Originally Posted by
TimothyH
As an aside, I'd still like to ride a Jamis Renegade Elite. I tried to buy one sight unseen and would have purchased without so much as test ride but could not find one anywhere, not even one of the dumbed down "Performance Exclusive" models at Performance Bike. This bike looks like a great value. I say this as a happy owner of a Di2 Niner RLT 9 RDO. I'd still really like to ride the Jamis.
I only own the Renegade Expert, which is a lower end heavier carbon frame with Shimano 105, but I absolutely love it and ride the snot out of it. Right now it's 22lbs with pedals, but I'm using WTB KOM i23 rims as warranty replacements for the STs i23 rims, so I dropped some weight there. Your RLT 9 RDO frameset and build is top notch, and the Renegade isn't going to offer you anything other than quicker steering. Enjoy your sweet Niner!
Back on the topic at hand, my Renegade has never worn thin, light road tires. I briefly had the stock tires, then Schwalbe G-One Allround 38c, then WTB Riddler 37c, and I just put on some Donnelly Strada USH 40c tires. I have some friends of similar ability and when we ride gravel and they have their CX/gravel bikes there's generally parity. On my better days I can drop them and vice-versa. When we're riding hard (not race-level hard) on pavement I can keep up, but it's work, and they can gap me on the steepest climbs on their road bikes. They've told me on numerous occasions they'd love to see what I could do with a road wheelset or a "proper" road bike. I myself am very curious to see how my Renegade would ride with some light carbon wheels and 28c tires.