I have been riding a Nicolai Helius CC for about a year now. These are my findings.
The Nicolais I had seen on the Net were all pretty industrial looking with a lot machined parts and some pretty fat looking welds. I ordered mine with the silver anodized finish to round out the industrial look. I was not disappointed when UPS arrived with my package. In a market where most frames are carbon copies of each other the Nicolai stands out with its unique construction. Welds are massive. Dropouts are machined from thick aluminum stock and are the biggest I have seen on an XC bike. The headtube is custom machined. Large plate gussets can be found at the seat tube-top tube intersection and almost the entire left seatstay is gusseted to dissipate force from the disc brake mount.
/media/nicolai/june_nicolai.jpg
Nicolai has more options than any frame builder I have come across. LOTS of color and custom frame options (you can even get camo for an upcharge). I got mine silver anodized and without rear V-brake mounts. Bearings at the pivots are optional but I stuck with the bushings to save a bit of weight. I have to applaud Nicolai for bringing the custom back to custom frames. Companies that are selling 2,000 dollar plus frames should be offering all the options you could ever want but few do these days.
The frame came with a Rock Shox SID rear shock. There are 4 shock mount holes on the swing link. Mounting the shock to different holes results in a range of travel from 3.5 to 5 inches. I built mine up with a mix of moderately light parts and the bike weighed in at 27.5 pounds with Crossmax wheels and about 30 with my Rhyno Lite wheel set. These weights are pretty reasonable when considering that I was using Hope Mini disc breaks, a Psylo Race fork, and an assortment of moderately light parts.
/media/nicolai/june_nicolai1.jpg
/media/nicolai/june_nicolai2.jpg
On the trail:
The Helius is an all around great bike for a variety of trail conditions. The suspension is active but doesnt bob much when climbing. The head angle is on the slack side which is great for fast downhills and rocky terrain. The steering is a bit slow in the tight stuff though. I found that the bike was perfectly suited for Colorado/Moab terrain, but is a bit slack for the tighter terrain often found around Bend, Oregon where I have been riding over the last few months. No bike can be perfectly suited for all terrains, but an independently adjustable head angle would have allowed the bike to adapt better to the local trails here in Bend.
I also found that the combination of 4 inches of travel front and rear made for a great do everything bike. The travel was adequate for trips to Moab and for punishing Front Range Colorado terrain, yet the bike was still fast enough to be raced at competitive XC events. This would be the perfect bike for tough endurance events like the 24 hours of Moab.
In the long run:
I have ridden this bike over a year now and put well over 1000 off road miles on it. It has been 100% trouble free. The bushings are still as good as the day I bought them. Despite many crashes, the massive 6 bolt replaceable derailleur hanger is perfectly straight. No squeaks, rattles, or loose parts ever. Surprisingly the Rock Shox SID shock held up great. It finally gave up and blew out at the one year mark with not one bit of maintenance in that year. The anodized finish is tough as hell and still looks like new.
In one sense, the Helius is just another Horst-link bike. But this bike isnt about the newest suspension hype on the market. Its about a time tested design. Its about remarkable craftsmanship that cant be found in mass produced bikes. Its about options and style. If you are looking for the ultimate in high dollar frames be sure to check out Nicolais line at www.nicolai.net.
/media/nicolai/june_nicolai3.jpg
Seatstay reinforcement
Manufacturers Specs
Helius CC = Large frame size
Specs:
Frame weight incl. shock = 6.1 pounds
Travel options, adjustable from 5/4.5/4/3.5 inches bottom shock mount =
most travel
Easton Ultra Light front tubing, german aircraft aluminum 7005/7020 rear
end (upper and lower chainstays)
IGUS Grade A bushings are utilized in the CC version ONLY - all other
frames have IGUS Grade A bearings. The reason for bushings in the CC
models is simply the added weight factor - at any given time, the
customer can of course switch the bushings out for a bearing kit for a
nominal fee.
Chainstays = 17inch
Wheelbase = 43.5 inches
Top tube = 23 inches
Head angle = 70 degrees
Seatpost = 74 degrees
Options, etc.
Color:
In general, any color option of more than 30 is available - including
mixing and matching of colors, front / rear, as well as camo colors
($200 upcharge). Anodizing (prior to anodizing, the frame is sand
blasted to give it that deep sheen) is available also, in 3 colors,
silver, copper and blackOther options:
Rohloff OEM mounting is available, as is customer specified cable
routing (a nice feature of the build to order program!).
Custom geometry is of course available as well, pricing starts at $300
for a custom fit frame
Price
Retails w/ Fox Float OR Manitou Swinger (new for 03) for $1999.
