Nicolai

It’s an interesting point and maybe true but if it is its not a hindrance to speed or grip. It works extremely well over rough ground and it has great feedback and feel, being very neutral in its character. That means you really know what’s going on under the wheels and there are no odd suspension characteristics to throw you off. Compared to say an SC Nomad, which has quite a distinct ‘feel’ to the way the suspension works.

Captain; as I think I said when this came up before there is more stiction to the bushing pivots than there is in bearings. I can feel it in the Nicolai bushings in the workstand compared to the Intense I had before which was bearings… but I can’t feel it when 13 stone of idiot is throwing it down a mountain track. Bearings or bushings designed correctly (and looked after) will do the job and last a reasonable period… I’d go by the track record of the company rather than what system… I wouldn’t go choosing one bike over another on such a detail (unless a company was trying something bizzare like chocolate lubricated bushings or marshmallow bearing surfaces 😕 ).

messiah, I think the point is that if you guys who actually ride Nicolai’s think that the stiction and that small bump compliance is fine in real life then that’s good enough for me. Was trying to get as wide a view as possible as we all have slightly rose tinted glasses on stuff that we ride. 🙂

It was never going to be the case of buying a bike on that basis alone, more a case that it would have been a biggish negative to put on the balance sheet.

Anyone else any thoughts on this before I head back to the Nicolai colour configurator?

Anodised Nicolai frames all the way… hence all the Black Ano Nicolai’s you see. Boring it may be… but it’s a tough finish which is lighter and more hard wearing than paint… and every gram is a prisoner of gravity 😆

I never noticed either of mine having more stiction than any other bike I have owned or ridden.

Get back on the colour charts.

I like the ‘only a mother could love’ looks. Same reason I like Orange 5s and Alpines.
Nicolais look like they do what they’re meant to. And look well made (perceived wisdom is they are).
Money means I just can’t stretch to one at the moment, but one day…..in brown with sky blue.

And cheers for the pics and info folks

Here’s mine plus the bikedog. Apologies for the gopping mudguards but it was a very muddy day…

messiah – Member

Anodised Nicolai frames all the way… hence all the Black Ano Nicolai’s you see. Boring it may be… but it’s a tough finish which is lighter and more hard wearing than paint… and every gram is a prisoner of gravity

Couldn’t agree more. My anodised BLT2 still looks fairly pristine despite an embarassingly large number of offs in rocky terrain. The big issue for me though is that the Helius AC is over 1 lb heavier than the Carbon Blur, and the AC 650 is almost 2 lbs heavier. That’s fairly significant on a big mountain day

I’m not sure a pound or two takes much difference to how much fun your going to be having on a day out in the hills… but the lighter the better, all other things being equal 😆

Really poor quality pic taken as the sun was setting. Even newly rebuilt my bike is still covered in mud 8)

No more black Bombers… just Avalanche Downhill Racing goodies at both ends.

Now I need to get it ridden.

The Hammerschmidt is having a holiday as well… not sure that is going to work out 😕

CaptainMainwaring

back to the Nicolai colour configurator?

And thats where your headache begins, looking on Mtbr’s gallery will only make it worse…..

@messiah getting on the sodding bike I wanna hear about avalanche goodies

They all look nice don’t they, however… However do they do them with normal (29er) wheels?

I particularly like the cammo one for some strange reason.

I really like the look of em. Gotta get a cabbie on one.
I love my Ltc though. I found it a considerably different ride to the alu one.

You can get the AC with clown wheels….

bikebouy – see my pic on page 1, it’s an AC 29er.

AC 650b Pinion

Whoop, big wheeled bikes..

Niiiice.

Now then, I know they’re niche ( no problem with that at all ) how do they compare to say a SC Tallboy LT??

Curious like…

My old AC and ION ST

I miss the ST 😥

My AC before the 650b

The 2x FR’s that i owned

I quite like Nicolais… 😀

Well my the bike I rode 12000km across Africa with

Argon CC 29er

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DSC00065[/url] by ianpindir[/url], on Flickr

UFO ST

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IMG_0257[/url] by ianpindir[/url], on Flickr

Helius AM

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IMG_0249[/url] by ianpindir[/url], on Flickr

Helius ST

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DSC00028[/url] by ianpindir[/url], on Flickr

Helius FR

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ian[/url] by ianpindir[/url], on Flickr

My new Helius AC 29er Pinion, currently 1/3 mine and 2/3 Nicolais

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Untitled[/url] by ianpindir[/url], on Flickr

Had quite a few

love my simple and effective trail bike, helius AC 29r

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IMAG0101[/url] by the_lecht_rocks[/url], on Flickr

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IMAG0089[/url] by the_lecht_rocks[/url], on Flickr

I really don’t like this thread.
I have been looking on German ebay at things I can’t afford. Must step away from the keyboard…

Ianpinder, 2/3 Nicolai’s. wtf does that mean ?

It means he hasn’t paid for the whole thing and owes money to someone.

My eyes !!! Looks like I am in the minority that thinks these look goppingly bad! IMO they look wrong and industrial! Just to add a bit of balance 😉

However who cares! just ride 🙂

Not quite finished here (cables not cut, missing brake mounts so no discs). 2013 AC Pinion