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.
In our 5-Star Shimano GRX 800 build, Shimano's flagship, gravel-specific GRX 800 2-chainring parts kit pairs with Stan's Grail CB7 carbon wheels, Schwalbe tires, and an Easton Carbon crankset in one of the best gravel-grinding packages available.
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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.
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.
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.
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...