Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 71 total)
  • Nicolai
  • 154hopperavenue
    Free Member

    Unless I find last night’s winning lottery ticket I ain’t getting one anytime soon but damn they’re good to look at.
    So it would be really nice if those of you fortunate to have one could post some pictures of them…

    shredder
    Free Member

    2011 Helius CC
    Currently undergoing a bit of a build kit update.So other than frame and fork not a lot of the build kit pictured remains.

    😀

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    d45yth
    Free Member

    Have a look on the MTBR Nicolai forum…then it’ll be like being in a sweetshop!

    patriotpro
    Free Member

    Would love a go on the black one, it looks like a proper monster. It’s looked built up with a descending bias, what’s it like to ride?

    Bregante
    Full Member

    Crappy iPhone pic: 2010 Helius CC


    Untitled by redmancunian69, on Flickr

    groundskeeperwilly
    Free Member

    The new Helius TB 130mm bike looks good.

    154hopperavenue
    Free Member

    Cheers folks. They just look ‘right’….off to MTBR

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Not mine – a mates.

    IMG_3275 by ScotRoutes, on Flickr

    154hopperavenue
    Free Member

    ‘Urban camo’…..does he a UN-blue helmet as well?

    Just re-read the piece in Privateer about them.

    Please note – I took advantage of their 8 issues for £16 offer. If I could afford to pay full price I’d have my own f***ing Nicolai 😉

    bawbag
    Free Member

    messiah
    Free Member

    boltonjon
    Full Member

    My mate runs one – awesome machine. Built like an old Panzer tank, but climbs well and descends like a lunatic

    Very nice bikes – i keep accidently looking at their web page – in particular the gearbox version

    I’d also say that they are a great 2nd hand buy due to the transferable warranty

    Get it done!

    Bregante
    Full Member

    I’d also say that they are a great 2nd hand buy due to the transferable warranty

    This.

    I bought mine off Mildred on here with over 4 years of the 5 year transferrable warranty left. Recently there have been a few 2 and 3 yr old frames on here around the £500-£600 mark. Bargains IMO.

    Holyzeus
    Free Member

    Mugboo
    Full Member

    That’s it, I’m off to check my ticket..

    nicolaisam
    Free Member

    My Ac

    Has the red gearbox back in it now

    spanishfly
    Free Member

    BG, “Messiah” please what rear mech are you using with the Hammer’ ?

    Cheers

    Yetiman
    Free Member

    ahsat
    Full Member


    Nicolai Helius CC by ahsatb, on Flickr

    Bit updated now with replacement forks etc, but overall look is the same! Must rephoto is at somepoint.

    Its brilliant! Built like a tank and descends like a beast!


    Chopwell by ahsatb, on Flickr

    messiah
    Free Member

    spanishfly – BG, “Messiah” please what rear mech are you using with the Hammer’ ?

    Short cage 9spd Saint. Works brilliantly with the Hammerschmidt… although I guess it’s a bit weird having a SRAM front shifter and a Shimano rear; although it works great so who cares if it’s a bit weird.

    My AM in a more mile munching build.

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    Aha, my favourite kind of thread 😀 Mine is a full custom frame, tailored to my own sizing and geometry.

    Nicolais are definitely not inexpensive, but neither would I say are they particularly pricey. You’ll be looking at £2k for a frame and shock, which is easily comparable to anything from the US boutique brands.

    Factor in the build quality and that they are hand made in house by top class engineers (rather than fabricated in Taiwan – no bad thing but then it begs the question what is the premium you’re paying for Yeti, SC etc for? Plus let’s face it Intense may be hand made in the US but their frame alignment is rubbish) and they start to look good value – remember value is not about price, it’s about benefits versus costs.

    Second hand Nic’s are the steal of the century. For some reason, they just don’t hold their value despite the build quality, reliability and transferable warranty. I think it’s because if you want a Nicolai, you want the opportunity to customise it to your own specs and you’re not always too bothered about saving the money.

    tomaso
    Free Member

    Messiah wins the sexiest Nicolai competition!

    Not being very clued up which model is that? I’m guessing with the chunly Bombers its not a CC?

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    It’s a Helius AM and clearly I win the award not Messiah 😀 <readies himself to flounce out of the forum>

    The AM is still available but it’s looking like it will be superceded by the Ion 16. Personally I would still prefer the versatility of the AM; you can chose the travel options and in the 155mm mode rather than the 171mm setting, the bike does pedal significantly better and is a better UK bike for most of what it would be asked to do.

    The higher setting is perfect for the Alps and UK DH courses though.

    messiah
    Free Member

    Thanks Tomaso… but I prefer Geetee’s; I’d like a little tweak to the geometry of mine (a very little tweak really and hence probably not worth doing), and just look at those ENVE wheels!!! 😯 .

