beagle
Thanks Both. And a lovely looking bike Honorable George!
Not mine - mine's a little subtler with the orange bits 🙂
Yes. It would have helped if I had read the text. Too busy frothing at the mouth 🤪
Geometron can supply them in custom lengths – they do 197×57 (goes in the “high” position, but the longer shock means the bike sits in “low”) that gives longer travel, 140ish. Think they’ll to the standard 190×51 also. Email Marcel @ Geometron, he’s super helpful and quick to reply.
So does that mean my cane creek 200x57 with the offset bushings taking the shock eye to eye to 198 will keep the low geometry if I put that shock in the high position?
That’s seem counterintuitive to me. Surely it’d raise the BB meaning low setting would be betterer?
Apparently not, Martin - Marcel told me when I asked something similar that they use the 197x57 shock along with two offset bushings. Pity, as 200x57 shocks are much easier to come by.
Am sure putting it in the high position will help somewhat, but it will still steepen angles and lift the BB.
beagle
Member
That’s seem counterintuitive to me. Surely it’d raise the BB meaning low setting would be betterer?
The longer shock takes up the extra distance to the high setting, if that makes sense.
Well that’s a wee lockdown photo project for me 😀
Has anyone on here attempted a DIY bearing change on a Geometron/Nicolai (G15)? It all seems quite straight forward, though I'm struggling to work out how to pull/push out the pivots from the main linkage.
Geometron sell a tool for inserting/removing the pivot axles, basically a metal rod that screws into the axle and can then be used to hammer it out. It's worth the few quid it costs, as it prevents you damaging the axle threads.
Cheers George -- bearings are coming from them anyway so will ask for one of those too.
Drop an email to Marcel, he's enormously helpful, and has all sorts of engineering diagrams and helpful stuff to share. They also sell a little bearing press, which is kind of homemde looking, but has all the right sizes and shapes.
I actually blew the dust off my G16 yesterday and went for the first ride of the year. (Neck injury last year merged into winter then into laziness, then into lockdown)
I only did 15 miles of roads and canal paths and I couldn't believe how comfy it is for sitting down and cruising around. I totally forgot how light and easy it feels when you're just spinning your legs.
Considering it replaced my DH bike for uplift days and Alps trips, it's ridiculous how versatile it is. I'm actually looking forward to riding it again, which is a feeling I'd totally lost.
Had a test ride on a G1 yesterday, having recently built up a 2nd hand G15 for a mate. I got chatting to CP a couple of weeks ago when he was setting my mates bike up, said I was intrigued as I'd ridden a few bikes that I had written off as being too long that on paper are shorter than the G1 is, but that I'm open minded etc. He offered me a demo ride, we booked it in...
So I turned up, Sam had got both the Medium (Longer) and Large (Longest) demo bikes ready for me to try. At 5ft10 I was expecting the Medium to feel massive, and the Large to feel ludicrous, based upon their reach and wheelbase figures. Shows what I know! 🤦🏻
A quick pedal revealed that the Medium felt way too cramped, and the Large felt much better from the get go... I measured the wheelbase at 1325mm FWIW, some 115mm longer than my current bike which feels "long/low/slack" compared to pretty much everything else I've owned in the past, but the Saddle to Bar measurement is still some 20mm shorter! Bonkers, but crucially, it immediately felt comfortable.
I then went through a few car park drills, Sam and Chris watching me like a hawk, before we made a few position changes (most notably cleat position), and then Sam adjusted the damping both front and rear to its extremes so I could feel what was happening, before we dialled it in for perfect balance front to back... This was perhaps the most crucial difference I learnt about bike setup, that the suspension balance is more important than how each end individually deals with the bumps that the terrain offers.
Bike setup and ready to ride, Pascal then took me out for a ride on a few trails up behind their HQ. Had a good chat with Pascal on the ride about the evolution of the geometry and all sorts of other things which was very insightful. Started off with a sizeable fireroad climb (quite steep one too), which proved just how well balanced the bike climbs, with just-so anti-squat values and the traction rich EXT Storia shock working overtime if you looked down to see what was going on, but without an perceptible pedal induced bob at all...
