Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 74 total)
  • Show me your Nicolai Helius CC
  • ahsat
    Full Member

    You may have seen my previous thread for suggestions for a new frame. Very taken by the suggestion of a Nicolai Helius CC (like to be a bit different but up front). Can you post pictures of yours/your mates to give me an idea of working set ups. Any in anodised black most welcome. If anyone is in the north east with one in a medium and wouldn’t mind a test ride I would be very grateful!?

    shredder
    Free Member

    Would do but waiting on my new frame have all the bits sat waiting. Have a look over on mtbr Nicolai forum loads of pics and advice.

    neninja
    Free Member

    Where in the North East are you?

    Here’s mine – I swapped my XT chainset from another bike onto it since this picture and it’s got a different fork and shock on now.

    I’ll upload a newer picture later.



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    nicolaisam
    Free Member

    I have a Nicolai Ac.Very good bike.

    duntmatter
    Free Member

    Here’s a rubbish picture of mine.

    Not a single bit of it is new. You don’t necessarily have to spend thousands to have a lot of fun!

    ahsat
    Full Member

    Where in the North East are you?

    Newcastle/Durham

    You don’t necessarily have to spend thousands to have a lot of fun!

    I agree – if I do decide to do it, I (well my very patient other half) will move the stuff from the EX8 with possibly the cross max wheels from my hardtail.

    Cheers guys. Keep them comming. Had a look at mtbr which was dangerous as it made me want a cool custom yellow frame, though the annodised black they have in is a lot cheaper!

    richen987
    Free Member

    Here is mine in anodized black, as with Duntmatter’s, second hand frame and not a new bit on it,apart from the cables, all in less than a grand (apart from the wheels, which I share between 2 bikes) they are amazing bikes I would heartily recommend it.

    all clean

    all dirty

    jad
    Free Member

    My old CC from 2005. Beautifully made but didn’t really get on with it. Didn’t like the high BB and short top tube. Bearings were ridiculously expensive when they needed replacing… Also swapped the DT shock for a Fox which made a huge difference (in a good way).


    Nicolai Helius CC by alanach_d, on Flickr

    nicolaisam
    Free Member

    Jad-That frame looks very small for the seat position to be that high,and have a setback post.
    I would say your frame was too small for you.

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    Here’s my new one in Candy Red (no longer available) cost less than the RRP of a new 2011 frame.

    Here’s my old one in Ano-black.

    Great bikes and most excellently fast & stiff & reliable & erm German 😆

    mogsuncle
    Free Member

    Here’s mine. The frame was purchased second hand off the STW classifieds (from Hicksville, I think). I had it fully refurbed by Nicolai including a new ‘Fire Dept Red’ powdercoat, then bought lots of expensive trinkets to hang off it. If I’m honest it’s lately been an expensive ornament!

    Pre Refurb –

    Post Refurb –

    lesoudeur
    Free Member

    Powdercoat black with Rohloff. Here, here and here.

    allthegear
    Free Member

    Okay, not exactly a perfect photo but does show it’s quite a versatile bike!!

    Rachel

    Ambrose
    Full Member

    Rachel, are we twins or something? My Ano bronze CC on the Mossete lift up to the top of the GR5 descent, via possibly the best cafe in the Alps, Refuge de Chesery 🙂

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    allthegear
    Free Member

    that is a little scary!!! lol

    Rachel

    Ambrose
    Full Member

    Out there again this summer with three other Helius’s? Heleeii? Heliues?

    What is the plural of Helius?

    ahsat
    Full Member

    You guys are selling these as good bikes. Personally was looking for something that out climbs my Trek EX8 (without a chair lift) but I get the idea. Lol!

    Rachel – good to see another woman riding a Helius. What size do you ride? I am 5’9″ and find womans bikes too small so end up with blokes bikes for the length in the seat tube (without a foot of seat post sticking out) but then find the reach in the top tube a bit long. I’ve read the Helius tends to have a slightly short reach which is appealing. How do you find it?

    Cheers
    Tasha

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    Tasha,

    The Helius are relativley short in the top tube for a given size, the medium has an effective TT of 585mm.

    I’m 5’10” and a bit with a 32.5″ inside leg (shortish body) and it fits me fine without tons of seatpost sticking out, coupled with a slight lay-back post (Joplin) and a 65mm stem.