    Mine is indeed a three year old Helius AM. It’s had quite a lot of changes over the three years as when I bought it I was a bit tight for cash so it had a very second hand bargain hunting build (it was still awesome and was/is the best bike I have ever had). Over the last three years I’ve tried quite a few different builds on it as I’m a faffer and each build had an event or something requiring the changes, so it’s been pimped and improved to where it is now… it’s currently looking a little different again… 🙄

    I’ll post a photo tonight if I get a chance.

    One thing about second hand Nicolai’s is knowing how old they are and hence what the geometry is. Some of the second hand frames look in great condition but are much older than they look so the geometry might be a bit odd with modern forks.

    What I like about Nicolai’s is that I’ve not broken one in the eight years I’ve been an owner (I’ve had three)… if I like a frame and ride it hard they tend not to last a year. I sometimes look at other manufacturers but I suspect my next big bike will another Nicolai. I’d love an Argon AM hardtail but as a second bike I’ll buy (and probably break 🙄 ) other cheaper options.

    As Geetee says the AM is extremely versatile, full on doonhalling with stormtroopers one day and climbing munro’s the next. Brilliant bit of kit.

    tomaso
    Free Member

    GeeTee its very nice and all but its not a Black Bike with Bombers!

    Anywhere handy to gen up on the evolving frame geometry of Nicolai AMs?

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    Tomaso, it’s cool – I know black is often the preferred choice!

    There is quite a useful description of the updates to Nicolai frames here.

    What are you looking for in terms of use?

    messiah
    Free Member

    not a Black Bike with Bombers!

    Fair enough… but your not going to like my newest version of the AM then :mrgreen:

    Tech Sheets and Tech Sheets Archive at Nicolai.net has plenty of info LINKY or ask about specific versions on the MTBR Nicolai forum where some very knowledgeable people hang out.

    Early AM’s had a 200*57 rear shock and last three years have 215*63. There are other changes around head angle and bottom bracket height and there are custom versions and other changes available so it’s helpfull to know details of what frame your looking at.

    tomaso
    Free Member

    Just dreaming of a perfect Lakes bike :mrgreen: to haul up mountain passes and back down.

    messiah
    Free Member

    A bit like this then…

    Top of a Munro in the Grampian Highlands 😀

    annebr
    Free Member
    jameso
    Full Member

    All-black Nicolais are about as good as it gets for sussers. Geetee’s is looking particularly sorted too. If I ever get another susser, it’ll be German, matt black and proper bad-ass. With Conti Rammstein project tyres. Damn cool bike company..

    wattsymtb
    Free Member

    I’ve had 2 and really want another.

    Maybe one I can pedal next time.

    The little one was so much fun.

    CaptainMainwaring
    Free Member

    A bit like this then…

    Top of a Munro in the Grampian Highlands

    I’m guessing that’s Broad Cairn with Loch Muick in the background?

    messiah
    Free Member

    I’m guessing that’s Broad Cairn with Loch Muick in the background?

    😉

    roverpig
    Full Member

    Must admit I’m just not getting the love for these bikes. By all accounts the build quality is excellent and I guess (from all the fans) that they must be great to ride. But aesthetically I’m just not getting it. Mind you, I think a Five looks good, so what do I know.

    Great to read that those who have them love then and clearly have fun on them though.

    Yetiman
    Free Member

    Another Munro shot – Sgor Gaoith with my Helius FR (now split ready for sale sadly)

    wattsymtb
    Free Member

    All of my friends thought both of mine had looks only a mother could love. I now have an Orange Alpine and although I love the way it rides I just don’t get that same feeling looking at it.

    I can feel that I am in the initial stages of convincing myself I need another one. What is the difference between all of the helius range? I’m assuming:
    CC-Cross Country
    AM- All Mountain
    FR- FreeRide

    Are there any others and what are the actual differences?

    Bregante
    Full Member

    AC, All Country? (dunno but it’s “more” than the now discontinued CC and less than AM)

    CaptainMainwaring
    Free Member

    Hopefully this is not too much of a highjack but I’m thinking new bike time in the next couple of months. Currently have a 6 YO SC Blur LT2 which has been brilliant, so the default is a new SC in carbon to save weight, but I really like the Nicolai after seeing Messiah’s a couple of years ago.

    One comment from an LBS owner I respect said that he had tried a Nicolai and it had poor small bump compliance because of the stiction in the all-bushing suspension. That comment posted on MTBR didn’t really get a satisfactory response except from Messiah which was that it’s possibly a bit stickier. So UK Nicolai owner’s views on this observation?

    If that’s not an issue then its going to be a question of SC to save a reasonable amount of weight or Nicolai for robustness?

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 71 total)

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