# The new Nicolai build begins!



## boone (Aug 29, 2004)

Well,
Here are a few pics of my new frame, thought I would share them with y'all.
A HUGE shout out of thanks to Toni and Blacksheepcycles!!!! This dude has probably the best job in the whole world (helping folks find the right bike!). Just a great all around guy to chat with and work with. He endured many, many agonizing questions from me as we were choosing a new bike. Very patient through the whole process and always had very good suggestions for me to look into.
If anyone is even considering a Nicolai in the States, I highly recommend this shop and this guy.

Anyway, here is my new Nicolai UFO ST ano black medium. Frame weight without shock should be around or just under 9 lbs. I will have two builds for this baby: pike/DHX air, e13 drs (5.5 X 6) (~35lbs) and black boxxer team and dhx coil/e13 srs (8 X 7.7) (~39lbs). HA and BB height are adjustable by moving shock mounts; travel adjustable by moving rear shock mounts. Comes standard with 12mm tru maxle :thumbsup: and 1.5 HT.

More pics to come after we get the shock in. Once it actually makes it to me I will post a build pics thread to follow it!

Lemme know what you think. My riding has progressed more into the FR range and I have thought long and hard about this bike and really like what it is turning into for me. My last Nicolai treated me very well and was an absolute delight to ride. I have no doubts this one will be the same.

Here is what Nicolai says about this rig:
_"The Ufo ST likes to go hard and fast. It excels at Bikeparks, DH-races, freeride and trails. It accomplishes this through nimbleness and agility but at the same time it stays well balanced and neutral. This makes it perfect for rookies to handle and after only a few rides they get an appetite for a good dose of air-time. The Ufo ST is the official Cup-Bike of the first German manufacturers-cup: the Conti-Ranking. (www.conti-ranking.de) Here it has proved itself for a full racing season on the best German DH tracks. For those who don't want to buy a fleet of bikes for all purposes, the Ufo ST has the option of being equipped with a front derailleur adapter and long travel single-crown fork for less extreme use. The Ufo ST is the perfect fun machine for all skill levels and shares many features with our more expensive machines. Now go and enjoy this frame safe in the knowledge that we give you five years warranty for hard action riding."_

Booner


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## borry (Nov 7, 2005)

*Holy f*** dude!*

damn that is a sweet frame! If you dont mind me asking, how much was it?


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## carl0s (Nov 1, 2005)

sweet dude...


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## Tracerboy (Oct 13, 2002)

lookin awesomeeeee


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## pvflyer (Dec 7, 2004)

............nothing to say!!!   :thumbsup: :thumbsup: 
Have fun putting all together.SIC.....................


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## xKREDx (Aug 8, 2006)

Sick looking frame.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

man you will be pimping.............sweet


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## Hot Butter Topping (May 5, 2005)

Looks sh*tty, sir. Obviously germans know nothing about rear shocks. I mean just look at that thing it wouldn't handle a gnarly pile of logs on an XC trail. 

Send it back and buy an Orange 224.


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## RAPIT (Oct 2, 2005)

Hot Butter Topping said:


> Looks sh*tty, sir. Obviously germans know nothing about rear shocks. I mean just look at that thing it wouldn't handle a gnarly pile of logs on an XC trail.
> 
> Send it back and buy an Orange 224.


 a little bit of history. . . . Karl Nicolai is the inventor of FSR (if you don't believe me do your search just search @ wikipedia) . . . I do not thing anybody knows about suspension much more than him. He must have been doing more robust things than a 224 back in the 80's. Check their website www.nicolai.net and you will see how many design concepts they use.

Not to mention that their frames have to me an undisputed WC on their welds.


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## Whafe (May 27, 2004)

RAPIT said:


> a little bit of history. . . . Karl Nicolai is the inventor of FSR (if you don't believe me do your search just search @ wikipedia) . . . I do not thing anybody knows about suspension much more than him. He must have been doing more robust things than a 224 back in the 80's. Check their website www.nicolai.net and you will see how many design concepts they use.
> 
> Not to mention that their frames have to me an undisputed WC on their welds.


RAPIT, not to worry, lets hope HB Topping was attemting to be funny, cause if not, he jus tmade himself look about 2mm tall and be deemed as the first living brain doner.......:madman:


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## Whafe (May 27, 2004)

boone said:


> Well,
> Here are a few pics of my new frame, thought I would share them with y'all.
> A HUGE shout out of thanks to Toni and Blacksheepcycles!!!! This dude has probably the best job in the whole world (helping folks find the right bike!). Just a great all around guy to chat with and work with. He endured many, many agonizing questions from me as we were choosing a new bike. Very patient through the whole process and always had very good suggestions for me to look into.
> If anyone is even considering a Nicolai in the States, I highly recommend this shop and this guy.
> ...