    Climbing wise they are brilliant, as fast as my HT on smooth climbs and faster on rough stuff.

    It may well end up heavier than your EX8, but the frames are seriously stiff and so well made.

    BTW my older black one is for sale, it’s the older geo so a degree steeper at the front, but still the same top tube length and suits 120/130mm forks great.

    allthegear
    Free Member

    Hi Tasha – I do ride a Helius but I’m a bit taller than your average woman – 6’2″ (yes, really)

    I love it and the top tube is shorter than most, I would say. Mine is an older shape (I think) but I use a coil RS Pike and I think it works really well.

    Rachel

    soulwood
    Free Member

    soulwood
    Free Member

    One very muddy CC, run in 100mm F&R. Ahsat, if you are interested in getting one you will not be disappointed. I rode HT for years, in fact my bike before the CC was a Cotic (hence my username) and that was/is a fantastic bike that reignited my passion for mtb’ing. But the CC is even better, there are times when I handle it like I did my Soul, and I am amazed that I am riding an FS, I really don’t notice the rear end moving, except that all the corners arrive a lot faster!
    As for the TT length, I’m 6’2″ with a long back, and am now running a 90mm stem and mid rise 711mm bars. It feels great, and thats comparing the TT length to the long soul frame. For me this was a rare total eclipse of the sun moment. The CC was at a bargain price from the distributors and I was lined up to work 5 bank holidays in a row with double time. I spent the overtime before it arrived and I don’t regret the purchase one bit.

    ahsat
    Full Member

    Climbing wise they are brilliant, as fast as my HT on smooth climbs and faster on rough stuff.

    Thanks – that is what I want 😀

    I do ride a Helius but I’m a bit taller than your average woman – 6’2″ (yes, really)

    Rachel – in a really odd way that makes me very happy as I get so much rage about being 5’9″ and never finding anything womans stuff that fits (not that I do pink or flowers or anything) and your much taller than me!

    I think I am pretty much sold on it. I have been speaking to mojo about getting an RP23 shock set up for it. Keswick bikes are working out when I might be able to get a test ride (in reality not super urgent as still off the bike recovering from a knee fracture but now I have my heart set on it and all that….) and I have emailed Nicolai UK to see if they still have any CC’s at the bargin price on thier website. I think it may be a pretty much done deal. So watch out, a bargin Trek EX8 2008 frame for sale in the not too distant future!

    neninja
    Free Member

    I’m about 10-15 miles south of Durham if you struggle to find a test bike at a dealer.

    email in profile

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    Nicolai UK have a medium in Black Ano and a silver one left at the moment.

    Great to deal with too.

    You don’t need alot of ProPedal on the Helius CC, I bought mine with a DT Swiss SSD190L and I also have a Push’d RP3 that I’m trying at the moment 🙂

    allthegear
    Free Member

    so much rage about being 5’9″ and never finding anything womans stuff that fits (not that I do pink or flowers or anything) and your much taller than me!

    Oh believe me – you have no idea!!! Thank goodness for Top Shop jeans in 36″ leg… (actually, I’m told they do a 38″ leg, too – can’t imagine who they are for!!!!)

    I also have a DT shock and like it but I’m told those in the know go for a Rock Shox Monarch these days – supposed to work really well.

    Rachel

    soulwood
    Free Member

    A few folk say that they fit an RP23 shock and it improves the bike. The way I see it is that the frame with a shock at full RRP is 2K. Thats not a cheap FS frame, and being a German firm with slight OCD issues (hand sight and finish every frame) I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t spec a shock that diminished the ride. I’ve ragged my CC in the middle and big rings while out of the saddle with the shock open and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the shock hardly moves.
    I think the main issues with FS is not so much the shock but pivot location and stiffness of the frame, something that all the Nicolai’s do well IMHO.

    ahsat
    Full Member

    I’m about 10-15 miles south of Durham if you struggle to find a test bike at a dealer.

    Cheers. I’ll be in touch if required – really appreciate the offer.

    The way I see it is that the frame with a shock at full RRP is 2K. Thats not a cheap FS frame, and being a German firm with slight OCD issues (hand sight and finish every frame) I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t spec a shock that diminished the ride.

