Pro Bike Supply Blog Niner WFO Review

Before I start off my long term review of the new Niner WFO, I would like to give a little reference for this review. For the last month I have been asked repeatedly to write my thoughts on the bike by our review publisher. Each week I have disappointed her when I have said that I still do not have the review. I would give a different excuse, such as too much work or too much on my plate, but the truth was I was having too much fun on what might be my favorite bike I have ever ridden that I would rather go out and shred than write the review. Now, fearing for my termination, I will finally attempt to somehow translate the huge smile the Niner WFO puts on my face into words to tell you why you need a WFO.A bit about the bike, the new Niner WFO saw a huge revamp in terms of geometry and travel. It is now a 150mm all mountain 29er with a 66-67° head angle and short 17.4 inch chain stays. The bike utilizes Niner CVA suspension design that gives to a very efficient pedaling platform. Even more impressive is the low height of the bottom bracket which comes in at 13.4 inches.Who is the bike made for? Well for starters if you are looking for a bike that succumbs to the Enduro hype this bike probably isn't for you. It's not carbon, it doesn't have 27.5 wheels, and it doesn't scream Enduro. Now that we have gotten that out of the way we can get down to whom the bike was made for. The Niner WFO is a bike for anyone who wants to hop on a bike and have a grin from ear to ear the whole ride, both up and down. If your trails are littered with huge chunk, drops, and dh features this bike will feel right at home and will push you to find its limits only to realize it has none on the dh trails.The bike I have been riding is equipped with Niner's stock 4star build which features a Pike 150mm, x01 drivetrain, Reverb Dropper, and Niner Cockpit. This stock build was great for me and the only changes I made was to the wheel set and brakes, swapping them out to my preferred SRAM Guide RSC for more stopping power and Novatec Diablo wheels for a beefier higher engaging hub.Climbing/Pedaling: If someone told me I would be getting a 150mm 29er the last thing I would expect from it is to impress me climbing. However the Niner WFO has not only impressed me, but has blown me away. Utilizing the CVA suspension, the WFO is hands down one of the best climbing all mountain bikes I have ridden. I would even go so far to say that it climbs as well as most XC bikes I have tested. I have taken the WFO on multiple all day rides and never once did I ever feel like the bike was the reason I didn't make a climb. The WFO also excels at technical single track climbs, and the 29 in wheels do contribute greatly to this. The bike just rolls over anything in its way up, and that is not a combo over words I thought I would be using when the bike showed up. The only place I think the bike struggles a bit is acceleration. When you first try to get the WFO rolling you do notice a bit more effort needed than smaller wheeled bikes, but this is also due to the fact that 29 in wheels will have a bit more flew in them. If you can afford it I highly suggest investing in a set of carbon hoops for this bike to really make it shine.Descending: Going uphill is great however where this bike shoots up to the front of my favorite bike list is descending. The best word to describe how fast this bike is would be "Scary". When I first started riding the WFO I was thrown off a bit on the descents, coming from smaller wheels. The WFO is not a bike that likes to be finessed, but takes a bit more riders input to put it in its line. When I started making these adjustments to my riding, I started to realize the bikes potential. The combination of 29in wheels and 150 mm of travel makes for a bike that will plow the roughest of lines. The faster the bikes goes the more comfortable it gets, and I am constantly trying to find its limits only to realize that I do not think I ever will. The bike does feel most comfortable in chunkier rough lines but also excels on smoother bermed trails, mainly because it is extremely snappy. This is in most part due to Niner stiffening the shock over the small chatter, which takes that sluggish feeling away from the bike. This in turn allows you to have a long travel snappy bike, something I prefer. However its small bump sensitivity isn't the greatest, but is a tradeoff I am happy was made. The rest of the 150mm of travel is smooth and controlled and even on big drops I never felt like there was any travel being "blown through". Cornering is a blast with its low bottom bracket and short chain stays and never once did I miss anything about smaller wheels. Simply put, the Niner WFO does everything my 26" all mountain bikes did, but better.Conclusion: In an industry where carbon, 27.5 and enduro are the only words we seem to be seeing it was very refreshing to find a bike that stuck out from the pack. The Niner WFO has been my go to bike from everything from XC suffer fests to DH day shuttle runs. I cannot emphasize enough how fun this bike is. If you are looking for an all mountain bike that begs to be man handled (or woman handled) the WFO is the bike for you. It won't let you down on your roughest of trails and will get you to the top of any climb you have the lungs for. Most importantly it is a bike that makes you want to ride every time you see it, and that is the best quality I can find in a bike.