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Jet 9 RDO XX1 Build...this one goes to eleven

18K views 108 replies 32 participants last post by  muzzanic 
#1 ·
First ride complete, I absolutely love this bike. This is also my first ground up build and I happen to be rather proud of it. It also gave me an excuse to buy some great tools (star nut setter, crown race setter, headset press...)

On the first go, my bb to chainstay housing was too short. I was banging my head against the wall, then I came here and read about 120mm housing. Re-cable the aft section, shifts perfectly.

Lastly, XX1 is just the trickest kit out there. Always having any gear on demand is going to make me lazy (or give me freedom to concentrate on other things.) If you have the means, I highly suggest picking it up.

Enough commentary. Build specs:

White Jet 9 RDO v1.1
SID XX fork
Cane Creek/Niner headset (had a red chris king ready, wont fit, oh well.)
Enve bars
Niner Rdo seatpost and 90mm stem
XTR brakes and 160 rotors
XX1 crank, rear d, chain, cassette
Stan's Crest rims built on DT 240s
Kenda Small block 8 tires running tubeless
Specialized Toupe saddle








Need to trim brake cables, and slam the stem. Still getting all adjusted.
 
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#55 ·
You can buy a new freehub body for SRAM and DT 240 hubs right now - for about 50 bucks. The swap took maybe 5 minutes. As for the BB - I ordered a PF30 BB and 156Q cranks, and they went on without a problem.

Only issue I have is that the factory threaded lines running through the frame may have been crossed to my head tube. As I look at everyone else's cable routing the right hand shifter cable crosses to the left hand side of the head tube badge, and mine doesn't, but I was just following the lines as they came from Niner.

It's at 24 lbs now, with some heavy tubes and a heavy saddle. Both on my list to change.
 
#58 · (Edited)
My LBS was able to roughly match the prices at UniversalCycles on the XX1. XX1 is in high demand and many parts are starting to get backordered, so order soon.

I have spent _far_ too much time in the past weeks considering what parts to order. Ended up ordering the Syntace HiFlex P6 carbon post (amazing engineering and warranty) and Ritchey WCS Carbon C260 90mm stem (gorgeous!) and Enve sweep bars. Went with the Fox CTD 100mm fork in black.
 
#60 ·
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Ok in truth I've had this for a little while, but didn't want to steal anyone's thunder. I actually had it set up 2x10, but had so much flex when I was mashing real hard I couldn't keep the chain on the big ring. Anyway, swapped over to XX1 and am hooked. Definitely going to be expensive trying to convert the other horses in my stable.

XL White Jet 9 RDO
Fox Float 120mm, Maxle
SRAM XX1 Drivetrain (BB30 Q168 & trigger shift)
Shimano XTR 988 Trail Brakeset
American Classic MTB Wheelset
Schwalbe Ron & Ralph
Niner Flat Top Bar, ESI Chunky Grips
Niner RDO Stem 110mm
Kind Shock Supernatural Seatpost 150mm drop, 435mm overall
Forte Pro SL Saddle
Shimano XT Pedals
26lbs (includes pedals, tubes, pump & cage)
 

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#63 ·
Ok in truth I've had this for a little while, but didn't want to steal anyone's thunder...
26lbs (includes pedals, tubes, pump & cage)
Nice looking steed! I'm with you on the imitation thing. I'm totally trying to copy some of the goodness I've seen in this thread. That is one of the nicer looking white RDO builds I've seen. Looks like you've gone for more of a "trail/AM" build. I bet your bike will be more fun to ride than the "XC racer" build I'm going for. BTW, what bottle cage is that? Does it hold your bottles firmly enough while still being able to pull them out on the trail?
 
#72 ·
It's a Large. Put a lighter saddle and new Ashima rotors last night and shed a few grams.

Today was the first ride, though just a commute. Nothing like a new bike to amp up the mundane. The wheels are the Rise 60's, and they seem good so far, but I haven't really had them in a situation where I can tell just yet. I haven't converted to tubeless, which is the drawback. Most other wheels in their price category are tubeless ready. But I got a good deal on them, so it's hard to complain.
 
#73 ·
Is it correct that traditional Q-factor is 166 (with non-XX1 cranks)? If so, what specifically has many of you going with the Q156? I'm in the process of ordering an XX1 crank to use with 1x10 drivetrain, but I was thinking Q168 since that's closest to traditional, and I've never felt too "wide" before on pedals?

Is there a noticeable advantage with Q156? Also, can anyone confirm it wouldn't cause a clearance issue on an Air9 RDO frame?

Thanks
 
#74 ·
I put my 156 Q XX1 cranks on my wifes bike to try before I ordered hers.

