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Jet9 RDO woe

26K views 106 replies 37 participants last post by  hydrogeek 
#1 ·
Got my RDO back in January, moved my nearly new Shimano XTR drive train 9sp, triple over and had one good ride so far where the shifting wasn't a complete nightmare. The front derailleur shift is a manual-matic process of moving the shifter, then dismounting the bike to manually lift the chain to the next bigger chain ring.

The rear dérailleur just ghost shifts constantly, my shop has tried all new cables and housings twice and shortening and lengthening the housing to no effect. <sigh>.:madman:

I am actively trying to sell my XTR drive train to replace it with SRAM as that seems to work for the other RDO owners in my area.

Good news is that last night Niner responded that there is a shift upgrade kit available for the RDO to address issues.

Has anyone had similar issues? How did you fix it? Did you install this kit?
 
#22 · (Edited)
Ninerds -

We at Niner appreciate your feedback and input when it comes to our bikes - it is based on this feedback that we have created a Shift Kit for the Jet 9 RDO. This kit is designed to make your bike set up easier by eliminating the need to determine rear triangle housing length.

This kit includes a 110mm piece of 4mm shift housing and two ferrules that are designed specifically to fit into the chainstay. You will then have bare cable inside the chainstay.

These kits are ready to send out to anyone that currently owns a Jet9 RDO - shipped on request to your dealer, at no charge. If you do not have a dealer nearby (or distributor if you are not in the USA & Canada), send a self addressed stamped envelope to:

NINER BIKES
ATTN: Jet9RDO Shift Kit
1611 S College Ave Unit 202
Ft. Collins, CO 80525

We recommend that everyone with a Jet9 RDO uses this kit, it makes set-up and tuning precise and trouble free.


Thank you for oyur support.

Thanks,
Ralph
 

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#46 ·
Ninerds -

We at Niner appreciate your feedback and input when it comes to our bikes - it is based on this feedback that we have created a Shift Kit for the Jet 9 RDO. This kit is designed to make your bike set up easier by eliminating the need to determine rear triangle housing length.

This kit includes a 110mm piece of 4mm shift housing and two ferrules that are designed specifically to fit into the chainstay. You will then have bare cable inside the chainstay.

These kits are ready to send out to anyone that currently owns a Jet9 RDO - shipped on request to your dealer, at no charge. If you do not have a dealer nearby (or distributor if you are not in the USA & Canada), send a self addressed stamped envelope to:

NINER BIKES
ATTN: Jet9RDO Shift Kit
1611 S College Ave Unit 202
Ft. Collins, CO 80525

We recommend that everyone with a Jet9 RDO uses this kit, it makes set-up and tuning precise and trouble free.

Thank you for oyur support.

Thanks,
Ralph

My RDO frame came with 8 ferrules in a bag. Can I just use 2 of them and my own 110mm piece of Jagwire Ripcord cable housing instead? That's essential the same thing, correct? In fact, does that say "Jagwire" in the image? The resolution's too low to tell.
 
#23 ·
Ok RDO Owners,

Got my RDO back from the shop with the shift upgrade kit installed. Everything working well during my 10 minute test ride. I can now understand where the issue was in the chain stay. The shift kit reremoved about 18 inches of cable housing.

My FD is fast and smooth, not related to the shift kit, just better setup. The RD is now clicking cleanly into gear is much less effort at the shifter.

The real test will come this Saturday, so I'll update then as well but so far so good.:thumbsup:
 
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#2 ·
Bummer to hear the shop wrenches are having trouble with it. My wife's RDO maiden voyage was a rough one but it was entirely down to me cutting the rear housing too short. After I went through and did it right the second time (removed shock, cycled suspension to make sure the housing was long enough but not TOO long) it's been great. Her front shifting has always been perfect. Maybe it's a SRAM vs. SHIMANO issue? It might be that one is more sensitive to setup than the other.

Hope they get it sorted out for you, sounds frustrating.

JMH
 
#4 · (Edited)
Really was hoping to hear that this Niner shift kit cured someone's woes with Shimano. Maybe someone could explain what is in the shift kit and what it is going to do help cure the issue.

I can't be the only one if Niner has created a shift kit. Obviously addressing a real need and a demand.
 
#5 ·
Really was hoping to hear that his Niner shift kit cured someone's woes with Shimano. Maybe someone could explain what is in the shift kit and what it is going to help cure the issue.

I can't be the only one if Niner has created a shift kit. Obviously addressing a real need and a demand.
What chain are you running ?

I have found with a KMC chain you have to be closer with your setup or it doesn;t change as nice as a XTR chain.

