commute, the RLT 9 steel loves to be loaded up and rolled out.

Steel frame, RDO carbon fork

The RLT 9 Steel features our all-new RDO carbon fiber fork. The combination of steel frame and carbon fork is sure to offer a supple ride, regardless of duration. This beautifully designed fork is composed of famous Race Day Optimized carbon fiber, which is built with a unique process that optimizes complete compaction of the carbon layers under heat and pressure. By maximizing the carbon-to-resin ratio in the finished product, we keep this fork light and stiff while improving compliance over rough surfaces.

We paid mind to aesthetics and functionality in this fork. The brake hose is routed internally through a fully sleeved guide tube. Multiple rack, fender, and cargo mounts make light work of heavy loads, so go ahead, add another day of bikepacking on to your trip. The 12x100mm thru-axle and flat mount disc brake attachments are compatible with contemporary components. If you find yourself wanting to push the limits on a long haul self-supported ride, we’ve got you covered. The new fork features internal wire routing and fitment for a hub dynamo powered light, so the only thing keeping you from riding into the night is your bedtime.

Tire size compatibility for any adventure

Get ready to swoon. With more tire clearance than ever before, the RLT 9 Steel can accommodate tires as wide as 700x50c. Does your next ride require more rubber on the road? Not to worry, swapping out wheels is easy. This bike can accommodate 650b wheels and fit tires as wide as 2.0. Go wild with wheel and tire combinations, just keep it rubber side down out there.

Frame features fit for going farther

Are you a steel connoisseur, an adventure addict, weekend bikepacker, gear hoarder, over packer, grocery-getter or commuter extraordinaire? If you answered yes to any of these, the RLT 9 Steel was made for you. This dream build has 26 mounting points that give you the option to outfit your bike with as many bags, bottles, and racks as you need. You can haul anything from a love letter to your hockey team’s uniforms...

Moving on- We’ve also designed custom bags for each frame size that mount directly to the frame. No more straps or buckles flying around. Just a cleanly designed frame ready for the next journey.

Cleanliness is next to godliness. Our internal cable routing keeps the frame looking tidy. Want an even sleeker bike? Single-speed calling your name? With our PF30 bottom bracket shell, it’s easy to fit a geared or single-speed drivetrain. More gears your thing? This bike is compatible with either mechanical or electronic shifting. Plan on getting rowdy on your ride? Throw a dropper post on, for safety.

Room to roam

Niner RLT gravel bikes have room to fit 700x50c tires (or 650b x 2.0).

Fireroad Geometry

Whether you’re riding across town or across the country, the RLT 9 Steel has a longer chainstay, a lower bottom bracket height and a slacker headtube angle to keep you comfortable.

Interchangeable wheel size

Don’t let the terrain stop you from riding. The Niner RLT 9 Steel can fit both 700c and 650b wheels, for ultimate versatility and adaptability to suit any off road pursuit.

Biocentric Bottom Bracket

Fit any drivetrain, geared or singlespeed. No bolt-on hubs, no chain tensioners cluttering your ride, no brake adjustments with gear changes.Read More

Lifetime warranty

We have you covered with warranty service, small parts, and a support team that actually answers the phone. So go ahead, search out a gravel road you’ve always wanted to explore. Read More

Niner RDO carbon fork

Internal cable routing, so no more fishing for wires. Custom 12x100mm gravel-tuned RDO carbon fork with rack, fender and bottle mounts, plus internal cable and dynamo routing, perfect for those long hauls.

"Niner really nailed it with this bike."

"Riding the RLT off pavement was more comfortable, more efficient, and just plain more fun than riding a mountain bike on similar surfaces."

"After several months on this bike, it’s easy to say I love it."

"This sturdy steel, disc brake, and rack mount-equipped Niner is so much more than an adventure bike."

"All told, the RLT 9 Steel is a bike that’s damned near perfect for what it’s trying to bemdash;a go getter rig destined for weekend adventures, a gravel grinder that begs for all-day rides, and a light touring bike that offers a ticket to lesser used tracks."

"The RLT 9’s steel frame is a well shy;designed piece of Reynolds 853 mastery."

More Information
Available Frame Sizes 47cm, 50cm, 53cm, 56cm, 59cm, 62cm
Available Colors Black/Bronze; Emerald Green
Frame REYNOLDS 853 STEEL; EXTERNAL CABLE ROUTING; INTEGRATED BOTTLE, BAG, RACK AND FENDER MOUNTS; FLAT MOUNT; 12X142 THRU AXLE
Fork NINER RDO FULL CARBON; INTEGRATED BOTTLE, BAG, RACK AND FENDER MOUNTS; INTERNAL CABLE ROUTING; FLAT MOUNT; 12X100 THRU AXLE
Shock N/A
Front Wheel DT Swiss G 1800 SPLINE 25, 700c aluminum clincher, centerlock, 100x15mm
Rear Wheel DT Swiss G 1800 SPLINE 25, 700c aluminum clincher, centerlock, 142x12mm
Front Tire SCHWALBE G-ONE ALLROUND EVO SUPER TERRAIN, TLE, ADDIX SPEEDGRIP, 700 X 45
Rear Tire SCHWALBE G-ONE ALLROUND EVO SUPER TERRAIN, TLE, ADDIX SPEEDGRIP, 700 X 45
Brakes SRAM RIVAL 1 HRD FM
Brake Levers SRAM RIVAL 1 HRD
Brake Rotors SRAM CENTERLINE 160/160MM CL ROTORS
Chain SRAM PC 1130 11SP
Front Shifter SRAM RIVAL 1 HRD
Rear Shifter SRAM RIVAL 1 HRD 11SP
Front Derailleur N/A
Rear Derailleur SRAM RIVAL 1 LONG CAGE
Cassette SRAM PG 1130 11SP 11-42T
Crankset EASTON EA90 40T (47/50 - 170MM, 53/56 - 172.5MM, 59/62 - 175MM)
Bottom Bracket EASTON PF30
Saddle NINER CUSTOM WITH CR-MO RAILS, EMBOSSED NINER GRAPHIC
Seatpost NINER CARBON SEAT POST, 400MM, NINER GRAPHIC
Handlebar EASTON EA50 AX (47/50- 420MM, 53/56- 440MM, 59/62- 460MM)
Stem NINER ALLOY STEM, NINER GRAPHIC (47/50- 80MM, 53/56- 90MM, 59/62- 100MM)
Headset NINER INTEGRATED SHIS DESCRIPTION IS42/28.6|IS52/40
Grips NINER BAR TAPE
Tech Specs
frame mounts and fittings2 Inner Triangle Bottle Mounts, 1 Mount Under Down Tube, 1 on top tube, rack and fender mounts.Rear suspension traveln/a
Maximum front suspensionn/aFork rake45mm
Shock sizen/aShock mounting hardware
N/A
Suggested shock sagn/aSeatpost size27.2mm
Seat collar size29.6mmCable routinginternal, Di2 compatible
Front derailleur typeHeadset size1.125" X 1.5" TAPERED ZERO STACK HEAD TUBE, 44MM UPPER, 56MM LOWER, CANE CREEK DESCRIPTION: ZS44/28.6 ZS56/40
Pivot bearing specsn/aChainring compatibilityCompatible With Standard 1X, 2X And 3X Systems
Maximum chainring sizen/aQ-Factor168mm
ISCG compatibilitynoBottom bracket type68MM PF30 BB SHELL (ADAPTORS REQUIRED FOR BSA TYPE BBs)
Biocentric 30 compatibilityyesBrake mount typeflat mount (30mm rear)
Maximum rear rotor size160mmRear wheel spacing12x142mm
Rear wheel through-axle specM12 x 1.75P x 174LFront wheel axle spacing12x 100mm thru axle
Front wheel through-axle specM12 x 1.5P x 125LMax tire size700x50c or 650B x 2.0
Geometry
Geometry Chart
(A) TT Length (B) Seat Tube Length (C) Chainstay Length Actual (D) Horizontal Chainstay (E) Front Center (F) Wheelbase (G) BB Drop (H) Headtube Length (I) Headtube Angle (J) Seattube Angle (K) Standover Height (L) Reach (M) Stack (N) Fork Rake
Metric
47cm 510 470 435 430 583 1008 75.0 110 70.0 74.5 735 365 543 45
50cm 525 500 435 430 589 1015 75.0 125 70.5 74.0 757 367 558 45
53cm 545 530 435 430 600 1025 75.0 145 71.0 73.5 781 375 579 45
56cm 565 560 435 430 611 1038 70.0 165 71.5 73.0 809 384 597 45
59cm 585 590 435 430 626 1053 70.0 185 72.0 73.0 835 398 615 45
62cm 605 620 435 430 635 1062 70.0 205 72.5 72.5 860 406 636 45
Imperial
47cm 20.1 18.5 17.1 16.9 23.0 39.7 3.0 4.3 70.0 74.5 28.9 14.2 21.4 45
50cm 20.7 19.7 17.1 16.9 23.2 40.0 3.0 4.9 70.5 74.0 29.8 14.4 22.0 45
53cm 21.5 20.9 17.1 16.9 23.6 40.4 3.0 5.7 71.0 73.5 30.7 14.8 22.8 45
56cm 22.2 22.0 17.1 16.9 24.1 40.8 2.8 6.5 71.5 73.0 31.9 15.3 23.5 45
59cm 23.0 23.2 17.1 16.9 24.6 41.5 2.8 7.3 72.0 73.0 32.9 15.7 24.2 45
62cm 23.8 24.4 17.1 16.9 25.0 41.8 2.8 8.1 72.5 72.5 33.9 16.0 25.0 45
Sizing

Frame Size Recommendations by Height

47CM

4'11"–5'3"
1.5–1.6M

50CM

5'2"–5'6"
1.57–1.68M

53CM

5'5"–5'9"
1.65–1.75M

56CM

5'8"–6'
1.73–1.83M

59CM

5'11"–6'3"
1.8–1.91M

62CM

6'2"–6'6"
1.88–1.98M

Inseam Sizing

Bike inseam sizing example chart

For riders who fall between sizes, we recommend sizing down for a more maneuverable ride or sizing up for more stability.