The magic carpet ride - Ride faster, go farther, stay longer
50mm of CVA suspension gives you confidence, comfort, and control on off-road excursions.
By adding our CVA full suspension to a dedicated gravel bike platform, we’re blending the confidence and control of a cross-country race bike with the efficiency, fit, and responsive handling of a gravel bike. The result is a drop bar bike with superior comfort, power delivery, and pure, unadulterated fun.
The suspension question: asked and answered
Why forge the first drop-bar full-suspension bike? Because Niner Bikes was founded in 2005 with a simple goal. Making riding on dirt a better experience, period. We’ve been pioneers in off road technology. First, it was the 29er wheel size. In 2008, it was our Constantly Varying Arc full suspension design. In 2013, it was the first RLT gravel bikes, purpose built for the demands of long days pedaling on rough surfaces.
Fourteen years later, the MCR 9 RDO is a natural extension of our original effort. When you ride one, you’ll see. More comfort, more confidence, more control, and more fun and freedom. By adapting high performance suspension for gravel, we believe the MCR 9 will allow gravel riders to pedal comfortably, powerfully, with more control and confidence over once-unthinkable surfaces. We’re proud to be the pioneers bringing full suspension to gravel bikes.
Gravel-tuned CVA suspension
At the heart of the MCR is Niner’s patented, proven, Constantly Varying Arc (CVA) suspension system. It debuted in 2008 and has been incrementally refined ever since. But the fundamentals have not changed: CVA is stable yet supple while climbing and pedaling; sensitive and supportive going downhill; consistent and controlled in every situation.
For the MCR 9 RDO, we changed the suspension curve to emphasize performance for a seated, pedaling rider. It’s tuned to be especially sensitive to high frequency, low amplitude bumps, and more linear with less end-stroke progression. Configured as a short-travel system, we want riders to easily achieve full travel with less emphasis on big hits and bottom out resistance like you’d find on our mountain bikes.
In the MCR 9 RDO, we made the most sophisticated, tunable suspension system possible, with minimum unsprung weight. By suspending as much of the bike and rider mass as possible, we achieve the most sensitive, compliant ride possible. For the suspension to be effective for riders who are seated and pushing on the pedals, this was a critical piece of the full suspension puzzle to nail down.
Air springs are infinitely tunable to suit a wide range of riders and their gear. And oil damping is essential, both for controlling compression energy inputs from the rider and for dissipating rebound energy as the suspension recovers from bumps of all sizes.
Control and comfort, for confidence like no other
The MCR 9 is more than a gravel bike. It doesn’t skitter and skate through corners. It doesn’t buck you out of the saddle when you pedal through washboards, ruts, and cobblestoned stream crossings. And descending rough roads at speed is not a white-knuckle fear fest.
Why? Because it doesn’t rely simply on tire pressure and undamped frame flex for suspension. Thanks to suspension, the MCR 9 encourages sitting deep in the saddle and pedaling powerfully through chop. It hugs the ground and tracks corners like a slot car. It’s planted and confident on high speed descents. It leaves you fresher, with more energy and less wasted effort, by isolating you from intrusive bump inputs.
If light weight, endless uphills, and ruthless efficiency is your thing, our RLT 9 gravel bike series is your jam. If steep, rough descents and straight up singletrack figures prominently in your plans, consider the RKT 9 RDO mountain bike.
But if you want an entirely new outlook on gravel,one that marries the confidence and comfort of a mountain bike with the efficiency and fit of a gravel bike, hop on this Magic Carpet for the ride of your life.
SRAM's AXS parts kit meets our groundbreaking MCR 9 RDO frame. With Stan's CB7 carbon wheels, Schwalbe tires, and Easton handlebar, the miles will roll on and on.
Features:
- 50mm of stable yet supple CVA suspension with a refined curve for small bump performance and full travel.
- Rear shock lockout with handlebar remote; fork lockout.
- RDO carbon fiber main frame and rear triangle with forged, 1-piece linkages.
- Integrated rear fender protects suspension components.
- 11 fixed mounting points for frame bags, bottles, and more.
- Removable front derailleur mount, for 2x and 1x chainring options.
- Durable, long-lasting Enduro Max “Black Oxide” pivot bearings.
- Clearance for 700x50c and 650b x 2.0 tires.
- End-to-end, Full Sleeve internal cable guides including dropper post routing and integrated frame protection.
- SRAM wireless electronic shifting
- Stan's NoTubes Grail CB7 carbon wheels
- Easton carbon handlbar