Submitted by
Dee
a Cross Country Rider
from Germany
Date Reviewed: February 15, 2004
Strengths: Beutiful bike - engineering details and construction are very good. Great handling, and a solid feel.
Weaknesses: No weaknesses. I have found my dream bike! My stickers are not so well protected but I can put new ones on and my bike will look like new again. Anodization finish is difficult to clean after very muddy riding.
Bottom Line:
Karl Nicolai makes wonderful bikes and is a real character on the German moutainbike scene. This is a good bike for XC trail use but it can also be a racer if you make it with lightweight parts. I like that it is very adjutable - like the other persons review I leave it in the longest travel mode but for races I use lower travel. I ride this bike in the mountains often and the suspension feels very good over rocky terrain, always very controlled and responsive.
If you buy a Nicolai you will be very happy with it - and the service is very good if you have problems as there is a 5 year warranty. Lots of Chillis for Nicolai :D
Similar Products Used: Santa Cruz Superlite, Specialized FSR XC, etc.
Bike Setup: Nicolai Helius CC frame, XTR drivetrain, King headset and hubs, Continental Vert Pro tyres, FSA BB, Race Face post, Eason bars and stem, Magura brakes, Manitou forks
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Submitted by
marcus higgins
a Weekend Warrior
from Newcastle
Date Reviewed: December 29, 2003
Strengths: build qulaity - flawless welds and perfect alignment anodized finish 4 bar linkage detailing - CNC'd yokes, Rohloff compatibility, unlimited custom options etc massive tyre clearance looks
Weaknesses: Takes some getting used to the unusual geometry initially. unnecessary travel options - 3-5". Just leave it on 5"! Up to 2 months waiting time for a bike.
Bottom Line:
Awesome build quality - best welds on any bike I have ever ridden (or seen for that matter). My previous high end bikes do not even begin to compare (Titus, Ellsworth, etc) Geometry is radical - steep seat, slack head, sloping TT. Geared to very aggresive riding - weight biased to front to place traction on wheel and stop lifting on climbs. Feels odd at first but within one ride it is second nature...
It uses a real 4 bar linkage so no need for fancy shocks - the FOX Vanilla RC it comes with as stock is perfect, but may run a Romic as it feels plusher and may eliminate a little of the bob from weight shifts.
Mine is anodized black, with silver stickers and gets looks from all who see it, if I buy another Nicolai next year I will go for the bronze eloxal finish which is the most bling anodizing I have ever seen!
The suspension action is real plush and is ideal for general hard XC riding with just over 5" of travel. It can be adjusted down to 3" though I can not see many riders bothering. I guess with a lighter build you could use it as a do-it-all bike and race enduro or marathon type events on it. There are better bikes in the range for this, as this is really a fun all rounder with the emphasis in hard trail and light FR use. (I go to around 3-4' drops but it is easily strong enough to go higher - though my old bones are not!)
I love this machine and think it is the best built and best handling bike I have ever owned. I am testing a Nicolai DH bike next week and will post a review after trying it.
Check the website on www.nicolai.net - soem real interesting machines on there.
Bike Setup: xtr, manitou supernova, tioga 24" downhill rims and tires, tioga cube stem and riser bars, tioga saddle
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Submitted by
Mickey Shumaker
a Downhiller
from Spokane, WA 99037
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2003
Strengths: The bike that is actually the subject here is the 2003 Lombada. This is the ultimate DH bike. It gives the rider the total ride he needs to make it down the course faster than that of his opponents. This bike has the Avalanche DH rear shock on it and has the plush feel to it as well as the reactiveness. However you might say that the feeling of plush means that on the big hits in the rear you will bottom out and blow you shock to hell or worse yet break some part, hell no the 4 pivot rear suspension and shock with the through axle make it stiff and stable. If you want the ultimate DH bike you'll want to ride this one.
Weaknesses: The only defaults in the bike is the wheelbase and the BB height. The wheel base is adjustable but only from the neighborhood of 42-43 inches. The BB height is adjustable from 13.5 to 14.5. However you can make up for this by buying the 165 cranks. It makes a little differese in your stroke but after you train with it it becomes second nature.
Bottom Line:
This is definetly the supreme DH ride and should be at least demo'd by all types of riders. I admit everyone has there own style but when it comes to winning everyone also has the same will to win. In order to accomplish this you have to have all of you chickens in a row. A dialed bike is the key to the ultimate rush of DH. Point Of contact to ride, buy, or look at the bike go to www.nicolai.net look at the Nucleon and the Lombada. The Nucleon is pretty over kill unless you plan to huck 25 to 30 footers. But still pretty fatty.