    Yep, fair point and everyone is happy with thier DT shocks on here. I am waiting on our LBS to come back to me who we have a deal with and I will decide from there.

    On an aside:

    Oh believe me – you have no idea!!! Thank goodness for Top Shop jeans in 36″ leg… (actually, I’m told they do a 38″ leg, too – can’t imagine who they are for!!!!)

    I dont struggle so much on clothes (I am not as tall as you at all!) – well jean are a pain, but more for getting cycling thighs into, but its biking kit – it is never long enough! 3/4 lenghts for woman become half lenghts on me! I have no idea how you find kit!

    allthegear
    Free Member

    ha ha – I have a bit of a mix of guy/girl kit. It’s a long story… 😉

    Rachel

    ahsat
    Full Member

    Lol – me too, particular as I nick the other halfs (padded shorts not included!). Thanks for the advice on the Helius.

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    ahsat – did you clock that Momentum UK (distributors for Nicolai) are selling their last two Helius CC frames at a price that will probably justify buying without even riding one?

    Have a look here: Brand New Helius CC for £1150

    I’m personally not a fan of the DT Swiss cans myself. I test rode a CC with one and couldn’t get the air pressure right; the right spring weight while riding meant the bike sat too high in its travel (only about 15% sag) and then when I set the spring rate according to the sag measurement, it was way too soft. Apparently (and I am just quoting someone else here), there is very little in the way of compression or rebound damping in these things, which makes it hard to control what it’s doing. None of this stopped me from loving what the CC did though. It was a lovely bike and accelerated amazingly.

    The Fox RP23 Boost Valve is much better IMO. I have a Helius AM myself with an RP23 and have owned one of their DH bikes as well. I am a bit of a ‘fanboy’ but what I love about the design of Nicolais is two things.

    First it’s their overall integrity; they track amazingly, go precisely where you want them, as stiff as bullets and hard as them also. All this translates to greater precision on the trail; the bike has telepathic like instincts to your input. That integrity of build quality also means your shock bushes and pivot bearings last a life time as well. Everything is rotating in the correct plain (plane?)!

    The second thing is the suspension design works without any fuss or drama. It just ‘melts’ into the back ground. It has no quirks, no weird habits, no strange behaviours. It just does what it does without making its presence felt. There are, perhaps, more effective designs in certain situations, but they also tend to ‘add a lot of information’ when riding. The Nic’s Horst Link, just fades away.

    Overall their Horst Link bikes (can’t comment on their single pivot designs) tend to be very neutral.

    Oh and they are a joy to own.

    P20
    Full Member

    did you clock that Momentum UK (distributors for Nicolai) are selling their last two Helius CC frames at a price that will probably justify buying without even riding one?

    I know! Gulp! That is a part of the major appeal! Waiting for the other half to get home to have a word with him about it (he understand’s technical things far more than me!). It is so tempting to just go for it. Even if I dont get on with it, I could flog it at a pretty reasonable price with that much reduction on it. From everything that has been said here that seem unlikely though!

    The second thing is the suspension design works without any fuss or drama

    I like this a lot.

    Arghhhhhh…..where is the credit card?!

    P20
    Full Member

    Damn – I realise I am logged in as the other half! Ops! Sorry Jack!

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    Damn – I realise I am logged in as the other half! Ops! Sorry Jack!

    LOL had me confused as all heck. I was trying to find P20 on the thread 😀

    I could flog it at a pretty reasonable price with that much reduction on it

    You might be able to but here’s the one thing about Nic’s. They are a very individual choice. People buy them because of this and so consequently, they don’t tend to buy them second hand because they want the oppportunity to spec it just the way they want it.

    If Nic’s appeal and you’re seriously thinking about one, then it also stands to reason that you’re not buying on price, so again, a cheap second hand one doesn’t have as much appeal to a potential Nic’ customer as say another brand will. I sold my Ion ST (DH fame) for about £1100 when it was a year old and mechanically excellent, just some chips in the paint here and there. The new price was £2400. I even considered myself lucky that I managed to find a buyer because there have been a number of Ions on eBay that haven’t sold. The CC is more marketable though and again, at the price you’d be paying you’re not going to lose a heck of a lot.

    In their favour, the five year warranty that comes with them is transferable, which I think is pretty much unique in the MTB world (or anywhere else outside of cars for that matter!)