With clip in shoes she had no problems, but she also some times iust usws running shoes & found with the wide heal they would often rub the frame.

She has chosen to go with 168 Q for this reason.

both my bikes run 156 Q & I tell myself it's better for pedaling in deep ruts & less likely to get caught on tree stumps & better for pedaling on corners when the bike is layed over.

However this to the greater part is all in my head, Because 6mm each side isn't much & there will be pedals out there with spindal lengths that will be a greater difference.

156 Q isn't a magic bullet to anything, I would be just as happy with 168 Q but then I'm 6 ft maybe a shorter peorson might notice it more.

my 2 c
 
#79 ·
So, I now have to say Ive officially had an issue with xx1. When I balled up my wheels on a big drop, turns out i broke my cassette as well. When my mechanic removed it to rebuild my trashed rim, it came off in two pieces. The shop said sram would warranty it...but they are backordered through the end of april. Just so happens a local guy had an extra, which he is giving me in return for the other when it comes.

I will be interested to see if this is an issue more people run into, or if it was a self contained case of stupidity. If the cassettes are prone to breaking, it is nice of sram to warranty that.
 
#80 ·
That it crazy. I've had two XX cassettes and never came close to breaking anything on them. I can say that I've broken an XTR cassettes though, but that was due to the thin titanium cogs. Anyway, wonder if you hit it on a rock and/or they broke it removing it from the wheel???
 
#81 ·
Palmares, where did it break? Any pics of it?
I was going to go with the xx1 group for my new Jet RDO build but I am patiently waiting to hear more ride reports and/or issues. I am not in too big a hurry to build the bike up hence the waiting and to see if Shimano comes out with a similar group.
It's perplexing to wonder that by manufacturing parts to be lightweight that durability becomes an issue, as is the challenge in most manufacturing arenas.
 
#86 ·
Not sure, as my bike shop is in Austin and I dont live there. After talking to a few people, it sounds like a very isolated issue, as no one has heard of an xx or xx1 cassette breaking like that.

I took a pretty ill advised gnarly drop and landed on a non landing area (read: I f'ed it away) and am just glad nothing worse happened. I still dig my XX1 and dont think there are long lasting durability issues. We shall see.
 
#91 ·
I have the Trail 24's (weight came to exactly 1570 g with tape and valve stems) ready to put on my black RDO frame. I went for a slight custom order by getting black rim/hub, and red spokes. I'm just waiting for handlebars and stem to arrive and then I'll post a picture of the finished bike. I considered blacked out I9s as well. Should also look sick.
 
#103 · (Edited)
First time on dirt the other day, so here's the ride report:

This is my first 29er, my first carbon mtb frame and wheels, and my first 1x drivetrain. A lot of changes all at once. But holy cow, how stoked I am with it all. The Jet9 is ridiculously stiff and light, and super quiet. I was trying different climbing styles to see what I liked best on the bike, and everything was awesome. Stand and mash or sit and spin, it just wanted to go faster. I used the firm propedal settings on the way up and could get the frame to move when I stood, but not by much. The technical climbs (mostly babyhead cobbles on steep grades) were cake. I went with a 100mm fork, and liked how stuck down the front end felt on steep climbs.

Descending was even more eye-opening. I have a 5.5" all mountain bike, and the Jet9 felt almost as plush on the down. I can see why folks are pairing up 120mm forks on this frame. But I liked the quick steering and racier feel of the 100. Over time, and depending on how much I start using this bike as my trail bike as opposed to a race bike, I may experiment with the 120. But overall, day-um. Fast.

I'm running xx1 with the standard 32 tooth front, and found the gearing to be fine for the ride I was on. I used the 32x10 on the fire roads and descents, and only used the 42 on one short steep section (40%). I didn't feel limited on the low end, but I can see a need for some top end for races where the courses won't be technical or super steep. Coupled with the fact that I'd probably have dismounted the steep section to jog it (I wanted to see how low the gearing felt), I'm putting a 36 on order. I imagine I'll end up with three or four front rings over time that I can swap out, which is the beauty of the system. Otherwise, the performance of the drivetrain w perfect. No ghost shifts, and it's remarkably quiet on the way downhill, no chainslap.

So, I knew I'd love this bike as I was building it up since I was seriously upgrading in most categories, but I didn't realize HOW much it would all add up. I'm still nervous about sending a rock into the down tube, but I didn't think about that once on the ride itself. All I could think about was how absolutely right the bike felt. Nimble, plush and fast all at once.

For context, here's the terrain:
Mountain Bike Ride Profile | As the snow flies near Lakewood | Times and Records | Strava
 
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