It's not just beer that is heavily "crafted". Nicolai has long made a name for itself in the industry for hand-welded bikes made of aluminium to the highest quality standards and "made in Germany". Now the manufacturer from the north of Germany is presenting its latest creation: the Enduro G1.
"We don't care about trends." - The key data of the G1 at a glance
Wherever the mountain bike market is going, Nicolai is doing its thing. At least that's what the press release says. But that's not quite true, as the geometry of the G1 is quite trendy. Long, flat, downhill orientated. Quite extreme even, perhaps ahead of the trend, if you like, but Nicolai has always been a bit like that. The head angle of the new G1 is a super-slack 62.5 degrees, the rider is stretched over 515 millimetres in frame size L, the bottom bracket drop is also an impressive 32 millimetres. The chainstays grow with the frame size, with a super-long 453 millimetres in size L. However, the bike should still climb well, thanks to a seat angle of more than 78 degrees.
Compatible with 27.5 or 29 inch
But Nicolai wouldn't be Nicolai if a geo-sheet was all the bike had to offer. Using extension pieces, which Nicolai calls "mutators", the seat stays, chain stays and shock linkage can be lengthened or shortened, allowing for extensive, customised configuration of the bike's geometry. (Under this Link you can find the geometry in full detail). The same applies to the headset, where different bearing shells allow slight deviations in the steering angle. And you've probably already guessed it: the bike is of course compatible with both 29" and 27.5" wheels, whereby the geometry remains the same at least in terms of reach, head angle, seat angle and chainstay length, provided the right components are fitted.
Chassis: Steel dampers from EXT as the centrepiece
The second major highlight of the new Nicolai G1 is the newly designed suspension. Nicolai has worked together with the Italian racing specialist Extreme Racing Shox to achieve this. The frame and shock have been harmonised from the outset and the suspension should now fit all rider sizes and weights perfectly despite the steel shock, provided the right spring is used of course. The shock has also been given a negative spring for a particularly fine response behaviour and a hydraulic bottom-out for hard hits and misplaced landings, which cannot always be avoided in enduro racing. Nicolai promises the customer a choice of 162 or 175 millimetres of suspension travel and nothing less than the "best enduro MTB suspension in the world".
The rest is quickly told, because it's typically Nicolai. The welded seams are the company's trademark and wrap themselves skilfully around each of the solid tubes. The frame sizes range up to XXL and should therefore also fit people over two metres tall. High-strength 7020 aluminium is used in the frame, which has a good 30 percent higher tensile strength and a good 20 percent more elasticity than "normal" 6061 aluminium. This means that the frame can be strong and light at the same time, even without carbon. However, all this comes at a price. The frame is available from around 2700 euros, while the luxuriously equipped complete bikes cost at least 6000 euros. A lot of money, but also a lot of technology and of course mostly "made in Germany".
All further information on the Nicolai G1 can be found on the Website of the manufacturer.
Adrian Kaether
Editor
