Nicolai’s new modular Enduro bike comes with ‘Rado Dropouts’ and ‘MUTATOR Chainstays’

If you’re one to get uncontrollably titillated about beautiful welds and gratuitous CNC machined alloy, and you’re currently reading this in your workplace, then we suggest you look away now…

This is the Nicolai G1. And after 12 months of development and testing, the German manufacturer is now ready to unveil the G1 as its brand new flagship enduro bike. Replacing the outgoing G16, the G1 is a 162mm travel all-metal monster that features adjustable travel, adjustable geometry and modular MUTATOR chips that allow it to accommodate both 27.5in and 29in wheels into the same frame.

Though the overall layout and welded alloy frame looks similar to the G16, almost everything about the G1 has changed.

You guessed it – the G1 has a slacker head angle (62.5°) and a steeper seat angle (78-79°) compared to the G16. And because of Nicolai’s relationship with GeoMetron (being the manufacturer of GeoMetron frames), the German brand has fully adopted the same uber-long geometry style with reach measurements going from 470mm for the Small, and up to 555mm for the XXL. Put a saddle in the middle and you could have yourself a tandem.

Also new for the G1 is a custom-tuned EXT coil-over rear shock, which has been co-developed between Nicolai, Chris Porter of GeoMetron, and Extreme Racing Shox.

As is typical of a Nicolai, the G1 is overflowing with gratuitous manufacturing extravagance, so let’s indulge in some delightful details then eh?

Nicolai G1 Features

• Long travel enduro bike
• Made in Germany from 7020-T6 alloy
• Accommodates 27.5in and 29in wheels
• Custom 230x65mm EXT coil shock
• 162mm or 175mm rear travel
• Designed for 150-170mm travel forks
• 62.5° head angle
• 78-79° seat tube angle
• Reach: 470mm (S), 495mm (M), 515mm (L), 535mm (XL), 555mm (XXL)
• Clearance for 2.5in wide tyres
• MUTATOR adjustable geometry chips
• Frame RRP: €3,649 (w/EXT coil shock)
• Complete bike RRP from €5,999

7020-T6 Alloy

As you’d expect from Nicolai, the G1 is handmade in Germany from welded alloy, probably by folks with names like ‘Jorg’, ‘Konrad’, or ‘Helga’.

According to Nicolai, the special 7020-T6 alloy it uses for its frames is considerably tougher than the 6061 alloy that is used by much of the bike industry. The comparable tensile strength is supposed to be a third higher, and there’s more elasticity too. Nicolai goes on to suggest that its alloy frames are much tougher and more robust than carbon fibre frames.

New EXT Shock

There’s also a lot of excitement around the new metric-sized EXT rear shock, which measures an enormous 230mm eye-to-eye and features a generous 65mm stroke. The Italian shock manufacturer has been working closely with Chris Porter (GeoMetron), and Nicolai appears to have tapped into that with this particular shock that has been custom designed for the G1.

If nothing else, it looks fabulous, but Nicolai assures us that several new technologies lurking below the skin will offer more supple small-bump sensitivity, while still providing feedback for when the bike is loaded up hard. There’s a hydraulic bottom-out system, and spherical eyelet bearings to reduce side-loading on the shock.

If you’re not into the EXT shock though, Nicolai will be offering the G1 as a bare frame with a BYO shock option, or with a Fox shock instead.

MUTATOR

The black alloy chips at the top of the seatstays is the new ‘Pressure Strut MUTATOR’, which as Chipps said, is an excellent band name. By swapping the black MUTATOR chips (they’re available in 3.5/6.5/10/12/15mm lengths), the rider can alter the total length of the seatstay to adjust both the BB height and the head angle of the frame. Swapping the MUTATOR chips is also necessary for accommodating different wheelsizes.

The MUTATOR chips at the rear dropout remain the same design as the previous G16 frame, and allow for different length chainstays to be achieved with the same frame. Nicolai swaps these chips out depending on the frame size, which changes the chainstay length from 446mm on the Small, through to 458mm on the XXL size.

The Nicolai G1 is now available as a frame-only, and in complete bike options. And if this has whetted your appetite, then you can find more information and all the juicy technical details on the Nicolai website.

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You can hear Chris Porter talking about his love for the EXT shock and company in our interview with him.

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