BOONER, dam bro, truly looks the Shizzle, fack, looks sweet. Glad you are having the same experience with Toni that I am having. The guy rates big time in my book. My frame now will no be here till into November, a shame, but will be worth the wait. Should be the first 07 like it off the blocks. Yeah ha....

Pure bliss to see your pictures, has fed me some Nicolai food to get me through, can concentrate on watching your build....

Go Bonneeee, Go Toni, bbbbbbbbbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa bbbbbbbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


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## sovietspyguy (Dec 4, 2005)

that's a sick frame dude....i really like some of the nicolai designss. Good stuff, think you'll enjoy it!


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## erkan (Jan 18, 2004)

Their logo is wicked.


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## Ace1 (Jun 14, 2004)

Awesome!

Man, I wouldn't want to put my frame on that rough paving/concrete with that flat black paint job! Wrap it up in a duvet quick and it may forgive you!


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Glad you guys are stoked on your frames. I can't wait to get back to the shop to see that UFO in person. Gonna be a sweet build.


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## Jlar (May 29, 2006)

RAPIT said:


> a little bit of history. . . . Karl Nicolai is the inventor of FSR (if you don't believe me do your search just search @ wikipedia) . . . I do not thing anybody knows about suspension much more than him. He must have been doing more robust things than a 224 back in the 80's. Check their website www.nicolai.net and you will see how many design concepts they use.
> 
> Not to mention that their frames have to me an undisputed WC on their welds.


Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Horst Leitner was the inventer on the FSR suspension thus the name Horst link???


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## Hot Butter Topping (May 5, 2005)

Heh heh heh.


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## offtheedge (Jul 6, 2004)

maxle?


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## LarryFahn (Jul 19, 2005)

Jlar said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Horst Leitner was the inventer on the FSR suspension thus the name Horst link???


That's been the word on the trails for years, not 5 posts. :thumbsup:


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## Raghavan (Aug 14, 2005)

I hate you too. 
Nice bike, pics when it's done please!


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## boone (Aug 29, 2004)

HBT: I knew you might get sombody  Yeah without a shock it's gonna be tough to ride!

Whafe: I absolutely love this thing!!! I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Gotta be patient just a little longer. Has been a great experience. Sorry yours is taking longer. I bet it will be worth it though. I will post some pics of the building to keep you tame for a bit!

Rear Maxle-Hell yah boieeeee (135 X 12)

I will def. post up some pics when it is done!
Thanks all y'all for the kind words. Glad ya like it, it sure took me a long time to decide 

Booner


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## Whafe (May 27, 2004)

Err said:


> Glad you guys are stoked on your frames. I can't wait to get back to the shop to see that UFO in person. Gonna be a sweet build.


I'm stoked and it is only ordered Err, Yeah Facking Ha........:thumbsup:


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## Whafe (May 27, 2004)

boone said:


> Whafe: I absolutely love this thing!!! I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Gotta be patient just a little longer. Has been a great experience. Sorry yours is taking longer. I bet it will be worth it though. I will post some pics of the building to keep you tame for a bit!
> Booner


Yeah bro, your UFO is going to keep me going and tame.....mmmmmmm


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

Jlar said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Horst Leitner was the inventer on the FSR suspension thus the name Horst link???


haaaaaa..............but that isn't FSR or a Horst link suspension


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## boone (Aug 29, 2004)

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:


> haaaaaa..............but that isn't FSR or a Horst link suspension


Nope!
Single pivot...simple...easy...and in the Right place!
Many people have ridden this bike and said they don't even know it is a single pivot.
Doesn't behave at all like a high SP. Brakes well, easy square edge hits for breakfast 

I have confidence in this company to make a well rounded, balanced bike...during pedaling, jumping and braking! Most importantly I was looking for something a little shorter on the chainstay and a little more like a big 4x bike.

B


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## crisillo (Jul 3, 2004)

Extremely sweet... please post pics of both builds :thumbsup:


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## 545cu4ch (Aug 11, 2005)

Whafe said:


> BOONER, dam bro, truly looks the Shizzle, fack, looks sweet. Glad you are having the same experience with Toni that I am having. The guy rates big time in my book. My frame now will no be here till into November, a shame, but will be worth the wait. Should be the first 07 like it off the blocks. Yeah ha....
> 
> Pure bliss to see your pictures, has fed me some Nicolai food to get me through, can concentrate on watching your build....
> 
> Go Bonneeee, Go Toni, bbbbbbbbbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa bbbbbbbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


HAHA. Poor sucker. You still have to wait 1 month!! :crazy:

I am so jelous of future Nicolai that I will have to make fun of you while you wait. 

