Welcome my new Nicolai….

IMAG0316 by the_lecht_rocks, on Flickr

I keep finding myself looking at this. I can’t work out whether the red bits are awful or a masterstroke….

Bar end plugs?

Love the colour and the look but my oh my that head angle looks mega steep.

Agreed, decided masterpiece. Looks better in the metal tbh….was a bit nervous during the wait process …
No bar plugs, never use em……

Holy cow that does’nt look right at all!!
HA looks impossibly steep.
I think I’ve just been staring at Yelli’s too much…..

Think the photo makes the ha look steep, rides like a bloody bulldozer!

More here…

http://twentynineinches.com/2011/08/01/nicolai-helius-ac-short-term-test-final-review/

Red looks lush…..

IMAG0311 by the_lecht_rocks, on Flickr

And the reverb hose needs cut & bled……..

She isn’t pretty.

Much better in the second photo. You have my blessing to enjoy.

Nae pretty, just stunning….rides hard though and fast….

it may ride beautifully, but it offends mine eyes sooooooo badly.

If fact I’ve just blinded myself using only a USB connector to ensure I never see anything that shocking again

Lol…..it’s a beaut 🙂

would look nice with 26” wheels.

But wouldnt ride like a bulldozer……. 👿

that’s the ugliest nicolai i’ve ever seen. what a munter.

I quite like it, what is the HA?

In all fairness.. It looks like it be ploughed into a wall!

Other than the HA. I like it

Where you feeling you feeling festive when you picked the color way, or just trippin?
I like the green, i like the red but the white makes it look odd, im sure it looks cool up close.

the 90s called, they want their headangle back.

is that the standard HA for the frame or did you get them to steepen it for you?

I like the green, i like the red but the white makes it look odd

aye, like most things welsh.

It’s wrong of me but I would have been secretly delighted if after all this waiting and bigging-up, you hated it

Nah, it’s absolutely brilliant….
72 ha, 74 sa….. Works great. Quick to steer, yet 29″ stability….bear in mind that it will take foxs 34mm 140mm fork too….. That would slacken it off another deg or so, but it’s perfect as is… The photo has exaggerated the supposed steepness…..

Klunk….I hope so, ’twas my aim to offend you 🙂

wheels are a bit big……thought you were a ti hardtail type??

Epo, I am…. Will go 29″ ti ht soon too….

Have you crashed it into a wall at a moderate speed?

The most gopping bike I’ve ever had the misfortune to lay my eyes on.
I’d like to say I hope it rides better than it looks, but its a 29er…

It’s not tickling my balls i’m afraid

The wall’s nice though

nice bike not sure on colours….would have cost a fair bit i’m guessing

I don’t understand why there are so many negative comments, I think it looks awesome with those colours. Like everyone else has said, head angle looks very steep but if it rides OK that’s not a problem.

I don’t understand why there are so many negative comments

People are expressing their opinion. Do they have to say nice things just to please you and the OP or would you prefer an honest opinion?

Personally im not keen on the colour scheme but that dosent affect the ride and as long as you like it then thats all that matters.

Re. the head angle I’m assuming that it’s the picture but it looks steeper than dippers, have you checked it?

I’m also not liking the red, but it’s only £250 for some orange extra love 😉

I think the white back end exaggerates things looks wise. Makes the top tube look short too. Which it’s not.

Still I’m sure it looks much better in the metal.

I’ll give you a shout when I get the Solaris back. I fancy heading to Glen Tannar…

Wow I think it’s awsome. Love to rag it down some bumpy bits.

TLR – was that stock geometry, or custom?

It does look really steep, but it might just be the photo – bearing in mind that the 34 is longer travel than the standard frame is rated for, I’d be expecting it to slacken it out a bit, so it must be the photo.

very jealous, as I’ve been speaking to Simon about one myself… I think I need to clear my shed and get some stuff on the classifieds very soon!

Hmm, thats nice.
If I download the photo and desaturate the colours, that is. 🙂
I’d put a black saddle on it, and lose the black chain stay protector.

Look forward to the usual exuberant t_l_r review, surprised we haven’t had one yet…

Sometimes colourblindness is obviously an advantage. Looks fine to me.

The head angle thing is somewhat psychological as far as I can see. If you think it’s too steep it is, if you think it’s just right it’s fine. I’m constantly questioning whether the geometry is right on my bouncy 29er right up to the point I ride it down a hill, and I realise it’s spot on. Not as steep as that mind…

the photo is a bit unfair….it’s a 72deg HA with long chainstays – rides perfectly…manuals reasonably, but it’s not an all mountain thrasher, it’s a trail bike….

lol at the hating/loving comments….. one mans meat, anothers murder, etc…..

it’s a wonderful world, and the sun’s oot today….. 🙂

i’ll get a couple of better pictures today – it’s a lovely day up here, wee bit chilly [2 deg c]…

i’ve got a black sadlle and some grips – might tone it down a bit, but i quite like it loud…….. 8)