The Nicolais I had seen on the Net were all pretty industrial looking with a lot machined parts and some pretty fat looking welds. I ordered mine with the silver anodized finish to round out the industrial look. I was not disappointed when UPS arrived with my package. In a market where most frames are carbon copies of each other the Nicolai stands out with its unique construction. Welds are massive. Dropouts are machined from thick aluminum stock and are the biggest I have seen on an XC bike. The headtube is custom machined. Large plate gussets can be found at the seat tube-top tube intersection and almost the entire left seatstay is gusseted to dissipate force from the disc brake mount.
/media/nicolai/june_nicolai.jpg
Nicolai has more options than any frame builder I have come across. LOTS of color and custom frame options (you can even get camo for an upcharge). I got mine silver anodized and without rear V-brake mounts. Bearings at the pivots are optional but I stuck with the bushings to save a bit of weight. I have to applaud Nicolai for bringing the custom back to custom frames. Companies that are selling 2,000 dollar plus frames should be offering all the options you could ever want but few do these days.
The frame came with a Rock Shox SID rear shock. There are 4 shock mount holes on the swing link. Mounting the shock to different holes results in a range of travel from 3.5 to 5 inches. I built mine up with a mix of moderately light parts and the bike weighed in at 27.5 pounds with Crossmax wheels and about 30 with my Rhyno Lite wheel set. These weights are pretty reasonable when considering that I was using Hope Mini disc breaks, a Psylo Race fork, and an assortment of moderately light parts.
/media/nicolai/june_nicolai1.jpg
/media/nicolai/june_nicolai2.jpg
On the trail:
The Helius is an all around great bike for a variety of trail conditions. The suspension is active but doesnt bob much when climbing. The head angle is on the slack side which is great for fast downhills and rocky terrain. The steering is a bit slow in the tight stuff though. I found that the bike was perfectly suited for Colorado/Moab terrain, but is a bit slack for the tighter terrain often found around Bend, Oregon where I have been riding over the last few months. No bike can be perfectly suited for all terrains, but an independently adjustable head angle would have allowed the bike to adapt better to the local trails here in Bend.
I also found that the combination of 4 inches of travel front and rear made for a great do everything bike. The travel was adequate for trips to Moab and for punishing Front Range Colorado terrain, yet the bike was still fast enough to be raced at competitive XC events. This would be the perfect bike for tough endurance events like the 24 hours of Moab.
In the long run:
I have ridden this bike over a year now and put well over 1000 off road miles on it. It has been 100% trouble free. The bushings are still as good as the day I bought them. Despite many crashes, the massive 6 bolt replaceable derailleur hanger is perfectly straight. No squeaks, rattles, or loose parts ever. Surprisingly the Rock Shox SID shock held up great. It finally gave up and blew out at the one year mark with not one bit of maintenance in that year. The anodized finish is tough as hell and still looks like new.
In one sense, the Helius is just another Horst-link bike. But this bike isnt about the newest suspension hype on the market. Its about a time tested design. Its about remarkable craftsmanship that cant be found in mass produced bikes. Its about options and style. If you are looking for the ultimate in high dollar frames be sure to check out Nicolais line at www.nicolai.net.
/media/nicolai/june_nicolai3.jpg
Seatstay reinforcement
Manufacturers Specs
Helius CC = Large frame size
Specs:
Frame weight incl. shock = 6.1 pounds
Travel options, adjustable from 5/4.5/4/3.5 inches bottom shock mount =
most travel
Easton Ultra Light front tubing, german aircraft aluminum 7005/7020 rear
end (upper and lower chainstays)
IGUS Grade A bushings are utilized in the CC version ONLY - all other
frames have IGUS Grade A bearings. The reason for bushings in the CC
models is simply the added weight factor - at any given time, the
customer can of course switch the bushings out for a bearing kit for a
nominal fee.
Chainstays = 17inch
Wheelbase = 43.5 inches
Top tube = 23 inches
Head angle = 70 degrees
Seatpost = 74 degrees
Options, etc.
Color:
In general, any color option of more than 30 is available - including
mixing and matching of colors, front / rear, as well as camo colors
($200 upcharge). Anodizing (prior to anodizing, the frame is sand
blasted to give it that deep sheen) is available also, in 3 colors,
silver, copper and blackOther options:
Rohloff OEM mounting is available, as is customer specified cable
routing (a nice feature of the build to order program!).
Custom geometry is of course available as well, pricing starts at $300
for a custom fit frame
Price
Retails w/ Fox Float OR Manitou Swinger (new for 03) for $1999.
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