Built around twin-link suspension the Niner RIP 9 RDO 27.5 pumps out 140mm travel. Its Ribcage construction and shorter seat tube accommodate long droppers.
Alan Muldoon
Bike Test Editor
Nukeproof Scout 275 Sport review
The Nukeproof Scout 275 Sport's slack head angle and long wheelbase gives it stacks of stability when the going gets steep and rough.
Ragley Marley 2.0 review
Absent from last year’s test after taking top honours in 2016 and pushing close in 2017, the Ragley Marley is back with a bang for 2019.
Sonder Transmitter NX1 Recon review
With slackest head angle, longest reach and shortest stem, the Sonder Transmitter is built for bombing, inspiring confidence to fully attack descents.
Decathlon Rockrider AM 100 HT review
French outdoor pursuits supermarket, Decathlon, has listened to what the British rider wants and delivered this, the Decathlon Rockrider AM 100 HT.
Merida Big Trail 400 review
Rocking a burly 34mm Suntour fork, and rolling on the biggest, stickiest rubber on test, the Merida Big Trail 400 feels solid and well built.
Pinnacle Kapur 2 review
With progressive geometry and a top quality frame the Pinnacle Kapur 2 has a really nice feel to it – direct and efficient without any jarring.
Calibre Rake review
Though all of the bikes in the sub £500 category L, the Calibre Rake is by far the biggest; and not simply because it has 29in wheels and meaty WTB
Trek Marlin 6 review
The first of two 29er to make it into the sub 500 category, the Trek Marlin 6 certainly didn't behave like a fish out of water.
Specialized Pitch Sport review
Specialized Pitch Sport underwent a round of revisions – updates to the geometry and layout that dramatically improved handling and standover clearance.
KTM Chicago Classic review
In its black and orange livery, the KTM Chicago Classic makes you think of motorcycles blasting though the desert at events like the Dakar rally.
Specialized Epic Comp Evo (2019) review
The Specialized Epic is one of the most famous names in XC racing, right up there with that other Specialized racer, Ned Overend. This Evo model gets more travel and…
Kona Hei Hei Trail review
If you look at the geometry on the Kona Hei Hei Trail it appears to have been designed to have more in common with modern XC bikes that its rivals.
Evil Berserker is designed for chairways to heaven and hellish descents
Evil Berserker based on Wreckoning LB and Insurgent LB enduro frames – pumping-up the spec to ensure it can suffer the harshest gravity abuse.
Whyte T-130 S review
It's easy to quickly glance at the 2019 Whyte T-130 S and assume it’s the same as last year’s bike, albeit with fatter 2.6in tyres and a 140mm travel fork.…
Trek Remedy 8 review
Blink, and you could miss the latest round of revisions to the Trek Remedy 8. The biggest change to the frame is move away from Full Floater shock mount.
Sonder Evol GX Eagle Helm DB-IL review
Regardless of the price point all Sonder Evol models share the same butted aluminium frame, with its four-bar suspension design delivering 140mm of travel.
Kona Hei Hei CR/DL review
Kona is better known for its freeride bikes but it’s no stranger to XC racing either, the 100mm travel Kona Hei Hei being its weapon of choice.
Cannondale Scalpel-Si Carbon SE review
Cannondale Scalpel SE's extra travel front and rear, and components like 150mm dropper post, makes it a different animal to its race stablemates.
Details of next year’s RockShox Lyrik, Pike, SID and Boxxer forks
RockShox new signature series range: SID, Pike, Lyrik and BoXXer forks, Deluxe, Super Deluxe and Super Deluxe Coil shocks, and the Reverb dropper post.