NUA URBAN BIKES

One of the many aspects of our lives which has been changed by the Covid virus is the way in which we move. The bicycle has once again become the prefered way of getting around town in a safe, healthy and fun way.

At Nuabikes we’ve noticed a definite increase in the demand for urban bicycles, so we thought we’d publish this post as a little overview of our urban bikes. And what better way to do that than to show you some of our most recent commuter builds.

SINGLE SPEEDS

If you live in a flat city and you’re pretty certain you’re not going to venture beyond its bounds on your bike, then a single speed is always the best option. Your bike will be lighter, cheaper, and require less maintenance. And not having to think about gear changes leaves your mind free to experience the ride.

Our single speed range is based on the Nua Minima, a bike which combines top-of-the-line quality with elegant simplicity. Here’s an example of a build we did for Andrew, in Washington.

But, as you know, we love to break the established mould (aka “special project”). Take for example this “Bullhorn” single speed we built for Julian in London.

Or this “Urban Racer” we made for Thomas in Austria. With those extra-wide tyres it looks both fun and ready for anything, don’t you think?

PINION GEARBOX

Another model which has been very successful lately is the Nua Kensho. With its Pinion gearbox, it’s a capable commuter in any city, but it’s also comfortable on weekend rides and even on gravel.
For example this sporty build for Gilbert in Zürich. In this case a 6-speed Pinion was more than sufficient (and kept the weight down).

Sometimes though, we give the model a classier and more practical touch, as with this build for Christian in Boston, which sports wheels laced in-house using a pair of Pinion hubs and top quality DT rims, a Berthoud saddle, Brooks Ergon leather grips, and a practical set of mudguards. In this case, we installed a 12-speed Pinion, making this build ready for anything you can throw at it, although we still consider it an urban bike.

ROHLOFF

Last but not least, we offer the option of constructing your bike with a fantastic and totally bomb-proof Rohloff 14-speed rear hub. This gearbox may be designed for round-the-world bike trekking, but it’s not at all out of place on an urban bike, especially if the build is done with style, something we think we’ve achieved in this minimal and classy bike made for Markus in Basel.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this selection, and that these examples will serve as inspiration for your own unique and personal Nua build.

Stay tuned to the blog, follow us on Instagram or Facebook, or sign up to our newsletter here to be sure to keep up with news about our latest bikes and be able to order your custom one.

Visit www.nuabikes.com to look at more of our bikes and to have a play with our bicycle builder and configure your perfect machine.

We hope you’re keeping safe and healthy in these interesting times.

The Nua Team

YUKKA’S FLOC DE NEU

The Nua we’re presenting in this post has a big personality, and it’s been a similarly big pleasure to watch it come to life and to welcome it into the growing family of Nua bikes which populate planet earth.

Yukka wrote to us from Finland. Like other clients who live in the frozen north, he was interested in the combination of titanium frame and belt transmission; a combination which can cope with the adverse riding conditions in his country, where snow, ice, salt, and gravel form a cocktail which often proves lethal to lesser bikes, which struggle with rusted frames and chains.

Yukka is used to riding fixed gear bikes, and had been in love with the Nua Floc de Neu (our take on the fixie genre) for some time. But he needed to add certain components which are obligatory by law in Finland, such as lights and a kickstand. It was a challenge keeping the minimalist aesthetic of the Floc de Neu intact, but I think we did pretty well!

The wheels are laced by hand, and the rear one sports two Gates sprockets, one fixed and the other single-speed, so that Yukka has only to flip the wheel to change between the two.

For the front wheel, we opted for a super-light Shutter Precision hub, which powers a discreet and powerful LED light from Supernova, the E3 Pure. This light is held in place by a custom-made bracket screwed directly into the fork, which has been given some special eyelets for the purpose.

For the rear light, we went with a LightSKIN seat post with integrated battery-powered LEDs.

The front brakes are our old favourites, the Tektro R559 Long Reach, the only rim brakes on the market which fit around wide tyres while maintaining the same braking power as a good short-reach brake. And to operate them, a very pretty and super strong Paul brake lever, with metallic cable housing from Velo Orange:

The headset is titanium, a rare breed. It has a brushed finish which combines nicely with the sand-blasted frame, the lovely green of the stem, and the natural colour of the bar tape.

The saddle and bar tape, both in natural coloured cotton, are from the Brooks Cambium range.

The tyres are by Compass: wide, comfortable, and super fast-rolling.

By this time you will have noticed that we painted some of the bike’s components a pretty green colour. Here, for example, the F-Gimondi crankset, powered by MKS Japan pedals.

To sum up, a very personal bike, practical, but at the same time elegantly simple and exceptionally beautiful. And if Yukka’s comments are anything to go by, it’s adapted very well to its icy new home.

“The bike is very light, responsive (I drive fixed) and fast compared with my older steel fixed gear bikes. The wide Compass tires are really comfortable. Today we have about 5 cm fresh snow and icy ground, but the tires handled it well. I’m more than happy with my Floc de Neu, it really flies over ice and snowy sleet. I will surely treasure and cherish my Nua.”

That’s all for now. If you don’t already subscribe to our newsletter and you’d like to receive regular updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling!

THE NUA RÁPIDA

Ladies and gentlemen, we take great pride in presenting our latest model, the Nua Rápida:

Its name says it all. A bike designed to get you from A to B fast. And we mean fast.

Its Gr.9 titanium frame is complemented by a carbon fibre fork. A combination which offers excellent stability at high speeds, as well as superb agility for zipping through urban traffic.

The drop bars allow for a more dynamic riding position: lean, mean, and ready for speed.

The Rápida is available as a single-speed or with a Kappstein Doppio 2-speed BB hub. Both models come with a Gates CDX belt drive transmission as standard: silent, clean, light, and maintenance-free. And thanks to the sliding dropouts, you can remove and replace the back wheel in seconds, without affecting the belt tension.

We’ve pulled out all the stops with the rest of the set-up, too: gorgeous Crank Brothers Cobalt wheels; Compass Barlow Pass extralight 38mm tires; Avid BB7 disc brakes activated by Sram levers (the version with 2-speed shifter for the Doppio model); Thomson seatpost and stem; Acros headset with Tune carbon spacers; Fizik Cyrano handlebars; Exustar pedals; and a Brooks C-15 saddle with matching bar tape.

Riding this bike you have a sensation of speed but also of security. It zips along, but at the same time it seems capable of reading your mind and responds instantly and effortlessly to any change of direction. You can feel how your pedal power is transmitted unhesitatingly to the rear wheel.
The brakes are top-notch, and the whole machine has a feeling of quality you don’t often find in a city bike. As with all our bikes, its titanium frame offers a level of comfort impossible to achieve with aluminium or carbon.

In a nutshell, a bicycle for those who are looking for superb quality in a commuter. Those who enjoy the adrenaline of speed, but who also know how to appreciate the simple lines of a superior quality product, built to last a lifetime.

That’s all for now. If you’d like to receive regular newsletters with updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling!

3 NEW NUAS

This post is just pure self-indulgence: a photo-essay of three of the latest and sleekest Nuas to come out of our workshop. So scroll on down to get some ideas for your dream bike, or just to appreciate the beauty of a bicycle well made.

1. Santtu’s Nua Kuopio

Santtu wrote to us from beautiful Kuopio in Finland, looking for a bike he could use for his daily commute along stunning lakeside paths. Here are a few photos of the
drop bar single speed we made for him:

“My Nua rides very smoothly. No sound at all. Everything works great!
The bike is beautifully finished, light and lovely. Thank you so much :)))))”

2. Richardson’s Nua 8-Speed Alfine

We recently shipped this marvelous bike to Pensylvania. Simple in design, but capable of handling any surface thanks to its 8-speed hub and wide tires.

“Now that the weather here in Pennsylvania has been warming up in the last month, my Nua is getting a lot of road time. I’m really loving it! It’s also gotten a lot of attention and comments from my friends, all of whom mention how unique it is.

Thanks again for such a great product!”

3. Phillip’s Nua Single Speed

Phillip got in touch with us in search of the perfect single speed on which to ride the streets of Berlin in style. A few weeks later, this was the result:

“Just wanted to drop you some lines after my first commutes to work. The bike looks and rides awesome. I enjoy it very much. It is very clean and neatly assembled. Great quality.

