Sinister R9 DH frame-abused and reviewed

“Long and low”, those are usually the second and third things I tell people when I’m asked about my bike. The first is that I really like it! This bike has a true race bike feel. Its long wheel base provides a very stable ride when at speed. The bike truly has a long and low feel to it. And the attention to detail is off the charts too.STATS:

Size: medium
Head angle: 67
Top tube: 23.5”
Chain stay: 17.5”
Rear shock: 5TH element


Spring weight: 400lbs 9.5 X 3.0
Length of test: One full race season

The R9 uses a relatively common design used in the bike industry. It's called a 4 bar linkage. Companies like Specialized, Intense and Norco use this on their bikes. The main difference between the R9 and its competitors is where the rear pivot is located. On the R9 it’s found on the seat stay, just above the rear derailleur, where as the brands listed above have it on the chain stay, just next to the derailleur. Having the pivot on the chain stay eliminates a lot of “brake jack”. Brake Jack occurs when you lock your rear brake while in bumpy terrain. This causes your rear suspension to lock up because the rear wheel can’t roll forward as the bike uses it rear travel.


Personally I haven’t found it to be an issue. I’ve ridden all summer and have never noticed it affect my ride. I really do like the way this bike rides.

In my travels I have found that this bike favour’s to taller people. The long wheel base can be hard to manage for smaller people. I’m 5’11” and it fit’s me perfectly. I have talked with Sinister about this and it is a simple 24” rear wheel solution.

(above photos courtesy of Fiona Taylor)

Throughout my test the only circumstance that my bike didn’t handle the way I wanted it to was in really tight corners. But keeping in mind that this is a race specific bike and not a free ride bike, I quickly forgot about the slow tight corner issue.


These frames are the product of a small group of hard core riders from the east coast of the U.S. Located in Walpole New Hampshire, Sinister bikes uses only the finest products to create these works of art. The frames are hand built by one of the best in the business. His name is Frank Wadelton, most commonly known as “Frank the welder”.
Frank builds a piece of art. I will be very honest, I am a very aggressive rider. And I tend to be hard on equipment. My R9 feels the same way it did when I received it back in April. I didn’t even change a bearing, when typically I am replacing small parts throughout the season. Frank and his crew did a great job designing and building this bike.


This past summer I raced the full Canada cup circuit, including both North American World Cups. This allowed me to test the R9 in nearly every condition. This bike is fast, stable and very reliable. I would recommend this sweet ass ride to anyone with bullocks big enough to haul ass down a mountain side. If you can fill those shoes, then go get one for yourself, I guarantee that you will like it!


Visit www.sinisterbikes.com for more information on their whole line up.