Niner RLT 9 RDO — GRX 11-Speed | Custom Build Review

A 53cm Niner RLT 9 RDO built frame-up for one half of a couple who already rode RLTs and wanted something similar to what they had. Built from the shop’s parts inventory, mixing component levels to hit the ride feel and price they were after.

The Build

This was one of a pair Maklin put together for a couple who already owned RLTs and wanted new bikes in the same vein. Most Niners get built up at the shop anyway, so building these frame-up was natural — and because the shop keeps a stock of parts kits around, they could mix and match levels to land exactly where the riders wanted on both feel and price. This is the 53cm, what Steve calls a 3.5-Star build: a mostly 4-Star GRX bike with a couple of deliberate swaps.

Drivetrain & Swaps

The drivetrain is mostly a 4-Star GRX 11-speed group, with two changes that bring the cost down without hurting the ride for this kind of gravel riding. The carbon crank that comes on a 4-Star build was swapped for an aluminum Easton crank — not everyone cares about a carbon crank — and the cassette is an SLX rather than XT. The rest stays 4-Star.

Seatpost & Fit

Both bikes in the pair got the Niner carbon seatpost in place of aluminum. It’s a noticeably nicer ride — real flex and vibration damping over the alloy post. The rider came in for a fit, and the stem length was set from that before the build was finalized.

Wheels & Bars

It rolls on a Stan’s wheelset, a step up from the stock Niner gravel wheels that come on lower-tier builds, with Salsa Cowchipper bars up front. Nothing extravagant — just a smooth, fast RDO that’s dialed to the rider and lands at a reasonable price.