And to the original poster: thats one of the nicest frames Ive seen. :eekster: The colour is excactly what I would choose if I had a Nicolai (I wish). I just have one doubt when I see that frame: what is that small rod beneath the shock mount??


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## nrdbomber (Aug 31, 2006)

i dig the frame. a friend of mine just built one up with a 6" fork...did excellent on technical stuff....

can't wait for pics of buildup!:thumbsup:


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## dogonfr (Jan 6, 2005)

Sweet looking frame, looking forward to the build. Gots ta love needle bearings.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

boone said:


> Nope!
> Single pivot...simple...easy...and in the Right place!
> Many people have ridden this bike and said they don't even know it is a single pivot.
> Doesn't behave at all like a high SP. Brakes well, easy square edge hits for breakfast
> ...


yeah yeah yeah..................nice bike though


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## Whafe (May 27, 2004)

545cu4ch said:


> HAHA. Poor sucker. You still have to wait 1 month!! :crazy:
> 
> I am so jelous of future Nicolai that I will have to make fun of you while you wait.
> 
> And to the original poster: thats one of the nicest frames Ive seen. :eekster: The colour is excactly what I would choose if I had a Nicolai (I wish). I just have one doubt when I see that frame: what is that small rod beneath the shock mount??


Keep the sh!t coming at me, it will take my mind off the wait. Do have a ride coming up witht he Titus riders in Fruita & Moab, yeah ha, that is my focus, then it will be hardcore straigh back onto the frame...

Cant wait to see my colour when it arrives.... You wait 545cu4ch, you will be envy all round....


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

Whafe said:


> Keep the sh!t coming at me, it will take my mind off the wait. Do have a ride coming up witht he Titus riders in Fruita & Moab, yeah ha, that is my focus, then it will be hardcore straigh back onto the frame...
> 
> Cant wait to see my colour when it arrives.... You wait 545cu4ch, you will be envy all round....


not worth it.....plus the bliss you will fell in a few weeks........man i am sitting on an M-3 and found out Marzocchi doesn't have any 888 for 2 to 3 more weeks....dammm
but good things happen for those who wait


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## Whafe (May 27, 2004)

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:


> not worth it.....plus the bliss you will fell in a few weeks........man i am sitting on an M-3 and found out Marzocchi doesn't have any 888 for 2 to 3 more weeks....dammm
> but good things happen for those who wait


hear ya there SMT, that M3 is going to look mean when its built.... At least you iwll have an 07 888, and it will be spanking..............:thumbsup:


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## fw190 (Oct 27, 2005)

Whafe said:


> RAPIT, not to worry, lets hope HB Topping was attemting to be funny


You and RAPIT are nothing if not fast on the uptake.


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## trialsrookie (Nov 8, 2005)

Nicolai bikes are really sick... congratulations, whatta nice frame you got there! Ride it hard and with pride :thumbsup: 

There's a really cool movie on the Nicolai homepage... "legalize it" - highly recommended!


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## Whafe (May 27, 2004)

fw190 said:


> You and RAPIT are nothing if not fast on the uptake.


Blame it on me being Blonde


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## boone (Aug 29, 2004)

545cu4ch said:


> HAHA. Poor sucker. You still have to wait 1 month!! :crazy:
> 
> I am so jelous of future Nicolai that I will have to make fun of you while you wait.
> 
> And to the original poster: thats one of the nicest frames Ive seen. :eekster: The colour is excactly what I would choose if I had a Nicolai (I wish). I just have one doubt when I see that frame: what is that small rod beneath the shock mount??


As far as I know this is the story: There is extra pressure that is put on the downtube during full compression on a design like this. That rod I believe acts like a cord holding the seattube and downtube together so there is less stress on the downtube during full compression. This keeps the downtube from taking too much stress over the life of the frame and also allows them to make the downtube a little lighter and the overal frame a little lighter (relative) as well. 
Also the little rod can be adjusted with different size shocks that can be run on the frame.
Pretty cool!

These Guys as Nicolai really do think of everything:thumbsup:


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## Whafe (May 27, 2004)

boone said:


> These Guys as Nicolai really do think of everything:thumbsup:


Dam straight, and a 5 year frame warranty....... Boone, dam I cant stop looking at the frame pictures....... Phew it is the muscarooney, the welds are SenSatioNal.......

