Skip to content

Bikes We’d Like To Own: Niner Air9

  • Ron 

Our parent site Bike World News recently helped announce the return of Niner’s Air9 hardtail to their line.

The classic hydroformed aluminum AIR 9 is a classic of the Niner line, with a hydroformed aluminum frame that offers fantastic performance at a great price point. The bike has been updated for 2017 with Niner’s [R]evolution geometry, a 120mm fork up front and Boost 148 spacing, expanding the tire and wheel options for buyers.

The Air9 also gets a new BB junction built around a PF30 BB shell. This not only allows for geared or options, but also opens up the rear end of the bike to accommodate either 29 x 2.4 or 27.5 x 3.0 tires to offer the choice of maximum roll over or ultra traction and stability.

I’m a recent convert to the 29er camp. My full suspension bike (a Salsa Horsethief, and yes, I do have an FS bike even though I love hardtails, thankyouverymuch) is a 29, and I do definitely see the advantage of the larger wheel size. I still need to do more test rides with 27.5+ wheels and tire, but initial impressions are that that combination offers the best of both worlds.

Tags:
Bike World News