thepimpmessiah

Due to incoming new Nicolai I have my fantastic old Nicolai to sell (there is a trend forming here... once a Nicolai owner it’s hard to buy anything else ) This is how I have it built at the moment but I'm keeping some of the stuff - this build is nudging 29lbs. I'd like to sell frame/fork/shock together and if bought this way whoever buys them will be a very happy bunny; this is the most amazing suspension set up I’ve used and I hope I can get my new bike to feel as good (I’ll be buying pretty much the same set-up again for the new frame). Here is what I would like to sell together... Frame with Shock and Fork. Frame with Avalanche tuned DHX Air shock (215x63mm shock giving 171mm travel – although there are options - http://www.nicolai.net/22-1-Helius+AM.html ). This is a better feeling shock than the coil CCDB I ran on it for a while (and much lighter). You don’t need lock out or CTD rubbish with this set-up, it feels over-damped in the car park but on the trails it only uses the travel it needs and honking out of the saddle doesn’t get much bob, yet it feels incredible on rough stuff and pumps brilliantly due to how it returns from in the travel. The shock can be serviced by any of the usual suspension places so don’t be scared off by its odd internals (just serviced so good for another year). Marzocchi 55 RC3 Ti fork with Avalanche fork cartridge (160mm travel). Again the best fork suspension I have used and a perfect match for the rear in how controlled they feel; economic with travel on the small stuff and handle/recover from the big stuff beautifully… no typical over-soft Marzocchi brake dive with this set up! Better than Bos Deville without the maintenance hassle – open bath cartridge which the user can service and Avalanche have all the details are on their website, and again just serviced. Fork and shock were set-up for me. I’m 13/14st and set-up was for downhill performance (Fast rebound, reduced dive and linear compression - other tunes are available and Craig at Avalanche is easy to deal with and very helpful for tuning stuff... until I bought this stuff I was suspension twiddler but this stuff is so perfect you really don't need to touch Craig's set-up - all paperwork for set-up etc will be included - can you tell I am a geek!). Chris King 1.5" Headset (of course, and in black of course) Thomson 1.5" 45mm stem in black (super short and very light – perfect for this bike) I can throw in black low rise Sunline 745bar if the buyer wants It all goes together well like this as the frame and fork have the 1.5” steerer (which will make selling the fork etc separately a PITA for me hence some keen pricing). The frame is 135x12mm at the back and I’ll include a Maxle and/or BETD bolt through. Anodised black frame so the lightest option at 3200g. It will clean up and look lovely but it has been used and there is signs of this… its four years old and I’ve ridden it quite a lot, and quite hard at times (it has been raced – whatever difference that is supposed to make as Nicolai don’t differentiate). Loads of room for big tyres – I ran 2.4” Continental Rubber Queens on 28mm wide rims so 26” tyres don’t come much bigger. Frame has ISCG-old and I had a HammerSchmidt on it before going 1x9 (and then 1x11). Oddly there is no front mech cable stop but something could be done if you wanted to run a front mech (Nicolai have some adapter thing which bolts to the back of the seattube or you could get all Heath Robinson and do it yourself… but why ruin a great bike with a front mech when 1x10 will be perfect anyway). Frame will be four years old in March so still has a year of its transferable five year warranty left. I think this is the best version of this frame. Earlier versions ran a shorter shock and had a more upright head angle, later versions were beefed up to take a 170mm fork which added a heavier wall downtube increasing the weight. With the 160mm fork this one is great and measures at about 65deg headangle so spot on for AM/Enduro riding. I’m 5ft11 and this frame is on the small side for me – I would say 5ft10 would be perfect. 31.6mm seatpost so fits Reverb posts (I have one I can sell with the frame… I have read that if you ask Nicolai they will tell you where to drill for a stealth). All the bushings in the back end were replaced last year even though only one was beginning to get loose – not bad after three years use! The price for all this loveliness is £1150 posted (you could buy a Nukeproof Mega for that… my pricing is based on £600 frame + £250 Shock + £300 fork + free stem/headset/bar/etc ). Other bits by negotiation – how about some Hope Hoops with Flow rims, or with Light-Bicycle carbon rims to build this back into a superlight sub 30lb enduro race machine? If it doesn’t sell like this I have other build options such removing the Avy kits and fitting a Push tuned Float shock, or some Fox 36 forks (with or without an Avalanche Damper again) – but I would like to see if the whole thing will sell like this first. EDIT - Some more information about the shock - I had a coil CCDB and this DHX Air kicks it's butt. The CCDB is not as adjustable as the marketing would have you believe, it always feels like a CCDB; they feel great in the gnar and at speed but people describe them as not lively and that was my issue with it... not good for boosting off little rocks on a trail and pumping through rollers and berms. I don't think they are capable of moving enough oil to get a good rebound speed from deep in the travel. The Avy tuned DHX is as good as the CCDB in the gnar yet it's a really poppy fun feeling shock which makes you want to find the little kickers and play. Pumping the bike with the Avy set up is amazing... Free speed! It's also a great techy climbing shock as it doesn't wallow through its travel under weight shifts like the CCDB does, and out of the saddle efforts don't set it bobbing more than through the first part of the travel. The shock and fork feel very efficient as a pairing, much like a Bos Deville and VIPr but without being quite as stiff/racey feeling, and certainly without the squelching and impossible maintenance and warranty hassles (yes I've ridden these too). If I'm making it sound like the Holy-Grail of shocks then your getting it. There is loads of adjustability on the shock and fork - lots of clicks to play with if your build is different to mine. The bike I demo'd to replace this had a CCDB Air and it had the same lack of livelyness. I will buy another Avy shock if I sell this one... but if a buyer doesn't want it I have other options I can sell and this DHX will fit my new bike without requiring more than a small twiddle than its nobs (according to Craig at Avalanche). I'm selling the shock and fork with the with the frame so someone has the option to get this awesome package all together - but if a buyer would rather buy a less good set up and I get to keep the DHX then I'm happy too - all options are good options as I have a new frame and fork on the way.