The first trail was an easy dual track to get my eye in a bit and get a feel for the bike. All good so far, it certainly feels well balanced though a little stuck to the ground. Next trail was a nice singletrack affair with some relatively tight corners, but quite flat and pedally (not what you would assume is the G1's natural terrain). The bike was remarkable in that it actually steers very quickly if you put a bit of effort in, in fact it can be made to oversteer which actually surprised me somewhat! We stopped part way down the trail, made a couple of damping adjustments to make the bike feel a little livelier and carried on. All good still. The third trail, a bit steeper and techier, with some tight switchbacks and a couple of chutes. Now we're talking! I can really feel the confidence it was inspiring, and noticed how with the bike setup for perfect suspension balance, that it's the perfect "2 wheel drift" bike as both ends would slide simultaneously, but in such a controlled manner it felt very easy to provoke but also to recover. Interesting stuff! Then another climb back up, and the final trail was quite a bit steeper and techier than we'd done so far, the bike felt superb! One super tight switchback corner, Pascal showed his skill in front of me by doing a rolling stoppie into the turn and swinging the rear wheel round in the air... "Oh great" I thought, as I could see the corner was super tight, and there was no way I'd manage what he'd just done. I presumed I may Jacknife the bike, and end up having to walk back and give it a double take... No such worries! Despite the wheelbase, it went round the switchback just fine, it just required a small dose of commitment to make it happen, that was all.
As others have said, the bike doesn't reward an "off the back" riding style, it requires you to be dynamic within the wheelbase of the bike, and weight the front tyre accordingly. The big thing for me, given the extreme geometry numbers and my experience on other (not quite as) long bikes, was how little effort was required to weight the front compared to what I was expecting. You expect to have to grab the bull by the horns and be super aggressive with it, whereas the reality is far more subtle than that, and as long as you're keeping your weight inside the wheelbase, dropping your heels and leaning the bike into the turn, the bars really don't need wrestling with at all!
Riding back to base, what also surprised me was just how "normal" the bike felt when riding along flat tracks and undulating pathways. It didn't feel at all unwieldy!
So yeah... The proof really is in the pudding with these bikes. I'm genuinely happy to say that any concerns I had about sizing and the bike feeling too big were completely dismissed, but also how well the bike seemed to cope with all scenarios rather than just the ones where you'd expect it to do well. Sitting and staring at the geometry chart, you can easily convince yourself it's too big and that you need to size down, but honestly, listen to CP and keep your mind open and give it a try. It'll be worth it!
Criticisms? Well it's not the lightest bike, but it's a 160mm travel 29er with a coil shock and an ally frame. Deal with it I guess! 🤷🏻♂️ Oh and there's just no way in hell the design will accommodate a bottle cage sadly. Hey ho! If I'm tooling up for a ride deserving of a bike like the G1, I'm heading out with a backpack on anyway...
So yeah... Eyes firmly opened, and my bank balance is getting ready to be depleted! Fortunately I'd only need a frame and shock as I've got everything else all ready to go which helps... Now do I go for Raw or Black, and what colour Extra Love Kit do I go for? 🤔
Enjoyed your update @Mboy. I've had a similar experience in test rides but have so far held off pulling the trigger for now....EXT are due to release their new Era fork any day now (I think/hope), and if it is anywhere near as good as the Storia V3 then a full build is on the cards.
I'm also 5'10" and while the numbers of the large are a bit ridiculous/intimidating on paper, it just felt 'right' and seemed to fit very well from the get go. The downside of such a big step up in size (from a medium Jeffsy) is that if/when I get one, I suspect the Jeffsy will feel unrideably small and sketchy?
I look forward to your update once you have pulled the trigger and spent some time on it.
When I first got mine people used to take one look at it and shake their heads. Telling me it won't go round switchbacks, it won't do jumps, it won't go up hill and on and on. And I was just, What you on about? I've just spent all day doing exactly that!
but also how well the bike seemed to cope with all scenarios rather than just the ones where you’d expect it to do well
This sums it up for me. You'd expect it to be amazing at a ceartain kind of riding, then it's a pleasant surprise when it's really civilised everywhere.
I haven't even ridden an EXT version yet. I got mine a few days before the big Fox debacle so I'm on an X2.
Well, haven't been able to justify a G1 purchase yet, but couldn't let a G15 in my size slip by again...
Fingers crossed will get this built up over the next few days, then get some miles on it soon. Bit of a half way house maybe, but arguably may be better for most of my riding than a G1 would. Will wait and see I guess!
Is that the frame from the classifieds here? I wondered where that would end up 🙂
I've got a bottle cage bodged I to my extra longest g13 frame. One bolt in the cable guide hole and the other end held on with
Zip ties.
Lockdown and a baby have mostly curtailed long rides and uplifts so one bottle has been mostly fine.
The on one pod sac has also been bodged to fit with liberal application of gaffa tape.
Is that the frame from the classifieds here? I wondered where that would end up
Yes, ironically I tried to buy it months ago, but got pipped to the post. Last 2 owners have upgraded to G1's off the back of it anyway, it seems to have that effect apparently! 😂
Sensible stuff Mboy. I purchased a 2nd hand older G13 from someone moving to a G1. Popped an EXT On it and it rides really really well. While it is technically ‘outdated’ by the G1 - comparing numbers across the piste in 2020, it’s bang up to date and suits 90% of my riding.