Boone, see my build on my website under Whafes Project Nicolai..... Your thoughts ????


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## boone (Aug 29, 2004)

Whafe said:


> Dam straight, and a 5 year frame warranty....... Boone, dam I cant stop looking at the frame pictures....... Phew it is the muscarooney, the welds are SenSatioNal.......
> 
> Boone, see my build on my website under Whafes Project Nicolai..... Your thoughts ????


Looks about as sick as it possibly could mang!!!:thumbsup: 
I totally wish that they would have updated to helius fr like the Nucleon FR. I really liked my helius FR. They made all the right changes for the Nucleon FR: slackend the SA and HA, beefed up the front triangle, made the CS a little longer. Just dont see why they could not do that to the Helius. They have the Helius ST and CC bikes? Must be they thought that making the helius FR a little bigger would put it too close to the ST?

Anyway, What seat clamp are you running  How about some Danger boy brake levers?
Also ask Toni if the sleeves that hold the shock itself are steel. My 2005 Nicolai had these sleeves made of aluminum:nono: :nono: :madman: I had to do some fancy work to get those bolts out of the sleeve and then had Nicolai USA make me some new sleeves out of Steel!! I think they probably would have fixed this problem by now.

How about spokes and nipples?

No matter what you do, that set-up you have picked out there is just gonna be the best of everything and will be absolutely amazing. Only problem I would have is actually riding it.
I would be afraid to scratch it for that price:eekster: :eekster:

Nice work man!!

Booner


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## derfernerf (Jun 25, 2006)

boone can you clear out some PM so i can PM you


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## boone (Aug 29, 2004)

Done!


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## austinb89 (Nov 6, 2004)

wow that is amazing looking. so clean looking


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## RAPIT (Oct 2, 2005)

Jlar said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Horst Leitner was the inventer on the FSR suspension thus the name Horst link???


Nope. Read it @ wikipedia


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## Smith (Mar 6, 2006)

Sorry for the offtopic


boone said:


> I totally wish that they would have updated to helius fr like the Nucleon FR. I really liked my helius FR. They made all the right changes for the Nucleon FR: slackend the SA and HA, beefed up the front triangle, made the CS a little longer. Just dont see why they could not do that to the Helius. They have the Helius ST and CC bikes? Must be they thought that making the helius FR a little bigger would put it too close to the ST?


Boone, they actually did some changes to the Helius FR for 2007: the CS are now 435, travel is up to 163 mm, the front triangle is beefed up to handle 160mm single-crown forks.


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## boone (Aug 29, 2004)

Smith said:


> Sorry for the offtopic
> 
> Boone, they actually did some changes to the Helius FR for 2007: the CS are now 435, travel is up to 163 mm, the front triangle is beefed up to handle 160mm single-crown forks.


Yeah, they did some good things to the fr! I was looking for the same capabilities as the nucleon fr though...up to 180mm fork and more DH oriented...
That would really be too much for the FR as it is an AM light FR bike. Pushing it to take a 180mm fork is silly and that is what the st is for 
Thus I went to another model.

The FR is still a killer bike. If I was to keep just one, it would be that one!!!


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## climbingbubba (Jan 10, 2007)

That bike looks awesome. How much did the frame weigh? How much travel does it have? would my fox dhx 5.0 7.825 X 2.25 fit on it? just curious cause i am thinking about getting one


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## boone (Aug 29, 2004)

The frame without shock weighs just over 9lbs. This is the ufo st veriosn not the ufo.
the smaller ufo is about 9 lbs with a coil shock. The ufo st can have 6.1"-8" of travel depending on what shock stroke you use. With an 8.75 X 2.5 you get 6.1-7.4". With a coil shock of 8.75X2.75 you get 6.5-7.7" 
I guess to answer your question, your shock would prolly not work. Though if you were interested in the smaller ufo that shock might work. I believe there is a ufo for sale in the classifieds right now for like 700 bucks!!! It still has 3.5yrs left on the warranty also 

Either way, the ufo or the ufo st are great bikes and I have been able to do anything I want with this rig. Dare I say a good platform for a "do all rig!!"

Booner

Feel free to ask anymore questions! I have finished this bike and have been ridiing it for a while.


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## goRz (May 11, 2005)

frankly saying I think it's a bit pointless to buy nicolai if you don't buy one of G-Boxx equipped frames....


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## dogonfr (Jan 6, 2005)

goRz said:


> frankly saying I think it's a bit pointless to buy nicolai if you don't buy one of G-Boxx equipped frames....


That makes no sense!!


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## boone (Aug 29, 2004)

goRz said:


> frankly saying I think it's a bit pointless to buy nicolai if you don't buy one of G-Boxx equipped frames....


WTF are you talking about? Why should anyone buy anything other than a gboxx then?
Dude I am sorry but your comment makes no sense at all. I agree with DGFR!
Is there something wrong with nicolai if they are not gboxx bikes? Please don't give me some crap about them being too expensive or something like that!

Booner


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## goRz (May 11, 2005)

boone said:


> WTF are you talking about? Why should anyone buy anything other than a gboxx then?
> Dude I am sorry but your comment makes no sense at all. I agree with DGFR!
> Is there something wrong with nicolai if they are not gboxx bikes? Please don't give me some crap about them being too expensive or something like that!
> 
> Booner


that's just my opinion, don't be so nervous... I'm not saying that there is something wrong with them but there is nothing so special about them to justify the price.. sorry.......


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## dogonfr (Jan 6, 2005)

goRz said:


> that's just my opinion, don't be so nervous... I'm not saying that there is something wrong with them but there is nothing so special about them to justify the price.. sorry.......


The Nicolai frames are no more expensive then other compairable frames. The G-Box is very expensive because of the tecnoligy, once refined im shure the price will come down some. With the G-Box you are not buying the deraillurs, gears, cables & shifters, it's sold as part of the frame. :cornut:


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## goRz (May 11, 2005)

dogonfr said:


> The Nicolai frames are no more expensive then other compairable frames. The G-Box is very expensive because of the tecnoligy, once refined im shure the price will come down some. With the G-Box you are not buying the deraillurs, gears, cables & shifters, it's sold as part of the frame. :cornut:


comparable... comparable.. in terms of what ? ok let's leave that. Is Yeti Cycles comparable? I think it is. So let;s take Helius ST as an example - price 2000 EUR according to nicolainet. I can't open Yeit German distributor website right now, but remember Yeti ASX (similar frame and suspension system) was 1000 EUR. So Nicolai is 100% more... isn' t it more expensive ?
As far as frames with G-boxx system are concerned agree, as I've mentioned earlier. Still I wish they were cheaper


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## boone (Aug 29, 2004)

ok ok 
I am not all upset, I just didn't understand what you meant. No hard feelings.
With the nicolai/yeti thing, ummm. The helius is a horst link bike and the yeti asx is a SP. Not that that is a huge difference in performance or anything, I think each has its positive and negatives. I do think however this may contribute to the price difference a little bit.

Also, and I may be biased here but I think that the quality of build that goes into a nicolai is slightly higher than that of the asx. Don't get me wrong, I liked the asx very much, I used to own one and it was a very capable and well riding machine. Good bike. I guess what it comes down to is the attention to detail that goes into each nicolai frame, the great 5 year warranty under race conditions, the stiffness of the nicolai frames and the unlimited options that are available! 

Now, is that worth 100% more...maybe not and I will totally accept that it may not be for some folks. Personally I feel very lucky to be able to own a Nicolai as they are a bit more expensive and after riding a bunch of different bikes, I was ok with paying the extra price for what I got! To me it was well worth it! 

Hope that makes sense. I didn't mean to jump all over ya goRz 

Booner


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## suicidebomber (Feb 10, 2007)

Jesus, another Nicolai-equipped guy... YOU GUYS ARE LOADED!


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## frisky_zissou (Jun 4, 2006)

this is one of the most awesome suspension designs i have ever seen


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## Whafe (May 27, 2004)

Makes me laugh when I hear it is not worth it etc........... That can be said about anything out there. Is a Ferrari worth it compared to an Impala..........No, they both do the same thing in essense...... Its all about what an individual wants. I respect those that wouldnt spend big dosh on something, but you also need to respect those that would............. Each to their own really, dont ya think..............

I guess some dont see a frame and biek as a piece of art, as others do. The build and workmanship on a Nicolai is better than a Yeti, whilst Yeti are awesome quality, from what I have seen etc, the Nicolai is better quality..........And no, am not slagging Yeti, Titus, Ellsworth, Turner at all, they are indeed all awesome quality......

Seeing as though I am getting a GBoxx Nicolai, when you factor in not needing a rare Der, Front Der etc etc, it is not as much out of whack as some may think....

Its all good, get what frame ya want either way, as long as you are ahppy and are getting busy on it


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## phib1134 (Dec 20, 2006)

sweet frame


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