XC Nicolai Saturn 11

[hifiandmtb]

I’m probably going to get some grief from posting a bike that’s not mine, but old mate won’t post it & it’s too good to keep hidden from view.

It’s a XL Nicolai Saturn 11, a Bike Components special order in black & orange/gold. Works well with his Baum Turanti (possessed for five years now) utterly superb machine it is.

Pics:

Specs:

Frame: Nicolai Saturn 11, 105mm, XL (bloody huge)
Fork: DT Swiss F535, 140mm
Shock: DT Swiss R414
Wheelset: DT Swiss XMC1200, 30mm IW
Groupset: SRAM Eagle
Brakes: SRAM Guide ULT
Tyres: Maxxis Rekon 2.6” (f), Maxxis Rekon 2.25 (r)
Cockpit: Tune, OneUp post
Seat: Rapha ProTeam

For a proper trail spec in this size, 12.1kg is awesome for a bike this big.

 

[FatMuz]

Is he 7 ft tall?

 

[hifiandmtb]

6’5”. Kinda normal these days...I’m 6’2” & feel small next to many people I deal with daily...

 

[Oddjob]

Phew. I saw the thread title and got a bit worried. Then I saw the guide brakes and relaxed.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

 

[Cardy George]

I like it. Looks kinda minimalist.

You could set a spinnaker off that mast.

 

[Ultra Lord]

Now THAT is an XC bike I can get behind! Gorgeous.

 

[hifiandmtb]

Aye.

This is the attention to detail he applies to all his builds:

That’s a Speedvagen in his arsenal.

We built a Norco this morning too:

The Norco’s owner. One day:

No-ones asking about the DT Swiss F535 fork?

 

[Ultra Lord]

lets be real. The frame is the star of this show

 

[Cardy George]

No-ones asking about the DT Swiss F535 fork?

Too much travel for me, but I am curious about that tool he's using. . .

 

[T.3]

Nicolai, Baum, Speedvagen. The trilogy of awesomeness is complete.

 

[The Reverend]

Superb looking bike, and in XL too for extra appeal.

PYR has been super quiet for ages, put a little competition in and then all these exquisite builds come up. Lovely work.

 

[hifiandmtb]

Too much travel for me, but I am curious about that tool he's using. . .

This:

https://fairwheelbikes.com/tune-spurtreu-stem-alignment-tool/

The tool you have when you have all the tools...

 

[moorey]

The tool you have when you have all the tools...

And literally no brain.
‘The age old probkem’ You say?

 

[Oddjob]

No-ones asking about the DT Swiss F535 fork?

I was going to ask whether it had the stiffness and responsiveness of all the other DT forks. But that might have just looked like sour grapes.

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[slider_phil]

God damn superb. A Nicolai I'd definitely own, if it was a medium

 

[hifiandmtb]

I was going to ask whether it had the stiffness and responsiveness of all the other DT forks. But that might have just looked like sour grapes.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

This is like the second one into the country.

Gets awesome reviews!

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/first-look-dts-new-f535-one-fork.html

Feels great to me, but I don’t fit on the bike so can’t comment in detail. Build quality is amazing.

 

[John U]

Harsh! I’ve got one. I use it all the time. The cat fucking loves it.

And literally no brain.
‘The age old probkem’ You say?

 

[OCD'R]

And literally no brain.
‘The age old probkem’ You say?

Shit like that is why I don’t bother with the internet opinion thing...


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[Oddjob]

This is like the second one into the country.

Gets awesome reviews!

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/first-look-dts-new-f535-one-fork.html

Feels great to me, but I don’t fit on the bike so can’t comment in detail. Build quality is amazing.

I'm sure the build quality is amazing but my limited experience with DT suspension is not good.

I'm also not a big fan of the dampener design. Having no compression control for the first 30% of travel is not a good idea. I know people want the most super duper supple fork that compresses if you look at it, but what you trade off is control under hard brakes and turn in. I'll take the control thanks.

Much better to have a sophisticated speed sensitive dampener with seperate lsc/hsc controls and let the air spring manage position sensitivity.

I'll await a ride report though to see if the final product is better than the description.

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[Zaf]

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