Enjoy!!
While it is technically ‘outdated’ by the G1 – comparing numbers across the piste in 2020, it’s bang up to date and suits 90% of my riding.
Got my G15 built up over the weekend (pics soon, but haven't managed to take one in the daylight yet!), quick scan of the geometry chart vs what I've measured (I'm using 44mm offset fork vs 51 the chart quotes) and it's pretty contemporary for 2020 indeed... 64.5deg HA, approx 76.5deg SA, 1265mm wheelbase, 490mm reach, 445mm stays... Not as radical as a G1 for sure, but a nice stepping stone. Besides, it's only a -2deg angleset and a chainstay mutator away from full Endurrrooooooo... 😉
Popped down to see Sam @ Geometron yesterday, he helped me set the suspension balance up on it and now it's all ready to go shred... Took the opportunity to grab a few snaps too...
Most of the components lifted straight off my Evil, forks have had a rebuild and gone back up to 160mm and lighter oil in the damper though, and after deliberating over what brakes to put on it for ages, the chance of some 2nd hand Trickstuff Maxima's was too good to pass up on... Oh, and JUST got away with the 185mm drop BikeYoke dropper that came with the frame. I have about 5mm spare to play with! I had worried it was going to be too long, and I was going to have to sell it and buy a shorter post, but thankfully my long legs for my height means I've got away with it. 👍🏻
Just got a new to our household g13, where can I get the cable guy guides? Especially those on the top of the BB?
Looking a good build on that bike there mboy.
That looks very nice mboy, but you might have just gone over the permissable amount of accent colour there.
Is it a medium or large? The geo is surprisingly close to my non-Geometron enduro bike.
Bike-components.de sell the various cable guides in all the colours
Very nice!
That looks very nice mboy, but you might have just gone over the permissable amount of accent colour there.
Might be getting reined in soon with different wheels without the Orange hubs or rim logos. Possibly grips too. I already had all the Orange bits off my last bike, and as luck would have it, this frame came with Orange linkage and cable clamps already...
Is it a medium or large? The geo is surprisingly close to my non-Geometron enduro bike.
Medium. It's pretty close to many 2021 Enduro bikes in a Large size geometry wise I'd say.
Cheers, yes, my large Radon Swoop is virtually the same but with 15mm less reach and I have no idea what the wheelbase is.
The rim stickers would be first on my hit list, and I reckon it'd be sweet then.
No point changing the crank boots for the sake of it, but if they needed replacing I'd probably go black.
Hope you've got some matching orange clobber to wear with it.
Well......Aftervover 10 years of continuous Nicolai ownership, I have pulled the trigger on a new G1 hybrid 29/27.5
I had a massive cycling accident last September..
5 broken ribs
Shattered collarbone
Broken shoulder..
Hoping the G1 will offer more front end grip and reliance to avoid another masssive washout...... We will see !
I've booked a demo day at their HQ for next month for the G1. Pretty excited for it! Would be looking at the 29er version, any tips or things to look out for before I try it?
If you're not use to Long low slack. it will take a bit of getting used to as your body position will need to change.
Trust in the team they are very knowledgeable and know their stuff.
Do give them as much feed back as you can.
Full 29er you need to be a bit more aggressive with the steering.
Don't rull out the mullet setup its worth trying it.
Do you like doing wheelies or bunnyhops? Might have to go back to school on that front.
Do you like doing wheelies or bunnyhops? Might have to go back to school on that front.
It can be done but takes a bit more technique. If my 45kg 12 year old can do it its not all about strength
Do you like doing wheelies or bunnyhops? Might have to go back to school on that front.
Couldn't care less about wheelies and manuals for the sake of manualling. If I can still send it off drops I'm happy.
I can't even bunnyhop on my relatively conservative Jeffsy and it hasn't impacted my enjoyment of the bike.
Another question! Has anyone got the G1 with the Formula forks? I've not heard or seen much about them at all apart from the fact that they are very tuneable. If I end up liking the bike on the test day I'll probably get the stock XT build which comes with them, so would be good to hear any opinions on the fork.
The G1 I demoed had the Formula forks, they felt good, no complaints about them. A mate has them on his G1 and got on with them really well.
29/29 covers ground better, 29/27.5 is more nimble through the corners and more forgiving (doesn't stand up when you get on the brakes)
Do you like doing wheelies or bunnyhops? Might have to go back to school on that front.
No different to any other gnarpoon.
I haven't tried the mullet, SirHC, but have herd lots of folks liking it. Worth a go? I stil have a bunch of 27.5 tyres lying about.
Worth asking the Geometron team if it can be tried during the test ride. Takes me 10 mins for me to swap out the seat stay spacers, swap a cassette over.
Where do you normally ride?
Hoping the G1 will offer more front end grip and reliance to avoid another masssive washout…… We will see !
Only if you're more active with shifting your weight about. My first trail on the G1 demo bike, I felt the front wheel pushing on a couple of times (managed to save it though) until I started actively moving my weight forward more in the turns.
Another question! Has anyone got the G1 with the Formula forks?
I tried them. Wasn't blown away by them (but then my 36's are far from stock), they felt decent but perhaps slightly undergunned for the front of a G1 to me. If you can stretch to it, spend the extra on the EXT ERA fork and you won't be disappointed... FWIW, local shop to me sells Formula and runs them on some of their demo fleet (also sells EXT now too), he echoed my sentiments pretty much saying they're a superb fork for a mid travel trail bike.
If you can stretch to it, spend the extra on the EXT ERA fork and you won’t be disappointed
They do seem amazing but an extra £420 on top of an already expensive £5800 is a bit rich for my blood unfortunately.
I do kind of want to have a 170mm fork which the 29 version of the Formula Selva doesn't do apparently, but I suppose I can test it out and talk with the guys at Geometron to see what my options might be.
Late to the party here. It appears that most folk are on to the G1.
Last year I got a long G16, at 6ft I should have been on the longer or longest. I have been riding Nicolai Ions for a long time so it was a nice upgrade for me. I wasn't expecting it to feel hugely different to the Large 27.5 Ion I was on before. But it does.
Built it straight up as 29F /27.5R
Its confidence inspiring that's for sure. I cant say if I'm faster or slower on this bike, as I don't use anything timing wise. But I think I am quicker through certain sections of the trail. Its also a good climber despite its heft.
I might be tempted to see what the longer and the longest feel like as the long (small) was a safe bet. Next time im in wales I will certainly treat myself to a demo
My only niggle is that the majority of people talk about not hanging off the back of the bike to make it work. An easy way to do that is to run no spacers under the stem and a low rise bar to encourage the weight forward (especially when running a 29" on the front). However in doing this the first crash will see the shifter smashed into a million pieces against the top tube or a ding in the top tube. Probably not so much of an issue with the triple clamps these bikes started life with back in the MOJO days
I'm bringing back the mega thread. Is anyone still out there puzzling and experimenting?
My G16 has been pretty much unchanged for nearly 4 years and I need a new shock. The EXT Storia is the obvious, if most expensive choice.
I've had a Fox X2 in 216x63 giving me 155mm travel. I was thinking of swinging the little shock nugget around 180 degrees and squeezing in a 222x70 EXT giving me 175mm of travel.
Has anyone run both travel settings and can comment on how it affects the all round ability of the bike?
The bike is already a monster over roughage, so it'll just be even better right?
It'll be a much better DH bike when I'm doing uplifts and Alpine holiday stuff.
I'm just worried that the extra sag will make it even lower and slacker and more of a beast when I'm in dreary, bridleway purgatory. It's never felt like a nimble, agile trail bike. I don't want to fully monster truck it.
Should I just buy an EXT and stick at 155mm?
EDIT: Just a thought but it's a shame they don't make a linkage for the G16 which allows you to run the full fat Storia with the eyelet bearings.
Im running an EXT at 155mm - also ridden a friends bike with a Fox x2 in 170mm mode. We both agreed the EXT was better.
The EXT is definitely recommended, It holds itself up in the travel nicely and also has a lock out for fireroads etc. The guys at MOJO set them up really well for weight etc.
I've had my G1 for a couple of months now and it's awesome. I did have to tweak the EXT a bit since the guys at Geometron set it up with a soft spring, but added a ton of HSC which made it feel super harsh on rough stuff. I went up a spring rate, took off pretty much all HSC and it feels incredible now. Supportive, insane small bump sensitivity, soaks up big hits like nothing.
I know the EXT will be superior to the X2 in terms of suspension quality. Hopefully it'll be more reliable.
It's just that if anything, I'd like to make the bike more lively on the trail. So while I'm tempted to run the longer shock for max travel I'm worried it'll make it even more dull and squishy.
the guys at Geometron set it up with a soft spring, but added a ton of HSC which made it feel super harsh on rough stuff
That's bizarre. Did they say why they did this?
"Supportive, insane small bump sensitivity, soaks up big hits like nothing"
100% agree - what a shock!