But other than that had no problems ( with 4 RDO's ), That said all needed to have the derailieur hanger setup square before I could get nice changing.

On all bikes I go back after 3 of 4 weeks of riding when things have settled down & reset the hanger.

I think your luck will change when you get someone good to look at it, If they cant even get the front shifting right there is little hope of them working out the back.

Also check that the free hub has no play.
 
#8 ·
Maybe the best tool a mtb rider can own.

With your rear wheel in & done up tite, You undo the rear derailieur from the frame & screw in the tool.

You adjust the rod in to just touch the rim( I start at the top of the wheel & use the valve stem as my point of reference ), then slide the adjuster unit in towards the wheel, Then turn the tool around the wheel 90 deg & then spin the wheel so that the valve is now at that point 90 deg from were we started ( The reason I allway spin the wheel & check were the valve is, Is because if the wheel isn't stright it wont through out your check ) As you slide the adjuster part of the tool to the rim you will see if the tool tryes to over lap the rim or has a gap.

Then repeat around another 90 deg & now you will see if the hanger is stright or if it needs a small bend.

If needed ( & I'm sure it will, you use the tool to bend the hanger little bits at a time ) untill the rod just touches the rim at 0 deg ,90 deg , 180 deg.

This make any bike change gear so much better.

Hope this helps.
 

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#11 ·
Option to an alignment tool... Assuming the rear derailure hanger in question is replaceable (as most are these days), just keep a fresh spare - and whenever your rear derailure gets too finicky swap the old hanger for a new one. If the problem goes away, there you have it.

Not that I wouldn't like having that nifty gadget. I'm a sucker for tools.
 
#16 ·
Since I've been riding a RIP I can see Niner knows what they are doing as it's a great bike. However, I think their cable routing is overly complex. Maybe Niner is looking at this thread and will take note. Maybe just running the routing under the bottom of the TT and down the rear seat stays (for the rear der. and brake) would be more direct. Specialized's method of routing everything under the downtube gives the cleanest look but takes more cable and its not the most direct. That method does give the added benefit of allowing the cable to act as sort of "protector" for rocks thrown up at the down tube from the front tire.
 
#17 ·
On my first RDO ride this weekend the bike was ghost shifting (in the rear) a lot at first. I had pretty carefully cut the housing to a length that I thought would be perfect. But no... it seemed way too short and caused ghost shifting when the suspension compressed heavily.

Then it just stopped. When I checked it out on the trail I noticed that the little cable inserts that go into the chainstay where the housing enters had slipped out. I shoved a wee bit of the housing loop at the rear derailleur into the chainstay to give more slack under the BB then put the inserts back in to keep the housing in place. It's been good since. With the housing able to move a little it sort of "found" how much slack it needed under the BB.

Just a thought before you rip the housing out. See if you have any slack to spare at the derailleur and shove it in.

No idea what this shift kit thing is but I'm curious.
 
#18 ·
Thanks all for the suggestions, Niner shipped the shift upgrade kit out on Friday, I'll let you know what it is soonest and try to snap a photo too. Shop is now checking RD alignment as suggested here.
 
#20 ·
shifting woes

I also have been unsuccessful at getting the RD (SRAM X0, 10speed) to swift well on my RDO. I did my cables as per Niner website. I meticulously measured & re-measured the rear housing length and then used the small plastic inserts that "fix" the housing within the chainstay. Result: no ghost shifting, but shifting was very slow & took lots of extra half-shifts to get adequate RD movement.

My mechanic reworks all the cables, & this time skips using the small plastic inserts on chainstay -- says he was informed that they were not necessary. Results: shifting response is better (not good), and now there is ghost shifting with heavy rear suspension travel.

Question to others: did you use these inserts that "fix" the housing within the chainstay, or skip this to allow the rear housing to "float"?

I will have to inquire about this shifting fix kit & recheck RD alignment.
 
#21 ·
Here the aforementioned Niner RDO shift upgrade kit for my Jet9 RDO. Looks like plastic tube and plastic grommets for the frame holes.



Won't be installed until later today or tomorrow, hoping and praying for a good outcome.
 
#25 ·
How do you have setup the shiftercables in the badge btw?

Do you have them crossed or not?

Let me explain what i mean. If you sit on the bike does your rearshifter cable go in the hole in badge on the left or the richt.

I am asking this because if you cross the cables they also cross internally in the frame. Does this effect shifting or not?

I have installed them non-crossed.
 
#29 ·
The new maiden voyage on the trail with the RDO went fine. The shifting difference is night and day. Use the Niner shift upgrade kit.

Thanks all for your responses!
 
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