Thank you for this amazing bike and the great service”

That’s all for now. If you’d like to receive regular newsletters with updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling!

A VERY NUA NUA

Nua (the Catalan word for nude) means “without the usual coverings, furnishings, etc; bare”.

When you make custom bikes, they can sometimes become very complex, kitted out with automatic lights, custom-designed racks, sophisticated gearing mechanisms, mudguards, etc. etc.…
And then sometimes you get to go back to basics, to the original philosophy of “less is more”, and you end up making a very “nua” bike. And that can be a breath of fresh air.

In this case, we also had a fairly tight budget to work to, which was a good reason to explore minimalism to the fullest! We’re very proud of the result:

Mr. Kuo wanted a simple, maintenance-free bicycle, but he also wanted a quality machine which would be fun to ride on his daily commute in Sydney, Australia.
The starting point for this bike is our versatile titanium Nua Ti-CORE frame, which allowed us to install disc brakes and our new carbon fibre Nua CF fork.

A single-speed transmission using a belt drive (of course, what else!) gives an efficient and worry-free ride. It’s also lightweight, silent, clean, and completely maintenance-free for the duration of it’s working life (20,000 km minimum).

The sliding dropouts mean that removing and replacing the wheel is child’s play, and doesn’t affect the belt tension.

Shimano disc brakes are always a great choice. They work brilliantly, they’re powerful but progressive, and they’re easy to install and to bleed. All reasons why they’re fast becoming our favourite brakes. Great quality at a great price.

Our new carbon fibre fork is ideal for this type of bicycle. Light and elegant, it lends a sporty air. It’s also more economic than a titanium fork, allowing us to reduce the total price of a bike without compromising on quality.

The Procraft stem is an elegant part which we often use. It contrasts nicely with the titanium spacers, giving the impression that it’s floating. Our Nua Ti-BAR flat titanium bar completes the ensemble, resulting in a cockpit which is solid, yet comfortable.

A Brooks Cambium saddle, made with cotton fabric and natural rubber, is another great choice. Comfortable, elegant, and maintenance-free. The Brooks Cambium Slender grips, also cotton, are the ideal match. Our client chose rust colour, which to our taste is the shade which best compliments the combination of titanium frame and black components.

Mr. Kuo was a contented man when he received his Nua:

“I couldn’t be happier, it’s better than I expected!. Fit is perfect, a very comfortable position, top tube length ideal which gives comfort and the right posture to put the power down.
Quality of the ride was the most surprising thing. It rides beautifully enabling great range and flexibility for a single speed. It’s so quiet when riding along. Feels responsive, light and assured. In many ways, it felt immediately familiar. Best birthday present I could have hoped for!”

We too are extremely happy with this bike. We think it’s a beautifully balanced and functional set-up and would work well as a preset for other clients, with a very attractive entry price. So, if you’d like a Nua Nemo (as it was christened by 5-year-old Maia when she realised it was headed for Sydney), just drop us a line at contact@nuabikes.com.

That’s all for now. If you’d like to receive regular newsletters with updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling!

A LONDON SUPER-COMMUTER

A gentleman from London contacted us looking for a bike he could use for his daily commute. He wanted a machine which would require a minimum of maintenance, and which would be comfortable, practical, and speedy, whether the weather was fine or whether the weather was rain, sleet, and snow.
So he suggested that we make him a single speed using our slim-line SC frame, with drop handlebars, mudguards, and a rack. We were delighted to oblige, and a couple of months later Forsyth’s Nua was born:

It’s been a pleasure to work on this bike, so essentially simple yet with such a high-quality finish.

In the brakes department, we have Tektro calipers activated by Crane Creek levers. Powerful, lightweight, and easy to adjust.

This is the first time we’ve used Continental Grand Prix 4-Season tyres in their new 32mm width. Ideal for the often adverse weather conditions in London.

The combination of a Brooks saddle and a Thomson seatpost is fast becoming a standard in our custom builds. Excellent quality, functionality, and great looks.

We’ve used a Ritchey Neoclassic handlebar with Brooks Cambium natural cotton tape, in rust colour to match the saddle.

