Well, after a bit of tinkering I think the Nicolai is pretty darn close to finished. Last bug to work out is which chain guide to use and how to set it up
more later.
Before I get too far ahead of myself, I need to thank Toni over at www.Blacksheepcycles.com for all the help and great discussions when choosing this new rig. We discussed many options over email until I was sure his head would explode. Toni was a huge help through all the outrageous questions I sent him, always calm and happy to discuss bikes. Great fellow and shop to deal with! Highest recommendations
To start, if you have never seen a nicolai in person you need to find one and check it out! They are a work of art and German precision to the max. The first time I saw one I was blown away. The first pic below shows some of that precision in the huge fish scale welds perfectly spaced and molded together. Nicolai claims the welds are much stronger and provide a stronger contact point, ie this puppy aint gonna break at the seams!
This particular model is one of Nicolais newer frames coming out last year. It is intended to be a more economical model from this company while still maintaining the high Nicolai quality. Frame with shock retails for about $2200. Each frame comes with a 5 year warranty under race conditions. A 10 year crash replacement warranty follows that. Not to mention the warranty follows the bike not the owner!
The UFO ST was built as a bike that everyone could ride and ride hard in any condition. It was used in the ContiCup DH races in Germany (see www.Nicolai.net). Basically this is a race where everyone rides the same bike (UFO ST) on the same course. This way riders could be tested not the technology. The UFO ST also turned out to be a great bike for mountain parks and rough and tumble trails due in part to its tight geo and handling.
The geo is shown below as an attachment. Several things not mentioned on the chart: 1) Shock length (8.75 X 2.25) is recommended but with an air shock and 8.75 X 2.5 can be used to yield a lower leverage ratio and slightly less travel (~6-7.3), 2) 66 deg. HA is with a 7 fork (frame accepts any size fork dual or single!). For me, this is perfect as I was looking for something similar to the Transition BR but with a bit more travel (Im a hack!).
Anyway, I will wrap it up with a parts list and some pics as I have only had a few rides on this puppy! Hope you enjoy and feel free to ask any questions or give any comments!
2007 Nicolai UFO ST medium frame: Black anno
2007 Fox DHX air 5
2007 Marzocchi 66sl ata
FSA orbit extreme pro R headset
Danger boy 45mm stem
FSA 31.8 DH bar
ODI lock-ons
Hayes nine brakes (8 rotors)
SRAM X-9 der and shifter (rear only)
Blue Hadley hubs (20mm F; 12mm 135R)
Mavic 729 rims with DB spokes
Maxxis AdVantage rubber (2.35)
Maxle rear axle (rock shox)
FSA DH BB
Truvativ cranks (170mm)
Hope seat collar
SDG I beam post and FX saddle
Cheap clip-in shimano pedals
SRAM cassette and chain
E13 Bash hopefully DRS and SRS soon!
Weight: ~36.5lbs
Before I get too far ahead of myself, I need to thank Toni over at www.Blacksheepcycles.com for all the help and great discussions when choosing this new rig. We discussed many options over email until I was sure his head would explode. Toni was a huge help through all the outrageous questions I sent him, always calm and happy to discuss bikes. Great fellow and shop to deal with! Highest recommendations
To start, if you have never seen a nicolai in person you need to find one and check it out! They are a work of art and German precision to the max. The first time I saw one I was blown away. The first pic below shows some of that precision in the huge fish scale welds perfectly spaced and molded together. Nicolai claims the welds are much stronger and provide a stronger contact point, ie this puppy aint gonna break at the seams!
This particular model is one of Nicolais newer frames coming out last year. It is intended to be a more economical model from this company while still maintaining the high Nicolai quality. Frame with shock retails for about $2200. Each frame comes with a 5 year warranty under race conditions. A 10 year crash replacement warranty follows that. Not to mention the warranty follows the bike not the owner!
The UFO ST was built as a bike that everyone could ride and ride hard in any condition. It was used in the ContiCup DH races in Germany (see www.Nicolai.net). Basically this is a race where everyone rides the same bike (UFO ST) on the same course. This way riders could be tested not the technology. The UFO ST also turned out to be a great bike for mountain parks and rough and tumble trails due in part to its tight geo and handling.
The geo is shown below as an attachment. Several things not mentioned on the chart: 1) Shock length (8.75 X 2.25) is recommended but with an air shock and 8.75 X 2.5 can be used to yield a lower leverage ratio and slightly less travel (~6-7.3), 2) 66 deg. HA is with a 7 fork (frame accepts any size fork dual or single!). For me, this is perfect as I was looking for something similar to the Transition BR but with a bit more travel (Im a hack!).
Anyway, I will wrap it up with a parts list and some pics as I have only had a few rides on this puppy! Hope you enjoy and feel free to ask any questions or give any comments!
2007 Nicolai UFO ST medium frame: Black anno
2007 Fox DHX air 5
2007 Marzocchi 66sl ata
FSA orbit extreme pro R headset
Danger boy 45mm stem
FSA 31.8 DH bar
ODI lock-ons
Hayes nine brakes (8 rotors)
SRAM X-9 der and shifter (rear only)
Blue Hadley hubs (20mm F; 12mm 135R)
Mavic 729 rims with DB spokes
Maxxis AdVantage rubber (2.35)
Maxle rear axle (rock shox)
FSA DH BB
Truvativ cranks (170mm)
Hope seat collar
SDG I beam post and FX saddle
Cheap clip-in shimano pedals
SRAM cassette and chain
E13 Bash hopefully DRS and SRS soon!
Weight: ~36.5lbs
irate2:
