Video: New Defiant Pack Strapless Frame Bag for Niner SIR 9

When Niner tolled out the new SIR 9 hardtail a few months ago (which Cass had a chance to review on the Colorado Trail), they teased a rather nice looking strapless frame bag fitted to the Sir 9, made by Defiant Packs out of Carbondale, CO. Just the other day Niner unveiled the final iteration of the bag alongside this video:

As mentioned in our Full-sus Frame Bag Guide, we think all bikes should come stock with a frame pack. But as we all know, no matter how secure the you strap them on, the bags and straps slide and can put wear the frame’s paint job. For this we often use Shelter tape to protect the frame, particularly on the top tube. Some folks are taking this a step further and creating bolt on bags, which takes straps out of the equation altogether. When Niner redesigned the SIR 9 they took this into account and created numerous mounting points where a frame bag can be attached without the need for straps, thus eliminating unwanted frame wear. In fact, for the SIR’s main triangle, there are nine unique attachment points.

It only made sense to create a bag specifically for the Sir 9, so Niner hired Defiant Pack for the task. According to Niner, “Defiant looked at our request and took on the challenge. After a round or two of prototypes, we settled on a design that worked well.” The production model is the one pictured here with the white background. The prototype is the one you see attached to the SIR 9 while it was out being tested on an overnight trip.

FRAME BAG HIGHLIGHTS

• Clean, strapless mounting via an internal rigid structure and 9 mounting points.
• Made to fit each size of the SIR 9.
• Taped seams keep zippers operating smoothly while offering additonal barrier from the elements.
• When closed, the zippers tuck inside a stash pocket to keep them clean and rattle free.
• Hard side inserts and internal middle restraint prevent unwanted bulging and help maintain a slim loaded bag profile.
• Additional side pouch for keeping smaller items easily accessible when the main cargo area is packed full.
• Forward hydration hose exit port makes storing and drinking from a water bladder easy.

The Defiant Frame bag for the Niner Sir 9 is constructed out of what looks like Dyneema, ballistics nylon and Cordura, but we’ll try and find out the exact materials and update this post. The bag is available for $180 at NinerBikes.com. Find out more about Defiant at DefiantPack.com. Also, make sure to check out Cass’ review of the Sir 9 here. Video created by CB Media.