Mr. Forsyth also wanted to be able to have a bit of fun in fixie mode every now and again, so we installed a second sprocket on the hand-built back wheel. He has only to flip the wheel to change between drive modes. Accordingly, we’ve used MKS pedals with toe clips and discreet nylon straps.

The rear rack is a titanium Tubus Airy. Light and strong, it perfectly compliments our exquisitely welded Nua Ti-CLASSIC titanium frame.

After trying out his bike for the first time, Mr. Forsyth wrote to say:

“It’s arrived Roberto and it looks lovely and beautifully simple and elegant. I cycled to work this morning in the rain with a smile on my face. It’s a lovely, superbly engineered and thought through bike.
Thanks for producing such a lovely bike for me”

We’re pretty happy with that 🙂

That’s all for now. Next up, a post about a bike bound for the antipodes. If you’d like to receive regular newsletters with updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling!

THE NUA B612

In 1909 (so the story goes), a Turkish astronomer discovered the asteroid B612, the home of the Little Prince. In 2015, another Turkish gentleman, Cenk, discovered Nua Bikes and promptly ordered a Nua SC with a few modifications. The result was this:

We started with our urban model, the Nua SC, based on our beautiful and comfortable Nua Ti-CLASSIC titanium frame.

This model is an ode to simplicity and elegance.

Cenk’s first special request was our complete package of Ti-Line titanium components: handlebar, stem, and seatpost.

His second special request was… very special: “I want a fixed gear and a single-speed coaster in one,” he said. “Not a problem,” we said.

Something which is easy to do and quite normal to see with a chain transmission suddenly isn’t quite so obvious when a belt transmission is involved. But at Nua, we have a solution for everything, and what’s more this particular problem was one we’d already come across and solved. So we put in a Shimano XT hub set up for a disc brake, but replaced the disc with a second sprocket. Cenk can swap between fixie and freewheel by simply flipping the wheel:

Of course, to properly enjoy a fixie you need pedals with straps, so we installed some pretty MKS Sylvan pedals, with Brooks England leather straps.

Dark brown leather is always a great combination with titanium.

To sum up: an elegant, lightweight joy of a bike on which to ride the streets of Istanbul in style.

If you’d like to receive regular newsletters with updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling.

A NUA IN NEW YORK

Introducing Nik’s Nua. This bike has a special place in our hearts, as it’s the first Nua ever to be ridden on the streets of New York.

Nik wanted to replace his old fixie with a commuter bike better suited to the difficult climate of his city. A titanium frame and fork, belt drive transmission, disc brakes, and mudguards seemed like the perfect combination for a bike which would be out every day in all weathers. So we got to work on his behalf, with this result:

Nik is a member of the 5th Floor cycling collective, and his well-trained legs can easily cope with a higher gear ratio, so we installed a Gates Carbon Drive CDX belt with a 60 tooth front sprocket and a 22 tooth rear sprocket. (R=2,73).

Our Nua Ti-CORE frame is, among other things, extremely versatile. Although this bike has been set up as a single speed, Nik will be able to adapt it to his future needs. He can even install a 14 speed Rohloff IGH if he so desires, since the sliding dropouts and internal cable routing are designed to accommodate a wide range of possible configurations.

Disc brakes definitely have the advantage in wet climates. Once again we’ve gone with Magura hydraulics, with 160mm rotors for progressive braking.

We hand built a pair of wheels with Shimano XT hubs, Ryde rims, and Sapim D-light spokes. The result is a great quality piece of kit: robust, yet lightweight.

For the points of contact between bike and body, Nik opted for pieces from Brooks’ Cambium range, which are water-resistant and maintenance-free: a C15 saddle and Slender grips, both in a nice rust colour which matches the brown leather of the top tube protector.

Nik has a lot of plans for this bike, taking full advantage of the flexibility which the Nua Ti-CORE frame affords. As he says, he already imagines “converting it from a commuter into a trail rig for midweek trail rides in Cunningham Park or taking it to the Wednesday night cross-training practice”.
We’re looking forward very much to seeing the future incarnations of our first Nua in New York.

That’s all for now. If you’d like to receive regular newsletters with updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling.