The Niner ORE 9 RDO Gravel Bike Is Made for Mountain Bikers Making the Jump - Velo

Apr 08, 2025

Niner's first gravel bike in years is longer and slacker than any of its previous gravel bikes.

Photo: Niner Bikes

Think about the last time you’ve heard Niner release a new gravel bike, much less a new bike. Despite Niner being one of the first bike brands to release a dedicated gravel bike, its been several years since Niner has updated any of its gravel bikes. That changes with the new Niner ORE 9 RDO.

Niner says its new ORE 9 RDO is a ground-up redo of its gravel bike lineup, but not a wholesale replacement; the RLT 9 lineup will stick around. Rather, the ORE 9 RDO is said to be a gravel bike for mountain bikers, with geometry optimized for MTB-centric folks to ride a bike and still feel comfortable.

There are two builds available, both with mechanical shifting, threaded bottom brackets, and guided hose routing to boot. We’ll have a chance to take a look at the bike at Sea Otter Classic, but for now, here’s what we know.

The new ORE 9 RDO (short for Off Road Explorer and Race Day Optimized, respectively) features Niner’s latest RDO carbon construction. While the bike has become the Off Road Explorer, it’s lost several mounts compared to the RLT bikes. Rack and fender mounts are omitted, while basic bottle cages in the frame and a third bottle cage at the bottom bracket remain. Interestingly, Niner does include bolt-on frame bag mounts for longer-distance riding.

Niner’s new gravel bike also receives suspension-corrected geometry to ensure the bike handles properly with short-travel gravel suspension forks up to 40 mm. It also receives a SRAM UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger) and a T47 threaded bottom bracket. Further, the frame is 1x and 2x compatible and is designed to work with internal dropper posts.

Niner claims ORE 9 RDO’s rear triangle is 28% stiffer than the RLT’s, and overall frame stiffness is improved by the same percentage. Head tube stiffness is up 11%, which is aimed at providing more direct steering feel when riding on rougher trails.

Weight reductions are modest: the frame is 5.5% lighter and the rigid fork is 7% lighter compared to the RLT.

It’s worth mentioning that while the ORE 9 RDO gets a welcome 50 mm tire clearance, the RLT 9 RDO (last fully updated in 2019!) also has 700c x 50 mm tire clearance.

The key changes around the ORE 9 RDO seem to be based on geometry, both concerning fit and handling geometry. Niner wanted the bike to behave more like a mountain bike while riding through techy terrain, with longer trail figures and more straight-line stability.

Head tube angles are 1.5 degrees slacker compared to the RLT 9 RDO, to a flat 69 degrees across all sizes. Bottom bracket drop is fairly tall for a bike that fits a 50 mm tire, but longer wheelbases and a 430 mm chainstay should offer some further stability.

Reach is 30 mm longer than a comparable RLT size, aimed at providing a longer front center for stability, while stem lengths are shortened by 10–20 mm across sizes to accommodate that change in fit.

Niner offers the ORE 9 RDO in two builds, both with mechanical shifting. Both bikes receive Schwalbe G-One Allround tires, though the more expensive GRX build gets a 45 mm tire, while the Apex 1 build gets a 40 mm tire width.

As mentioned, stay tuned for a first look at the bike at Sea Otter Classic.