Nicolai, belt driven, gearbox, full suspension MTB

[weeksy]

https://singletrackworld.com/2020/11/ni ... rail-bike/

Well that's pretty damn radical isn't it !!!

[Beancounter]

I like the belt drive and the Pinion gearbox but I always think the Nicolai bikes look a little unfinished, they're not particularly attractive bikes in my opinion.

[weeksy]

Yeah it's quite a basic and generic frame design that's for sure. But the belt/pinion is quite left-field that's for sure.

I don't actually know how well it would copy in chalky-clay-mud.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I like the idea of a proper gearbox as derailleurs are a bit shit, anything that relies on the chain bending isn't a good idea

[Beancounter]

I like the idea of a proper gearbox as derailleurs are a bit shit, anything that relies on the chain bending isn't a good idea

Apparently the chains are designed to bend, according to the GBMN video I posted earlier in the chain thread.

[Mr Moofo]

I really fancy a nicoli / geometron...
Belt drive -I had a buell - for every positive there is a minus ....

Belts snap - so how do you get home?

[millemille]

Yeah it's quite a basic and generic frame design that's for sure. But the belt/pinion is quite left-field that's for sure.

I don't actually know how well it would copy in chalky-clay-mud.

Generic?

Really? Name me one other frame manufacturer who machines their own aluminium tubes to produce the butting exactly as they want it and uses the geometry they do?

What you really mean is "It's not your run of the mill hydro-formed aluminium mass produced in Taiwan frame"...

[weeksy]

Yeah it's quite a basic and generic frame design that's for sure. But the belt/pinion is quite left-field that's for sure.

I don't actually know how well it would copy in chalky-clay-mud.

Generic?

Really? Name me one other frame manufacturer who machines their own aluminium tubes to produce the butting exactly as they want it and uses the geometry they do?

What you really mean is "It's not your run of the mill hydro-formed aluminium mass produced in Taiwan frame"...

No, that's not what i mean. I mean it's quite generic. That's why i wrote it.

It looks like dozens of frames from 5 years ago with straight tubes and square frame chainstays, same as many were doing. I don't need to discuss how they butt it or how their geometry is, because that was sod all to do with my observation that it looks quite generic. It could easily be a Turner, Swarf, Prduction Privee, etc.

That's not actually a criticism as you seem to interpreted it as. Some people do bendy hydroformed stuff, some do weird headtubes, some use tube/oval chainstays and some use rectangular....

The observation was, it looks generic.

[MingtheMerciless]

Mate has a Gates belt drive SS, snapped his first belt in 3 years after it unusually dropped due to a lump of mud/stone and rather than following procedure which is to take the back wheel out and refit belt he tried walking the belt back onto the cogs which then broke it.

Foxy of Sarf Coast Suspension had a Zerode for a while which was a FS carbon framed pinion bike which was lovely (though I think it was chain drive)

[Mr Moofo]

Foxy of Sarf Coast Suspension had a Zerode for a while which was a FS carbon framed pinion bike which was lovely (though I think it was chain drive)

It's shame that Foxy seems to no longer answer emails or fettle with suspension - as I want my serviced. Dream Bike seems to have taken over his life ...

[porter_jamie]

Yeah it's quite a basic and generic frame design that's for sure. But the belt/pinion is quite left-field that's for sure.

I don't actually know how well it would copy in chalky-clay-mud.

Generic?

Really? Name me one other frame manufacturer who machines their own aluminium tubes to produce the butting exactly as they want it and uses the geometry they do?

What you really mean is "It's not your run of the mill hydro-formed aluminium mass produced in Taiwan frame"...

I think pace did something like this on a hardtail a long time ago?
I agree that swoopy hydroformed frames all look the same and let's be honest all made out of the same factory in Taiwan. a nicolai is CNC'd and welded by a merry band of middle aged teutonic craftsmen wearing work dungarees, sporting fabulous handlebar moustaches whilst listening to ompah music or industrial metal. they are a glorious thing and I would very much like to own one.

[weeksy]

Yeah it's quite a basic and generic frame design that's for sure. But the belt/pinion is quite left-field that's for sure.

I don't actually know how well it would copy in chalky-clay-mud.

Generic?

Really? Name me one other frame manufacturer who machines their own aluminium tubes to produce the butting exactly as they want it and uses the geometry they do?

What you really mean is "It's not your run of the mill hydro-formed aluminium mass produced in Taiwan frame"...

I think pace did something like this on a hardtail a long time ago?
I agree that swoopy hydroformed frames all look the same and let's be honest all made out of the same factory in Taiwan. a nicolai is CNC'd and welded by a merry band of middle aged teutonic craftsmen wearing work dungarees, sporting fabulous handlebar moustaches whilst listening to ompah music or industrial metal. they are a glorious thing and I would very much like to own one.

But again, that makes them generic in the same but opposite way. As I say, it's a Swarf, a Cotic, a Stanton or a Turner. In the reverse scenario it's not a Giant, Commencal or a Scott. They're both a basis on a theme in the opposite directions of creating a bicycle.

The only thing that separates it is the belt drive system and gearbox, which are real interesting things for me.

I'm not of the engineering types who cares about the craft beers and moustaches etc, so to me whether it's hand welded or if it's laid in carbon, the main thing is about how it rides as a bike.