I'd decided to get a bikepacking bike and was pretty sold on buying a Timberjack until I saw the SIR 9 on sale. A quick review search brought up your first video re your SIR 9 and after watching, I ordered mine. Delivers this Friday and I'm fired up.
A really nice bike. I run a Canyon aluminium HT 100 mm fork travel with full xt2x2016 even at 63 I ride it flat out and it's so rewarding. Never ridden a full susser. The trails I ride in England are heavily pockmarked by horse hooves then dries out leaving very bumpy surface. Quite envious of your trails and gravel roads. I'm a hardtail fanboy😂
I remember when 68 was considered slack enough for a trail bike. Interesting how bikes have evolved. This is a very nice combo of classic and modern. Hope you get to have some epic adventures on it.
I ❤ steel too and have an old Sir9 with a rigid Niner carbon fork. It's the old one that has the full size EBB and the year they switched to 142x12 drop outs. I built as a dedicated SS for many years then turned it into a flat bar gravel/commuter now with 700x50 Panaracer Gravel Kings.
My local trails are fairly tame. So my carbon XC hardtail works very well. It's a blast. I rode an alloy full-sus previously; it was just overkill. So jeavy and sluggish.
I‘ve been riding a hardtail for years and won‘t stop anytime soon. It was 100mm, upgraded to 120mm and i agree, it‘s perfect. However, got myself a XC FS, as i plan to enter some bike marathons next year. Enjoy your HT!
On long distance bike packing trips I need a frame bag and the hardtail gives me the inner space for it. Of course the newest XC bikes now have the rear shock aligned in the top tube, but these bikes are super expensive.
Steel is real baby... I have a Jamis hardtail frame from the 90s made from Reynolds 853 A steel hardtail is pretty much the complete opposite end of the spectrum from a full suspension e-bike...and in my opinion, much closer to the soul of mountain biking.
I had bought a Kona Hot which was Reynolds 853 a long time ago. I had built the bike up to be a 3x9 XT bike as it was an older 26" tire bike. I used the bike for about 1 week and unfortunately the Chain stay weld cracked and Kona had stopped production on that frame as it was triple butted tubing. I wound up building under warranty a Kona Kula with Easton Ultra light butted tuning and same parts... The Kula was racier and had a steeper head angle but for an16" frame it was about 1lb lighter than the Hot. The Hot did ride better. I live in a pretty mountainous part of NY with a lot of rocks and drop offs so a hard tail does work but full suspension works better. I did compromise and not ride a Framed Alaskan with a bluto. The fat tires do absorb all the trail chatter and the wide 4" tire grip like nobody's business. The fact that it is a hard tail also aids in climbing.. is it fast, or well no, just but is it fun and forgiving, but YES. I haven't found an instance where I personally needed a full suspension bike and right now don't ride enough mtb to justify it... but the fat bike always puts a smile. on my face.
In 20 years that bike will still be a great mountain bike and not just a broken down full suspension paper weight old technology? I still love my old niner
I'd decided to get a bikepacking bike and was pretty sold on buying a Timberjack until I saw the SIR 9 on sale. A quick review search brought up your first video re your SIR 9 and after watching, I ordered mine. Delivers this Friday and I'm fired up.
It was your original SIR9 video from years ago that got me to subscribe to your channel.
Nice!
Me also. I remember that white SIR9 setup as a singlespeed
A really nice bike. I run a Canyon aluminium HT 100 mm fork travel with full xt2x2016 even at 63 I ride it flat out and it's so rewarding. Never ridden a full susser. The trails I ride in England are heavily pockmarked by horse hooves then dries out leaving very bumpy surface. Quite envious of your trails and gravel roads. I'm a hardtail fanboy😂
I remember when 68 was considered slack enough for a trail bike. Interesting how bikes have evolved. This is a very nice combo of classic and modern. Hope you get to have some epic adventures on it.
I ❤ steel too and have an old Sir9 with a rigid Niner carbon fork. It's the old one that has the full size EBB and the year they switched to 142x12 drop outs. I built as a dedicated SS for many years then turned it into a flat bar gravel/commuter now with 700x50 Panaracer Gravel Kings.
My local trails are fairly tame. So my carbon XC hardtail works very well. It's a blast. I rode an alloy full-sus previously; it was just overkill. So jeavy and sluggish.
I‘ve been riding a hardtail for years and won‘t stop anytime soon. It was 100mm, upgraded to 120mm and i agree, it‘s perfect. However, got myself a XC FS, as i plan to enter some bike marathons next year. Enjoy your HT!
On long distance bike packing trips I need a frame bag and the hardtail gives me the inner space for it. Of course the newest XC bikes now have the rear shock aligned in the top tube, but these bikes are super expensive.
Steel is real baby... I have a Jamis hardtail frame from the 90s made from Reynolds 853
A steel hardtail is pretty much the complete opposite end of the spectrum from a full suspension e-bike...and in my opinion, much closer to the soul of mountain biking.
Be curious to see what the time trial will be.
I love the Niner, but the long seattube doesn't work for my short legs.
I had bought a Kona Hot which was Reynolds 853 a long time ago. I had built the bike up to be a 3x9 XT bike as it was an older 26" tire bike. I used the bike for about 1 week and unfortunately the Chain stay weld cracked and Kona had stopped production on that frame as it was triple butted tubing. I wound up building under warranty a Kona Kula with Easton Ultra light butted tuning and same parts... The Kula was racier and had a steeper head angle but for an16" frame it was about 1lb lighter than the Hot. The Hot did ride better. I live in a pretty mountainous part of NY with a lot of rocks and drop offs so a hard tail does work but full suspension works better. I did compromise and not ride a Framed Alaskan with a bluto. The fat tires do absorb all the trail chatter and the wide 4" tire grip like nobody's business. The fact that it is a hard tail also aids in climbing.. is it fast, or well no, just but is it fun and forgiving, but YES. I haven't found an instance where I personally needed a full suspension bike and right now don't ride enough mtb to justify it... but the fat bike always puts a smile. on my face.
I have an Air 9, it’s a great change of pace.
XC hardtails are fun if you are not expecting them to be do it all bike
In 20 years that bike will still be a great mountain bike and not just a broken down full suspension paper weight old technology? I still love my old niner
No dropper?
No because it's a bike packing bike that's also a single track bike. My rack clamps onto the seat post