    Also none of this should stop you from getting what is basically the bargain of a lifetime with those CCs if indeed you had already set your heart on one.

    What’s stopping you?

    At 5ft 9″ a medium is pretty much bang on the money. A 585mm/23″ top tube is going to feel just right I think for your height and while that is shorter than a lot of other ‘medium’ sizes, it’s not exactly cramped.

    simons_nicolai-uk
    Free Member

    So – response to a few points on here….

    Short, tall and high bottom bracket….

    Pre 2006 they were a bit short and a bit tall. From 2006 onwards we lowered the top tube by over 25mm (joined lower down the seat tube) AND lengthened the top tube by about 25mm and adjusted the frame for longer forks. The pre-06 bike was much better with 100mm forks, post 06 is warrantied up to 140mm and would have a lower bb with 130’s than the earlier frames.

    The CC still has a relatively high BB but that has advantages – particularly somewhere like Cumbria – as it means that it’s a lot more flexible. Run with shorter travel front and rear – say 120mm – and you’ll have a ‘short’ travel trail bike with a reasonably low BB. At 140/130 you get a higher BB. Run it 100mm front and rear and build it light and you can run it as a race bike.

    If you want a low BB’d long travel trail bike we have the Helius AC.

    We think that Fox or RS offer much better performance for most riding than the DT. The DT works well set up firm on a race bike but isn’t that plush for trail riding – however, we were offering them at a price too good to turn down (even if only as a spare). Not sure if they’ve all gone now though.

    Lots of interest on these last few bargain CC’s now so don’t hang about.

    ahsat
    Full Member

    Sorry, signed in as the correct person now!

    Not sure if they’ve all gone now though

    Please god no! I have sent you an email Simon! Please let there still be a medium in black left and I will take it! I have been totally sold it by the stw massive having never even seen one in the flesh! I hope for the rest of you:
    1. there is a frame left at the bargin price (having now made a decision so there may be a crying woman)
    2. it lives up to its reputation!

    Now just to tell the other half! 😀

    fubar
    Free Member

    My old CC from 2005. Beautifully made but didn’t really get on with it. Didn’t like the high BB and short top tube. Bearings were ridiculously expensive when they needed replacing… Also swapped the DT shock for a Fox which made a huge difference (in a good way).

    …and that frame is now mine. It did eventually get rebuilt with Black Revelations, XT Discs, Gold Hope Headset, Thomson stem and a few other bits. It has barely been ridden though 😳 (but it is a thing of beauty IMO)

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    Tasha – you’re gonna love it if what you’re after is a neutral trail thrashing work of mechanical art 😆

    Mine’s built pretty trail orientated with 140mm QR15 forks, short stem, dropper post and a double & bash up front. My previous one was a couple of pounds lighter and a more XC build with carbon bars, 130mm QR forks etc.

    Either way the bikes are great, the new geo (which is what you’ll be getting) has released the inner descender in me to the point where my regular riding buddy (Orange 5 with nice new FiT forks) was flat out & on the edge behind me down the blacks at Llandegla on Saturday in the damp slippy conditions – he was miles quicker than me before i built my new one up.

    He even commented if I was meaning to have the back end stepped out over the jumps etc (yup so I was pointing the right was rally car style on the landing) and that I was a lot quicker than him through berms 8) and the bike never flinched off line or felt sketchy 🙂

    Have I mentioned they climb well too, we had a nice long (about 12km from bottom of valley to peak on my GPS) climb gentle’ish but techy climb on the trails outside of the center too.

    neninja
    Free Member

    If you do get one of those last 2 bargain frames and need a cheap shock to tide you over I have an SSD190L I swapped for an RP23

    ahsat
    Full Member

    Wooooohooooooo! You are looking at a new Nicolai owner! RP23 on order from Merlin! It is going to be awesome 😀 😀

    I can’t believe how mental I must be! 48 hours have passed looking at new toys – some chat on STW, a couple of phone calls and I have just bought a bling German bike frame! I am officially mad! And whats more I trusted you lot! Bring on the end of knee recovery and the riding 😀

    nicolaisam
    Free Member

    I am on my 3rd Nicolai,Had an FR,Ion and now an AC,I wont buy any other brand.Thinking about something to compliment the AC,maybe an AFR.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 74 total)

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