Spotted: New Niner WFO with 150mm of travel
Originally posted on July 31, 2013 at 15:11 pm
By Eric McKeegan
While waiting in line to start stage 5 of the Trestle Bike Park stop of the Big Mountain Enduro, I noticed two Niner WFOs that looked a little different that what I was used to.
I got a sneak peek at the new WFO at an earlier media event, but after checking out the raw prototypes, I was vowed to keep this info secret. Those vows were lifted this past weekend, and I talked a bit with Niner’s Brad Cole about where the WFO is headed.
Much of the new tech on the RIP 9 (covered here) will be applied to the WFO. This means air-formed tubing, ICSG tabs incorporated into the linkage, and updated linkages and bigger bearings. Travel is bumped up a bit to 150mm or so.
Geometry should be modernized too, with a shorter rear end, lower BB and slacker head angle. No numbers on these yet, but I do know the unused front derailleur mounts in these photos won’t be there on the production bike, allowing for a shorter chainstay than what we see here. This also means a 1x drivetrain only, best get your fitness in line or shell out for XX1 or XO1!
The fall trade shows should bring news about the final geometry numbers and prices, in the meantime, check out our review of the previous WFO.